Digital Chumps
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Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an entertaining blend of planet-hopping adventure and spaceship customization built on the back of the dormant toys-to-life genre. The level of care and detail put into making this unique slice of space isn't burdened by somewhat repetitive gameplay and exploitative systems.
Need for Speed: Payback features the same fun arcadey racing from 2015's entry, minus all of the heart and soul that game had. With a by-the-books story, and a downright frustrating system to upgrade your car, it's hard to recommend Need for Speed: Payback.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is an exceptional fighting game. Everything about it looks and feels like the 30+ year old franchise, and many of the fights make you want to scream Kamehameha as you decimate your opponent.
Though Immortals Fenyx Rising may borrow familiar elements from other series, this new IP from Ubisoft establishes a unique identity through the lens of Greek mythology by using humor, intelligent puzzles, powerful combat, and clever world building.
There are some things here that are positive foundations. However, 'NASCAR 21: Ignition' has just missed the racing line and slammed the outside wall.
Loot boxes and a sexy Shelob aside Shadow of War is an impressive game in a franchise that whilst takes liberties with lore of the land produces a fascinating world full of captivating experiences.
A Hat in Time is more interested in looking around than staring backward. This is a challenging exercise for a 3D platformer, and yet A Hat in Time keeps its perspective balanced between careful devotion and sensible progression. Being responsive to your environment, as it turns out, makes it easier to see where you should be going.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Switch) is a faithful port of an already outstanding RPG. Barring small graphical artifacts, an oversized text box, and multiple loading screens, KOTOR is an easy recommendation for Switch owners that RPGs should strive to emulate: Your character's stats matter, your character's actions have consequences, and the worlds you visit are lively. Even more: If this port doesn't make you excited for the upcoming KOTOR remaster, I don't know what will. If you're not the biggest Star Wars fan, I can assure you that you just might be after playing this game. If you're currently a Star Wars fan and have yet to play this game...what are you doing? Drop what you're doing and pick up KOTOR.
A Hat in Time is more interested in looking around than staring backward. This is a challenging exercise for a 3D platformer, and yet A Hat in Time keeps its perspective balanced between careful devotion and sensible progression. Being responsive to your environment, as it turns out, makes it easier to see where you should be going.
MXGP Pro is functional enough to fulfill the cravings for players who want this kind of game, yet it serves as another example that developer Milestone needs to give more time and care to its franchises.
HumaNature Studios' Toe Jam & Earl: Back in the Groove has brought back and breathed life into the old gameplay design of the original game. It feels like a Toe Jam & Earl game, which I can appreciate immensely. While not groundbreaking with visuals, it still brings some real fun to a series that lost its way a long time ago.
VA-11 Hall-A is a unique experience that borrows some design elements from games in the past, such as Carmen Sandiego, that features solving problems through natural dialogue with ambiguous clues. The additional narrative to it is captivating at times, though some dialogue can get way too long in the tooth. The additional money-making motivation and customization options help to sell the experience a little further beyond its initial design.
At the end of the day, whether you're taking a nostalgia trip back in time to revisit this classic or if you find yourself in Historia for the first time, it's definitely worth playing.
Imaginary Friends Games did a fantastic job with creating a wholesome experience for young and old audiences with Shindig. It's a unique adventure driven by fun (and flawed) characters, well-written and performed dialogue, and packaged with a fair amount of passion. It might be a short experience, but it's one that you'll enjoy.
This kind of game is a welcome change to the farming/life RPG genre. If you are a player that enjoys fishing in games, then this is the game for you because it’s all fishing, all the time. Moonglow Bay is overall a fun, relaxing game, but it struggles with controls, game-breaking bugs, and glitches that can ruin the game.
Ultimately, there's no denying the impressive history of Street Fighter. It's a series that has continued to evolve, and this special release is a great and deserved tribute to the 2D titles from the first twenty-plus years.
Really, no matter how you look at it, Sonic Mania is a huge success and Sonic Mania Plus is a celebration of that success thanks to smart physical edition design and items and valuable new in-game content.
I have been, and continue to enjoy S:A enough that it's hard to find much fault with it. That said, for some genre veterans looking for a stout challenge, the default difficult setting is likely much too easy. Additionally, some quest and puzzle design could be considered a bit repetetive, but for me, these concerns were greatly overshadowed by the positives of the experience.
NBA Live 19 does a lot of innovating for it's career mode, “The One”, yet drops the ball when it comes to it's other modes. The inclusion of the WNBA is amazing, and really earns the applause it deserves. If there was at least one other new, deep and fun game mode, NBA Live 19 would be right up there with it's competitors. Instead, this year is yet another small step towards something great.
ZeniMax has outdone themselves once again with Blackwood. Ever since I started reviewing additions to The Elder Scrolls Online (which was back when Murkmire came out), I've been impressed time and again. While I was not as impressed with the majority of this chapter, I was pleasantly surprised in the end. Blackwood is a great introduction to this year's Gates of Oblivion event. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds.