ZTGD's Reviews
After half a decade of playing the “will it or won’t It get localized” guessing game, to see the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles see release in the States is an event worth celebrating indeed and doubly so as it was done well for a pair of games that weave an intriguing storyline well worth reading all the way to the end.
Mario Golf Super Rush feels rushed. There are no bones about it. I feel like they could make it a great game over time with more content, but I worry the tail of this particular game won’t be as long as some other Nintendo titles. You wonder how much the pandemic was involved in its lack of content, but for the first time in a long time this feels like a $40 Nintendo game, and that just never happens.
As I said before Samurai Warriors 5 is a beautiful game, and not to be missed if you enjoy the genre. The team has done a fantastic job of refreshing this franchise, and I am hopeful that they garner some new fans to keep this series of games going for years to come.
Death’s Door is a wonderful experience that should not be missed. Don’t be scared off by the comparison to the Souls games. Sure it shares a few mechanics from those, but it feels more like a macabre interpretation of Zelda with some Souls twists. I simply adore this title and cannot wait for others to experience it. It is one of the best games I have played this year and it will likely be top of mind when the awards of 2021 come up. Do not sleep on this title.
Necromunda: Hired Gun is a perfect example of a game that does the Warhammer 40k license justice. If it had the time to hammer out the bugs and issues it could have easily been a sleeper hit of 2021. As it stands it remains a forgettable release that launched with too many issues to keep players’ attention. Even well after launch the game remains in a bad state that makes it hard for me to recommend checking it out. I hope the game gets ironed out at some point, but by then it may be far too late to return to.
I honestly loved this game more than I thought I would. I’m not a huge fan of racing games or anything but much like Tony Hawk’s games this one just did something for me. The fun of pulling off tricks, or trying to keep my multiplayer high and see how many flips I can do before I hit the ground took me back to those days of trying to beat my little brothers score in Tony Hawk 2. Admittedly I prefer multiplayer, being able to put my skills against other people is fun to me, but as I said if you don’t enjoy other people the single player gives you the same experience with none of the folks. Crash Drive 3 is a lot of fun, it’s a great game to pick up have a little fun and move on till next time, but if you choose to stay longer you’ll find a ton of stuff to unlock and secrets to chase that will keep you busy for quite a while.
Overall, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a fine game. It does nothing offensive while still having some great mechanics thrown in. The story is decent, the combat is fun, but can get a little long in the tooth and the overall progression system was fine albeit a bit one note after a while. Monster Hunter fans can have a fun time with it while old school RPG fans will get more out of the mechanics of the combat mixed with the rite of channeling that can really get the maximum stat boosts going. It has it’s pacing issues here and there with the combat and the quest progression, but overall, these are minor compared to the sheer amount of things you can do while still raising the best team of Monsties you can make.
In the end, it is a slick looking, great sounding little game that is never overly offensive with its issues, but still has a decent amount of them. The gameplay revolves around a simple mechanic that players will see the majority of before getting halfway through it, but it was never something that I didn’t like playing. It is most certainly unconventional, and I think that’s what gave it enough charm to keep me playing. It’s a strange one to recommend, but I still recommend it if this sounds like something up your alley.
In closing ill say it again, Dark Alliance is not a perfectly executed game but the fun to be had when everything works is worth enduring the little issues. It delivers a fun D&D adventure with some epic combat moments. Even with the issues that I experienced I think this is a solid game and with a bit more polish via patches will fit quite nicely among its dungeon crawler brethren.
All in all, I came away impressed with this game, will it make me a convert to ‘bullet hell’ types? No, but it will be a nice change of pace between some of my other games. If you are just looking for some frantic, twin stick action that will test your reflexes as well as your resolve then look no further than the beautiful landscapes and twisty levels of Curved Space.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a massive endeavor that I fear we may never see the end of, but the ride so far has been fun. I really hope the next chapters don’t span years in development as the original is still one of my favorite RPGs of all-time. I would love to see this end before the end of the PS5-era, but I somehow feel like that is asking a lot. Still this free update for owners is a nice tie-over and the DLC is meaty enough to keep me enamored in the world.
So it is easy to recommend this to fans of the original game and it is easy to recommend this to fans of Pokémon, but what about people who may have no interest in Pokémon’s main series? Well, if photography is a passion then I think there’s definitely fun to be had here because New Pokémon Snap does feel like a fantasy animal safari where the whole goal is to capture the best photos. The interactions between Pokémon feel natural and while they do things that no animal equivalent does, I think that makes them all the more interesting. New Pokémon Snap is like nothing else on the market and proves that this spin off series should have never been gone for this long.
If you like action RPG’s, DMC, or are a fan of anime you will find something good with Scarlet Nexus. Even using the more simplified combat system the game is a blast to play and ultimately tells a really compelling story all in a beautifully done in Japanese anime style.
Despite a rocky development cycle amongst a series of open and closed betas that had the FGC divided in their impressions of the game, Strive has released in its best state so far and presents itself as a solid foundation to build upon for many iterations to come in the future.
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the best RPGs in gaming history and now is the best time to jump in for the first, second, or tenth time. It showcases a type of game that we rarely get to see. Something that creates a world fun to get lost in. A game that makes talking to NPCs interesting. A world that is a joy to explore. We can only hope the next chapter continues the legacy these games have created, but for now this collection is a must own.
The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a great collection of games and the only way a lot of players can even access these titles. The first and second game are still classics. The third is fine, but just doesn’t stand on the same shoulders as its predecessors. Also, that t-rex fight is still ridiculous. Still, it is nice to have all the games in one place. Don’t sleep on these games. They are still pillars of the character action genre and worth playing to this day.
I am extremely happy I was given this game to review. I love this world; the actual battlefields are beautiful upon spawning in. From the lighting to the landscapes the artists on this team have truly given us some spectacular looking playgrounds. Some of the best I’ve seen in an RTS game, sadly by the time the battle is over they will resemble a scarred warzone but still no less beautiful. The characters in the Usonia campaign were very well done, which was helped by excellent cutscenes and voice over artists. I am now playing through the main story in order to fill in some of these holes I have by starting with the DLC campaign, but I am loving every moment of it so far. I am so happy to return to my love of RTS games and found that in my absence the genre has grown and changed in a fantastic and wonderful way. I really hope the developers have more in store for this one, as they definitely have a new fan in me!
All in all, Edge of Eternity is a fun game. Aside from some weird facial animations, and some other jank I really enjoyed my time in the world. As I said before the world itself is quite beautiful and inviting; it really goes to show just how good Unreal 4 engine can be. I know we are all hyped to see the new U5 games, but the old version still looks great. If you are a fan of the JRPGs from the 90’s and early 00’s then Edge of Eternity is for you. It has just enough nostalgia to make you smile when thinking about those old memories, but enough current systems and features that make it really feel like a product that is the best of both worlds.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is one of the best entries in the series to date.
Despite my complaints, it’s clear that the remake is most definitely the best way to experience what Nier has to offer. The improved visuals, performance and additional content are all much appreciated, and while it’s still a title with notable flaws, it’s infinitely easier to recommend to all who are willing to put in the time and effort to embark on a journey they’ll not soon forget.