KonsoliFIN

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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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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Unfortunately, Soulstice is a forgettable hack-and-slash that also overstays its welcome. This is a shame, because at its best, it can be quite stylish and mechanically competent, especially during boss battles. The challenge level feels well-balanced, but a completely uninteresting story, bland characters, repetitive environments, occasional camera problems and ultimately shallow combat drag the experience down into an abyss from which it never recovers. Even its overall vibe seems primarily aimed at underage goths. That said, Soulstice does have some solid foundations, and the hack-and-slash genre is far from outdated. Perhaps in a sequel, the pieces will fall into place more effectively?

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Live A Live is a delightful, if unsurprising, remaster of a classic that received barely any attention in the West when it was first released. Now, it's finally here, and somehow still feels as inventive and fresh as the day it first came out.

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Pac-Man World Re-PAC reveals that old 3D platformers have aged worse than their 2D counterparts. Throughout the playthrough, it became clear that what was cool and original in 2000, no longer feels that way in 2022 unfortunately. Unlike Super Mario 64, Pac-Man World simply doesn’t have quite the same timeless magic. But then again, Pac-Man World Re-PAC is a solid remake and in a nutshell: If you’re familiar with the original and want the same experience with updated graphics — just like on the original PlayStation — then go ahead and grab it. If you have kids in the family, I’d still recommend Pac-Man’s adventure, as the levels aren’t too large, and there’s an easier difficulty mode available if needed. However, if you’re an adult and completely new to the game, keep my earlier warnings in mind.

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Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a superlative expansion that feels like a miracle when you play it on the Nintendo Switch. There's no reason for it to work this well, yet it does, and it's a joy from beginning to end.

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Stray is a stunning work of art. While it’s primarily an atmospheric journey, it offers enough meaningful activities, intriguing characters, and beautiful locations to explore, making it stand out clearly from the crowd. Additionally, the adventure as a whole is so cohesive, beautiful, and memorable that it can be recommended to just about anyone — even those who aren’t particularly fond of cats.

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Despite being quite bad as a remaster, Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is not a completely hopeless case, as it is still a stylish adventure that makes great use of its source material and will surely entertain those returning for another playthrough. However, it deserves a much better framework, as many mechanics have inevitably aged over the past 25 years, and the new technical issues certainly don’t make the experience any easier for point-and-click enthusiasts. Therefore, dear friends, I highly recommend buying the bug-free GOG release on PC. Or, at least wait for an update fix.

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Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is incredibly difficult to review, because I have to admit that nostalgia is buzzing strongly in the back of my mind. However, returning to these old classics was an absolute joy, and I feel that the adventures have aged remarkably well. I'm simply happy that Klonoa can finally be played easily on modern hardware. At the same time, the collection doesn’t offer anything new content-wise, nor does it particularly try to win over new fans, as the market is full of more feature-rich platformers. However, what it lacks in modern features, it makes up for in personality. That’s why I encourage especially the platformer fans to give Klonoa a shot, at the very least on discount. You might even be pleasantly surprised!

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