Dominic Leighton's Reviews
It's a shame that more time wasn't spent on Gear.Club Unlimited 2 as there are a glimmer or two of hope amongst the horror. However, appalling loading times, terrible handling, and moronic computer AI all contribute to a racing game that rolls its way off the assembly line and straight into the scrapyard.
I'm all for taking the spirit of a beloved classic and bringing it up to date, but you have to be prepared to be judged utterly against that original game. Under the right circumstances Earthfall is capable of capturing the frantic teamwork of Left 4 Dead, but there's too much wrong here to maintain it for long.
The tactics and tactility of a good tennis game remain amongst the purest of gaming experiences, but AO International Tennis is not a good tennis game. Overly complicated and bereft of any emotional resonance, the positive elements, including the detailed character creator, will likely be as swiftly forgotten as the game itself will.
Disneyland Adventures is a terrible remaster of what should be an enjoyable family game. Running around hugging cartoon characters, taking pictures and grabbing autographs is what everyone would want from a trip to Disneyland, it's just a shame that this is the kind of trip where you miss your flight, the weather is terrible, and your hotel room is dirty.
Enigami's attempt to craft a full Action-RPG experience as an indie developer deserves praise, and, visually at least, it comes close to aping its peers. However, a meaningless story, awful dialogue, irritating combat and an utter lack of pace sees it come up short in every other area that matters.
Everything about Endless Ocean: Luminous makes it a particularly Nintendo game: the chunky menu layout, the soothing AI voice, the tranquil music and the laidback vibes. That's emphasised by the notion that this is a deeply unusual piece of software, and one that you wouldn't find coming from the other major console manufacturers. It's a shame then that, unless you're an avid fan of marine facts, it's interminably dull.
Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is a disappointingly dull entry in the series. You have to wonder where CyberConnect2 will go from here.
Despite its clear and comprehensive flaws, Wanted: Dead is still weirdly likeable, and will undoubtedly find a similarly strange and unique fanbase to worship at its feet.
A beautiful, great-sounding narrative adventure that loses its way with annoying and idiotic characters, drawn out exposition, and a distinct lack of challenge.
I was hoping for something unique in the pantheon of Koei Tecmo's long-lived franchise, but it's a step backwards. Fans of the Touken Ranbu franchise may get a kick out of seeing their beloved swords in 3D, but for the rest of the world you have to hope that it isn't indicative of where Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is heading.
If you're looking for a Little Witch Academia digital experience, then VR Broom Racing lets you spend time with the cast in an authentic, if entirely frictionless game experience. Younger players will likely find more to like here, and once the online component is added there should at least be a reason to come back.
Gigantosaurus is exactly the kind of licensed tripe that made licensed games practically extinct in the first place. There's the occasional glimpse of fun, but it's hidden amongst a cretaceous tar pit of mundanity.
Down The Rabbit Hole is a perfect example of a VR game utterly beholden to its format. It builds an incredible vision of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, and lets you interact with it, but completely forgets to give you any reason for being there.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 brings a raft of new and returning events with it, but manages to both reduce and overcomplicate everything to the point where it simply isn't that fun to pick up and play with others. Younger fans may get a kick out of a few of the events, but overall this is a tiresome and drab tie-in that you'll have forgotten about long before the real world opening ceremony next July.
Super Dodgeball Beats' manga-influenced visuals are sure to draw you in, but sadly aren't backed up by its middle-of-the-road rhythm action.
There's a ton of potential in Xenon Racer, but while it looks and sounds the part, its difficulty level and overly weighty handling keep it firmly stuck in the slow lane.
Hideo Kojima has been accused at various points of promoting style over substance, and in this remaster of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner that's more apparent than ever. For all of its fantastically designed mech, and its tight and often enjoyable combat, Zone of the Enders 2nd Runner is an ugly, poorly-told and overly short slice of nostalgia that can't be saved by the introduction of VR.
A variable frame rate is an out and out killer for any racing game, and despite Trailblazers' clear potential it's impossible to see past that. The overall concept, of merging F-Zero and Splatoon, is a fantastic idea, but perhaps it needed a bit longer in development in order for it to be fully realised.
Unwanted and unasked for, Secret of Mana does the bare minimum you'd expect from a remake, and when you consider the original's beloved status, the fact that it's been given such a lacklustre treatment is stupefying.
Valkyria Revolution's biggest crime is that it is utterly dull. The tonal changes to the narrative, and to the combat system, are completely pointless, and not only do a disservice to the Valkyria name, they render it meaningless. Such are the differences between the two titles I don't understand why they bothered to sully the series' fantastic reputation with this release.