ZTGD's Reviews
BloodRayne 2: Revamped is a guilty pleasure game, it’s a lot of fun to toss enemies into death traps around the levels with her chain, or even go full on blender mode and dice up everything that moves. While I think that Big Boat Interactive did a fantastic job of making the game prettier, alas they did nothing for the controls which is a crying shame. While I am beyond excited that a new generation can finally experience Rayne’s journey on the new systems; I remain extremely hopeful that this means we will see a proper sequel made from the ground up sooner rather than later.
For League of Legend fans this game is a no brainer, finally you will be able to see and move around the world of Runeterra in a way that isn’t possible in LoL. But for those folks who just love a good story, interesting characters and pretty decent combat Ruined King could be that gateway game that gets into the larger world of League of Legends and its many, many offerings that are coming soon.
Like I mentioned at the top this is a game that just feels like it exists. I was drawn in thanks to my connection to the Smurfs from my childhood. Playing with my son he enjoyed the game, but had little interest in learning about the characters. It feels like the game is more built to tug at nostalgia instead of bringing in new interest. Even so the core game is enjoyable enough to recommend for parents looking to play games with their kids. It is easy enough to play while also not being too simplified for the sake of being a ‘kids’ game. Definitely worth checking out for parents and kids alike.
While I have a lot of issues with the core game I am happy to see the series return. I really want to see the original trilogy get an update it deserves. Would love to play those games again as they are genuinely some of the creepiest games I have ever played, and not for the wrong reasons. Maiden of Black Water just feels like something thrown together to gauge interest in the series return. I wanted to love it, I forced myself to finish it, but I just want the series to return to its roots.
All I can really say is that I think the narrative is extremely well done and I should have expected that coming from the guy who also created Pony Island which I thoroughly enjoyed as well. The art design and the audio design are also top notch.
Circuit Superstars is one of the best surprises I have played all year. It punches above its weight in almost every category. I simply had a blast every time I jumped in. There is also plenty of depth and content to make the minimal price of entry easy to recommend. If you enjoy racing games, especially competitive ones I cannot recommend this game enough. It is the true definition of an indie darling.
The biggest problem is CoD: Vanguard feels like the least innovative Call of Duty in years. I think a lot of that has to do with Warzone, and the fact that developers HAVE to ensure that their game can be compatible with that battle royale. The fact that so much has to go into making sure it all works together; I just feel like it has to be hampering the developer’s creativity. In my opinion Call of Duty as a whole need to take a year off and regroup, come back with something as memorable as the original Modern Warfare was when it launched. If it’s a matter of money (and I doubt that it is) developers could lean into Warzone, they already are making a killing on all the microtransactions but just update Warzone like Epic does for Fortnite. Then after a year surprise people with something fantastic… I know this will never happen, but a man can dream.
At the end of the day, it’s really hard to talk about these games. I’ve reviewed two of them before and said what I needed to say there, and it still holds true to this day. Crysis 2 and 3 are great games that any FPS fan would enjoy. Crysis 1 shows its age here and there, but it’s not a rough game by any means and all three look really great in 4K. It’s a decent package for three fun FPS games with a lot going for them all for 50 bucks. If you’re into shooters and have never tried them before, or if you’re looking for a fun return to some great games, it’s hard to go wrong here.
I’m not sure whether to recommend Happy Game or not. I think most people will be disappointed with its short play time and easier puzzles. Any fan of Amanita will definitely find joy in this new direction for the studio but will maybe be let down in comparison to past titles’ puzzles. In short, Happy Game is good, people should play it, but wait for a sale.
If you put on the invincibility, players can take down the final boss in maybe 35 minutes. It’s a quick playthrough but altering the cheats or challenging myself and trying to power through it all without cheating could result in hours of play time. For seven bucks, that’s not a bad deal. It’s a classic game that I don’t think many have heard of and one that shoot ‘em up fans will probably want to check out, and with all the features added into this release, it’s a solid package for the purists out there.
Dusk is the kind of game I could not help but smile while I was playing it. Every level was a treat to play and the accessibility options really open it up to so many people. The attention to detail in this port is also super appreciated. It really takes advantage of the hardware while not compromising the original concept. This is a game that every fan of shooters needs to play, and I cannot recommend it enough. Get your boomer shooter pants on (or off) and buy Dusk!
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a solid alternative to Smash, and it is on basically every platform. It won’t overtake the king or even make it worried, but for the lower price (I have seen it on sale for sub $20) it is more than worth checking out. I had a ton of fun with it and just wish it had a bit more content and a bright future.
Visiting those strange new worlds was always fun on TV and it’s a fun and rewarding experience in Space Crew as well.
At the end of the day, I still enjoyed my time with House of Ashes. It is the best story so far in the series and even with the issues I had with both the glitches and gameplay, this was a decent time overall. If you have played the series this far, you know what you’re getting into. If you want to give this one a shot to see what The Dark Pictures is all about, you can’t be this one’s story and premise. Just keep in mind, there will be some really strange bugs that come along with it.
If you can’t tell, I didn’t like Doctor Who: Edge of Reality in this iteration. Had I played this in VR I think some of my issues would have been resolved, but the mistreatment of both Doctors is quite unforgivable and would be a huge issue in either version of the game. While I think it is almost as hard to make a good Doctor Who game as it is to make a good Star Trek game, I appreciate that studios keep trying different things… but this ain’t it bruh.
Alan Wake remastered is something I have always wanted to exist as the original was highly under looked when it came out. It was tied to one console and frankly Remedy was not quite the household name it is today. It is one of their best games and worth checking out whether you played the original or not. It still carries plenty of jank and questionable design mechanics from that era, but the story and characters excel it past most of its own issues. This is one experience that is worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time.
Shooters had a very long hiatus before the indie scene came along. Games like G-Darius used to be tentpole titles for consoles. It is great to see them return in any fashion and I could truly enjoy a new one weekly if it was possible. It is time for Einhander and Radiant Silvergun to make returns. Keep them coming and I will keep playing them. G-Darius is a must purchase for fans of shoot ‘em ups so don’t hesitate in snatching this one right away.
At the end of the day Forza Horizon 5 is like a delicious cake that is being delivered when I already had a ton of leftover cake from the previous party. It is good and I will enjoy it, but I think it is overpacked and in need of some dynamic changes going forward. I want to feel like the series is evolving instead of just getting prettier with new locales. Even with that said, this is easily the best racing game of the year and it simply looks gorgeous. There is little to fault outside of a lack of evolution and I am sure when all is said and done I will likely invest another 50-60 hours in the game.
The Eternal Cylinder is a fever dream of a title that satisfies a lot of my tastes: exploration, puzzles, survival, lots of different abilities, truly alien landscapes, geometric shapes that desire uniformity through destruction of all of life, and hoarding. Oh, and quite a bit of heart. Nothing here feels so alien that I can’t feel something for this world except the familiar but nightmarish servants that stand out in this world. I think ACE Team has something really special here and I really can’t think of anything else that does all of what The Eternal Cylinder as good as The Eternal Cylinder does.
Rainbow Billy took me by surprise. The art style was cutesy, the combat was simple, the puzzles never overly challenging, and the story content was very warm and fuzzy and they were perfect for me. It was a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed, and this is easily one of those perfect games that a parent and child can sit down together and have a great time while learning some of the great golden rules of friendship and acceptance.