Personally, I found GRIS to be a worthwhile experience but I can also fully understand those who won’t see the appeal.
Complaints of repetition will probably ring true for those who want to complete every activity the game has to offer, but on a mission to mission basis, the greater nuance added through the different gameplay modes, characters, and weapon systems has resulted in a significantly more rewarding and strategic game. Yes, the focus on fast-paced action on a large scale remains unchanged, but actually thinking ahead feels more important now than ever before in the franchise.
Strikey Sisters really feels like a game that should have been released 25 years ago, both in its unique blend of classic genres and its almost era perfect presentation.
Altogether, it’s the worthwhile successor many fans have been waiting for.
Overall, the game is just an exceptionally pleasant experience. Nothing it does is truly groundbreaking but almost everything just gels together into a very cohesive experience both aesthetically and in terms of gameplay. It’s an exploration game that has both a world you’ll want to see coupled with a means of traversing the world that’s just plain fun. What more can you ask for in such a game?
So, for those interested in a no-frills, story driven sci-fi adventure that doesn't overstay its welcome, Lifeless Planet is well worth a closer look.
Considering the plethora of top notch platformers available on Wii U, Wooden Sen'SeY isn't capable of earning an automatic recommendation. The game looks great and has a fantastic soundtrack, but the mechanics just feel a little too off to qualify as gameplay bliss, though they are most certainly serviceable. Finally, the brevity of the core game is going to hurt the overall sense of value to those who aren't obsessed with absolutely mastering every game in their collection; so if that isn't you it might be better to wait for a sale.
Succinctly summarizing Stella Glow has proven surprisingly difficult. In many ways it feels like your average JRPG strategy game, and in some places it even stumbles over itself with attempts at being cute or sexy. However, there are also enough strong points that really shine through and make the game stand out from the crowd, even if its best features are reminiscent of ideas from more noteworthy titles.
Sega 3D Classics Collection is decent collection of games made better by an earnest attempt to do something fun and unique with older games. Sega could have easily made a cynical cash grab by throwing a layer of 3D paint over everything and calling it a day, but the developers obviously put quite a bit of effort into making everything look as good as it could while also making a few worthwhile tweaks to the playability. Unfortunately, all that effort is actually let down by the selection of games.
Were Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 a serious fighting game trying to compete with the best the genre had to offer, its imbalances and frustrations would make it hard to recommend.
Having two whole games worth of content can also be seen as a double-edged sword depending on how you feel about repetition and collectibles. In short, it’s another solid Lego game with all the good and bad that come with the franchise
ICEY is a really solid action game with an appreciable effort to do something unique with its storytelling.
Of course, the argument for this version of the game is improved thanks to the fact it includes two solid expansions, one of which instantly makes the game better thanks to the presence of Motörhead!
Slayaway Camp is an all-around solid puzzle game.
While it has plenty of flaws, Attack on Titan 2 actually presents a surprisingly compelling package. As an adaptation of the anime, it does a good job of capturing the series' signature sense of action and as a game in general, it presents mechanics and ideas that are entirely unique
Payday 2 remains a unique experience in the FPS genre thanks to its subject matter and dedicated approach to team work. And while quite a bit has been said about how this Switch version isn't up to date with all the content released on other platforms, the package doesn't feel incomplete or even light on material as there is still lots to do.
In embracing a more old-fashioned approach to stealth gameplay, Aragami: Shadow Edition makes itself standout but it also limits itself.
It’s such a pleasantly mellow time that hours can just vanish as you constantly think about doing just one more thing before calling it quits for the day. Something a little more ambitious might have been more interesting in the long run, but for what it is there’s still some fun to be had.
Koei Tecmo seems to be perfectly aware of what Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle really is, as the new content is available separately for those who own the original game while those who haven’t experienced the original game yet can get everything in one package.
Ultimately, it feels like the developers at Cyanide knew the strengths of the game, but still wanted to add a bit more variety while still not distracting from the core experience which I found incredibly fun and compelling. One more round of fine tuning in just about every area of the game would have been beneficial, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the game.