ZTGD's Reviews
Sengoku Dynasty is a game I wanted to love. I see the pieces of something truly unique, but those pieces never come together. The constant grind, poor villager AI, empty world, and clunky systems overshadow the good ideas. It’s not unplayable; it just isn’t enjoyable for long stretches.
Fantasy Finds is exactly the kind of DLC Two Point fans have come to expect: not earth-shattering, but smart, funny, and designed to deepen the systems you already love.
Gradius Origins is a phenomenal package that has just about everything you could want from one of these. The games included are incredible, they created a new entry just for the collection, and the additions and inclusions are simply amazing.
Ra Ra Boom has style and ambition, but style alone can’t make up for undercooked gameplay that never fully clicks. Combat is rough around the edges, the lane system just feels ‘there’ and the story lacks any real staying power. Ra Ra Boom feels like the type of game that presents well in motion and in screenshots but the fun starts to waiver the more time you spend with it.
Donkey Kong Bananza should have launched with the Switch 2. This is the first game that has made me super excited to own the console. This is the next great platformer from Nintendo and gives me even more excitement for the next proper Mario game. DK holds his own though and I cannot recommend this enough. If you have a Switch 2, this game should be in your library.
For fans of Black, Sigma, or even the NES originals, this is the closest we’ve gotten to the true spirit of Ninja Gaiden in over a decade.
Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is a game that looks good on paper and screenshots but falls short in several aspects. The biggest issue is the AI and handling, which are key components of a racing game.
Ruffy and the Riverside is one of the most creative games I’ve played all year. It’s a puzzle-platformer that puts puzzles first, throws platforming in for flavor, and somehow wraps it all in a technicolor cartoon aesthetic that shouldn’t work but totally does.
While this collection doesn’t have a marquee title to boast, the games included here are definitely fun. I enjoyed revisiting these as well as playing something I had missed when it came out. I love these old collections and hope we continue to see more of them. Bring on Volume 4 and let’s get even weirder with it.
Shadow Labyrinth is a hard game to nail down. It does some cool things here and there but is bogged down by poor level design and tedious Metroidvania game play. I wanted to love it, but came away just slightly entertained.
Killing Floor 3 is a weird one. It looks better. It’s technically deeper. The gore and co-op moments still slap. But it’s also slower, clunkier, and more controlled than the chaos we used to love.
Wuchang has some neat ideas, but the inconsistent difficulty and confusing story really made it hard to enjoy a lot of times.
Golden Tee Arcade Classics is a decent package with some awkward controls. These games have a place in history, and it is great to finally see them come to modern consoles, but the controls are going to throw off a whole new generation of players.
Even though it is much shorter and less ambitious than the other titles in the series, “No Sleep for Kaname Date” is a good time, albeit with the stipulation that it should not be the introduction to the series for anyone and strictly for the fans of special agent Date and his misadventures.
Robocop: Unfinished Business doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it just straps some spikes on it and rolls it through a burning tower full of mercs.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is another outstanding package of classic games that reignites my love for the series.
Wizard of Legend 2 is a smart sequel. It grows the formula, expands the world, and doubles down on build variety without losing the core “magic” that made the original stand out. Yes, the combat feeling has changed, and no, it’s not quite as tight. But the added depth, visual upgrade, and co-op potential more than make up for it, if the technical side keeps improving.
Combat could use more depth, the Glitch mechanic feels underdeveloped, and the world; despite its beauty it really lacks things to do. Still, for fans of Tron, isometric action games, or stylish sci-fi in general, this is a strong entry. I’d love to see Bithell take another swing at this universe. With more time and ambition, a follow-up could turn these sparks into something explosive.
The bones are solid; mechs feel powerful, battles look great, and customization is top-notch but the meat on those bones feels undercooked.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark doesn’t reinvent the roguelite genre; it just reinvigorates it.