ZTGD's Reviews
Deathloop is a fantastic game and worth the price of admission, my hope is that it is not left by the wayside due to its exclusivity and the sub sequential buyout of publisher Bethesda by Microsoft. I know a lot of fans feel they need to be on one side of this or the other, but I am here to tell you that Deathloop is a great game and worthy of a playthrough wherever you choose to experience it. Deathloop is probably one of the best examples of really blending those rogue-lite elements into an otherworldly and excellent story, freedom of choice, tight controls and a delightful cast of characters all wrapped in a beautiful package.
If you aren’t a huge fan of the films but can get past the egregious decision to only include a sparse amount of playable modes and endure the grind to unlock the other fighters; then Big Rumble Boxing can be a solid and fun fighting game to play.
No More Heroes III is a wild ride though a psychedelic warzone that begs to be experienced. The technical issues and slog of an open world drag it down at times, but it never stopped me from wanting to see it through. I really wish the game had been released on more powerful hardware as it is clear the team had bigger ambitions than the Switch could handle. Still if you have enjoyed previous entries then this is a no-brainer. Definitely a solid end to the trilogy and one of the most unique games you will play ever.
Its almost as if for every step forward Recompile takes, it insists on taking one back. However, the saving grace is that its not a long journey through the motherboard, that is to say it is thankfully pretty short. So those folks that are forever chasing those achievements can rack up some score here, and its on Game Pass which makes the cost of admission even better. If you enjoy ‘metroidvania’ type games and you don’t mind the issues then there is fun to be had here, and you don’t even have to go digging in the dark web to find it.
Iki Island is a nice addition to an already amazing game. For anyone who hasn’t experienced Ghost of Tsushima you are in for a treat. For players like me returning to the world it is worthy content. The expansion can last anywhere from 5-10 hours depending on your completion mentality. It is a worthy expansion worth the price of admission and as good of an excuse as any to revisit one of the best games of last generation.
Axiom Verge 2 is a stellar follow-up to one of the original indie Metroid-inspired titles. It is worth checking out even if players haven’t dove into the first game. Also you should totally play both games. They are some of the best in the indie genre. I can’t wait until the game drops on Xbox as well so all platforms have a chance to experience such an amazing experience.
Even with the little pathing issues, and text overlaps Mayhem Brawler is an absolute joy to play, wither in single player or in 3 player co-op. The eclectic cast of characters, the grungy yet colorful setting and the bass thumping, bad guy busting soundtrack really help to encapsulate that 90’s vibe the developers were going for, they have managed to not only make a solid side scrolling arcade game but they also delivered a fun and unique story at the same time.
It contains a wonderful story, one of the most satisfying final battles, some of the best humor in any Zelda game, plenty of completely optional side content, and some really unique gameplay that only Skyward Sword has offered. I have never been happier to say I was wrong about a game.
Psychonauts 2 is a masterclass in design. Some of the levels in the game will stick with me for another 16 years easily. I hate that it took this long for Tim Schafer and his team to get the chance to make this sequel, but it was truly worth the wait. Fans of the original are in for a treat. Anyone with Game Pass should not hesitate to download this game. This is now on my short list of best of the year, and I cannot wait to see what Double Fine does now with an even larger budget.
The best advice though that I can give is to play this with your friends, it’s truly how the developers want it played. You will be able to mix the classes and abilities together to great success and trying the various builds and weapons ends up being a blast with your buddies. If you are a fan of the franchise then you don’t need to be advised you are going to enjoy this game, but if you are new to Aliens know that it does a great job of easing you in so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
If you want a solid arcade flying racer and you feel the need…. the need for speed; then this could be the game for you.
While there is some semblance of enjoyment to be had here for those who like to see numbers go up, to see a series I’ve adored and followed for nearly two decades take inspiration from garbage mobile games in the spirit of greed and becoming bastardized as a shell of former self, breaks my heart.
Unfortunately, the best way to describe Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX+ is as follows: a console port that feels like it isn’t supposed to be played on console. As a result, it feels like a cheap experience – a rehash of highlights without any thought as to how the package fits together as a whole. Perhaps most egregiously, the medium through which this console version is played appears to be an afterthought at best.
Its not often that you find such a dark and adult story wrapped up in such a whimsical and beautiful package, this one could be a contender for RPG of the year.
If you are a fan of rogue-lites there is absolutely no reason for you to not be playing Hades, and if you aren’t a fan of the genre but enjoy action RPG’s with the above ingredients then you should give this a try. If Hades becomes the gold standard for rogue-lites going forward, then consider me a willing convert and long live the rogue lites!
I don’t think anything is gained by playing either Famicom Detective Club that can’t be gained by watching a playthrough because the puzzles are at best throwaway and at worst barely present. These are inherently flawed games, but if somehow the idea of slogging through menus isn’t a turn off there are absolutely two great, down to Earth murder mysteries to be experienced here.
Coming off of what was a year in Early Access on PC I had high hopes that most if not all of these things wouldn’t be an issue. But the team can correct these things with some patches, and hopefully that is what they are going to do because its going to be a shame to let this universe languish and go to waste because the potential is definitely there for greatness.
As tower defense games go, this should be the new gold standard as it’s chock full of strategy but levels that with being able to actually control your hero and let you go hands on with the action. Hopefully this one doesn’t get forgotten due to its exclusivity to Stadia because it will be a real shame if this is the last Orcs Must Die…especially since I am now a huge fan.
The Ascent is a wonderful experience that is easy to recommend thanks to Game Pass. It has some technical issues, some bugs, and also takes a while to get to the point, but it is worth the investment. There is little reason to not check it out if you have Game Pass. This is a game that is great with friends and even solo manages to entertain. I hope they continue to clean up the bugs over time, but for now it is easily one of my favorite experiences of the Summer.
I really can’t recommend this game enough, even with the lackluster facial animations this is an experience that shouldn’t be missed if you value narrative; in particular mysteries.