SNESmapper
BACKER
Just like the first game, this is one of the most beautiful-looking games that have the benefit of being backed by tight controls, great gameplay, a good story, and a wonderful soundtrack.
The gameplay can be challenging but the overall experience is great, backed by an even greater Metroidvania feel in this sequel. A must-play if you are a fan of Metroidvania games.
The gameplay can be challenging but the overall experience is great, backed by an even greater Metroidvania feel in this sequel. A must-play if you are a fan of Metroidvania games.
Played this game via the Sly Cooper collection for the PS3. This is a fun 3D platformer that kickstarted the Sly Cooper series. I always enjoyed the slight different approach that non-Nintendo platformers had in terms of presentation and you can see that in this game with the more "mature" presentation including voice acting, usage of weapons to attack, etc
Levels are fairly basic but have good layouts and offer some variety. Controls and physics are a bit date by modern standards but still good enough to play the game without major issues.
Levels are fairly basic but have good layouts and offer some variety. Controls and physics are a bit date by modern standards but still good enough to play the game without major issues.
1991
Played this through the Capcom Beat Em Up bundle. This is a classic arcade beat em up from the early 90s that feels dated in terms of the speed and controls but makes up with a good setting and gameplay. You are able to choose from different types of characters that have their own skill sets. Fun couch coop game that allows up to three different players.
1997
Played this through the Capcom Beat Em Up bundle on the PS4. This game features over the top enemies and settings that make up for a fun experience.
1989
Played this through the Capcom Beat Em Up bundle on the PS4. This is a solid first attempt from Capcom to deliver a classic beat em up. Due to its age, the controls and overall gameplay have not aged very well but definitely worth a playthrough due to its short duration and to experience part of beat em up history.
TLOU Part II is one of the best exclusive games in the PlayStation library and a reason to have a stake in the ecosystem by owning a PS4 or PS5.
I personally enjoyed the story. At the same time, I can see why some fans were upset at how some of the events unfolded but no matter how you slice it the game is very comprehensive showing both present time and flashbacks that slowly put all the pieces together to tie different stories.
Graphics are out of this world (unsurprisingly, courtesy of Naughty Dog again) and this is easily the best-looking PS4 game out there. Characters and environments are full of details and help convey realism into the game. Gameplay features the same mix of stealth and action sequences sprinkled throughout the game, adding other elements such as looting, crafting, and puzzle solving along the way. I enjoyed the two characters you get to control and I think this feature helped offer more variety in terms of gameplay and storytelling.
Do not skip on this excellent game by any means.
I personally enjoyed the story. At the same time, I can see why some fans were upset at how some of the events unfolded but no matter how you slice it the game is very comprehensive showing both present time and flashbacks that slowly put all the pieces together to tie different stories.
Graphics are out of this world (unsurprisingly, courtesy of Naughty Dog again) and this is easily the best-looking PS4 game out there. Characters and environments are full of details and help convey realism into the game. Gameplay features the same mix of stealth and action sequences sprinkled throughout the game, adding other elements such as looting, crafting, and puzzle solving along the way. I enjoyed the two characters you get to control and I think this feature helped offer more variety in terms of gameplay and storytelling.
Do not skip on this excellent game by any means.
2018
This game pays homage to the classic Top Gear games of the SNES era with a locked-in-center type of driving gameplay. The main focus of this game is the World Tour mode where you collect points by finishing races in the podium and collecting blue coins along each track. The more points you have, the more stages you will unlock as well as locked cars.
This game features a ton of tracks and unlockable cars giving a good replay value and a solid bang for your buck considering it took me over 10 hours to complete the World Tour mode. Controls are very accurate and there is also free DLC as well as paid DLC including a package paying tribute to the greatest autosport driver of all time, Ayrton Senna.
This game features a ton of tracks and unlockable cars giving a good replay value and a solid bang for your buck considering it took me over 10 hours to complete the World Tour mode. Controls are very accurate and there is also free DLC as well as paid DLC including a package paying tribute to the greatest autosport driver of all time, Ayrton Senna.
Really enjoyed the fusion of 3D Zelda and Assassins Creed gameplay mixed with Greek mythology and surprinsingly good voice work and script that added a touch of humor to the story of the game.
The open world adventure formula used in this game might be a bit too familiar and standard for many, but I enjoyed the setting and characters. Combat system was responsive and could get challenging in the later parts of the game. Lots of customizable combat techniques as well as weapons to make gameplay varied. Puzzles and dungeons were pretty well thought for the most part and fun to play. Overall, this is a very solid adventure game that caught by surprise, will definitely play a second playthrough at a later date.
PS: I played this through Google's Stadia streaming service for a change of pace of my usual console setup and the service worked great without any lag.
The open world adventure formula used in this game might be a bit too familiar and standard for many, but I enjoyed the setting and characters. Combat system was responsive and could get challenging in the later parts of the game. Lots of customizable combat techniques as well as weapons to make gameplay varied. Puzzles and dungeons were pretty well thought for the most part and fun to play. Overall, this is a very solid adventure game that caught by surprise, will definitely play a second playthrough at a later date.
PS: I played this through Google's Stadia streaming service for a change of pace of my usual console setup and the service worked great without any lag.
2020
Astro's Playroom is the perfect tech game/demo that helps showcase the (in my opinion) true next-gen feature of the PS5 which is the Dual Sense controller. Controller rumble and haptic features in this game are great and try to convey terrain conditions such as gravel, ice, etc.
It helps that the game is actually a solid 3D platformer with good graphics and tons of charm by taking the player on an adventure to unlock museum items that describe the history of PlayStation.
It helps that the game is actually a solid 3D platformer with good graphics and tons of charm by taking the player on an adventure to unlock museum items that describe the history of PlayStation.
2020
Despite being a budget spin-off XCOM title, Chimera Squad has a good portion of the ingredients that make XCOM games fun plus some new welcome additions. Most of the development staff that worked on XCOM 2 worked in this game.
Adding permanent characters to the roster is a welcome addition giving each character its own personality and skills, making it fun to explore different team combinations and upgrades. The story is not great but not bad either, it provides continuity to the previous XCOM games' story.
The game is overall on the challenging side even after playing in just the Normal difficulty. You still have rage-inducing elements from previous games such as 'misses' when your probability % is very high but I guess this wouldn't be an XCOM game without some of those annoyances.
Overall this is a very solid turn-based tactical game in the XCOM universe, and for its price point it's definitely a must own if you enjoy games in this genre.
Adding permanent characters to the roster is a welcome addition giving each character its own personality and skills, making it fun to explore different team combinations and upgrades. The story is not great but not bad either, it provides continuity to the previous XCOM games' story.
The game is overall on the challenging side even after playing in just the Normal difficulty. You still have rage-inducing elements from previous games such as 'misses' when your probability % is very high but I guess this wouldn't be an XCOM game without some of those annoyances.
Overall this is a very solid turn-based tactical game in the XCOM universe, and for its price point it's definitely a must own if you enjoy games in this genre.
2020
Very fun indie shooter/shmup with a very simple presentation. The game is fairly short in terms of story missions but it does offer plenty of replay value via setting high scores and achievements. Gameplay and controls are very responsive.
For the price of admission (free) you can't go wrong trying this game.
For the price of admission (free) you can't go wrong trying this game.
A good stepping stone for the rest of the Shantae series. The game has some mechanics that have been greatly refined by other games of this genre over the years but in general this is solid game with lots of charm.
Exploration and backtracking can be cumbersome since the map is not incredibly helpful but all in all a solid effort for being an early game in the series.
Exploration and backtracking can be cumbersome since the map is not incredibly helpful but all in all a solid effort for being an early game in the series.
Even though the first game in this series did not really impress me, I decided to give the sequel a shot since I got it from a bundle. The sequel definitely improves over the first game by providing new features such as a notebook to keep track of your progress, interrogations and clues; as well as a longer playtime (takes over an hour to beat the game and there are choices to get different endings). Just like the first game, this is a very simple mystery solving game with simple graphics and gameplay, very well suited for younger audiences.
The dialogue and humor is improved over the first game but didn't really do much for me, but decided to give it a thumbs up since it's improved over the first one. Ending implies there will be a third Frog Detective game coming out.
The dialogue and humor is improved over the first game but didn't really do much for me, but decided to give it a thumbs up since it's improved over the first one. Ending implies there will be a third Frog Detective game coming out.
Got this game as part of a bundle. This is a very short detective game that has your character looking for clues in order to solve a mystery. This game is well suited for younger audiences since it's short and the mystery solving puzzles are fairly straightforward, as well as featuring a relaxing presentation and soundtrack. With that being said, the dialogue and humor did not really do anything for me and I think the game could have offered a bit more to extend the playtime (can be beat in under an hour easily).
Fun game and a must-try or play considering it's free. The game itself is very short but offers tons of replay value with unlockables and achievements. It serves as a presentation game for the upcoming sequel game from the developer, Interstate Drifter 2000 which I assume will have more content.
This game is a combination of Outrun (varying routes) with isometric drifting and racing elements presented in CollecoVision/Commodore 64 old-school-early-1980s graphics with corresponding sound effects. The presentation is great and while the controls are challenging at first, they are fun to use and master to unlock more cars and achievements. There is a collecting and exploration aspect for this game as well with bits and flops scattered throughout all the levels.
For being a free game, I'm surprised at the polish in the style and controls the game has and therefore this is a must play.
This game is a combination of Outrun (varying routes) with isometric drifting and racing elements presented in CollecoVision/Commodore 64 old-school-early-1980s graphics with corresponding sound effects. The presentation is great and while the controls are challenging at first, they are fun to use and master to unlock more cars and achievements. There is a collecting and exploration aspect for this game as well with bits and flops scattered throughout all the levels.
For being a free game, I'm surprised at the polish in the style and controls the game has and therefore this is a must play.