Joey Thurmond's Reviews
When we played Bastion for the first time a few years ago, we literally gave it an instinctive standing ovation as the credits began to roll, and our pleasantly surprised reaction remains justified. This game is a testament to the type of human creativity, innovation, and wonder that are sometimes only possible with indie games, and now that it has graced Sony's systems, you can understand why it will continue to entrench itself as a classic for years to come.
[T]his game is like the One Ring: it'll take much for it to ebb away into the shores of time, but will surface in our memories for years to come due to its "preciousss" novelty.
Trine 2: Complete Story is an impressive realisation of a magical and whimsical tale that you can see and play. The plot is innocent fun; the graphics, colourful environments, and audio are unbelievably captivating; and the gameplay, while falling short in minor areas, shines with excellent puzzles and platforming. Simply put, it's an exemplary indie game that has the makings of a blockbuster title – and that is no fairy tale.
DOOM may become repetitious near the end and doesn't take needed risks with mission variety, but it boasts some of the finest shooting mechanics and thoughtful levels we've seen in a first-person shooter in years, pushing it to the very fringes of excellence. The campaign's a head-banging, heavy metal hoot with a surprisingly good backstory, striking visuals, and two decent multiplayer-minded modes to back it up. We'd dare say this could be the Dark Souls of its genre, gripping you with its nonconformity while unleashing its own kind of glorious Hell upon you. However, where this illustration falls apart is how you can raise Hell in return, going on the power trip of a lifetime to rip and tear through legions of demons.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has a lofty reputation, and aside from some telltale signs of age, it remains thoroughly impressive even today. This game remains a legend to be revered for its grounded, focused gameplay that will scratch an itch for anyone longing for simpler, purer shooters. Modern Warfare Remastered celebrates this legacy with updated visuals and sound that really go above and beyond the call of duty, sprucing up an old care package for a more modern age to near-perfection.
Metroid: Samus Returns isn't just a simple reimagining that improves on the original game's limitations and notable issues. It's a phenomenal blueprint of the 2D Metroid formula that captures the series' best elements while adding in gameplay refinements and mechanics that feel just right. Some repetition lingers, but that's hardly enough to hold the game back from returning Metroid to the top tier of platforming.
I had to adjust to the quicker than usual speed of the character and didn't expect much from the story for the first two hours, but it grew on me in so many ways I don't usually expect from a FPS. I empathized and cared for the cast of characters, fell in love with the mix of modern and archaic FPS mechanics and features, was taken aback in a fitting way with how the Nazis are portrayed in all their evil and schemes through an unadulterated lens, and so forth.
I like to look at [The Evil Within] as a meaningful love letter to pure survival-horror with gameplay that demands you to take your time and conserve your resources against aggressive foes in devilish settings. While a small portion of the design and features are rough, the majority of this game is a rock solid title sure of itself with a beautifully desolate world to explore and an insane story that's a fun albeit slow ride to watch unfold.
The story and characters are nothing to write home about, but the innovative spin on the genre's gameplay results in mentally engaging challenges that reward both quick thinking and deliberate planning, and the satisfactory visuals and sound effects don't hurt in augmenting this amazing abnormality's appeal either.
Super Meat Boy is an exercise in patience. You may in fact deplore it in the first one or two hours due to its unforgiving gameplay and level design, but if you take the time to consume much of what it has to offer, you may just acquire a taste for it.
Metrico+ is one of the smarter puzzle games we've touched in a while. Its brainteasers will force you to think outside the box with a steady flow of fresh challenges, which illustrate the clever creativity that powers it through and through. Its spick-and-span art style and appealing soundscape also manage to divide and conquer, with small yet noticeable improvements across the board that round it out well.
Darksiders II was one of the more memorable titles from the previous generation, with breathtaking, mythical settings supported by interesting characters, fascinating lore, and snappy gameplay. This very decent Deathinitive Edition includes all of the DLC and commendably improves the assets and lighting effects, but it gets slightly cut down by our scythe of criticism for minor glitches and framerate woes.
LawBreakers' world and characters don't carve deep impressions, but the experience itself exerts a strong pull with its diverse, balanced classes, solid selection of modes, and stellar gunplay. It's more than a nice distraction from its looming competitors, and while the map design and implementation of gravity leave more to be desired, the game has the potential to further defy gravity and our expectations if it keeps shooting for the moon.
Minor conversion issues aside that can likely be solved, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition has the intrinsic fortune of being a timeless looker with its distinct visuals, which benefits from appropriate resolution and performance buffs that bring it up to speed. A fantasy world that retains its wonder and gracefully aged gameplay easily ensure that this game's horseman can confidently cometh again.
The visual upgrades for this DLC defy the bar set for most remasters. The majority of these classic Zombies maps offer the same addictive appeal of building strategies and loadouts through cohesive teamwork against the undead hordes, and with new life breathed into them with near-future weapons and features, we can attest that Zombies Chronicles is one killer collection you'll want to sink your teeth into – even if you only buy Black Ops III for it alone.
While some may find Tacoma's length and lack of gameplay depth off-putting, it still manages to feel full in itself. A grounded, futuristic setting serves as Fullbright's most creative stage yet for thorough environmental storytelling that shines with an ordinary yet endearingly authentic cast of characters.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a monster of a remake. It gives a fairly forgotten gem a profound buff to let its inherent charm shine through even brighter with gorgeous artwork and music. Its animal-altering mechanic and hoards of enemies guarantee that you're in for a good, fun challenge, and while its platforming and boss fights may not have the same impact, it's no wonder why the developer saw Wonder Boy fit to return.
[Hyper Light Drifter] imaginatively exudes...personal ruminations on loneliness, pain, and temporality across its story, visuals, and audio. However, silver linings of beauty and perseverance can be found between the dark lines of its thematic consistency. Further substance comes from its full world that will quicken your heart rate with its hyper combat or lower it with calming treks and views that captivate. This is an adventure that may feel too safe and even aimless for differing reasons, but you'll never want to lose sight of the light on the horizon that compels you to keep wandering…drifting onward.
By individually ramping up areas where Resident Evil 7's gameplay could’ve done more, Banned Footage Vol. 1 serves a light yet savory plate of pickings, which pile up the puzzles on one side and bring the heat with testing trials on the other.
Snake Pass is a charming delight with imaginative platforming. Some obstacles can be cheesed and puzzles could've been developed further, but its collectibles, overwhelmingly cute style, and playful music prevent its novelty from shedding too much.