J__R
2022
Unfortunately I found Grid Legends to be very bland which is surprising as I enjoyed Grid and Grid 2 on PS3. I also liked Dirt 1-4 and Dirt Rally. I'm not sure what's going on at Codemasters but this, Dirt 5 and Onrush have been really underwhelming.
First off the good. It works, looks decent, runs fine and I got it from PS Plus. There is a good amount of tracks and cars. It's kind of fun just driving with reckless abandon, smashing into other cars and clipping walls.
The biggest problem this game has is the way cars feel to drive, which is a massive issue for a racing game. They don't behave at all like you expect a car to, the physics are just weird. Driving feels stiff and simple, you really need to try hard to lose control. For example you can drive a RWD car in the wet with no traction control and just floor it without any concern for wheel spin. It's like the developers didn't want you to be able to fail. So it's not realistic at all but it also doesn't deliver arcade fun. It also does not find a balance between realism and arcade thrills. It is just bland.
The story mode was thoroughly boring and I quickly started skipping cut scenes. The career mode is grindy and you get tired as one dull race bleeds into another. You can try to keep things fresh by constantly changing the type of vehicle you are racing. I found the stadium trucks to be the highlight. There is also drifting which they also somehow made kind of boring. It's like the whole game was made as safe and uninspired as possible. They didn't want to allow players to suck at it.
It's not very good but doesn't do enough to make me hate it. I can't recommend Grid Legends unless you got it with PS Plus or are desperate for another racing game.
5.8/10
First off the good. It works, looks decent, runs fine and I got it from PS Plus. There is a good amount of tracks and cars. It's kind of fun just driving with reckless abandon, smashing into other cars and clipping walls.
The biggest problem this game has is the way cars feel to drive, which is a massive issue for a racing game. They don't behave at all like you expect a car to, the physics are just weird. Driving feels stiff and simple, you really need to try hard to lose control. For example you can drive a RWD car in the wet with no traction control and just floor it without any concern for wheel spin. It's like the developers didn't want you to be able to fail. So it's not realistic at all but it also doesn't deliver arcade fun. It also does not find a balance between realism and arcade thrills. It is just bland.
The story mode was thoroughly boring and I quickly started skipping cut scenes. The career mode is grindy and you get tired as one dull race bleeds into another. You can try to keep things fresh by constantly changing the type of vehicle you are racing. I found the stadium trucks to be the highlight. There is also drifting which they also somehow made kind of boring. It's like the whole game was made as safe and uninspired as possible. They didn't want to allow players to suck at it.
It's not very good but doesn't do enough to make me hate it. I can't recommend Grid Legends unless you got it with PS Plus or are desperate for another racing game.
5.8/10
The good
I like the 30s setting and they did a good job with it.
The story and characters are just good enough to stop you skipping cut scenes.
There are good options for difficulty, driving and aiming.
The driving feels good. The cars have a good sense of speed and a real weight and momentum to them. You can slide and spin the wheels in the more powerful cars.
The bad
Basic third person shooter gameplay and very simple melee combat.
The whole game outside driving feels a bit awkward and clunky.
It doesn’t look that good.
The open world is just a set to drive through.
The very bad
Weird visual issues.
It crashed once.
Sometimes loading would randomly take much longer.
Mafia: Definitive Edition isn’t very good but it’s worth a play through if it looks like your type of game.
5.7/10
I like the 30s setting and they did a good job with it.
The story and characters are just good enough to stop you skipping cut scenes.
There are good options for difficulty, driving and aiming.
The driving feels good. The cars have a good sense of speed and a real weight and momentum to them. You can slide and spin the wheels in the more powerful cars.
The bad
Basic third person shooter gameplay and very simple melee combat.
The whole game outside driving feels a bit awkward and clunky.
It doesn’t look that good.
The open world is just a set to drive through.
The very bad
Weird visual issues.
It crashed once.
Sometimes loading would randomly take much longer.
Mafia: Definitive Edition isn’t very good but it’s worth a play through if it looks like your type of game.
5.7/10
2022
An excellent game brought down by greed and deliberately bad choices.
I have loved Gran Turismo since the PS1 days and I think this is another great entry in the series. Gran Turismo has always been more than just a racing game. It is car porn. Gran Turismo 7 continues this tradition. The cars look stunning and are highly detailed inside and out. There is a great line up of diverse cars ready to collect, modify, customise, tune, race, learn about and love. There is an in depth photo mode with its own community to share, like and discuss photos and the same for livery designs too. There is so much here to learn about cars and the history of car makers and it also teaches the broader historical context as well. It is a dream for anyone that likes cars and is easy to get into whether you’re a veteran or newcomer.
Presentation wise Gran Turismo 7 is outstanding. As I already said cars are super detailed and beautiful. Tracks look great and have plenty of detail too. I like the style and menus. Weather looks good, skies look good, and tire smoke looks good. The game runs well and loads quickly. Sound design is impressive and the music selection is cool. There isn’t much to complain about here. Being a cross gen game I don’t think they pushed everything as far as they could with the PS5, obviously car damage is an area that still needs work but overall though I’m really happy with presentation and performance.
Gameplay is fun. Cars feel great and they did well making use of the PS5 controller features. Car handling and physics are what you expect. I know when a car is on the limit of grip and when it’s gone beyond that limit. There is a good sense of speed, weight and momentum. I can feel the road and the unevenness of the surface. Weather and puddles of water are done well and greatly impact driving. Tuning is rewarding. The game as a whole is mostly very rewarding, challenging and fun. I enjoyed slowly getting better and improving my times, making my way through the challenges, earning licenses, learning in the circuit experiences and testing myself against others online. There is lots of content here and they have been continuing to add to it. There are some weaknesses like the main campaign, café mode, being underdeveloped and underwhelming and I didn’t get music rally at all.
Now unfortunately I need to discuss this games big issues and a lot of people will already know what’s coming. Why the hell do I always need to be online for single player? I guess my disc will be useless in the future when it’s all taken down and I’m just screwed anytime I don’t have internet or there is maintenance. Then there is the fact that this game becomes a horrible grind to get and upgrade the more expensive cars. Things start off okay with regular currency and car rewards but once you get further along and everything gets more expensive it just ruins the game. I put around 80 hours in and I would still be playing if not for this bulls**t. Cars are too expensive and rewards are too low so your progress grinds to a halt. This was done on purpose to push people into spending real money on the very over priced in game currency and Gran Turismo 7 is a full priced Sony game too. Why would you do this to your own creation? Imagine making something excellent and then deliberately ruining it. Why would you do this to your brand? Is it really worth it? If you need to make more money off Gran Turismo 7 then find another way, I would rather pay a little extra up front then put up with this crap. To the people that made these decisions and to every person that buys this games currency get away from videogames you are ruining it for the rest of us.
Gran Turismo 7 is really enjoyable and well made even with the horrible issues I still got plenty of time out of it. I just wish I could still be playing it and continuing to build my car collection. I would have rated it way higher if not for this and it could have been one of the absolute best PS5 games. I recommend getting Gran Turismo 7 if you’re into cars just don’t buy those expensive micro transactions and know that at some point it will become an awful grind.
7.8/10
I have loved Gran Turismo since the PS1 days and I think this is another great entry in the series. Gran Turismo has always been more than just a racing game. It is car porn. Gran Turismo 7 continues this tradition. The cars look stunning and are highly detailed inside and out. There is a great line up of diverse cars ready to collect, modify, customise, tune, race, learn about and love. There is an in depth photo mode with its own community to share, like and discuss photos and the same for livery designs too. There is so much here to learn about cars and the history of car makers and it also teaches the broader historical context as well. It is a dream for anyone that likes cars and is easy to get into whether you’re a veteran or newcomer.
Presentation wise Gran Turismo 7 is outstanding. As I already said cars are super detailed and beautiful. Tracks look great and have plenty of detail too. I like the style and menus. Weather looks good, skies look good, and tire smoke looks good. The game runs well and loads quickly. Sound design is impressive and the music selection is cool. There isn’t much to complain about here. Being a cross gen game I don’t think they pushed everything as far as they could with the PS5, obviously car damage is an area that still needs work but overall though I’m really happy with presentation and performance.
Gameplay is fun. Cars feel great and they did well making use of the PS5 controller features. Car handling and physics are what you expect. I know when a car is on the limit of grip and when it’s gone beyond that limit. There is a good sense of speed, weight and momentum. I can feel the road and the unevenness of the surface. Weather and puddles of water are done well and greatly impact driving. Tuning is rewarding. The game as a whole is mostly very rewarding, challenging and fun. I enjoyed slowly getting better and improving my times, making my way through the challenges, earning licenses, learning in the circuit experiences and testing myself against others online. There is lots of content here and they have been continuing to add to it. There are some weaknesses like the main campaign, café mode, being underdeveloped and underwhelming and I didn’t get music rally at all.
Now unfortunately I need to discuss this games big issues and a lot of people will already know what’s coming. Why the hell do I always need to be online for single player? I guess my disc will be useless in the future when it’s all taken down and I’m just screwed anytime I don’t have internet or there is maintenance. Then there is the fact that this game becomes a horrible grind to get and upgrade the more expensive cars. Things start off okay with regular currency and car rewards but once you get further along and everything gets more expensive it just ruins the game. I put around 80 hours in and I would still be playing if not for this bulls**t. Cars are too expensive and rewards are too low so your progress grinds to a halt. This was done on purpose to push people into spending real money on the very over priced in game currency and Gran Turismo 7 is a full priced Sony game too. Why would you do this to your own creation? Imagine making something excellent and then deliberately ruining it. Why would you do this to your brand? Is it really worth it? If you need to make more money off Gran Turismo 7 then find another way, I would rather pay a little extra up front then put up with this crap. To the people that made these decisions and to every person that buys this games currency get away from videogames you are ruining it for the rest of us.
Gran Turismo 7 is really enjoyable and well made even with the horrible issues I still got plenty of time out of it. I just wish I could still be playing it and continuing to build my car collection. I would have rated it way higher if not for this and it could have been one of the absolute best PS5 games. I recommend getting Gran Turismo 7 if you’re into cars just don’t buy those expensive micro transactions and know that at some point it will become an awful grind.
7.8/10
2022
This is the first Bayonetta game I didn't immediately start a second play through after finishing it. I actually haven't even bothered to go back and play it again.
Pretty much everything here feels like a big step backwards from Bayonetta 1 and 2. Gameplay is like two steps sideways and one step backwards (maybe this isn't even harsh enough). Cut scenes, dialogue and characters are less entertaining. Story is meh. Some parts of the game don't look that great and it doesn't always run smoothly. It's bloated and feels like it drags on way too long.
Bayonetta 3 honestly confuses me. Why did they make locations so big and open? Why did gameplay pull focus away from the core combat? What happened to Bayonetta's personality and dialogue? The voice actress stuff is sad and the new actor definitely is not even close to Bayonetta. Why do mainstream critics seem to like this game so much? Bayonetta got neutered.
Bayonetta 3 is worth playing through and it's still fun and engaging just nowhere near much as it was in the previous two games.
7.1/10
Pretty much everything here feels like a big step backwards from Bayonetta 1 and 2. Gameplay is like two steps sideways and one step backwards (maybe this isn't even harsh enough). Cut scenes, dialogue and characters are less entertaining. Story is meh. Some parts of the game don't look that great and it doesn't always run smoothly. It's bloated and feels like it drags on way too long.
Bayonetta 3 honestly confuses me. Why did they make locations so big and open? Why did gameplay pull focus away from the core combat? What happened to Bayonetta's personality and dialogue? The voice actress stuff is sad and the new actor definitely is not even close to Bayonetta. Why do mainstream critics seem to like this game so much? Bayonetta got neutered.
Bayonetta 3 is worth playing through and it's still fun and engaging just nowhere near much as it was in the previous two games.
7.1/10
Ghost of Tsushima is what happens when style and passion collides with safe, bland, AAA gaming.
I can’t comment on whether or not the upgrade from PS4 is worth it as this release was my first experience with Ghost of Tsushima. Although I can say that the Iki Island expansion is just more of the same.
Ghost of Tsushima commits the same sins as a lot of other recent games - open world with a bunch of unnecessary, uninspired side activities, side missions, resource collecting, upgrades, light RPG stuff, collectables and camps to clear. Basically it’s a big map that’s really a repetitive checklist. It is bloated, goes on too long and does not respect the player’s time.
The gameplay is fun, especially in the early hours of play, but it doesn’t have enough depth or variety to last the games run time. Standoffs are cool at first but get old. Combat is simple but satisfying and they give you just enough options to keep things fun for a while. Stealth is shallow and enemy AI is poor. For some reason there is too much linear, tedious climbing and you feel too floaty when jumping about. Exploration doesn’t feel very rewarding and riding about starts to drag.
The story is enjoyable but doesn’t really do anything interesting or get you heavily invested. The game starts off and ends pretty well but of course most of the game is drawn out. The characters are good but not super memorable. I enjoyed that the game had some humour from time to time which certainly helped break things up a bit.
So what really elevates Ghost of Tsushima above the competition? First of all I think people really wanted an open world, historical, Japanese, Samurai game and this definitely got my attention. Then there is the style. This game looks beautiful and not because it tries to push the limits of technology. It’s the art direction, the colours, the constant beautiful views, the wind and weather, the commitment to the time period while also not being dedicated to realism.
The other thing that comes across is the developer’s passion for the location, time period, Samurai culture and other media that has done this before. It’s clear that a lot of research was done when creating this game. I enjoyed it so much that I found myself looking up Tsushima, Iki and Mongol and Japanese history. The inspiration from Samurai films shines through as well and I appreciated the visual options. I played this in Japanese with English subtitles and had a good time soaking it all in.
Overall I enjoyed my time playing Ghost of Tsushima but there was plenty of monotony. I am not in any hurry to play it again or get a sequel. If you’re looking for an open world, AAA, PS4 era game I would probably recommend Ghost of Tsushima over the competition.
7.3/10
I can’t comment on whether or not the upgrade from PS4 is worth it as this release was my first experience with Ghost of Tsushima. Although I can say that the Iki Island expansion is just more of the same.
Ghost of Tsushima commits the same sins as a lot of other recent games - open world with a bunch of unnecessary, uninspired side activities, side missions, resource collecting, upgrades, light RPG stuff, collectables and camps to clear. Basically it’s a big map that’s really a repetitive checklist. It is bloated, goes on too long and does not respect the player’s time.
The gameplay is fun, especially in the early hours of play, but it doesn’t have enough depth or variety to last the games run time. Standoffs are cool at first but get old. Combat is simple but satisfying and they give you just enough options to keep things fun for a while. Stealth is shallow and enemy AI is poor. For some reason there is too much linear, tedious climbing and you feel too floaty when jumping about. Exploration doesn’t feel very rewarding and riding about starts to drag.
The story is enjoyable but doesn’t really do anything interesting or get you heavily invested. The game starts off and ends pretty well but of course most of the game is drawn out. The characters are good but not super memorable. I enjoyed that the game had some humour from time to time which certainly helped break things up a bit.
So what really elevates Ghost of Tsushima above the competition? First of all I think people really wanted an open world, historical, Japanese, Samurai game and this definitely got my attention. Then there is the style. This game looks beautiful and not because it tries to push the limits of technology. It’s the art direction, the colours, the constant beautiful views, the wind and weather, the commitment to the time period while also not being dedicated to realism.
The other thing that comes across is the developer’s passion for the location, time period, Samurai culture and other media that has done this before. It’s clear that a lot of research was done when creating this game. I enjoyed it so much that I found myself looking up Tsushima, Iki and Mongol and Japanese history. The inspiration from Samurai films shines through as well and I appreciated the visual options. I played this in Japanese with English subtitles and had a good time soaking it all in.
Overall I enjoyed my time playing Ghost of Tsushima but there was plenty of monotony. I am not in any hurry to play it again or get a sequel. If you’re looking for an open world, AAA, PS4 era game I would probably recommend Ghost of Tsushima over the competition.
7.3/10
2021
A modern survival horror made by people who not only know what survival horror is but understand it as well.
If you have played survival horror before than you’ll have a good idea of what’s in store with Tormented Souls. The gameplay is a mix of exploration, puzzles and combat with tank like controls, fixed camera angles, back tracking and limited resources. It does a pretty good job with movement and exploration. You’ll find yourself steadily unlocking your way further into the atmospheric mansion/hospital and learning the layout. But there are a couple of drawbacks. I didn’t like the map at all and did not find it good to use. There are also times when there is too much to keep track of, especially if you take breaks during your playthrough. Puzzles are mostly very good but at times they can be too obtuse and there is probably a few too many of them. Combat is solid and I liked the weapons but there is room for improvement here. There is just the right amount of resources to keep you playing carefully and considering your saves but inventory management wasn’t really here. Darkness is used very well as you need your lighter equipped to see in some places but then can’t have a weapon out. It’s a cool, well executed idea that is right at home in survival horror. The gameplay experience is absolutely more positive than negative and survival horror fans are in for a good time.
Visually this game is outstanding for a lower budget title. The environments and lighting is fantastic and the fixed but often tracking camera frames it all beautifully. The objects and menus are well done too, excluding the map. Sadly the characters and enemies are not on the same level. There is something off about them both technically and in style. It’s almost like they are from a slightly different game. They lack expression and personality too. It’s not really that much of an issue though and Tormented Souls still superbly delivers unsettling atmosphere, gore and body horror. The music and sound design is really damn good too. The only issue there is they didn’t know when to use restraint and have silence.
The story, lore and characters are not that great. It’s fine but forgettable and predictable. There wasn’t any hook or interesting background that pulled me in. It’s like a bunch of different horror ideas somewhat poorly put together. The dialogue isn’t written well and is poorly voice acted. And it’s not in that cheesy, camp and/or charming way you might expect from an older horror game. It is just subpar. It is certainly no disaster or deal breaker though and I still found some enjoyment in it.
The biggest issue I had with Tormented Souls was that I only did one play through. I planned on doing more and there are trophies that encourage you to. However once I finished it I wasn’t in the mood to do it again. I know this might sound vague or bit unhelpful but something put me off playing again. Maybe it’s the flow or pacing. Maybe it is a bit too long with a few too many puzzles. Maybe it was just my backlog staring at me. I don’t know exactly but I will try to revisit it again for sure.
Overall none of the flaws detracted too much from my experience and it was one of my favourite games to come out in 2021. Of course I am willing to be forgiving to as it is lower budget and one of my favourite genres. Tormented Souls is a fantastic survival horror by a clearly passionate team. It’s a must play for any survival horror fan and I would give it a good recommendation even if you’re not.
8.0/10
If you have played survival horror before than you’ll have a good idea of what’s in store with Tormented Souls. The gameplay is a mix of exploration, puzzles and combat with tank like controls, fixed camera angles, back tracking and limited resources. It does a pretty good job with movement and exploration. You’ll find yourself steadily unlocking your way further into the atmospheric mansion/hospital and learning the layout. But there are a couple of drawbacks. I didn’t like the map at all and did not find it good to use. There are also times when there is too much to keep track of, especially if you take breaks during your playthrough. Puzzles are mostly very good but at times they can be too obtuse and there is probably a few too many of them. Combat is solid and I liked the weapons but there is room for improvement here. There is just the right amount of resources to keep you playing carefully and considering your saves but inventory management wasn’t really here. Darkness is used very well as you need your lighter equipped to see in some places but then can’t have a weapon out. It’s a cool, well executed idea that is right at home in survival horror. The gameplay experience is absolutely more positive than negative and survival horror fans are in for a good time.
Visually this game is outstanding for a lower budget title. The environments and lighting is fantastic and the fixed but often tracking camera frames it all beautifully. The objects and menus are well done too, excluding the map. Sadly the characters and enemies are not on the same level. There is something off about them both technically and in style. It’s almost like they are from a slightly different game. They lack expression and personality too. It’s not really that much of an issue though and Tormented Souls still superbly delivers unsettling atmosphere, gore and body horror. The music and sound design is really damn good too. The only issue there is they didn’t know when to use restraint and have silence.
The story, lore and characters are not that great. It’s fine but forgettable and predictable. There wasn’t any hook or interesting background that pulled me in. It’s like a bunch of different horror ideas somewhat poorly put together. The dialogue isn’t written well and is poorly voice acted. And it’s not in that cheesy, camp and/or charming way you might expect from an older horror game. It is just subpar. It is certainly no disaster or deal breaker though and I still found some enjoyment in it.
The biggest issue I had with Tormented Souls was that I only did one play through. I planned on doing more and there are trophies that encourage you to. However once I finished it I wasn’t in the mood to do it again. I know this might sound vague or bit unhelpful but something put me off playing again. Maybe it’s the flow or pacing. Maybe it is a bit too long with a few too many puzzles. Maybe it was just my backlog staring at me. I don’t know exactly but I will try to revisit it again for sure.
Overall none of the flaws detracted too much from my experience and it was one of my favourite games to come out in 2021. Of course I am willing to be forgiving to as it is lower budget and one of my favourite genres. Tormented Souls is a fantastic survival horror by a clearly passionate team. It’s a must play for any survival horror fan and I would give it a good recommendation even if you’re not.
8.0/10
2017
Highly polished and technically impressive mediocrity. But I don't hate this game. I played it to completion and even did the Frozen Wilds too.
Horizon Zero Dawn takes so many AAA game ideas/mechanics that have been done to death during the PS3-PS4 era and throws them all together in a big, bland bowl of soup. Then makes it look real nice and throws in some cool enemies. The open world, collectables, things to pick up, crafting, climbing, traversal, side quests, side activities and light RPG elements are all borrowed from other games and uninspired. Almost every character interaction and cut scene caused my neck to lose all strength, my head rolled back and I let out an intense groan of boredom.
The absolute high points of this game are the mystery and details of what happened to the world and the mystery of who the main character is. The other great thing is of course fights with the machine enemies. But even this which was so fun at first becomes a little tiresome as the game over stays it's welcome.
This might all sound pretty negative but it's still good enough that I finished it and then had a little more. It is a perfectly fine game that scratches some kind of itch I have in my brain. Just don't play too many games like this too often or you'll get burnt out.
6.8/10
Horizon Zero Dawn takes so many AAA game ideas/mechanics that have been done to death during the PS3-PS4 era and throws them all together in a big, bland bowl of soup. Then makes it look real nice and throws in some cool enemies. The open world, collectables, things to pick up, crafting, climbing, traversal, side quests, side activities and light RPG elements are all borrowed from other games and uninspired. Almost every character interaction and cut scene caused my neck to lose all strength, my head rolled back and I let out an intense groan of boredom.
The absolute high points of this game are the mystery and details of what happened to the world and the mystery of who the main character is. The other great thing is of course fights with the machine enemies. But even this which was so fun at first becomes a little tiresome as the game over stays it's welcome.
This might all sound pretty negative but it's still good enough that I finished it and then had a little more. It is a perfectly fine game that scratches some kind of itch I have in my brain. Just don't play too many games like this too often or you'll get burnt out.
6.8/10
2023
The Finals is a free to play game and it comes with a lot of what you would expect from that. It is a work in progress that doesn’t have enough content. It has a battle pass and overpriced, mostly cringey cosmetic items that often clash with the rest of the games look. It’s slow to progress and expects too much of your time. Despite all that I like this and think it has the potential to do really well.
Normally I’m not a big fan of these games and often don’t even try them. So I almost passed on The Finals but I’m glad I didn’t. The Finals nails the core basic stuff. Moving and shooting just feels good. The movement is quick and fluid with slides and conveniently placed jump pads, ladders and zip lines. It’s so important to the gameplay especially because of how vertical this game is, which I really enjoy. But it’s not completely perfect and you will have the occasional bit of awkwardness. Gunplay works really well with quality animations and sounds. They found a really good spot with shooting. It’s fast and arcade-y but you still need to have decent aim and deal with recoil. There’s also a decent variety of guns and gadgets and some melee weapons too. Changing your loadout and class really impacts how you play. The time to kill feels spot on and allows time for quick thinking and strategy instead of just reflexes and/or who spotted who first. The developers clearly know fun and first person shooters.
Then there’s the destruction. Not only is it just cool but it is an essential part of the gameplay. Being able to just blow holes in floors, roofs, walls or just bring down the whole structure, in an objective based game, just changes everything with how it opens up options for attacking and defending. I will never get tired of blowing a hole in the ceiling and having the objective drop down in front of me, suddenly rendering most of the defences set up by the other team almost useless. Added to all of this is the ability to make goo walls and set things like mines, sentry guns and barriers. There are also different things in the environment you can throw, like goo canisters, explosives and flower pots that are handily located. It’s important to play as a team too. Working together when attacking or defending is vital and so is reviving and healing if possible. All the different elements of The Finals just feel well thought out and work really well together. It makes for such dynamic, emergent gameplay.
I don’t like the presentation as much as the gameplay unfortunately. The maps, weapons and gadgets are mostly fine and of course the destruction is excellent but I’m not a fan of everything else. I don’t like the TV show, virtual combat style they have gone with. The announcers are horribly annoying. But if you turn them off the game feels weirdly quiet, so I settled on just turning them down a bit. The music doesn’t help here either. There is a lot of cringey, over the top cosmetic stuff that has become common now. But for the most part the game looks kind of bland.
The Finals works really well despite the chaos and destruction taking place but I’ve still encountered some issues. It’s crashed on me and gotten stuck on the joining game screen multiple times. Sometimes destruction will look awkward and I’ve spotted floating debris every now and then. There have been times when I haven’t been able to revive a team mate without moving them first. The spawns can be awful, like spawning right near opponents and getting shot straight away and spawning on the other side of the map to where the action and objective is. There needs to be more maps and modes ASAP. More weapons and gadgets will need to come too. Being able to unlock new weapons, gadgets and cosmetic options is way too slow. Everything just needs more time and work and they will need to do some balancing as well. At least monetization is okay I guess, for now. The cosmetics are way overpriced but at least they are only bought with real money while the weapons and gadgets are earned through playing. It also doesn’t take up an enormous amount of space like some other games.
The Finals has a great recipe for a game and a solid foundation. If only it wasn’t a free to play, work in progress. But I guess this is where we are now. The market is over saturated and already has well established games so the only way you can get people to try your game is if you give it to them for free. It is a shame because by the time this game reaches its peak potential I will already be gone. The game hasn’t been around long and I’m already losing interest. That’s if it even manages to survive and doesn’t get ruined along the way as well. Maybe I’ll give this one a break and then come back. The Finals would have been so much better as a full priced, highly polished, content rich, finished game though. I’m stuck between ‘I can’t complain too much as I am getting some pretty fun, good quality online first person shooter gameplay for nothing except my time and data’ and ‘this free to play, always online, digital only, microtransaction riddled, second job level of investment, games as a service bullshit is ruining videogames.’ I’m definitely leaning more towards the second one but I can’t deny the quality here or the fun I’ve been having. If you like multiplayer first person shooters then this is an easy recommendation, give it a try but expect what comes with a game like this.
6.8/10 (for now)
Normally I’m not a big fan of these games and often don’t even try them. So I almost passed on The Finals but I’m glad I didn’t. The Finals nails the core basic stuff. Moving and shooting just feels good. The movement is quick and fluid with slides and conveniently placed jump pads, ladders and zip lines. It’s so important to the gameplay especially because of how vertical this game is, which I really enjoy. But it’s not completely perfect and you will have the occasional bit of awkwardness. Gunplay works really well with quality animations and sounds. They found a really good spot with shooting. It’s fast and arcade-y but you still need to have decent aim and deal with recoil. There’s also a decent variety of guns and gadgets and some melee weapons too. Changing your loadout and class really impacts how you play. The time to kill feels spot on and allows time for quick thinking and strategy instead of just reflexes and/or who spotted who first. The developers clearly know fun and first person shooters.
Then there’s the destruction. Not only is it just cool but it is an essential part of the gameplay. Being able to just blow holes in floors, roofs, walls or just bring down the whole structure, in an objective based game, just changes everything with how it opens up options for attacking and defending. I will never get tired of blowing a hole in the ceiling and having the objective drop down in front of me, suddenly rendering most of the defences set up by the other team almost useless. Added to all of this is the ability to make goo walls and set things like mines, sentry guns and barriers. There are also different things in the environment you can throw, like goo canisters, explosives and flower pots that are handily located. It’s important to play as a team too. Working together when attacking or defending is vital and so is reviving and healing if possible. All the different elements of The Finals just feel well thought out and work really well together. It makes for such dynamic, emergent gameplay.
I don’t like the presentation as much as the gameplay unfortunately. The maps, weapons and gadgets are mostly fine and of course the destruction is excellent but I’m not a fan of everything else. I don’t like the TV show, virtual combat style they have gone with. The announcers are horribly annoying. But if you turn them off the game feels weirdly quiet, so I settled on just turning them down a bit. The music doesn’t help here either. There is a lot of cringey, over the top cosmetic stuff that has become common now. But for the most part the game looks kind of bland.
The Finals works really well despite the chaos and destruction taking place but I’ve still encountered some issues. It’s crashed on me and gotten stuck on the joining game screen multiple times. Sometimes destruction will look awkward and I’ve spotted floating debris every now and then. There have been times when I haven’t been able to revive a team mate without moving them first. The spawns can be awful, like spawning right near opponents and getting shot straight away and spawning on the other side of the map to where the action and objective is. There needs to be more maps and modes ASAP. More weapons and gadgets will need to come too. Being able to unlock new weapons, gadgets and cosmetic options is way too slow. Everything just needs more time and work and they will need to do some balancing as well. At least monetization is okay I guess, for now. The cosmetics are way overpriced but at least they are only bought with real money while the weapons and gadgets are earned through playing. It also doesn’t take up an enormous amount of space like some other games.
The Finals has a great recipe for a game and a solid foundation. If only it wasn’t a free to play, work in progress. But I guess this is where we are now. The market is over saturated and already has well established games so the only way you can get people to try your game is if you give it to them for free. It is a shame because by the time this game reaches its peak potential I will already be gone. The game hasn’t been around long and I’m already losing interest. That’s if it even manages to survive and doesn’t get ruined along the way as well. Maybe I’ll give this one a break and then come back. The Finals would have been so much better as a full priced, highly polished, content rich, finished game though. I’m stuck between ‘I can’t complain too much as I am getting some pretty fun, good quality online first person shooter gameplay for nothing except my time and data’ and ‘this free to play, always online, digital only, microtransaction riddled, second job level of investment, games as a service bullshit is ruining videogames.’ I’m definitely leaning more towards the second one but I can’t deny the quality here or the fun I’ve been having. If you like multiplayer first person shooters then this is an easy recommendation, give it a try but expect what comes with a game like this.
6.8/10 (for now)
2023
Wanted: Dead is another game unfairly thrown under the bus or ignored by main stream videogame reviewers. Things have been like this for a long time now but it’s still sad to see and getting worse. Mainstream videogame reviews are hurting games, the gaming industry and gamers. The importance placed on game review scores and the metacritic number is not a good thing as it causes developers to create safe games that appeal to the mainstream game reviewers. And we all know how good the big game reviewers opinions are – weak, ignorant, shallow first impressions, pushed out quickly to get clicks, written by people that didn’t pay for it, didn’t have enough time to learn to play it properly, or didn’t care and are in a position where they can’t be too critical as it may affect their access to the industry, advertising spending and connections with their peers. So then along comes a game like Wanted: Dead that they can ‘safely’ shit on or ignore or do a really bad job reviewing and most people won’t care but it hurts the game, the developers, the industry and gamers. (Obviously this is a generalisation and gamers aren’t much better.)
Wanted: Dead is not a 4 out of 10 or worse. Wanted: Dead is lower budget and rough around the edges but it is a really solid action game with plenty of personality. I honestly think it is an enjoyable, charismatic game made by developers earnestly trying to make something fun and challenging in their own style.
First let’s get the bad out of the way. The two big negatives I see in reviews are low production values/ lack of polish and difficulty. There is plenty of truth to the first point. The graphics are not the best and the frame rate does drop at times. Objects and environments are not super detailed and the character models look dated. The enemies pass though surfaces they shouldn’t occasionally and the camera doesn’t always do a perfect job. During my second play through I had multiple crashes and I think one of the trophies may not be unlocking. However none of this is bad enough to make me stop playing or dislike the game but of course it does lower my opinion and I wish the experience was smoother and better looking. The difficulty on the other hand is a deliberate part of the game. If you don’t want to learn how to play and you don’t give yourself some time to get decent at it then you’re in for a frustrating time. Once you get the hang of things and unlock some skills the game becomes pretty great. Don’t get me wrong the game still throws some really hard sections your way, especially in the final stage, but the only part of the game that feels bulls**t hard is those damn minigames, which are generally optional.
The story and characters of Wanted: Dead was something I didn’t think I was going to care for at first but overtime I got more into it. Especially the quirky cast of characters, they grew on me so much and by the end I was left wanting more. What helps a lot is that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously and has you regularly changing from one thing to another. One minute you’re watching a cutscene, then some ultra violent gameplay, then to the crane game, then an anime cutscene, then karaoke, then live action cooking lessons, etc. It’s a fun, wild time but the humour and style won’t be for everyone. Wanted: Dead may not have a ‘good’ story or ‘deep’ characters but that isn’t a problem. It is totally fine to make something that is just kind of cool and fun.
Visually as I already said Wanted: Dead is not very technically impressive. I still like the look of it though because of the style, direction and character designs. The soundtrack was pretty cool and l liked the voice acting. It suited the characters and tone of the game.
Now we’re at the meat of the game, the excellent hack n slash/third person shooter hybrid combat. The problem with this is you don’t get the depth of a hack n slash or a TPS but you do gain the fun, interesting gameplay of mixing the two. Your main gun, second gun, grenades and cover work like a TPS. Your pistol is for counters, light hits and interrupting enemies. Your sword is for heavier hits, basic combos and charge attacks. You also have a block, parry, counter hit, side step, dodge roll, sprint, slide and sometimes a chainsaw. On top of that you have executions, slow mo and slow mo handgun attack all earned by playing well. You gain health back by hurting enemies too so it’s the type of game that rewards good play and encourages aggressive play. These elements mix so well together and once you get good and are in the zone it is a blast that looks so freaking cool. There is depth here or you can just get good enough to enjoy and finish it. Yeah it’s hard but worth it.
Wanted: Dead’s flaws are not enough to drag down the fun too much. I was swearing and laughing throughout and it will be a cult classic, if it’s not already. If it were slightly longer, had higher production values and was more highly polished it would be a game of the year contender for me. It is really important to support games like this. If people didn’t buy and appreciate King’s field, Lost kingdoms and Demon’s souls we wouldn’t have Elden Ring and Bloodborne. I would strongly recommend Wanted: Dead to anyone that enjoys Japanese action games.
7.4/10
Just wanted to add a little extra to this:
Since I first typed up this review I have played it two more times, including on Japanese hard mode and I fell more in love with it. I also didn’t give the story enough credit in my review. It’s still not something super deep or anything but there are obviously very deliberate choices that went into the this and are there for a reason. I’ll have to pull things apart or just get lazy and look for a good YouTube video on it. Part of me wants to raise this score even higher but I can’t ignore those flaws.
Wanted: Dead is not a 4 out of 10 or worse. Wanted: Dead is lower budget and rough around the edges but it is a really solid action game with plenty of personality. I honestly think it is an enjoyable, charismatic game made by developers earnestly trying to make something fun and challenging in their own style.
First let’s get the bad out of the way. The two big negatives I see in reviews are low production values/ lack of polish and difficulty. There is plenty of truth to the first point. The graphics are not the best and the frame rate does drop at times. Objects and environments are not super detailed and the character models look dated. The enemies pass though surfaces they shouldn’t occasionally and the camera doesn’t always do a perfect job. During my second play through I had multiple crashes and I think one of the trophies may not be unlocking. However none of this is bad enough to make me stop playing or dislike the game but of course it does lower my opinion and I wish the experience was smoother and better looking. The difficulty on the other hand is a deliberate part of the game. If you don’t want to learn how to play and you don’t give yourself some time to get decent at it then you’re in for a frustrating time. Once you get the hang of things and unlock some skills the game becomes pretty great. Don’t get me wrong the game still throws some really hard sections your way, especially in the final stage, but the only part of the game that feels bulls**t hard is those damn minigames, which are generally optional.
The story and characters of Wanted: Dead was something I didn’t think I was going to care for at first but overtime I got more into it. Especially the quirky cast of characters, they grew on me so much and by the end I was left wanting more. What helps a lot is that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously and has you regularly changing from one thing to another. One minute you’re watching a cutscene, then some ultra violent gameplay, then to the crane game, then an anime cutscene, then karaoke, then live action cooking lessons, etc. It’s a fun, wild time but the humour and style won’t be for everyone. Wanted: Dead may not have a ‘good’ story or ‘deep’ characters but that isn’t a problem. It is totally fine to make something that is just kind of cool and fun.
Visually as I already said Wanted: Dead is not very technically impressive. I still like the look of it though because of the style, direction and character designs. The soundtrack was pretty cool and l liked the voice acting. It suited the characters and tone of the game.
Now we’re at the meat of the game, the excellent hack n slash/third person shooter hybrid combat. The problem with this is you don’t get the depth of a hack n slash or a TPS but you do gain the fun, interesting gameplay of mixing the two. Your main gun, second gun, grenades and cover work like a TPS. Your pistol is for counters, light hits and interrupting enemies. Your sword is for heavier hits, basic combos and charge attacks. You also have a block, parry, counter hit, side step, dodge roll, sprint, slide and sometimes a chainsaw. On top of that you have executions, slow mo and slow mo handgun attack all earned by playing well. You gain health back by hurting enemies too so it’s the type of game that rewards good play and encourages aggressive play. These elements mix so well together and once you get good and are in the zone it is a blast that looks so freaking cool. There is depth here or you can just get good enough to enjoy and finish it. Yeah it’s hard but worth it.
Wanted: Dead’s flaws are not enough to drag down the fun too much. I was swearing and laughing throughout and it will be a cult classic, if it’s not already. If it were slightly longer, had higher production values and was more highly polished it would be a game of the year contender for me. It is really important to support games like this. If people didn’t buy and appreciate King’s field, Lost kingdoms and Demon’s souls we wouldn’t have Elden Ring and Bloodborne. I would strongly recommend Wanted: Dead to anyone that enjoys Japanese action games.
7.4/10
Just wanted to add a little extra to this:
Since I first typed up this review I have played it two more times, including on Japanese hard mode and I fell more in love with it. I also didn’t give the story enough credit in my review. It’s still not something super deep or anything but there are obviously very deliberate choices that went into the this and are there for a reason. I’ll have to pull things apart or just get lazy and look for a good YouTube video on it. Part of me wants to raise this score even higher but I can’t ignore those flaws.
2022
I am an idiot because this is my first Tactics Ogre game. I should not have missed this series in the past and should have played this already. So I'm grateful for this re-release but also unfortunately that means I can't compare it to previous releases.
I love the visuals and art style. The game play is really satisfying. I really enjoyed taking my time and planning my moves. The story and characters are good with plenty of twists and drama. Loved the setting, world and lore. Sound track is great. Plenty of content here too.
There are a few issues though. There is a level cap which I'm guessing is to stop you getting over powered but it's too restrictive. I wanted to try everything this game had to offer but some of the side stuff just felt like a dull grind. There is an uneven difficulty incline. Sometimes you breeze through a bunch of battles and then there's an occasional difficulty spike.
Tactics Ogre is getting pretty old now but still leaves the majority of modern games in it's dust. If you have enjoyed games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem then this should be on your games to play next list. So glad I finally played it. Tactics Ogre: Reborn is pretty damn great.
8.8/10
I love the visuals and art style. The game play is really satisfying. I really enjoyed taking my time and planning my moves. The story and characters are good with plenty of twists and drama. Loved the setting, world and lore. Sound track is great. Plenty of content here too.
There are a few issues though. There is a level cap which I'm guessing is to stop you getting over powered but it's too restrictive. I wanted to try everything this game had to offer but some of the side stuff just felt like a dull grind. There is an uneven difficulty incline. Sometimes you breeze through a bunch of battles and then there's an occasional difficulty spike.
Tactics Ogre is getting pretty old now but still leaves the majority of modern games in it's dust. If you have enjoyed games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem then this should be on your games to play next list. So glad I finally played it. Tactics Ogre: Reborn is pretty damn great.
8.8/10
2023
When you look around and see the reviews and scores at 5 or worse for Scars Above you have to ask, do smaller games and smaller developers have any chance? Scars Above is a lower budget game and it does have things we’ve seen a bunch of times before but it’s fun, well made, does enough to differentiate itself and is at a lower price point.
One of the first things that stand out to me about Scars Above is the atmosphere and world. I would honestly describe it as Metroid Prime-ish. The environments look great, feel alien and are populated with some good looking creatures. Unfortunately not everything about the way Scars Above looks is that great. Animations could be better and characters don’t look particularly good. It gets worse when watching them talk. They lack expression and it looks like what they are saying doesn’t match up with their face. It’s not the end of the world though and mostly it’s a very good looking game, maybe it just falls short in some areas because of the smaller budget and team.
Scars Above is about a group of scientists getting mysteriously transported to a hostile alien world. It’s a pretty enjoyable story that had no problem holding my interest throughout and I think sci-fi fans will enjoy it. It has a great main character, Kate, who is brought to life very well by Erin Yvette. Kate is a capable, likable scientist who has no problem stepping up into the hero role. She is constantly curious and analytical but still has plenty of compassion which ties into what the story is about. I think it was just refreshing to play as a scientist and the approach it brings to many areas of the game is too. Unfortunately outside Kate and Naya the rest of the cast is very forgettable.
The gameplay is very likable too. It’s a third person shooter but actually feels more like a mostly ranged action game. There’s no cover so you’ll find yourself sprinting around shooting enemies, using gadgets, dodging and maybe sneaking in some melee hits. There is a stamina bar to consider while doing this and your resources are on the more limited side. The really cool thing about combat is using elements and the right combinations of them to fight efficiently. Your guns are fire, electric, ice and toxic and these can be combined together on their own and with things like water, rain and ice in the environment. Enemies have weak spots as well which are vulnerable to a particular element. There is a small variety of gadgets like a shield and gravity trap too. It’s really fun and keeps you on your toes as you frantically move about dodge rolling incoming attacks, prioritising targets, using the right combination of gadgets and elements and healing when needed. It’s just a shame they didn’t push things even further. I’d love to see a follow up to this game that builds upon what’s here. The biggest flaw for me was the difficulty. The game starts off with this promise of a good challenge but once you get comfortable and Kate gets more gear and skills it falls off a bit and death becomes a lot rarer. It’s not too bad and there is enjoyment it getting powerful but it’s enough to consider putting the difficulty up.
Outside combat you’ll be exploring, investigating and solving some puzzles. The world is linear but often loops back on itself, creating a short cut and it has some small side paths to check out. The checkpoint/recover points also respawn enemies in the area, so it is slightly souls-ish but there’s no recovering anything from where you died. The experience in Scars Above is called knowledge and is earned by scanning things and picking up little knowledge cubes. This builds up to earn ability points which are used to unlock new skills. There are weapon upgrades to look out for as well. Investigating is similar to what you have probably seen in other games and has you clicking and scanning stuff to figure what happened or get answers. I am not usually the biggest fan of this but I didn’t mind it here. The puzzles are a bit basic but at least they don’t feel hand-holdy. As you can see Kate being a scientist is carried across most aspects of the game and it is done well. As a whole the game does a great job of being consistent through its story, main character and gameplay.
Something that Scars Above also does well is pacing and progression. It is on the shorter side and has you pushing through at a good pace, except for a section right before the end when it does slow for a bit while you complete three tasks. I kept feeling like I was constantly getting something whether it was an ability point or more story or a weapon upgrade or a new enemy. The other fantastic thing is it doesn’t waste your time. Scars Above is not open world, it’s not full of padding, and it doesn’t run too long, there are no lackluster side quests, no pointless collectables and no microtransactions. God damn, this is a beautiful thing which more games should learn from.
Scars Above is like a PS3 era game and I mean that as both a wonderful compliment and a bit of a criticism. It does look lower budget or a bit dated and even feels like it a bit too. But it doesn’t mess around and isn’t full of bloat. It’s just fun, plays well, works well, has great atmosphere and tells a decent story. It is interesting because it can come off as unoriginal but it feels so refreshing at the same time. The developer Mad Head Games is another one to keep an eye on. Scars Above is at a lower price point and would be fairly reduced by now too, so I would recommend not hesitating to pick it up if it has you interested at all.
7.7/10
One of the first things that stand out to me about Scars Above is the atmosphere and world. I would honestly describe it as Metroid Prime-ish. The environments look great, feel alien and are populated with some good looking creatures. Unfortunately not everything about the way Scars Above looks is that great. Animations could be better and characters don’t look particularly good. It gets worse when watching them talk. They lack expression and it looks like what they are saying doesn’t match up with their face. It’s not the end of the world though and mostly it’s a very good looking game, maybe it just falls short in some areas because of the smaller budget and team.
Scars Above is about a group of scientists getting mysteriously transported to a hostile alien world. It’s a pretty enjoyable story that had no problem holding my interest throughout and I think sci-fi fans will enjoy it. It has a great main character, Kate, who is brought to life very well by Erin Yvette. Kate is a capable, likable scientist who has no problem stepping up into the hero role. She is constantly curious and analytical but still has plenty of compassion which ties into what the story is about. I think it was just refreshing to play as a scientist and the approach it brings to many areas of the game is too. Unfortunately outside Kate and Naya the rest of the cast is very forgettable.
The gameplay is very likable too. It’s a third person shooter but actually feels more like a mostly ranged action game. There’s no cover so you’ll find yourself sprinting around shooting enemies, using gadgets, dodging and maybe sneaking in some melee hits. There is a stamina bar to consider while doing this and your resources are on the more limited side. The really cool thing about combat is using elements and the right combinations of them to fight efficiently. Your guns are fire, electric, ice and toxic and these can be combined together on their own and with things like water, rain and ice in the environment. Enemies have weak spots as well which are vulnerable to a particular element. There is a small variety of gadgets like a shield and gravity trap too. It’s really fun and keeps you on your toes as you frantically move about dodge rolling incoming attacks, prioritising targets, using the right combination of gadgets and elements and healing when needed. It’s just a shame they didn’t push things even further. I’d love to see a follow up to this game that builds upon what’s here. The biggest flaw for me was the difficulty. The game starts off with this promise of a good challenge but once you get comfortable and Kate gets more gear and skills it falls off a bit and death becomes a lot rarer. It’s not too bad and there is enjoyment it getting powerful but it’s enough to consider putting the difficulty up.
Outside combat you’ll be exploring, investigating and solving some puzzles. The world is linear but often loops back on itself, creating a short cut and it has some small side paths to check out. The checkpoint/recover points also respawn enemies in the area, so it is slightly souls-ish but there’s no recovering anything from where you died. The experience in Scars Above is called knowledge and is earned by scanning things and picking up little knowledge cubes. This builds up to earn ability points which are used to unlock new skills. There are weapon upgrades to look out for as well. Investigating is similar to what you have probably seen in other games and has you clicking and scanning stuff to figure what happened or get answers. I am not usually the biggest fan of this but I didn’t mind it here. The puzzles are a bit basic but at least they don’t feel hand-holdy. As you can see Kate being a scientist is carried across most aspects of the game and it is done well. As a whole the game does a great job of being consistent through its story, main character and gameplay.
Something that Scars Above also does well is pacing and progression. It is on the shorter side and has you pushing through at a good pace, except for a section right before the end when it does slow for a bit while you complete three tasks. I kept feeling like I was constantly getting something whether it was an ability point or more story or a weapon upgrade or a new enemy. The other fantastic thing is it doesn’t waste your time. Scars Above is not open world, it’s not full of padding, and it doesn’t run too long, there are no lackluster side quests, no pointless collectables and no microtransactions. God damn, this is a beautiful thing which more games should learn from.
Scars Above is like a PS3 era game and I mean that as both a wonderful compliment and a bit of a criticism. It does look lower budget or a bit dated and even feels like it a bit too. But it doesn’t mess around and isn’t full of bloat. It’s just fun, plays well, works well, has great atmosphere and tells a decent story. It is interesting because it can come off as unoriginal but it feels so refreshing at the same time. The developer Mad Head Games is another one to keep an eye on. Scars Above is at a lower price point and would be fairly reduced by now too, so I would recommend not hesitating to pick it up if it has you interested at all.
7.7/10
2017
I’m not going to write out a long review for this one but I have to stop and say, holy crap this is a good beat ‘em up. Seriously Fight’N Rage is fantastic.
Fight’N Rage nails the old school look it is going for while still having a bit of its own style. It’s smooth, polished and has a bunch of visual options like scanlines, CRT TV mode and different colour styles. It has great art, animations, and good enemy and environment variety. The soundtrack is really fun and goes well with the visuals and gameplay. The gameplay just hits the sweet spot. It is challenging but never feels unfair or cheap. It is easy to pick up and start playing but difficult to master. I think this game made me a better beat ‘em up player and it has sparked a greater interest in this genre. It’s just fun and so replayable and there is so much content here. There’s plenty to unlock, different modes and multiple endings.
I think the main drawback for me is that it’s slightly too long. I wish a run through was a shorter blast but honestly that’s probably mostly a skill issue on my end. Yeah, that’s possibly the biggest problem with the game, I kind of suck at it. But I’m getting there and it’s been rewarding to improve. Some other minor issues are that the bosses could have been a bit better, there’s some unnecessary repetition and occasionally there’s too much going on which obscures the action a bit. You could find fault with the story too I guess but that’s not why you play this.
Fight’N Rage was made by one guy, with another person doing music and I think a handful of testers and it’s really impressive. I haven’t ventured too far into beat ‘em ups but this has to be one of the best. If you like fun and a challenge go buy this, easy recommendation.
8.8/10
Fight’N Rage nails the old school look it is going for while still having a bit of its own style. It’s smooth, polished and has a bunch of visual options like scanlines, CRT TV mode and different colour styles. It has great art, animations, and good enemy and environment variety. The soundtrack is really fun and goes well with the visuals and gameplay. The gameplay just hits the sweet spot. It is challenging but never feels unfair or cheap. It is easy to pick up and start playing but difficult to master. I think this game made me a better beat ‘em up player and it has sparked a greater interest in this genre. It’s just fun and so replayable and there is so much content here. There’s plenty to unlock, different modes and multiple endings.
I think the main drawback for me is that it’s slightly too long. I wish a run through was a shorter blast but honestly that’s probably mostly a skill issue on my end. Yeah, that’s possibly the biggest problem with the game, I kind of suck at it. But I’m getting there and it’s been rewarding to improve. Some other minor issues are that the bosses could have been a bit better, there’s some unnecessary repetition and occasionally there’s too much going on which obscures the action a bit. You could find fault with the story too I guess but that’s not why you play this.
Fight’N Rage was made by one guy, with another person doing music and I think a handful of testers and it’s really impressive. I haven’t ventured too far into beat ‘em ups but this has to be one of the best. If you like fun and a challenge go buy this, easy recommendation.
8.8/10
2021
No More Heroes 3 is not the best looking or the most technically impressive game. It does not tell an incredible story or have the strongest gameplay. But it has way more heart, personality, style and charm than most games.
How do I even begin describing its style and vibe? No More Heroes 3 is a punk game. It’s anti mainstream and proudly does its own thing. It takes inspiration and shows love for a lot of pop culture things like anime, videogames, films, wrestling and music and at the same time it also parodies this stuff too. It is very self aware, fourth wall breaking and a bit cheeky and I love it. No More Heroes 3 has so many cool ideas in it like for example when it just stops to discuss Miike films. (Hopefully this gets more people into Miike films; I would recommend Gozu, 13 Assassins, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, Audition and the miniseries MPD Psycho). Of course there are problems with this approach the main ones being not all the ideas thrown in are excellent or work really well and you are also relying on your audience to just ‘get it’ and roll with it.
Visually No More Heroes 3 is a mixed bag. On one hand it’s really stylish and has some awesome character designs. On the other hand there are a lot quite simple and bland looking objects and locations. I am not a huge fan of the enemy designs and I think the bosses are a bit lacking too, especially when compared to the first two games. The game works well enough and loads quickly, I am definitely glad I waited and played the PS5 version. There was an issue at launch where the trophies were not working but they eventually fixed it. The game is not big budget and does lack some polish.
Gameplay is mostly pretty fun. The combat is solid and looks cool with a combination of sword, melee, dodge, wrestling, a combo counter, skills and slots activated specials. Travis, the main character, has a skill tree and things called Death Glove Chips that allow you to upgrade and personalise your play style as well. Exploration does start to drag and isn’t very rewarding and Travis’ bike isn’t as fun as it looks. There are things to collect and do in the world. There are seeds to plant, scorpions to catch, alien shells, T-shirts, doppelgangers, kittens, capsule toys and Deathman cards. It is a bit much and starts to feel like a chore. There are also defence missions and mini games. The defence missions are just fights and they get repetitive. The mini games are a laugh at first but quickly become repetitive too. This over the top action game can quickly grind to a halt if you do a lot of this at once. Luckily you are not forced to do too much of this but it’s there for the completionists or people that just want a little more. The main story parts and boss fights are great and the gimmicks mostly deliver.
When it comes to the story and characters it is generally a pretty good time. There is a lot here for returning fans but it is still possible for newcomers to jump in and follow along. It is about Travis returning home to face a new threat and that’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers. Travis and the returning cast are great and the new villain is cool too. Things move along at good pace. Scenes are well directed and the voice actors nail the larger than life characters. It’s not perfect but I enjoyed the journey. The music is good too. Most of the new bosses are pretty forgettable though and as I said not every idea lands. I love No More Heroes 3’s style and humour but I know a lot of people won’t like it.
The problem with playing and reviewing Suda 51 games is they are subversive. A lot of this game’s ‘flaws’ could be deliberate choices. Like the tedious collectables, the ‘chore like mini games,’ the empty open world and bland looking locations. Lots of it could be Suda’s commentary on modern gaming; he is a mischievous creator that likes to take the piss. Some things are obvious and some not so much. It is up to the player to interpret it all and then decide if you like it and think it’s worth it because deliberately bad is still bad but also fun if that makes sense.
I enjoyed No More Heroes 3 enough to play though it more than once and even considered going for the platinum trophy for a while. The biggest issue with No More Heroes 3 is that after waiting this long and when you compare it to the first two games it is a bit disappointing. It just doesn’t hit as hard and is not as memorable as the first two. For No More Heroes veterans and Suda 51 fans it is still a must play. For everyone else I would recommend you play the other games first but if you really want to jump in here then go for it. No More Heroes 3 is nowhere near a perfect game but who cares it’s still cool as f**k.
7.6/10
How do I even begin describing its style and vibe? No More Heroes 3 is a punk game. It’s anti mainstream and proudly does its own thing. It takes inspiration and shows love for a lot of pop culture things like anime, videogames, films, wrestling and music and at the same time it also parodies this stuff too. It is very self aware, fourth wall breaking and a bit cheeky and I love it. No More Heroes 3 has so many cool ideas in it like for example when it just stops to discuss Miike films. (Hopefully this gets more people into Miike films; I would recommend Gozu, 13 Assassins, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, Audition and the miniseries MPD Psycho). Of course there are problems with this approach the main ones being not all the ideas thrown in are excellent or work really well and you are also relying on your audience to just ‘get it’ and roll with it.
Visually No More Heroes 3 is a mixed bag. On one hand it’s really stylish and has some awesome character designs. On the other hand there are a lot quite simple and bland looking objects and locations. I am not a huge fan of the enemy designs and I think the bosses are a bit lacking too, especially when compared to the first two games. The game works well enough and loads quickly, I am definitely glad I waited and played the PS5 version. There was an issue at launch where the trophies were not working but they eventually fixed it. The game is not big budget and does lack some polish.
Gameplay is mostly pretty fun. The combat is solid and looks cool with a combination of sword, melee, dodge, wrestling, a combo counter, skills and slots activated specials. Travis, the main character, has a skill tree and things called Death Glove Chips that allow you to upgrade and personalise your play style as well. Exploration does start to drag and isn’t very rewarding and Travis’ bike isn’t as fun as it looks. There are things to collect and do in the world. There are seeds to plant, scorpions to catch, alien shells, T-shirts, doppelgangers, kittens, capsule toys and Deathman cards. It is a bit much and starts to feel like a chore. There are also defence missions and mini games. The defence missions are just fights and they get repetitive. The mini games are a laugh at first but quickly become repetitive too. This over the top action game can quickly grind to a halt if you do a lot of this at once. Luckily you are not forced to do too much of this but it’s there for the completionists or people that just want a little more. The main story parts and boss fights are great and the gimmicks mostly deliver.
When it comes to the story and characters it is generally a pretty good time. There is a lot here for returning fans but it is still possible for newcomers to jump in and follow along. It is about Travis returning home to face a new threat and that’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers. Travis and the returning cast are great and the new villain is cool too. Things move along at good pace. Scenes are well directed and the voice actors nail the larger than life characters. It’s not perfect but I enjoyed the journey. The music is good too. Most of the new bosses are pretty forgettable though and as I said not every idea lands. I love No More Heroes 3’s style and humour but I know a lot of people won’t like it.
The problem with playing and reviewing Suda 51 games is they are subversive. A lot of this game’s ‘flaws’ could be deliberate choices. Like the tedious collectables, the ‘chore like mini games,’ the empty open world and bland looking locations. Lots of it could be Suda’s commentary on modern gaming; he is a mischievous creator that likes to take the piss. Some things are obvious and some not so much. It is up to the player to interpret it all and then decide if you like it and think it’s worth it because deliberately bad is still bad but also fun if that makes sense.
I enjoyed No More Heroes 3 enough to play though it more than once and even considered going for the platinum trophy for a while. The biggest issue with No More Heroes 3 is that after waiting this long and when you compare it to the first two games it is a bit disappointing. It just doesn’t hit as hard and is not as memorable as the first two. For No More Heroes veterans and Suda 51 fans it is still a must play. For everyone else I would recommend you play the other games first but if you really want to jump in here then go for it. No More Heroes 3 is nowhere near a perfect game but who cares it’s still cool as f**k.
7.6/10
2022
F the mainstream gaming media and Youtubers for ignoring, dismissing or s**tting on this game. Gungrave G.O.R.E. might be lower budget and rough around the edges but it is a blast to play.
Gungrave G.O.R.E. is in third person and a shooter but don’t think that it is going to be like the third person shooters you’re used to. Gungrave G.O.R.E. is an arcade action shooter and has more in common with games like rail shooters, beat ‘em ups and shmups.
You move Grave, the main character through linear stages in a slow and deliberately designed way that works with how the game plays. He has plenty of actions at his disposal to deal with the waves of enemies. First up is his regular shooting which auto targets or can be more controlled and doesn’t need reloading. You can do a charged shot too which is handy for shielded enemies at a distance. He can jump and dodge. The dodge doesn’t just get you out the way but also gives you a small invincibility window and you can shoot during it too. The jump can also double as a dodge and again you can shoot during it. Grave has melee attacks and starts with a basic combo for breaking shields and deflecting rockets. Grapple ability lets you hold enemies as a shield while still shooting and then throw them and there is a chase which is like a charge forward.
There’s fury mode which when activated pushes close enemies back and gives you a temporary damage boost but you need to have earned it first. Killing enemies in this mode also builds your art score. The art score is one part of getting a good rank at the end of the stage. Burst mode is stationary rapid fire with camera control for dealing with crowds. Storm Barrage is similar to this but needs to be earned and is way faster and as long as you have shield it can’t be interrupted. Executing stunned enemies builds art score and recovers your shield. Finally there are demolition shots, that need to be earned, which are like special attacks that give you a brief window of invincibility and can be devastating to crowds, knock enemies down and gives health back.
All of this works really well together and the game is about constantly moving forward while keeping your beat going (hit counter). When no enemies are present the beat can be kept up by destroying objects. While doing this you need to always be picking the right actions at the right time and the right targets too. Then on top of that you need to build your art score and keep an eye on your shield, health and actions earned. Gungrave G.O.R.E. rewards you for playing well during the action and after stages with a rank and points that can be spent on upgrades and new abilities. Stages are a short blast, about 10 minutes or less and it is fun and addictive.
Unfortunately gameplay can be held back at times by a lack of polish, poor AI and spawns happening too slowly. I got stuck on the environment twice and enemies were frozen and unkillable a couple of times too. The constant onslaught of gameplay, bullets and explosions can be tiring and repetitive. There are two side characters as well which go underused and in Quartz’s case is underdeveloped too. Gameplay would have benefited from a shorter run time with less but more highly polished stages.
I can’t say how well Gungrave G.O.R.E. does presenting the source material because I haven’t played the previous games or seen the anime. I found the story, characters, dialogue and cutscenes to be pretty bland and didn’t get into it at all. Don’t get me wrong it can be freaking cool from time to time but mostly it’s just not. It lacks charm and charisma. Cutscenes can often feel lifeless and the whole experience exudes low budget. The voice acting doesn’t help either. Gungrave G.O.R.E. could have benefited a lot from just going all out silly and way more over the top. At least the sound effects and music are fun and pretty well done.
The visuals of Gungrave G.O.R.E. are not too impressive. It looks like an older game that has been polished up a little for a PS5 release. The developers have done a good job making up for this with style and variety. There are 31 stages that take you different places in the world with different types of settings. It also has a diverse line up of enemies to blast away and multiple bosses too. The old anime/ PS2 era style is cool and a bit nostalgic.
I hope that the developers of Gungrave G.O.R.E. are well aware that there are plenty of gamers out there that still appreciate this type of game and that what they have achieved here is pretty cool. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this developer to see what they do next. I’m having plenty of fun with Gungrave G.O.R.E. but I know many players will bounce off this game quickly. I would still give it a strong recommendation to anyone that enjoys arcade and action games.
7.0/10
Gungrave G.O.R.E. is in third person and a shooter but don’t think that it is going to be like the third person shooters you’re used to. Gungrave G.O.R.E. is an arcade action shooter and has more in common with games like rail shooters, beat ‘em ups and shmups.
You move Grave, the main character through linear stages in a slow and deliberately designed way that works with how the game plays. He has plenty of actions at his disposal to deal with the waves of enemies. First up is his regular shooting which auto targets or can be more controlled and doesn’t need reloading. You can do a charged shot too which is handy for shielded enemies at a distance. He can jump and dodge. The dodge doesn’t just get you out the way but also gives you a small invincibility window and you can shoot during it too. The jump can also double as a dodge and again you can shoot during it. Grave has melee attacks and starts with a basic combo for breaking shields and deflecting rockets. Grapple ability lets you hold enemies as a shield while still shooting and then throw them and there is a chase which is like a charge forward.
There’s fury mode which when activated pushes close enemies back and gives you a temporary damage boost but you need to have earned it first. Killing enemies in this mode also builds your art score. The art score is one part of getting a good rank at the end of the stage. Burst mode is stationary rapid fire with camera control for dealing with crowds. Storm Barrage is similar to this but needs to be earned and is way faster and as long as you have shield it can’t be interrupted. Executing stunned enemies builds art score and recovers your shield. Finally there are demolition shots, that need to be earned, which are like special attacks that give you a brief window of invincibility and can be devastating to crowds, knock enemies down and gives health back.
All of this works really well together and the game is about constantly moving forward while keeping your beat going (hit counter). When no enemies are present the beat can be kept up by destroying objects. While doing this you need to always be picking the right actions at the right time and the right targets too. Then on top of that you need to build your art score and keep an eye on your shield, health and actions earned. Gungrave G.O.R.E. rewards you for playing well during the action and after stages with a rank and points that can be spent on upgrades and new abilities. Stages are a short blast, about 10 minutes or less and it is fun and addictive.
Unfortunately gameplay can be held back at times by a lack of polish, poor AI and spawns happening too slowly. I got stuck on the environment twice and enemies were frozen and unkillable a couple of times too. The constant onslaught of gameplay, bullets and explosions can be tiring and repetitive. There are two side characters as well which go underused and in Quartz’s case is underdeveloped too. Gameplay would have benefited from a shorter run time with less but more highly polished stages.
I can’t say how well Gungrave G.O.R.E. does presenting the source material because I haven’t played the previous games or seen the anime. I found the story, characters, dialogue and cutscenes to be pretty bland and didn’t get into it at all. Don’t get me wrong it can be freaking cool from time to time but mostly it’s just not. It lacks charm and charisma. Cutscenes can often feel lifeless and the whole experience exudes low budget. The voice acting doesn’t help either. Gungrave G.O.R.E. could have benefited a lot from just going all out silly and way more over the top. At least the sound effects and music are fun and pretty well done.
The visuals of Gungrave G.O.R.E. are not too impressive. It looks like an older game that has been polished up a little for a PS5 release. The developers have done a good job making up for this with style and variety. There are 31 stages that take you different places in the world with different types of settings. It also has a diverse line up of enemies to blast away and multiple bosses too. The old anime/ PS2 era style is cool and a bit nostalgic.
I hope that the developers of Gungrave G.O.R.E. are well aware that there are plenty of gamers out there that still appreciate this type of game and that what they have achieved here is pretty cool. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this developer to see what they do next. I’m having plenty of fun with Gungrave G.O.R.E. but I know many players will bounce off this game quickly. I would still give it a strong recommendation to anyone that enjoys arcade and action games.
7.0/10
This review is going to be blunt and straight to the point. Marvel's Spider-Man is about as deep as a creek. It’s a very pretty and polished creek that I had fun splashing around in. But it’s still just a creek.
Web slinging and combat is basic. Good looking but dull open world with a list chores to complete. It’s bloated and too long. Story and characters are just fine but not memorable. You can’t really blame Insomniac though. With a character this important and a budget this big it is not surprising they played it safe and kept things a bit bland and easy. They would have had people watching this game very closely and people would have been breathing down their neck if anything went wrong.
It is still a fine game with many moments of fun. The action sequences and cut scenes are well done. As I said it is highly polished and looks good. I can’t lie as well there is something about these bland open world checklist/collectathons that my brain enjoys on a very basic level. But this probably isn’t a good thing and we shouldn’t be settling for games like this. At the same time though if people just want a big, simple, shallow, fun, blockbuster game I’m not going to stand in the way or be too critical. If you really like this and think it’s fantastic then you do you and enjoy yourself.
Marvel's Spider-Man is well made and a decent distraction. I would recommend giving it a play through especially if you’re into Spiderman. I just hope that one day a developer tries something really cool and risky with the Spiderman universe and combat.
6.7/10
Web slinging and combat is basic. Good looking but dull open world with a list chores to complete. It’s bloated and too long. Story and characters are just fine but not memorable. You can’t really blame Insomniac though. With a character this important and a budget this big it is not surprising they played it safe and kept things a bit bland and easy. They would have had people watching this game very closely and people would have been breathing down their neck if anything went wrong.
It is still a fine game with many moments of fun. The action sequences and cut scenes are well done. As I said it is highly polished and looks good. I can’t lie as well there is something about these bland open world checklist/collectathons that my brain enjoys on a very basic level. But this probably isn’t a good thing and we shouldn’t be settling for games like this. At the same time though if people just want a big, simple, shallow, fun, blockbuster game I’m not going to stand in the way or be too critical. If you really like this and think it’s fantastic then you do you and enjoy yourself.
Marvel's Spider-Man is well made and a decent distraction. I would recommend giving it a play through especially if you’re into Spiderman. I just hope that one day a developer tries something really cool and risky with the Spiderman universe and combat.
6.7/10