Reviews
Starfield Review
Aug 31, 2023
We should really keep going to space, pushing ourselves further and further towards colonizing new planets and expanding the human race. While we currently don’t have the technology to do so, I feel like we’re on the cusp of making that leap. Starfield shows what that could look like for us, a new universe that’s filled with wonder and ready for us to explore. The visual language of this game is “NASA punk”, an aesthetic design where there aren’t screens to touch, instead there’s buttons to push. Bethesda Game Studios have been making games for a long time, but they haven’t made anything like this before. Starfield is fresh, and such a blast to play, there’s so many things to do and see, and all of it is interesting. Starfield is going to be someone’s Fallout 3 or Skyrim, bolstered by future content and modding. Starfield is compelling, enthralling, and has me enamored with its vastness and scale that is a truly stellar adventure.
Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy Review
Aug 29, 2023
A series that started 14 years ago continues with Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy . This puzzle platformer boasts some of the tightest controls and cleverest designs the series has seen. In the four years since Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, it just feels like it’s the right time for a follow-up. Frozenbyte’s commitment to innovation of their coop puzzle platformer is remarkable. Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy is fresh, exciting, and above all, the best entry yet.
Sea of Stars Review
Aug 29, 2023
Five years ago, Sabotage Studio released The Messenger and showed us that they had the chops to create a modern classic that deftly paid homage to adventure games of the 80s and 90s while utilizing contemporary sensibilities about game design. Now they’ve returned with a prequel story set in the same universe and using a different genre, the classic turn-based (J)RPG. With one huge success under their belt and several years of time and effort poured into it, can Sea of Stars pull off the same feat?
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew Review
Aug 16, 2023
I’m a sucker for anything pirate-themed. Whether it be “Pirates of the Caribbean”, Sea of Thieves , “The Goonies”, or any of the Monkey Island games, and I’m there, but also helps that each of these are really good. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is no different, as it offers something so intriguing and interesting from its first moments: a cursed crew, a lost ship, and a lead.… The third outing from developer Mimimi is a refinement of lessons learned and they are in top form here. They’ve coined the term “stealth strategy” for the style of games they make, and Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew shines as an instant classic.
Atlas Fallen Review
Aug 09, 2023
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but you’ve got a talking gauntlet on your arm after being chosen save a world that desperately needs a hero. Atlas Fallen from Deck13 is a game that’s on the cusp of being great or special, but doesn’t quite reach those heights. This is a gorgeous, well-made game that is a lot of fun to play, thought it doesn’t offer more than the sum of its parts. Atlas Fallen is great for turning off your brain for some hack ‘n’ slash action, but not much else.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons Review
Jul 27, 2023
How do you refresh a beat’em up series that started back in 1987? Well, the first part is to give it to the developers at Secret Base. Second, update the series with an all-new art style. And thirdly, introduce roguelite elements where the enemies become tougher over time, and you have a recipe for success. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons is a surprising mix of new ideas with classic beat’em up brawling that meshes incredibly well together, like chocolate and milk. The genre has seen a renaissance over the past few years, and Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons is the new leader.
Remnant II Review
Jul 20, 2023
Trying to describe Remnant II in the traditional “X meets Y” or “the Y of Z” results in an overly reductive list of genres and archetypes that don’t do the game any form of justice or accuracy. Its predecessor already came out swinging and full of surprises in 2019, and it was such a wholly unique and exciting experience that I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm for it. I’ve been patiently, eagerly awaiting the sequel, hoping that it would somehow at least match the unbridled creativity of the first game, and folks, Remnant II is gonna knock you off your feet, across the room, and through the wall across multiple universes to deliver the most unique, thrilling, and imaginative game of this year.
Viewfinder Review
Jul 17, 2023
Viewfinder is a forced perspective first-person puzzler that gives you creative freedom to solve things the way you want. Comparisons will be drawn to Superliminal , but where that game used objects as the means to solve puzzles, Viewfinder instead uses photographs for its gimmick, and it’s a game that’s all the better for it. There’s lots to see and do in its relatively short run time, but you’ll compelled to see and do everything it has to offer. Nickelback said best: “look at this photograph”, and you’ll see that Viewfinder is one of this year’s best puzzlers.
DAVE THE DIVER Review
Jul 14, 2023
DAVE THE DIVER is the Russian Matryoshka doll of games, even though MINTROCKET is a South Korean developer, as it offers gameplay and systems within systems the more time you spend with the game. At its core, it is two things: an underwater exploration RPG and restaurant management sim. These two things don’t have much intersection, but they go together swimmingly. DAVE THE DIVER is a unique and refreshing experience that combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and stunning visuals that’s nothing short of incredible and is one of 2023’s biggest surprises and best games.
Aliens: Dark Descent Review
Jul 14, 2023
Another mission, another late gaming night, another sip from my coffee while the screen displayed my marines in an improvised shelter. “I’m ready to leave, I guess”, I told myself. Truth is, I wasn’t ready to leave the shelter. I wasn’t ready to keep playing Aliens Dark Descent. I was anxious, I was terrified. It’s been a long time since a game made me feel this way, and I wasn’t ready for it.
Crime O’Clock Review
Jun 30, 2023
Crime O’Clock mashes up the genres of detective with hidden objects for an incredibly satisfying mix that will make it hard for games like it to follow. From moment one, the gameplay clicks and you’re immediately invested in finding wrongdoers and bringing them to justice. Bad Seed did well to take a game about finding things, and add a layer that worked well with it, and they chose a “Minority Report” style detective and time travel layer seems to be the perfect compliment to it. All of this is presented with a hand-drawn art style, where everything is monochrome except for splashes of color at specific times. The result with this game is that it offers a melding of genres is clever and unique ways that really pay off, you’ll definitely want to make time for Crime O’Clock .
AEW: Fight Forever Review
Jun 28, 2023
AEW: Fight Forever recounts the days of WWF No Mercy and even WWE Smackdown vs Raw with its accessible and arcadey gameplay. This isn’t a simulation-focused game like the WWE 2K series, and is a breath of fresh air for the genre. If you’re only familiar with WWE , there’s some faces you might recognize if you don’t know the AEW brand. While the game at times can be buggy and janky, it gets the important things right to be a standout. AEW: Fight Forever is the new kid on the block for wrestling games and this promotion, but this is undoubtedly the most fun I’ve had playing a wrestling game in close to a decade.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom Review
Jun 21, 2023
The Necrom expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online kicks off the ninth year for the venerable MMORPG. The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom takes players to the new Telvanni Peninsula and Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha for all characters to explore. This chapter also includes the seventh. The chapter also includes the seventh class, the Arcanist. While it doesn’t equal the price of admission, it is the first new class in several years that’s worth getting excited for, even if it feels a bit familiar. The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom takes players to new and foreign places that as a complete package make this expansion another solid entry that’s full of Lovecraftian horrors.
Raiden IV x MIKADO remix Review
Jun 20, 2023
Raiden IV x MIKADO remix replaces the delisted Raiden IV: OverKill , with nothing lost, but has many things gained. This game’s been out on Steam for the past six months, but I finally got around to it. While the original is delisted and no longer available for purchase, this includes everything the prior game had and more. The main attraction here is that the game’s soundtrack has been completely reworked by Mikado Game Center, one of the best arcades in all of Japan. While it’s a bummer to repurchase for updated features, it’s a soundtrack and experience I can’t have on a daily basis. Raiden IV x MIKADO remix doesn’t reach the heights of its predecessor, but it’s one of the finest vertical shmup and series to exist, and owning a digital piece of history is worth the price of admission.
Trepang2 Review
Jun 19, 2023
No, you didn’t miss out on Trepang1 – at least, not in the way you think. The first game from this studio was a platformer about a sea cucumber, which is what “trepang” roughly translates to. So in coming to Trepang2 , there’s no primer necessary to get prepared for what this first-person shooter is about. At its core, this is meant to be an homage to the shooters from the mid-2000s, most notably F.E.A.R. . However, Trepang2 is a game that never manages to capture the same magic from this era in any meaningful way. Trepang Studios certainly tried, but completely missed the target at making Trepang2 even remotely worth playing.
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