ZTGD's Reviews
I have been having a great time with Ginger Beyond the Crystal, warts and all. It’s got a lot of little issues or oddities, but it hard charm and heart, and at the center of it all is a decent platforming title.
While the game isn't super hard, there can be some tricky moments of knowing when to best save up your energy, heal, or attack. Nothing too troublesome for a RPG vet. The sticker system for bonus stat perks, trapper keeper live cover, and the various special attacks from a moon walk glove to a transformer semi, are fun to use and to see.
Battlefield 1 might seem like a step backward, but it moves the genre forward in several areas. Mostly the campaign, which is the most polished, and enjoyable campaign I have played in years. I cannot recommend it enough. The multiplayer feels great, but it is still Battlefield
Batman: Return to Arkham is a package of two stellar games and impossible not to recommend to anyone who hasn’t played them yet.
In the end, World of Final Fantasy feels like an RPG aimed at children or people that are as experienced with RPGs. At the same time, there is enough here as far as customization goes to keep the veterans busy for a nice long time as well. It took me by surprise, and I think RPG fans will really enjoy this hybrid mix of Final Fantasy and Pokémon.
Ashes of Ariandel is a good time for those looking to give themselves an excuse to boot up Dark Souls 3 again, as if that is even necessary.
Lichtspeer is a fun distraction from the current avalanche of triple-A fall titles; one that you will be able to dip in and out of as you please, thanks to its simplistic gameplay and control mechanics. Never demanding a huge investment from the player, but rewarding them if they put the time in.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is everything a sequel should be. It builds on the strengths of the original with its stylish visuals, tight controls and a fluid combat engine that reminds me of how I felt when I was playing some of my favorite 2D platformers in the past.
I felt there was very little content here to keep me coming back, other than the novel feeling of the bow and arrow, which is absolutely amazing in fact. Aside from this and maybe the visual style, I don’t see a huge reason I’d return to it, especially if other games adopt this bow and arrow feel. Yet at the same time, I can’t complain, it’s a simply game with colorful graphics and is appropriate for players of all ages. Just don’t expect it to kill hours of time.
Job Simulator has a personality of its own, and that’s what sells the experience. Its lighthearted, extremely silly premise works wonders with its presentation and core gameplay. It’s just not something super deep, and that seems to be a fairly common issue with most of the VR games I’ve experienced so far. Yet at the same time, this was one that gave me the most chuckles and it’s one that’s just as much fun playing as it is watching someone else do these menial tasks.
Thumper is one of my favorite games this year, simple yet challenging, visually stimulating, and excellent sound use. Easy to play, hard to master is the familiar phrase that comes to mind. VR only adds to the experience, but even without that added element, the game shines
Brookhaven is a fun place to visit. It can be a bit traumatic for some players, or scary even. I was more tense than scared, but it accomplished what I feel the devs were going for. A simple, yet fun new experience for PS VR players. It’s easy enough to grasp the concept, hard to master, and provides unlockables to work towards. It’s not super deep, but for the prices and the new VR concept for most PlayStation players, it’s worth taking a look into. I have no doubt that a game like this might wear out its welcome 2 to 3 years into VR, but as a starter, it’s worth your time.
It is clear that this package had a lot of care put into it. I am glad Duke Nukem has made an appearance on this console generation, yet I really want them to move forward. Duke Nukem 3D is a classic, but after the disappointment of Duke Nukem Forever, I am ready for a truly next generation of the series. I grew up on its lame humor and ridiculous settings. I want a proper sequel so I can once again make those alien bastards pay for shooting up my ride.
Vermitide is a great co-op experience. It's fun alone and competent enough to play through, but with online folks or friends it's even better, and where the experience truly shines.
While the gameplay, levels, and locations are something that everyone will experience by the end game, how players build their towns and help the townsfolk is what will give each person their unique experience.
Zenith is a game I wanted to enjoy more, and there are plenty of times I did have fun, but the combat was the most un-fun and unfair aspect of the game, and that’s what players will be doing the majority of the time.
Is there anything I liked about my time with this game? Hardly.
I overall enjoyed my time with episode 4, but as I mentioned earlier, it just feels like each game offers a different experience. Not that this is a bad thing, but the gameplay and what to expect just sort of feels all over the place.
Mafia III is one of the best stories in a video game I have played this year, heck I would go as far as to say this generation. It is wrapped around some pretty standard and repetitive open world game design though, which does do it a disservice. Still, the locales and world resonate with me, and the story kept me coming back for more, and that speaks volumes.
Exist Archive is a title elevated by its superb combat that remained enjoyable even after a thousand encounters. However, it doesn’t have much more to offer outside of the combat, as there’s a serious lack of variety in the overall gameplay. The repetitive nature of exploring one dungeon after another, punctuated by the odd event here and there played against my patience. Even though I can safely say that I enjoyed my initial playthrough, I can’t say the same about the prospect of playing through it once more to get an alternative ending.