Digital Chumps
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Immortals of Aveum is a blockbuster action game. Much like superhero movies, it excels in combat but loses its heat in the story with lackluster dialogue and a hurried narrative. The cornerstone of Immortals is its graphics. The characters and environments were expertly crafted, highlighting the strong motion-captured characters. It was always refreshing to see how all the colors were utilized in each mission of the game. Excellent level design and fast-paced gameplay made a wonderful pair.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact has several good ideas, but very little follow through in catering to diehard fighting game players, new players unfamiliar with the tag-fighter subgenre, or even folks unfamiliar with the franchise. It's fun yet fluid fighter, don't get me wrong; only time will tell if it reaches a more fulfilling state in the future.
I cannot help but appreciate how Arcadegeddon hooked me into this really player-friendly loot shooter. The arcade-y elements are replayable, rewarding, and worth playing with friends. Arcadegeddon hits the spot as an MMO with roguelite elements with an awesome arcade aesthetic. But, I want more. Much more. If Arcadegeddon is to succeed in the MMO/roguelite space in the longer term, some of the advancement mechanics (such as preserving progress of longer runs) and lategame gameplay needs to be refined and expanded. I want additional modes like time trials that can easily and reliably completed in a single sitting. At the same time, I want some additional variety to make a three hour gauntlet exciting to reach. If you're wanting a co-op loot shooter that's easily picked up and played, look no further than Arcadegeddon. If you want something deeper, wait around a bit. Hopefully Arcadegeddon can hit that sweet spot, too.
I’m so glad that Namco Bandai re-released these games during Klonoa’s twenty-fifth anniversary year. They hold up remarkable well over time and have aged beautifully. I sure hope we see more of Klonoa going forward.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard crystallizes what made both the series and BioWare a force to be reckoned with over a decade ago. An emphasis on memorable characters and personalized combat allows this new entry to swell with magic, proving the developer still has stories to tell.
When evaluating a rhythm game, I take into account its complexity, soundtrack/tracklist, and replayability. Invector: Rhythm Galaxy's gameplay ever-so-slightly improves an already good gameplay loop for a rhythm title thanks to how well it blends rhythm beats with cruising through stellar futuristic landscapes. Its difficulty spikes inconsistently, needing some mild curation in onboarding players. Its tracklist that's comprised of licensed music is fantastic, on the other hand, and should appeal to fans from multiple audiences. Is it replayable? Yes, but some may feel pressured by its arbitrary completion requirements in its campaign. Taken together, it's a great entry in the genre, and hopefully Hello There Games continues to refine the series and cement its place as a modern rhythm series of must-play proportions.
Stray's strength is delivering a fun gameplay experience in playing as one of the world's most adored animals. While its story isn't going to be attempting to say anything new about the world, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to play as a cat.
My struggles with Witch Strandings are not of its simplicity, but that of lack of depth. Witch Strandings is not meant to be Death Stranding, part two. Instead, it's meant to be a simplified and more desolate interpretation of a "strand-type" game. The gameplay loop is so simple, all you need is a mouse; you will be wishing that your keyboard will have a greater purpose. Sure, the characters are well-written (albeit needier than I without my morning coffee), the atmosphere is moody and melancholy, and the core (rather, single) gameplay loop leaves the player to assume that they have only one purpose. However, I feel that Witch Strandings could do with another layer of complexity and depth, be it lore-driven or gameplay-driven, to bolster its attempt at experimenting with an already experimental genre. I do not consider Witch Strandings to be a fun in its current state (nor do I consider Death Stranding to be fun, either). Witch Strandings is an intriguing experiment that underdelivers on complexity but excels in atmospheric emulation and simple gameplay. I cannot help but want more from Witch Strandings, and I hope that Strange Scaffold continues to build on this experiment.
Much like last year's Exoprimal, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of The Goddess shows a Capcom willing to take risks. In this particular experiment, a tower defense/action strategy hybrid is bathed in Japanese culture with deliberate--sometimes slow--gameplay.
Outriders Worldslayer is a considerable upgrade from the original release. The introduction of a new tier, tree, and a more balanced gameplay design helps to make the case for more content down the road. It certainly feels like it’s on the right path to perfection, but still struggling in some minor areas.
Frozenheim meets the status quo for what you would expect from an RTS game. Where it excels is in its gameplay balance and how much control it gives you to create your gameplay path. It falls short in story cohesiveness and the occasional buggy controls.
Moo Lander is a fun game that can be played in short stints. It has a whacky and creative story that supports a side-scrolling shooter/puzzle/RPG backbone. It does more right than not and makes for an engaging and entertaining journey to hunt down alien cows.
The Jackbox Party Starter is a great way to dive into the Jackbox series if you have never explored it.
Knights of the Old Republic is a remake of a classic done right. Despite some issues with clunky gameplay and visuals, the story is entertaining, and the gameplay is engaging. The missions encourage the players to explore every inch of the mining station. Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience with an immersive story.
The Capcom Fighting Collection brings some unique titles that most U.S. gamers haven’t laid eyes on before. While not all the games in the collection are worthy to be in it, the Darkstalkers-centric theme makes it worth a look.
For an indie title, Kukoos: Lost Pets offers players a taste of charming 3D-platforming that has a potential for something much greater in the future, and I'm interested in seeing what more Kukoos has to offer in the future. Its ability-based platforming encourages folks to exercise precision, dexterity, and thoughtfulness, but I can't help but want more from PetitFabrik's charming universe that is the Kukoos. Sure, the Switch may not best accommodate precision compared to other platforms, but the platforming proper and successful charm of Kukoos is definitely enough to hold you over this holiday season.
Oh honey, APICO has all the fixins of a good and relaxing farming sim, but with bees! You have an inventory system that allows you to multitask without wasting time or restricting your options. There are little-to-no penalties for playing however you want, whenever you want. The soundtrack is so soothing and laid back that you'll put viewers and bees to sleep. And, there exists an element of surprise within the gameplay loop of beekeeping, breeding bees, and discovering bees that can keep you playing into the wee hours of the morning and can be disabled if you wish to leave less gameplay up to chance. Despite the gigantic tutorial (that could admittedly use some tightening up for new players) and the lack of deep story/community-building that you may expect from other popular farming sims, it is SO easy for one to lose track of time and relax in the bee-pun filled world of APICO. Give APICO some time -- it's an absolute hit, and I'm SO EXCITED to see it grow.
Conan Chop Chop is a straightforward roguelite. While it may be shallow in some regards on the equipment and the worldbuilding front, the ability to play with friends can make this roguelite a worthwhile experience for those who want to introduce their friends to the genre. Yes, Conan is on the easier end of most roguelites, but this comes at the cost of a less-than-compelling single player experience. If you're looking for a roguelite to ease you into the unforgiving nature of the roguelite gameplay loop of dying over and over again, then Conan Chop Chop won't leave you frustrated.
At its core, Death Stranding: Director's Cut is an inventory management game. The more you play, the more freedom you have to do things with that inventory. You can help others. You can hurt others. You can save citizens. You can kill them. You can grow your world. You can destroy it. Regardless of your decision, DSDC is a game unlike others in that your assumptions about core gameplay loops and storytelling are pushed aside in favor of exploring a disconnected future. For those who have yet to play DS, DSDC is clearly the iteration of DS that is worthy of your time given its iterations that are increasingly respectful of your time and patience while also giving you additional creative outlets to muck about. For those of you who were unable to get hooked into this game, then DSDC may not be the answer you seek in a cinematic experience. Give it a shot, though; I'd love to be proven wrong.
Either way, there are multiple reasons to praise the next-gen version of GTA V and GTA Online, but be warned that the new player experience is still much to be desired compared to other MMOs. If you own a PS5, you should definitely take advantage of trying out GTA Online before it becomes a premium game in a few months.