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3907 games reviewed
74.9 average score
77 median score
48.7% of games recommended

COGconnected's Reviews

85 / 100 - Berserk Boy
Mar 15, 2024

Overall, Berserk Boy takes much more from the likes of Mega Man than it does the Metroidvania genre. This is not a bug, it’s a feature. I for one am very happy we got a high-speed action Mega Man in 2024. If you enjoy retro platformers, get out there and play Berserk Boy.

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Mar 14, 2024

There are lots of ways in which Outcast: A New Beginning punches way, way up. The world is elaborate and thoroughly imagined. Characters are interesting. Some of the game’s mechanics and elements will seem familiar, but in this case Outcast: A New Beginning can claim it was there first. Unrewarding combat and some bland mission design aside, Outcast: A New Beginning reminds me of many AA games that I loved despite their flaws.

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Plumber’s Don’t Wear Ties might actually be the worst video game ever. But it’s still worth checking out to laugh at. It’s also an important part of videogame history, and shows how North American developers were banging out garbage in hopes of blind purchases, and rental store purchases. This reason almost caused a market crash in the 1990s, just like the video game market crash of the 1980s, but Japanese consoles, and a handful of North American PC developers kept the market afloat. It’s hard to score Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive Edition. But if you’re at all curious, I urge you to buy it to support Limited Run Games, and video game preservation in general. It’s a must play for any fans of media that’s “so bad it’s hilarious”. I loved experiencing this awful game so much that I bought a physical copy.

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72 / 100 - REVEIL
Mar 12, 2024

Although true horror or explicit gore is nowhere to be found, Reveil’s gameplay is filled with tension, mystery, and some genuine surprises. Its many puzzles are fairly well integrated into the narrative and rarely too frustrating or illogical. Part walking simulator, part puzzle game, and part mind-bending mystery, Reveil is a genre-bender that packs a lot of story and memorable creepiness into its modest length.

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The original Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of the greatest indie games of all time. With its poignant story, varied gameplay and unique mechanics, it is truly a special title. The Remake perfectly captures these aspects and faithfully modernizes the aesthetics. Although the core experience is preserved, there aren’t enough improvements or extras to encourage returning players, however, it is a must for anyone who missed the initial release.

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I can see the value of The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend as a great introduction to a specific slice of cultural history. After all, what young person doesn’t like pirates? Though they might be disappointed by the absence of Jack Sparrow, Cheng Shih was a formidable character and leader. For older, more experienced gamers spoiled by the likes of Asgard’s Wrath 2, The Pirate Queen will probably feel like an action-adventure downgrade.

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80 / 100 - Unicorn Overlord
Mar 7, 2024

This is very much my kind of RPG. One where I can tend to a massive roster of fighters, a sort of garden of fantasy violence. The combat is simple to execute yet endlessly deep, with new layers constantly revealing themselves. The art direction is fantastic and the gameplay loop is terribly addictive. I found the story perfectly okay. It’s an effective vehicle for bringing me more battles in an organic fashion. I like the writing, though I recognize it’s more style than substance. Truly, Unicorn Overlord plays to its strengths. If you also long for a battle system so compelling it obliterates the rest of the game, then you can’t miss this one.

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Mar 7, 2024

Although its vehicles and goals are a bit different than in MudRunner or SnowRunner, Expeditions’ more compact mission structure works equally well. The beautiful and intricate puzzle-like environments offer multiple routes to success when coupled with the game’s tools and toys. Armchair adventurers looking for a mild vicarious thrill behind the wheel will find it, as will virtual driving veterans willing to push their skills and understanding of physics to the limit.

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83 / 100 - Last Epoch
Mar 5, 2024

Last Epoch straddles the midpoint between familiar accessibility and depth. There is plenty enough character customization to reward experimentation and repeated play. The basic, addictive ARPG loop is compelling, even if the narrative is a bit muddled. Once past the first few overly familiar hours, Last Epoch starts to really come into its own as an excellent hack-and-slash with lots of potential and staying power.

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70 / 100 - Skull and Bones
Mar 5, 2024

Skull and Bones does what it set out to do quite well. Combat is fun, the upgrade system is rewarding, the environment is engaging, and the sound design is phenomenal. But everything that it doesn’t do sticks out like a sore thumb. A next-to-non-existent narrative, repetitive one-trick missions, and a lack of anything pirate-related other than sailing a ship hurts. To its credit, I enjoyed my first twenty or so hours more than I thought I would. But it’ll take a significant, focused effort from Ubisoft to maintain interest over the years to come.

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85 / 100 - WWE 2K24
Mar 4, 2024

WWE 2K24 develops on the solid foundation from its predecessors. Each thoughtful tweak and refinement improves the gameplay to faithfully replicate the television experience. New additions help to bolster the package giving you plenty of options to engage in the world of wrestling. While it sticks to the established formula, it’s still a confident step in the right direction.

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86 / 100 - The Thaumaturge
Mar 4, 2024

The more time I spend with The Thaumaturge, the more I settle into it. When you spend more time with any game you are bound to notice the edges of things, the literal and figurative invisible walls. But The Thaumaturge was more like a pair of shoes. As I learned the restrictions of what you couldn’t do in the game, it focused me towards things I could do, and they were all awesome. If you have been craving a dark fantasy RPG where you get to play as a John Constantine type, I have good news, The Thaumaturge is it. Anyone looking for their next interesting and original RPG, this is it!

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90 / 100 - Balatro
Mar 3, 2024

Balatro is addictive. I’m not much of a poker or deck builder player, but I find the combination of the two irresistible. If you have an interest in either, then this game is sure to entice you. Especially since the game is out on every platform and is available now.

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88 / 100 - Tamarak Trail
Feb 29, 2024

A good roguelike leaves you as enchanted as you are frustrated. Tamarak Trail is a good roguelike. If you don’t play this game, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Play Tamarak Trail.

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Feb 27, 2024

3D platformers can still be done well, it turns out. All you have to do is focus on the action, fix the camera in place, and fine-tune the controls. Things like the narrative still need your attention, just not as much of it. I was pleasantly surprised by this game. Penny’s adventure is well-crafted, colorful, and tons of fun. The challenge level gets pretty high, sure. And the controls are still built for speed. But this is all part of the package. If you’re looking for a new 3D platformer, Penny’s Big Breakaway should be at the top of your list.

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78 / 100 - Pacific Drive
Feb 26, 2024

Pacific Drive is a unique RPG and survival crafting game in a landscape choked with unimaginative copycats and clones. That alone makes it worth checking out. Its story, atmosphere and basic loop are engaging and satisfying. At the default difficulty though, its design and mechanics can frustrate in ways that neither skill or time can overcome. Pacific Drive offers a refreshing RPG experience but the ride is sometimes bumpier than intended.

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Feb 22, 2024

This Final Fantasy VII project is a massive undertaking of an impossible scale. A single release stretched into three games? Preposterous. And yet, so far the team is totally nailing it. The first game was a smash hit, and Rebirth runs laps around it in almost every way.

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Feb 22, 2024

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore is a wonderful homage to an awful console. It faithfully captures the iconic aesthetic but also manages to deliver a solid platform adventure. Although it’s short and sticks a little too close to its inspirations, connoisseurs of the industry will lap up the humor and enjoy this trip down memory lane.

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90 / 100 - Helldivers II
Feb 22, 2024

Regardless of the early-day technical issues, Helldivers 2 is an absolute blast… When it works. The high-octane, exhilarating, take-no-prisoner approach to fighting off horde after horde of enemies is utterly fantastic. Tight gunplay, excellent coop, varied and rewarding missions, and a fun upgrade system all come together to create a perfect blend of shoot-em-up chaos that I simply can’t get enough of. While server issues continue to be a considerable nuisance, I can’t help but wonder what Arrowhead Game Studios have cooking for Helldivers 2 in the years to come. Now, step forth, Cadet. The day ahead is uncertain without you.

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85 / 100 - Solium Infernum
Feb 22, 2024

The original 2009 Solium Infernum was a unique take on turn-based strategy. League of Geeks’ 2024 update preserves and polishes what should have been a familiar classic. Solium Infernum is a complex game more about politics, double dealing and uneasy alliances than fights on the battlefield, though there are those, too. This is a game that might be too dense for more casual players, but patient strategy gamers are in for a treat and a good, long season in hell.

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