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The more important question, as always, remains if the the story and gameplay are to your liking or not. To that end, I’m more on the reserved side of the equation, finding some value in both elements, but not enough to give this remaster a strong recommendation.
Left Alive was not a fun game to play. It lacked personality, even though it wanted to be an MGS clone so bad. It lacked complication for a stealth game, as well as comfortable character movement and slow ramp-up of difficulty. I think if the devs could have had more time to smooth out these rough areas, then the game would have been decent, if not good.
Compared to the first DLC, Turf Wars is much more combat focused. Overall, I didn’t like it as much as the first DLC, not because combat isn’t fun, but it’s gotten quite repetitive and tedious. Still, I suspect part three, arriving next month, will strike a better balance overall, as it completes the City That Never Sleeps story arc.
Overall, Shadow Warrior 3 was fun to play through, but I’m glad it ended relatively quickly because the gameplay loop is very repetitive. Flying Wild Hog has some great ideas here, but the lazy arena battle design and some (not all) lackluster level design needed to be more robust and creative. As it plays now, the gameplay is just paper thin like an arcade game — and I love arcades games, but those are short by design because they don’t have enough substance and breadth to hold the player’s interest for very long. All that said, I still enjoyed playing through Shadow Warrior 3 mostly, though I won’t be coming back for seconds. With due caution, I recommend it to anyone that enjoys the franchise or likes a raw run and gun FPS experience, and especially if you can play it on PSNow or GamePass.
One Piece fans will love this game.
Every old school franchise should be so lucky to get such a great sequel that obviously had a lot of thought and care put in by the teams involved. Clearly, if you enjoy Streets of Rage or the side scrolling brawler, especially when playing with up to three other people, Streets of Rage 4 should be on your list of titles to get.
This Missing is a heartfelt affirmation of identity expressed through emotional turbulence and macabre staging. Its performance as a puzzle-platformer—suspiciously slapdash and presumably exploitative—revels in instability, but finds resolution through a singular and concordant message. The Missing's pieces fit its puzzle, even if the player (and The Missing's protagonist) believe they won't.
Harrowstorm is the first DLC in the year-long Dark Heart of Skyrim event. Players must conquer two new, four-player dungeons - Icereach and Unhallowed Grave - and get pulled into the mystery that surrounds this year's event. The journey will not be easy, but if we've learned anything from last year's Season of the Dragon event, it is that it will all be worthwhile.
Step back into the Animus and relive the wonder of being both an Assassin and a Templar in The Rebel Collection. Ubisoft brings players back into Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and Assassin's Creed Rogue. The collection is a fantastic way to see two great games be brought to a current-generation console and to a new generation of players.
By maintaining most of previous XCOMs' roots, XCOM: Chimera Squad is a mostly successful entry that emphasizes brisk encounters and a guided narrative through tense battles of strategy.
I found Samurai Shodown 2 nostalgic and enjoyable. It's a fun game to play with friends and I can see matches getting very intense quick.
The idea of a PSVR MOBA game seemed unnecessary, but Sunsoft executed it without a hitch with Dark Eclipse. They made a case for how to do MOBA correctly in VR, as well as how to make MOBA fun in the medium. If they can populate it with more players, then the experience would be even better. Otherwise, you're going to be getting a single-player experience that taunts you with the idea of multiplayer fun.
All in all, Missile Command: Recharged is a good game. It doesn't mess with the gameplay design that the original established, but it does give you options and reasons to keep playing it.
Even if you do the minimum amount of side content and just stick with the main story as much as possible, you’re in for a long, interesting, and fun game. The story matter is heavy, though, and might tax some players into taking breaks more often than they might typically. To balance that, there is a lot of good humor and zaniness that you would expect from this studio, but also some endearing missions in the School Stories section where you do everything from lead a dance team, help engineer robots, box, join a motorcycle gang, and partake in a Virtua Fighter 5 tournament. Additionally, the changes that LJ has compared to the original are all positive, too — big new areas to explore, new gameplay elements in both the action and adventure portions of the experience, and yet the best parts of the original are carried over. Ultimately, this is an excellent game that I readily recommend.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission neatly unfolds platforming's trick and tropes with immunity from the traditional hazards of virtual reality. Immersed in Astro Bot's kinetic charm and engaged by its clever novelties, you're left admiring the medium's strengths rather than cursing its limitations. Astro Bot is a treasure for PlayStation VR enthusiasts.
Star Renegades is an impressive game that is easy to start and will keep you playing with its strategic depth.
At the end of the day, SS4 is what it sets out to be — a racous, over the top, arcade FPS that is best played with up to three friends. If that’s the kind of game you’re looking for, it’s very easy to recommend it. With a launch price of $40, it’s a lot more feasible to get some friends to buy in as well than if the price were $60, so keep that in mind, too.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a concise, focused sniping experience that packs a good punch at just $40. With lots of long range shots, fun gadgets, and good mission design, it’s an easy recommend if you’re looking for a summer sniping romp.
The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection had some classics in it, as well as some games that I have never seen before in my life. The addition of the extra content was brilliant and makes the collection worth your time. If you're an SNK fan or you just like old games, then add this to the list.
While the original Puyo Puyo's festive brand of falling-block puzzle-action is a known quantity, M2's tireless determination to blend accuracy with accessibility persists as the best way to enjoy a classic game in 2019. The SEGA AGES line continues to be the Switch's secret-best asset.