Blast Away the Game Review
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Whatever it was, I really wish they had taken more time with their game; to truly get a feel for what people enjoyed about games like God of War, Dark Souls, and even Jade Empire. Unfortunately, until the game’s shortcomings are taken care of, I just can’t recommend this one and believe me, in the 15 hours I spent playing it, I really wanted to like it, but just couldn’t do so.
Whether it's the fact the game truly feels like a pick-up-and-go title where crafting is left on a timer, the areas of exploration where paywalls feel like they existed, or the really shoddy gearing system, Vampire's Fall: Origins, is one that could have benefited from an overhaul before being ported.
With a lack of tutorials, a rather limited library of craftable items, this is a hard title to recommend, even to the hardcore of survival fans, which is a shame to say, as I had a lot of hope for one such title, which slowly reveals its story through moments of rest in a camp. Sadly, I think Black Forest Games should head to the drawing board, plan something new, and use the shortcomings of Fade to Silence to make a truly memorable title we'll be talking about for years to come.
I look at it as a raw, uncut precious stone. If given more polish, and time, I believe it could be an amazing experience. Regardless of my experience with this title, I applaud the developer for tackling a series that has laid dormant for so long and await their future endeavors.
The only downside to the game should be clear: It’s a budget title. It’s one that’s meant to be a pick-up-and-go experience. It shows with only two tables, a handful of customizations, and a somewhat uninspired story. However, it’s hard not to admit, the game feels right at home on the Switch and it goes to show, perhaps, this is the best place to play a Senran Kagura game.
There’s some good here. There’s some bad here. There are a few odd choices that don’t quite lend themselves well to the overall experience. If you don’t care about getting access to everything you can so you can become a mogul the experience is great. For me, I like options. I like being able to find that one niche for goods I thrive in and making it my focus.
This isn’t one to just rule out if you decide to go for it, the adventure itself is creepy, unsettling, and truly one I wish I could have enjoyed more than I did. Ultimately, it was let down by performance issues, a lack of variety in gameplay elements, and its overreliance on “search and obtain” mechanics. While there are a few amazingly designed puzzles, this is not one I can say will really pop out and draw you in.
It’s not a game you will want to burn through in a single session, which while it sounds tempting, isn’t near as tempting as it might seem, isn’t beneficial and only will lead to some mildly induced irritation the further in you get.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot to try and take in with a half-baked DLC, which for what it’s worth to someone who loves a challenge, enjoyed because of the challenge. The gear itself has made tremendous improvements to my experience outside the DLC itself, forcing me to reconsider trying out a second playthrough at a later date, but the V.B.S. Krakow is only worth visiting the once, even for those hoping to really tear through its hull a few times over.
In its current state, even as an 8-bit enthusiast who loves a good Contra or Ninja Gaiden Style challenge if its put before me, I can't recommend Oniken: Unstoppable Edition despite the amount of content that it actually has to offer and the fact it's an absolutely beautiful game.
It is still a game I return to, and stubbornly try to work through. Perhaps I simply lack patience, or the game isn’t abusing me to the degree that Prinny did to make me stubborn. Whatever the case, I can say it is not quite my cup of tea. Don’t let that dissuade you however. If you too love dungeon crawling RPGs and have the spare dosh, check the title out. Between Finale and the recently repacked release that includes the prior two games you can have all three titles on a single platform.
The training was the best part of the game and I was not racing against anyone. I am torn between the training aspects, but that was just a small part of the game. For it to be based on real-life, which most people wouldn’t think twice about picking this game up, just walk right past it on the shelf and move onto a more popular game.
I honestly feel this game along with any other strategy turn-based games should be left on computers and mobile phones because it is easier to work with. This game is designed to have a mouse and keyboard; with just a controller it felt as if I was being held down, like being forced to put on a seatbelt at the dinner table. Overall a decent game but not my style of genre games.
My final thoughts on this collection are - for what they are they’re great. The updated art is great, and to my memory, these are the same games I played back on the PSP (though never beat them back then). I believe there’s a solid foundation present which can be used as a springboard to make another Disgaea themed platformer title featuring our favorite demon mascots.
Despite all my hemming and hawing when it comes to this game, it takes me back through my memories to a time when things were easier. I love it for that. Despite this, I can’t call it flawless, nor can I call it bad. I said it before, I’ll say it again, the game is quaint.
Sadly, Vigor is simply a pick up and go title, one you’ll probably play when you’re waiting on downloads to finish or simply waiting on your train, Uber, Lyft, or mode of transportation to arrive at your stopping point. Even with how intense matches can be, they’re not always guaranteed to be intense and it’s a real damn shame as the game has a lot of potential to really knock things out of the ballpark this time around.
Overall, for its price, World War Z isn’t an unfair package as a title of its kind. With the ability to add more content later, repair its unbalanced multiplayer, and hopefully deliver an experience worth undertaking in the future. In its current state, it’s just a short-lived experience without any longevity to it.
When it comes to wrapping up a title like The Caligula Effect: Overdose, it’s hard not to be left with a sense of mixed feelings about the game. Many of the PlayStation Vita’s fundamental issues remain such as inconsistent storytelling elements, gameplay issues (repetition), and rather stiff character animations. A part of me wonders if it was the fact that it is a PlayStation Vita port, just using a brand new engine to bring it up to speed, or if this was in fact – an intentional design choice at the end of the day.
Poison Control is not a game you’ll be writing home about. It’s instead, a game that you’ll talk to your friends about in passing. It’s silly, it’s goofy, and it should be approached as a light novel that does have its moments of shooter-based gameplay. The biggest change that needs to happen is more depth to the gameplay and more depth to the game’s overall level design.
There’s one thing I have to make clear: This game isn’t trying to break one’s expectations. It’s a profoundly, if not perfectly average game that comes off as one of those very experiences. Fortunately, it’s a great way to approach the game. It’s not going to go over the top, it’s not going to attempt to fight with other games in a competitive stance.