ZTGD's Reviews
Whilst Bladed Fury was a joy to look at, I feel it was let down slightly where it counts. This isn’t to say it is a bad game, or even an incompetent one. It just felt like a lot of games that came before. It is certainly worth checking out for the gorgeous visuals and atmosphere, and the story is pretty decent as well. Just don’t expect anything too fancy or groundbreaking in the combat.
Subnautica: Below Zero is a great follow-up to one of the best in the genre. It dishes out the survival aspects in more digestible chunks than some of the more extreme cases. This makes it much more approachable for players like me who are intimidated by the restrictions of the genre. Do not let the nature of the game scare you away. This is a beautiful experience that I recommend if for nothing else, but to experience the ridiculously beautiful world Unknown Worlds has created.
Biomutant is a game I had issues with, but could not stop exploring the world.
I would pass on Mighty Fight Federation despite the huge amounts of charm this game has. Even the music is good. Unfortunately, it’s just an unbalanced mess.
In the end, Ashwalkers is a decent game. It’s simple in nature and there’s a nice reason why. This is a storytelling game above all else. It does a decent job here and offers up some different play styles when it comes to choosing the story the player wants to see. It’s not going to knock anyone’s socks off, but I did enjoy my time with the game even if it did have a few moments where it frustrated me. This one is for the story fans. Not actually the survival players. If you’re looking for a choice driven game, you’ll get it here. If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic survival game, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
R-Type Final 2 is a wonderful follow-up to a classic series that I will always be down for more of. The steep price will turn off some, but once you get into the action it truly is one of the most satisfying genres around. I want more games of this type, but I feel like we will continue to see less and less of them as time goes on. I am always happy to jump into one whenever they release though and fans of classic shmupsdefinitely need to check this one out.
Resident Evil Village is another outstanding entry in one of the best franchises in gaming. Capcom has done a wonderful job of keeping the series fresh and interesting since its inception back in 1996. I still get excited when a new game in the series drops. It is an event that few other franchises can carry for this long. This game is one of the easiest to recommend and it is on a short list of my favorite game experiences of the year. I expect to be discussing it when the end of 2021 rolls around.
Shadow Man Remastered is a great game and I hope those with fond memories enjoy it as much I do. I hope those unfamiliar will give this a shot as well because while this is a game from the 90s it feels very modern in the controls.
I loved playing Returnal and I would definitely love a linear-progression version of it, but am perfectly satisfied jumping back in just to play because it feels so good. I hope they make some quality of life changes over time and really bring this game home. As it stands this is a great roguelike experience that can deliver many hours of entertainment if you don’t mind recycling that fun over and over.
Judgement is a game that was limited by its one console release. It is great to see the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku bring it to a wider audience. If you have never played a game in the Yakuza franchise this is a great jumping off point. It captures what makes those games so great without requiring a ton of investment in older titles to appreciate the story. There is so much to love about these games and I am constantly impressed at the way the team is able to craft genuinely fantastic characters and still pump out hefty experiences on a regular basis. I hope the Judgement series gets to continue, but as it stands this game is one worth checking out.
Outriders is a perfect storm. A shiny new game to show off these new consoles. The fact that it launched day and date onto Game Pass has definitely helped with its success, as has the fact that gamers are hungry for new experiences. I will likely be playing a bunch of Outriders in 2021, and that speaks volumes to its longevity. I hope the team continues to expand on the title as we move through the year, as I look forward to coming back to it for quite some time.
Regardless of the issues I had, Persona 5 Strikers is still a fantastic sequel, Persona game, and Musou game. It really is impressive the amount of content they jammed into this game, and the fact that they added way more to the mechanics than I thought they would was a great breath of fresh air. Musou fans will get a ton of enjoyment out of this title and fans of Persona 5 have their sequel that is most certainly worthy of the title.
I am thoroughly impressed with It Takes Two. I went from begrudgingly taking this review because I was now seemingly the Josef Fares reviewer on the site to actually being excited to see what he and Hazelight do next. The hardest part of recommending this game is that it is mandatory co-op, meaning that some people are going to have a difficult time finding the time to play a 12 hour game alongside a partner who can devote that much time as well. If that isn’t the case though and there is someone to play with, definitely give It Takes Two a shot. There’s nothing else like it.
Pacer is a good game on its own merits but it is nothing special, and when Wipeout HD Collection is still being sold for half the price of Pacer (and the other titles I mentioned at the beginning of this review are also less than Pacer) it is extremely hard to say this game that is just “good” is worth your money when competitors are out there for less. Pacer does not exist in a vacuum, and therefore I can not recommend it over other Wipeout inspired titles, which there is at least one on every current platform.
Any fan of AVGN should pick this one up. There is a ton of fan service, and the entire time I had a smile on my face. There were even times I was kind of shocked to see what was happening on screen. Platform fans will have a ball here too. It is a nice homage to games of the past and one that I think everyone should give a shot. It’s a great deal.
That being said, even I can say this is a must play for people that want a big game with some challenging combat and all the bells and whistles that come with the genre, and this PC version runs and looks just as good as one would expect.
I have written a lot here and feel like I have only scratched the surface. Monster Hunter Rise had big shoes to fill after coming off the heels of World, and man, did they come through swinging hard. They hit a homerun here, and with taking things from all the previous games have created a game with a great setting, fun and flashy combat, tons of customization option, and wonderful traversal. This is a fantastic game for both the newcomer to the series as well as the veteran.
Balan Wonderworld is a game that I tried hard to love. It is not the pariah that the internet makes it out to be though. I think the game is charming and flawed. It has tons of issues, but I still finished it. I had some good times sprinkled in with the frustrations. It took me to a simpler time in platform games and there is truly nothing else out there with the same kind of presentation and whimsical ideas it delivers. That said $60 is a hard ask for a game that seems to want to frustrate players at every turn. I wanted to love Balan Wonderworld, but it did everything in its power to test my love every chance it got.
For those new to the series though the game is packed with content. While there are no licensed trucks the customization is fantastic. There are plenty of courses to race on and the variation of modes is great. I do wish this upgrade came with more to offer than just a resolution bump that is negligible. I also feel like the original game could have run at 60fps on One X, so again without Smart Delivery this feels like a minimal update at best.
All in all, Beach Buggy Racing 2 is a fab entry in the kart racing genre; keeping things familiar enough but adding plenty of unique power-ups to stand out. It certainly is punching above its weight (and price). But I really think that the game is doing a disservice by not having an online multiplayer mode.