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The premise is intriguing, but the frustrating combat and stealth make this game a chore to get through. A bizarre choice at the end undercut the whole narrative that was being built.
You may either love or loathe Haunted Lands, all based on your tolerance towards a game design philosophy that leans towards making a game difficult for the sake of it, “because that was the style back in the day”. It can either be a throwback to how much you used to struggle and overcome challenges in Ghosts n’ Goblins, or it will act like a reminder of why accessibility has been one of the best features implemented in gaming over the past few decades.
Overall, if you played Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed when they came out, these are literally the exact same games with absolutely no changes to them. If you haven’t, well, welcome to a very different Pokémon experience. Stick around after the credits because these games were making post-game content popular long before the MCU joined in.
ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard is one of those games that feels pretty easy to sum up once you’ve spent some time with it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t nail what it sets out to do. It has some really solid puzzles and great voice acting, while the rest of the presentation is fairly plain. That said, the simpler look makes sense for what the game is going for, and it still ends up being more visually interesting than the first Portal in particular.
I struggle to understand who is Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor for. Kids won’t have the patience to learn about a complex training simulator, and will ragequit almost immediately once they face unskippable cutscenes, poorly explained mechanics, and a plethora of mission-breaking bugs. Older fans of modern train simulators already have access to the vastly more polished Train Sim World series to begin with. I tried to see this game as something aimed at a more specific demographic, but this is just too clunky and too poorly made. I had a miserable time with Wonders of Sodor, and doubt I’ll be the only one sharing this opinion.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is an interesting, but very controversial package. The recasting issues, changes to the series’ continuity, and massive drop in sidestory quality were disappointments, something I rarely see in a RGG Studio game, but there’s no denying that, when it comes to gameplay and content, this game is an exponential improvement over the original. The combat mechanics are near-pristine, the heartfelt moments with the orphans are still adorable, and the Dragon Engine keeps on impressing with ultra-detailed worlds to explore, and tons of elements onscreen at any given time.
Playing Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun on the Switch 2 has been a real treat. It is still one of my favorite stealth games of all time, taking the classic stealth formula and giving it a clever puzzle like twist that makes every encounter feel thoughtful and rewarding. The game constantly tests your skills with excellent level design that encourages creativity, experimentation, and patience, rather than brute force. Figuring out the perfect plan, watching it fall apart, and then finally pulling it off never gets old.
I loved my time with Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War. In fact, this is one of the most commendable licensed games I’ve played in a long time, using videogames as a way to expand the franchise’s lore in a way only this medium is able to. Furthermore, this is an amazing, ultraviolent shooter that won me over with its fast-paced gameplay, extraordinary level design, and its hilarious live action propaganda cutscenes.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a really fantastic sequel that not only stays true to itself, but adds in plenty to expand upon its story and gameplay without feeling unnecessary. While I would have liked it to be a bit longer so we could have fleshed out some more of the other tribe and the ideas of preservation, Lana’s new adventure doesn’t disappoint.
The characters and areas are charming, the puzzles are fun, but the combat is slacking by comparison and there’s not really any music that’s quite as memorable. Still though, this is well worth playing if you get the chance. It’s not massively long so it’s less of a time commitment by comparison, and most Paper Mario fans will be able to get into it.
All in all, The Disney Afternoon Collection is an equal balance of nostalgia, historic artifice and a celebration of IP gaming that soars and falls in equal measures. These games are far from perfect, but they’re relevant and enjoyable, and anyone who wants to admire the throwbacks from yesteryear owes it to themselves to pick up a copy and have it proudly on their homescreen or shelves. I would love to get a physical at some point, but you know these things sell fast, so hurry if you want to grab one yourself.
If you’re looking for an exciting career mode, licensed teams and a more AAA-esque coat of paint, then eBaseball: Pro Spirit is not the game for – just stick to MLB The Show for that matter. But if you’re unwilling to spend a hefty sum for each new MLB The Show iteration, and all you really want is a pretty, competent, and responsive baseball simulator, one which is very forgiving to newcomers and perfect for quick, local matches, then Konami’s brand new F2P sports game does a remarkably good job in that aspect. Just understand its scope is very limited. Then again, you’re not paying for it, so that’s still a lot of bang for your nonexistent buck, regardless.
GreedFall: The Dying World is not a bad RPG, but it’s a gigantic disappointment. It’s too much of a deviation from what made the first GreedFall feel like a breath of fresh air, with a ton of questionable design decisions, often feeling unnecessary or pointless. The new (and overly punitive) combat system won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and the story takes ages to become tolerable. Not to mention an irritating amount of bugs constantly annoying you and breaking your immersion.
The Pirate: Republic of Nassau is a game that I would recommend to anyone that is looking for a that itch they had with Sid Meier’s Pirates!, but always wanted a bit more, and also wants it in VR. While its individual aspects still need some work coming out of early access, I found myself sinking hours into this very easily and enjoying it a ton. I can see this being an absolute classic and a must have for any VR pirate fan, especially if the developers keep listening to the feedback and updating the game.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is better than I expected. Team Ninja has given the game the love and care that it needs, whilst making some bold changes to the core gameplay that make it more exciting than ever before. With tense camera-based combat and a fantastic story that will pull you in from beginning to end. It’s not perfect, and there are a few rough edges, but I urge fans of the franchise and newcomers to check this one out. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake remains a beautifully horrifying experience.
Considering how bad its predecessors were, this game is easily the best in the trilogy so far, and a clear indication Eden Games has taken fan feedback seriously. It is obviously hampered by the Switch 2’s lack of analog triggers (and it’s not Gamecube controller compatible), but its physics are decent, its responsiveness is good enough, and its framerate is excellent. It does everything it needs to do, it gets the job done in a decent enough state.
The amount of enjoyment you’ll get from Poker Night at the Inventory depends heavily on both your love of poker and knowledge of these relics from another time.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is a wonderful follow-up to the The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. You won’t need to have played the first game to understand this one, but there are a few references to characters and events from that game that will give fans of the first an extra layer of appreciation. The pacing is can be rough, especially during the opening hour or so, but beyond that is a game that has plenty of twists, turns, and thought-provoking themes.
Resident Evil Requiem might not be my absolute favourite entry in the franchise, but it gets really damn close. It’s easily one of the most ambitious games in the series to date, somehow balancing two completely different gameplay styles while still delivering some of the most thrilling scares I’ve had in a horror game. Then it shifts gears into full-blown, over-the-top action, backed by a ridiculously compelling story.
Scott Pilgrim EX is so smooth, so fluid, and so easy to get into that you forget about everything else the moment you and your friends are in the mix, brawling and riffing and doing everything under the sun and space together. It’s seamless in loads between areas, the cohesion is top notch for areas and monsters, the loot drops are generous so you can keep buying health and equipment and my kids, who haven’t consumed any Scott Pilgrim media, were full on board from the drop.