Reviews
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Review
Sep 29, 2021
If you’re curious, the Super Monkey Ball formula still works in 2021. There’s something to the whole puzzle-challenge aspect that tingles the right nerves, keeping me playing for longer sessions than I anticipated. Banana Mania is a remastered bundle of the first two games with roughly 300 levels in all. Top that with additional game modes and unlocks; Banana Mania will keep you entertained for quite a bit.
HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED Review
Sep 27, 2021
As a kid, I spent countless hours playing on the floor and my bed playing with Hot Wheels. I constructed tracks from official pieces with whatever I had lying around. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED captures what our imaginations were as kids, and presents them in exaggerated and expansive ways. Milestone, a developer who’s mostly known for their work on motorcycle and simulation games have made one of the most enjoyable arcade car racers in recent memory. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED is a game for racers, designers, dreamers, and kids from one to ninety-two.
No More Heroes (PC) Review
Sep 17, 2021
Often hailed as one of the favorite cult hits of the Nintendo Wii, No More Heroes made waves when it first landed in 2007 for its stylish action, over the top humor and unapologetic attitude. It fit right in with the high energy, big personality titles of the era, and infused itself with enough camp, quirk and satire that you would expect from a Grasshopper Manufacture title. It also relied pretty heavily on the Wii Remote as way to immerse you in the combat, which worked well enough for the time but would be challenging to bring into the modern era. Naturally the question here is, can a beloved classic that is so much a product of its era make a successful return in 2021?
DEATHLOOP Review
Sep 17, 2021
Arkane Studios has an innate ability to make believable worlds with an engrossing story, backed by excellent gameplay. That trend continues in DEATHLOOP, where the goal is simple: break the cycle. What’s not simple is actually breaking the loop, as you’ll have to become powerful and ready to reach its conclusion. The environmental richness of Dishonored meets the combat versatility of Prey, for an exceptional immersive sim. Throughout your fifteen hours or so, is a journey of memorization, growth, and controlled repetition. DEATHLOOP is a shining example of the time loop perfected.
SkateBIRD Review
Sep 16, 2021
I like birds. I don’t know why; I just do. I also enjoy Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which I do know why. It’s fun, easily accessible, challenging to master, and it’s quick to get you into the action. SkateBIRD combines these two things and attempts to pull off a cute and wholesome Pro Skater all about trying to do your best. With birds, adorable little birds.
Cruis’n Blast Review
Sep 14, 2021
The Cruis’n series is something I constantly refer back to in my comparisons to other arcade racers. The original arcade cabinet and the N64 releases are what I want out of an arcade racing game. I look for cars that a very close to licensed if not licensed, fast courses, and physics that feel tight and responsive. I want the racing to be nail-biting intense, and Cruis’n Blast is precisely that, a perfect example of how good arcade racing can be when handled properly. Cruis’n Blast is incredibly fun to play, and you might say it’s a… blast.
EPOS H3 Gaming Headset Review
Sep 13, 2021
For a headset that costs $119, there isn’t much to the EPOS H3. It’s a wired gaming headset with a 3.5mm connection, and that’s about it. But there are some nice touches to its build that make it quite a nice headset to use. So yes, the EPOS H3 isn’t perfect, but it does justify its cost.
Road 96 Review
Sep 10, 2021
There’s nothing like a good road movie; the thrill of a journey into the unknown, the path of self-discovery that unfolds as the characters navigate unexpected challenges and are forced to confront the very things they’re running from; unique circumstances that could only arise while winging it from one step to the next on the way to the ultimate destination. It’s a formula that makes for good entertainment, when done well. DigixArt is trying something new with the genre in Road 96, using the road movie as a medium to explore themes of government oppression, resistance, and everybody’s favorite coming of age, and giving the player the ability to influence the outcomes of the story.
Dice Legacy Review
Sep 08, 2021
There’s a lot to love about Dice Legacy. From the dice-based residents to vastness of space that looms in the background on this strange ringworld you just discovered. And now you’re trying to survive the harsh winter that’s coming. Developer DESTINYbit have a delightful game with grave consequences. With every loss or defeat, I was just as excited to jump into a new run over than the last. Dice Legacy is one of the more unique, and inventive city builders out there.
Maneater: Truth Quest Review
Sep 08, 2021
Maneater: Truth Quest explores conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and the unexplained. This is the first DLC to expand on the core game, and it’s a weird one. Maneater wasn’t exactly grounded, but it had a sense of reality about it. With Truth Quest, things go off the rails early and often. Like the docuseries it emulates, there’s not much in the way of explanation here. The things you’ll be tasked with doing are too familiar with what you’ve done before. Truth Quest has entertainment value and gives you more of Maneater, but the invariability leaves you wanting better.
Cookie Clicker Review
Sep 07, 2021
I never thought I would sit here one day and write a review on Cookie Clicker, an idle game of all things. For me, since probably 2014, it has always been this lonely little Chrome tab that just accumulated cookies in the background while I surfed the internet. Who would want to know more about this silly little game I’ve come to enjoy? But with a Steam release, and the ability to import my save, I had to write down a few words on this.
Comanche Review
Sep 07, 2021
Comanche started off as a multiplayer-only game, and then expanded to include single-player modes during its time in Early Access. Now released in full, the fifth entry in the venerable series is finally here. Almost immediately, it leaves a bad impression. While there’s some glimmers of hope and promise, it is never fulfilled. Comanche, like Aquanox Deep Descent didn’t need to return — at least not like this. There’s very little reason to play Comanche, and is simply not memorable for anything.
ROCCAT Torch Review
Sep 06, 2021
ROCCAT has been releasing impressive hardware throughout the year, and their latest is a studio-grade USB microphone, set to light a fire in the space. Aimed at mostly content creators and gamers, it’s an exciting package that’ll appeal to a larger audience. But in the age of working from home either by choice or demand, microphones have become a near-essential component of the home office, so there’s something for all here. The ROCCAT Torch is as affordable and stylish as it is a great microphone too.
Golf Club Wasteland Review
Sep 02, 2021
Golf games have been everything from simulation to arcade, and sometimes anywhere in-between. But I’m hard-pressed to think of a golf game that has a heavy, emotional story to tell while you’re distracted playing it. That’s what Golf Club Wasteland does, and does so well. Developer Demagog Studio offers a deep dive into the ecological and economy-driven decisions that will have profound impacts on the human race, and especially key individuals. All of that, in a golf game wrapper is nothing short of amazing to deliver that message. If this isn’t on your radar, it should be. Golf Club Wasteland is an absolute gem.
Twelve Minutes Review
Sep 01, 2021
Everything about the tease and build-up for Twelve Minutes since its reveal in 2019 has been shrouded in mystery, and the gameplay maintains this until its final moments. It’s a game with stellar casting and cinematic panache to elevate the circumstances of being caught in a time loop. Time loops are entertaining to watch, but actually more frustrating to play. Similar to “Happy Death Day”, Twelve Minutes is an exasperating affair in trying to break the cycle you find yourself in. There are moments of greatness here, especially when you get into a rhythm, but that happens too infrequently to enjoy fully. Twelve minutes can go by quickly, or feel like an eternity. And unfortunately for Twelve Minutes it’s the latter.
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