Diego Escala
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MonsterVine 
KeenGamer Latest Reviews
It’s been a decent break since Squanch Games’ comical High On Life initially debuted. I had a complete blast with it, with its explorable worlds and fun-to-use arsenal of talkative guns, but the question remains if they can nail that magic a second time. With High On Life 2, they show that they’ve still got a few jokes left up their sleeves.
If we ignore Hardline, it’s been a solid twelve years since we’ve had a modern-day Battlefield game. That’s not to dismiss Battlefield 1 or V, both games which I enjoyed, but you don’t get the massive spectacle of a skyscraper crumbling around you or jets soaring past like you do with the modern ones. After the fumble that was 2042, Battlefield 6 brings the series back to what I love about it, pure unadulterated spectacle, and Battlefield Studios is firing on all cylinders with this one.
We got what was probably one of the best remakes in years in 2020 with the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, and hopes of further remakes for games in the series were dashed when Vicarious Visions was merged into Blizzard, and the initial version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 was cancelled. A few years later, however, Iron Galaxy picked up the reins and delivered those same skateboarding thrills, though it wasn’t without some losses.
Nearly fifteen years ago, Square worked on a game that was very nearly a sequel to the DS game Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light, which was eventually spun off into its new IP called Bravely Default on the 3DS. As with most things, it’s been long enough that it’s time for an eventual remaster, and that’s what we have here with Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster.
Between stages, the game’s got some minor distractions to keep your attention. During levels, you may spot some conspicuously hidden collectibles strewn about; manage to grab them and you’ll be able to view them at the Angel Grove Youth Center. You can hang out there between missions to chat up characters like Bulk & Skull, Ernie, or other characters from the show that you rescue during missions. You’ll also be able to fix some arcade machines to play. Additionally, there’s also a speed-run mode available to you and some combat training if you need to refresh your ranger skills.
When not in a mission, there’s a surprising amount of customization you can do for each of the nine characters you can acquire in the game. Everyone has their own distinct playstyle and weapon toolset, along with a series of loadouts you can unlock for each character. On top of that, you’ll be able to customize each character’s weapons with a variety of modifiers like changing the shape of a grenade’s AOE splash, to ignoring an enemy’s cover and also add new active or passive abilities on a character. This is all to say that there’s a lot of ways to kit out your squad when you take them on a run.
More so than in the first game, the developers were really able to capture the spirit and look of the Warhammer 40k universe, with these towering gothic cathedrals looming over you, or the dangerous jungles with massive plants that look like they’d kill you with a touch. The models themselves, from the characters to vehicles, feel as if they were ripped straight from the tabletop figures as well with how detailed they are. I’d sometimes just pop open photo mode to stare at all the pieces of the space marine armor, with that signature blue coloring, it really feels like they put in the extra effort to make the minifigures to life in this game.
More so than in the first game, the developers were really able to capture the spirit and look of the Warhammer 40k universe, with these towering gothic cathedrals looming over you, or the dangerous jungles with massive plants that look like they’d kill you with a touch. The models themselves, from the characters to vehicles, feel as if they were ripped straight from the tabletop figures as well with how detailed they are. I’d sometimes just pop open photo mode to stare at all the pieces of the space marine armor, with that signature blue coloring, it really feels like they put in the extra effort to make the minifigures to life in this game.
For the high-score addicts, Anger Foot does feature a leaderboard that you can climb your way up, but most importantly are the challenges featured in each level. Each level has three challenges to attempt that range from the mundane like “Finish level in ____ secs” to more challenging puzzles like finishing the level without jumping. Some of these really make you go back and rethink a level’s structure, such as trying to figure out how to not jump when there are sections that require you to clear a gap. Getting the “Only use your feet” challenge in a gun heavy stage in particular will have you mentally plotting out the most efficient route to take, making sure you can survive it using only your feet. Doing these will reward stars that you can then use to unlock new sneakers that offer a variety of game changing effects like door kicks becoming explosive, a second life, or even nonsensical effects like making yourself and all the enemies drunk. With the dozens of shoes to try out and leaderboard options, there’s some decent stuff to keep you playing even after you’ve finished the game’s campaign.
Iffy platforming aside, reveling in cat mischief is incredibly cathartic, as you can climb up balconies to knock over potted plants and watch them shatter, or trip up pedestrians and run off with their phones or lunch. You’ll also be able to dress your cat up in a variety of adorable hats, from a watermelon head to a wizard hat, which are found scattered around the game’s world or collected randomly through the various capsule machines you can find in the city. It’s a great way to encourage you to explore every inch of the city to see what new hat you might find. This is a game that was made by a person who loves and understands cats, and it’s apparent in every aspect of the game.