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.
I think the biggest standout is the atmosphere. For a game that has nearly cartoony visuals and NO gore at all (this game is rated T) it still hit those tension marks I would expect from a good horror game. I was thoroughly surprised with the entire experience and just in time for the Halloween season. This is one game that I recommend whole-heartedly for anyone looking for a good psychological horror game that focuses more on exploration and puzzles than full on combat. Don’t sleep on this one. It’s pretty great.
Lost Judgement is a step up from the original in almost every way with improved pacing, a more polished combat engine and a laundry list of fun side activities to get lost in. If not for the pedestrian detective elements, this could’ve been a new classic in the genre, and despite its notable flaws, it is still a story well worth experiencing.
The changes that have been to the formula that was created for XCOM are welcome ones, and hopefully this isn’t just a one-off adventure into this universe.
I simply don’t think this stands as tall as Super Metroid, Zero Mission, Prime, Fusion, or even Samus Returns. But to a Metroid fan it is worth playing and realize that these are problems I found with the game; other people haven’t had the same issues. However, to anyone who has never played a Metroid game before, I don’t think this is the place to start. I think it feels too different from the rest of the series (neither a good or bad thing) and the moments in the story that hit really well only do so because of everything that has happened before in previous titles.
If you can’t tell, I really loved Age of Empires 4. If I had to complain it would be that while I love the depth and difference in each civilization; I would like to see more added. Perhaps one with an African/Egyptian flair. And that I wasn’t able to try out the multiplayer, but it does have a nice quick match system in place where the player can choose to queue up for multiple types of matches at a time. As I said above Age of Empires 4 is the perfect mix of old and new and I really think the legions of fans who’ve been waiting ever so patiently for 16 years for a new entry in this storied franchise will find much to love here.
All in all, EDF World Brothers is good, but it is also just EDF with a new coat of paint and I don’t need one every year or two. I want these titles to be special and had I not had an EDF title in the last five years (let alone two) I think World Brothers would have been more exciting to play. However, as a fan of EDF it is just another EDF game and honestly had I not been reviewing it I would have likely skipped it because past the coat of paint and new mechanics, it is just shooting giant bugs and monsters. With that I will basically say that this game is on par with EDF 5. It is still fun but nothing special.