Cool game which introduced me to the Zelda series but was lacking some depth.

Game is very open and doesn't really tell you what to do. Quests are quite hard to follow and it doesn't really feel like a story quest but more like side-missions.

Played 3/4 through the game but couldn't find the energy to pick it up again.

Fun game with nice little mechanics but could be executed better in terms of story, quests and other little things.

This game is all-skill, no luck. Remorseless for casuals but rewarding when grinded to a ridiculous level.

In Rocket League there is no such thing as better perks, better guns or faster cars. The only thing that makes a difference between you and your opponent is your honed skill and techniques.

Becoming a master of "car-soccer" by simply just training, training and some more training is rewarding in the end. The rewards you get along the way are a nice addition, but don't matter in any way.

Competitive wise, this game is the place to be in terms of esports. It cannot beat CS2/CSGO nor League of Legends yet but it sure is amazing to see what the top players can do with their car, a ball and some boost.

Unfortunately, Psyonix/Epic Games have dropped support on the fun game modes and arenas. These were initially created back in the SARPBC days and also evolved and arrived in Rocket League. Football fields in many different forms, shapes and layouts added to the fun in this game. We no longer see these arenas besides in custom play but we do see a "new" game mode in the casual playlist.

EA and EA Black Box produced the one of the best racing games of the series.

With one of the best game engine's which makes the game feel good and look amazing for that era.

Even though the game is liniar every playthrough but it's rewarding everytime completing the entire game and running through the Blacklist.

Final Fantasy XV is the first game which I have played in the series. Mostly because of the first-time use of real action combat instead of turn-based combat.

Game feels amazing and has stunning graphics for it's time. Started playing this game on the PlayStation 4 but switched to PC as it was even prettier of an eye candy.

Gameplay overall feels very good, combat is solid and is quite intuitive. Usage of your party members and making combo's together is a nice addition and makes the combat feel detailed instead of stale.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of invisible walls which hinder you from REALLY exploring the world. This is most-likely done because of content which was cut during development, which was really ALOT of content.

The first 75% of the game has a really catchy story to it but once you come to the final chapters, you start to realize that the story doesn't add up. Things are misaligned or not even spoken about and suddenly.. poof you're in a situation which you don't have a clue about what is going.

A lot of the areas you visit in the game are a only a one-time-stop. Which is a shame, since a lot of the initially intended content was taking place in more different areas.

Game could've had way more potential from what I have learned by deep-diving into this game. Sad to see that there was a lot of content cut from the final game. Some say almost 60% of the full story was cut, the rest was released as the game we now know.

A continuation of the EA Skate series, simply amazing. Community is a big part of this series, therefore EA introduced a "difficulty" mode which impacts more or less the gravity of your skater and success rates of tricks.

This game adds more to the trickbook to express yourself even more, with not only tricks but all different kinds of skate styles. Not to forget fashionstyle and your specific way of skating.

Create your own skatepark of your dreams and skate it alone, or with friends. Challenges can also be created inside your own parks to keep some fun going. Combine the most weird styles together and see what you can come up with.

Storywise is the game still the same. Play the game at your own pace and complete the challenges you want to do in your order. No need to follow a specific path in terms of challenges nor when skating. Thanks to the open world and option to get off your board you can find new spots and explore the open world.

Must-play if you're a casual chill gamer.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an open-world game, focussed on freedom and exploration.

Walk the lands of Hyrule and get to know more of its history and past events. Use your freedom to your advantage by playing the game how you want. Play it normally with using weapons or be creative and create your own killing machines by utilizing the new forging ability.

Tears of the Kingdom is in my eyes the successor of Breath of the Wild. Almost every aspect of the previous game has been fixed in this sequel. Overall gameplay, the different challenges and the general feel of the world and its mysteries.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was given more depth, detail and lore with the use of the new added world layers. Creep in the depths and find hidden treasures but also more scary monsters and better rewards.

In terms of story, this game is a good balance of open-world with guidance. It's more obvious to know which quests to do and where to go by using markers and accentuating hints more compared to Breath of the Wild. This allows the user to pick up the game at any time, continue the story and immediately get back into the lore.

A Souls-like game which is relentless in every way it can be, just like it is supposed to be.

The open world is seducing but will be very ruthless if you're not prepared of haven't played any form of Souls-like game before.

Amazing game to get into and the controls are fairly basic. Easy to play but very hard to master. From skills and combat builds to knowing the damage patterns an enemy or boss can do will really pull you into this game.

One cannot play this game for only an half an hour since beating a boss, area or quest will challenge you in every way possible. It's up to you to adapt and conquer on your journey, even if it takes many tries, deaths and loss of Runes.

Not as liniar as the original Dark Souls games but it can be since the quests are all the same, every playthrough. Not all quests have to be done however; by doing just a few quests or skipping others can lead to a different ending of the game.

In terms of controls, Elden Ring has a heavy feel to it. It also can be clunky at times when fighting or navigating the world. When in combat, the camera tends to mess up when fighting dragons for instance. Facing multiple enemies can also be a hassle since the character sometimes has focussing issues which can lead to some unavoidable deaths.

Menu's are also fairly simple and sometimes confusing if you're looking for something specific. Quests are quite in depth and require a lot of reading, there is almost no such thing as a waypoint or quest marker. Make sure to pay attention when accepting a quest on what to do and where to go!

Even though this game has it flaws, it is still a very well percieved game. The option to play the game how you want is very satisfying. If you cannot beat a boss or enemies in an area are too powerful, just farm some monsters and come back!

This game got me into Souls-like games and has a special place in my heart. Elden Ring's clunkyness is however still a thing which unfortunately cannot be avoided at times.

TEKKEN, what can we say about TEKKEN?

The game always delivers with it's unique look, feel and setting. Katsuhiro Harada also hit the nail on its head with TEKKEN 7.

The story follows the Kazama/Mishima family and their family feud. A nice continuation of the story with some returning faces we haven't seen in a while. Relentless fights with unique characters, do I need to tell more?

The only downside to this game I find personally is the fact that it has a fairly small character roster. Some playable characters are even stuck behind a paywall in order to play them and their stages.

Character creation is also available to customize your favorite character. Equip them with all kinds of outfits, from traditional all the way to your own made fantasy outfit.

Eventually, the fighting is where the game begins. TEKKEN always has been a very tough game to really get good at unless you're really investing time into this piece of art. The offline mode provides some good training against the bots, even after the practice update you can train your skills to put them to the test online.

Online mode is always top-of-the-line competitive and will most likely get you all riled up. Sometimes in your favor but also against.

Besides the small character roster, this game is a solid fighter and a nice addition to your collection; fighting game lover or not.

Game has a lot of potential, even after the update.

Feeling of the game isn't the same as in Fallout 4. The fact that there is multiplayer is a good thing but it's rare to find players since this game has had a rough launch.

A nice attempt but does not fit my personal liking.

Fun game with a nice story telling, should be a "reboot" of the series in some kind of way.

Highly anticipated game, with some nice graphics and nice attention to detail.

Gameplay is however fairly repetitive and story missions can be completed fairly easy. Progression is fast with many skills to unlock however they take away the freerunning aspect in some kind of way.

Amazing game, could've been a lot better for a highly anticipated reboot.

Check out my full review on our website:

https://inthegame.nl/2023/11/08/review-ea-sports-wrc/

-- ENGLISH VERSION --

About 2 months ago, EA SPORTS WRC was suddenly announced via Social Media. Behind the scenes, EA has worked with Codemasters on a new Rally title. Can it adequately follow the renowned DiRT Rally series?

It's been over 4 years since Dirt Rally 2.0 was released by Codemasters. In the meantime, the company has been acquired by the mega-concern Electronic Arts and has developed a few games under the new collaboration, mainly the F1 games. However, Codemasters has been known for decades for their rally games, such as the Colin McRae Rally games on the Playstation 1. More recently, the DiRT series has evolved into DiRT Rally.

Where Codemasters left off with the previous Rally game, EA SPORTS WRC must pick up the thread and do justice to the legacy. Meanwhile, the rally world has shifted to new car technology, and some classes have changed.

Accessible to everyone but difficult to master.
Once you jump into one of the many cars in EA SPORTS WRC, you are bombarded with new signals that you don't encounter or feel in most racing games. The car's maneuverability is good and very responsive. Whether you're playing with a controller or a steering wheel and pedal combo, the game provides good feedback regarding the car's behavior.

Compared to DiRT Rally 2.0, EA SPORTS WRC is almost the same but actually takes a half step back in terms of difficulty. The detail in the road surface and car control is still there, but it's a bit more forgiving than the previous game it follows. What I did notice was that the road surface sometimes lacks detail. For example, standard asphalt feels somewhat lifeless, and you don't feel 100% what the car is doing, sometimes relying on guesswork at high speeds.

WRC - Capture 2EA SPORTS WRC by Codemasters and EA SPORTS
If you're not familiar with rally sports in general or want to improve your skills, you can turn to the Rally School. This is a course with a series of exercises that you encounter in most rally stages. From learning pace notes to mastering handbrake turns, almost everything is covered. This functionality reminded me a lot of the driving school in the Gran Turismo series, easy to grasp but challenging to master.

Lots of potential but still incomplete.
During our preview of this game, there were a few bugs. Quite normal for a game that wasn't on its final build at the time. The bugs included cars disappearing during a podium ceremony or a glitching car after a crash. During my sessions tearing through various stages with, of course, a few significant crashes, I still noticed the presence of some bugs. For instance, I was forced to reset my car because it had merged with a guardrail, and even lampposts were not safe.

Resetting your car incurs a time penalty. This was already present in previous rally games, so nothing new. However, the fact that you're almost forced to use the reset button and thereby receive a penalty is not enjoyable. I had to redo stages entirely, which can lead to frustration.

Overall, the game feels very good but somewhat incomplete. This may be because a considerable number of iconic cars are locked behind DLC, but mainly because the world feels empty. Mountains in the distance, for example, are visible but quite bare because you can almost see through the trees. Along the track, you see spectators here and there, but the ambiance around it is somewhat lacking.

Regarding audio, there's not much to complain about. The iconic cars sound good but are not a complete representation of their real sound. The new cars with a hybrid system sound quite similar and lack the punch, for example, of the Subaru Impreza 22B STI.

Gameplay is solid with room for improvement.
Focusing on gameplay, the game feels robust. Certainly a good foundation for potential successors bearing the same name in this series. The cars have good feedback, easily accessible for newcomers and controller players, and the detail from DiRT Rally 2.0 is still largely present.

However, there is still room for improvement in EA SPORTS WRC, mainly in the graphical aspect but also in simple elements such as menus and some gameplay points. The menu is fine at a glance, but if you want to start a quick race or time trial, you have to create an entire rally first. Unfortunately, it's not just buckle up and drive. The menu in the campaign mode is also cumbersome. A screen full of bars and various options that you have to complete in other menus brings a lot of confusion, which caused me a lot of stress before I even got behind the wheel.

In terms of gameplay, the game feels somewhat incomplete. The graphical aspect is fine, but distances in the game can cause a frown on your face. The game plays well, although there are occasional frame skips. The occasional bug is also hard to miss, but that could still be patched out, it seems.

It is certainly a successor to DiRT Rally 2.0; you immediately feel that it comes from the same studio. However, there is still a lot of potential to be tapped in this rally sim, but for a new title, it doesn't look bad.

Rainbow Six Siege is the ultimate tactical shooter in a competitive form. A very solid shooter which is heavy biased to teamplay and communication.

5v5 never felt so intense when you know that 1 bullet could mean the end for your turn. Using operators to defend or attack a site, whether it be a bomb or hostage, while dodging bullets, equipment and other lethal items left and right.

This game would've gotten a 5-star however like every game, this game has had some changes in the past (sometimes for the better but mostly for the worst) which altered the game which I fell in love with.

Ubisoft is doing an amazing job with this title however their focus should shift more on managing the community by banning cheaters and improving the game with Quality of Life updates.

As a sim-racer, would say that Assetto Corsa Competitzione is the best in its class it's trying to showcase.

This sim-racing game is a must-have if you're into GT3/GT4 series. Unfortunately no LMDh cars as can be seen in the WEC or IMSA series but it's definitely an good advocate for the other series.

The force feedback the game gives through a steering wheel is currently unmatched in any other racing sim. From laser-scanned circuits and cars to ranking systems, this game and car class is definitely the best for wheel-to-wheel racing.

Online multiplayer is very active with a large community, using in-game servers and even third-party websites such as simracing.gp and others. You'll have no issue with finding a race and opponents that suit you the best and can give you a challenge.

Check out my full game review on the media platform. (NOTE: Review is written in Dutch)

https://inthegame.nl/2023/09/21/review-mortal-kombat-1/

-- ENGLISH VERSION --


The most skull-cracking, muscle-tearing fighter has received a new installment with Mortal Kombat 1. The story starts from the beginning but like never before. For over 30 years, Mortal Kombat and NetherRealm Studios have been known for their intense battles involving brutality and robust storylines. The latest addition to the series, Mortal Kombat 1, may bring the biggest gameplay change the series has ever seen.

We're talking about the new Kameo system, a kind of tag-team option where you can enlist a sidekick to deliver a few blows. These sidekicks, called Kameos in the game, are unfortunately not directly playable, but you can add them to your team. A Kameo essentially breaks the rules of the game by combining characters, making the fighting dynamic and enabling sick combinations, strategies, and interesting matchups.

While this game mechanic is not entirely new in the fighting game scene, Mortal Kombat 1 executes it exceptionally well. Each Kameo has a set of moves that you can use to make your fighting style unique.

However, there are a few aspects that could use a bit of polish, but where the game excels, as usual, is in the storytelling.

Back to basics
Don't panic; going back to basics can be good. The fighting itself is still excellent. The move list for each character is clear and easy to understand. The gameplay seems to return to basic moves in Martial Arts, with combos, to be discovered by the player, being more based on martial artistry than special moves. Of course, familiar moves from the series, like those of Scorpion and Sindel, still play a significant role in your combos.

The joy of any fighting game comes from the mix of panic and anticipation as you try to figure out which bloody finishing moves your opponent is eager to use. Mortal Kombat 1 still doesn't disappoint in this regard.

The Kameo system, although somewhat seen before in the series and other fighting games, is well-executed in Mortal Kombat 1. Kameo fighters, characters briefly entering the fight with a button press, serve various purposes, from starting or complementing combos to acting as an escape or last-resort tactic.

An attack from Kung Lao, for example, can initiate or complement a combo, while other Kameos serve as an escape or last-resort option. With thoughtful reflexes, these Kameos can also help you escape from an opponent's combo at the cost of your energy bar.

Excellent story with occasional drawbacks
Rather than a remake, as the conspicuous "1" suggests, Mortal Kombat 1 is actually a sequel to the wild finale seen in the previous game. This short but powerful sequel takes about 6 to 7 hours to complete. Although it may seem short, the story feels much longer than it actually is.

Liu Kang is now a "God of Fire" and has changed the universe to banish all evil. While it introduces a new universe, the story follows a generic path of faction switching, fan service, and endless clichés. You can almost predict the upcoming lines, as it sometimes feels too predictable.

The storyline is adjusted, choosing to portray some villains as good characters and introducing an overenthusiastic passion for the word "timeline."

However, there are some points of frustration in the story mode. In each chapter, you play as a different character, but you receive no guidance on what makes them special, their background, or their mission. The essentials, such as their combos and special moves, are not clearly explained.

Invasions are good but can be improved
Mortal Kombat 1 introduces Invasions this time. This new game mode is a kind of virtual game board that combines thematic environments and rewards from the former The Krypt with RPG-like elements from previous games and modes. The idea is good, but in reality, it could be better executed.

Each "tile" has its theme with an associated fight. After playing a few times, these fights become repetitive and quickly lose their challenge. Meanwhile, you collect rewards, keys to progress, and can occasionally take on small challenges.

The overall game mode is a nice twist for the game and somewhat breathes new life into it, but it quickly loses its wow factor.

Summary
Mortal Kombat 1 brings innovations in gameplay with the Kameo system, making fights more dynamic. This fighting system adds a new strategic layer to all battles.

The story continues its epic predecessor from the previous game, with a clear emphasis on the timeline. A short but powerful story mode where the script is often predictable. It's also interesting to see traditional "bad guys" return as allies in the story, giving the game a fresh vibe.

The single-player mode "Invasions" combines elements from previous modes but can feel repetitive and lacks challenge at times. This game mode brings fresh elements but can be improved to maintain long-term interest and replayability.