KonsoliFIN

The difference between good-bad and outright bad-bad is often a thin red line. Wanted: Dead is clearly the latter, and it doesn't even attempt to be anything else.

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Despite its thin plot and small nitpicks, playing Hogwarts Legacy is truly enjoyable. In addition to the main adventure, activities like interacting with fantastic beasts, broom flying and wand combat are all incredibly fun. There’s also plenty of side content – like Merlin’s Trial puzzle challenges, which are quite clever. Although Hogwarts and its surroundings are vast and full of details, I didn’t experience the usual open-world fatigue, because the experience feels so unique. The audiovisual execution is also second to none, with both sound effects and the soundtrack successfully mimicking the atmosphere of the Potter films.

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Like a Dragon: Ishin! brings the beloved Yakuza formula to historical Japan, blending samurai drama with over-the-top action and quirky side content. Despite some dated animations and occasional pacing issues, Ishin! delivers a rich mix of intense battles, cultural immersion, and absurd humor. It’s a must-play for series fans and a fascinating entry point for newcomers.

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Season: A letter to the future is clearly meant to be a profound, more contemplative experience aimed at players who enjoy a deeper narrative. The effort is admirable, but unfortunately, the experience still feels a bit hollow.

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Although Forspoken has more points of criticism than the average game and there are definitely better RPGs, the "DON'T BUY THIS" campaign by certain YouTube personalities feels a bit over the top. There are some good elements after all, and the gameplay itself is quite enjoyable. The fantasy adventure that blends the present and the past strongly reminds me of the '90s, when similar "ordinary person in a magical world" setups were seen more frequently. Too bad, that the main character is quite unlikeable.

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I had such high hopes for Darktide, and each one of them ended up a disappointment. This is a dire, bland, and often very broken multiplayer experience that doesn't capture an iota of the fun or horrific awe the franchise should inspire.

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Warzone 2.0 refines the original formula with fresh updates like a revamped Gulag and expanded vehicle options, enhancing the overall experience. However, despite these improvements, it remains a cautious iteration rather than a true innovation, leaving some players wanting more groundbreaking changes.

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Crisis Core was always an outlier, even if it was the best of the expanded Final Fantasy 7 gaming universe. 20-plus years later, it stands out as a decent, if oddly-paced and often poorly-written prequel that you won't miss if you decide to skip it. Only for the fans, this one.

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Gungrave G.O.R.E isn't big, novel, or even new, but it is damn fun for the short amount of time that it lasts. You probably shouldn't pay full price for it, but fans of this particular style of shooter will be in gory, blood-soaked heaven.

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Tactics Ogre: Reborn doesn't reinvent the wheel, but even as a light remaster it's among the best of its genre. For fans, this is a must-buy. For everyone else, it's a fine introduction to one of the original classics that continues to set the standard.

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When I got to test Sonic Frontiers at Gamescom 2022, I already had a feeling that something truly unique might be at hand. When reviewing the final product, it was a joy to realize that my initial positive impressions didn’t fade—in fact, quite the opposite. At this time of year and in this state of mind, the new Sonic fits incredibly well. And best of all: if this is the direction Sonic Team wants to take the series, fans can finally be hopeful about the future of the blue blur.

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A janky, broken nightmare that nobody should have to experience.

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While I appreciate the wild swings and big ideas that Nier: Automata presents, the simple fact remains that it's just not engaging enough as a game or as a story to warrant as many playthroughs as it demands. It could probably work better as an OVA. But as a game, it's just a frustrating work of repetition and dire plotting.

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Bayonetta 3 isn’t the best entry in the series, but it’s still an incredibly powerful action spectacle that easily outshines games like Soulstice, which I reviewed recently. Rumor has it that PlatinumGames’ top boss, Hideki Kamiya, is already hard at work on the fourth installment, so we definitely haven’t heard the last from the universe’s toughest witch.

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New Tales from the Borderlands revives the narrative-driven charm of its predecessor with humor, branching choices, and episodic storytelling. Pacing issues, underwhelming minigames, and a weaker final episode hold it back from greatness, but for fans of graphic adventures and Borderlands’ offbeat tone, it might be a ride worth experiencing once.

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A Plague Tale: Requiem, the sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence, is a visually stunning but technically flawed stealth-action game set in medieval southern France. The story follows siblings Amicia and Hugo, who are again on the run as Hugo’s mysterious illness, the "macula," unleashes a plague of rats. Gameplay expands on the original with more combat options, open level design, and skill progression. While the environments are impressive and the gameplay deeper, the experience suffers from frequent crashes and repetitive sections. Despite these issues, Requiem delivers a longer, richer, and more ambitious adventure—now with rats that can climb.

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The difficulty in Atari Mania often feels downright unfair, making retries more frustrating than fun. Mediocre instructions, unclear hitboxes, input lag issues, and occasionally odd control mechanics ruin the experience far too often. There are some good microgames — plenty, in fact — but progress is halted far too frequently for all the wrong reasons. This is a true shame: Atari Mania has a fun and interesting concept, and I really wanted to like it more.

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Visually, Splatoon 3 has a childlike aesthetic, but its vibrant worlds are charming and pleasing to the eye. As a big bonus, matches run at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second, proving that Nintendo truly knows how to squeeze every drop of power from aging hardware. The sound effects are fairly standard, while the music hits the player with a full blast of speed metal, disco, trance, polka, and just pure chaotic madness. Surprisingly, all these elements come together seamlessly, creating a truly unique experience. So: now is the perfect time to dive into the world of Splatoon!

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Victoria 3, developed by Paradox Interactive, is a complex and richly detailed grand strategy game set in the industrial and Victorian era. Unlike its more war-focused sibling titles, this entry emphasizes industrialization, trade, social reform, and global diplomacy. Starting in the 1830s, players manage the economic and societal development of a chosen nation, navigating challenges like class struggle, colonialism, and rapid technological change. While the game’s interface has improved, it remains intricate, requiring time and patience to master. Despite an aging engine and occasional AI shortcomings, Victoria 3 offers a deep simulation experience with nearly endless replayability. It’s a standout title for strategy fans interested in the transformative power of the industrial age.

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Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a surprisingly polished and engaging sequel that improves on nearly every aspect of Kingdom Battle. With more open exploration and a dynamic combat system blending turn-based tactics with real-time movement, the game offers depth and variety. Diverse character abilities and customizable Sparks add strategic layers, while boss fights deliver the most satisfying challenges. Despite minor technical hiccups and forgettable music, Sparks of Hope stands out as a fun, inventive adventure that rewards creativity and planning.

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