Jordan Boyd
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DualShockers Latest Reviews
Daemon X Machina may very well be the best mech-based title ever. Unfortunately, it's far from the best game ever. The gameplay has seen major improvements throughout the development, and that's a commendable and important thing to see. However, it seems that this focus on refining the gameplay and the mechanics around each Arsenal seems to have caused the rest of the game to fall behind and ultimately act as a detriment more than a supporting piece of the overall game. Daemon X Machina won't be for everyone but cult fans of mech-based manga, anime, and video games should eat Daemon X Machina up.
At $40 Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is an absolute steal for those who had countless hours of fun with the original game. For $60, players who may want to give the game a try for the first time can do so with the base game included. The whole package acts as a great introduction to what awaits at the end of the entire story, which altogether probably amounts to around 80 or 100 hours at this point. With Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, this game has definitively become the best entry in the series by far.
Atlus has released a great package for a title that probably didn't get as much love as it should have back when it first launched. From the puzzles, stylistic choices, and storyline Catherine: Full Body holds up even while it's closing in on its ninth anniversary. This is a unique game that's riveting throughout, I recommend it for newcomers and returning players alike.
Despite a handful of missteps and some convoluted narrative decisions in the final act, Oninaki is a really fascinating game that I want to learn more about even after completing almost everything it has to offer. Quite frankly, Oninaki sits boldly next to some of the best Japanese games released this console generation. While it may give off a smaller indie vibe, there are some bold ideas explored that really affected me in ways I didn't expect.
It's incredibly odd to think that FromSoftware, the developer that would go on to create the Dark Souls series (and kick off an entire subgenre), created a title like Metal Wolf Chaos XD. The game is a product of the Armored Core series and Microsoft trying to break into the Japanese market. Devolver Digital and all parties involved have done a tremendous job delivering a game that once seemed unattainable to many. While it's not necessarily an amazing game, the release of Metal Wolf Chaos XD is certainly a win for video game preservation.
Layers of Fear 2 is one of the best pure horror games I've played in some time. Bloober Team has created a title that pushes common horror tropes aside for something more fascinating and exciting. While I ultimately left unsatisfied with my first run, the journey to the end was a hell of a ride that had me uneasy in the best ways the entire time.
Dauntless has plenty of room for growth, but it's already one of my favorite free-to-play games. I initially overlooked Dauntless as another Monster Hunter clone and I was wildly wrong for thinking that. Whether you're a newcomer to the genre or just looking for an alternative while you wait for Iceborne, you can't go wrong with Dauntless. As the West's first foray into the monster hunting genre, Phoenix Labs' Dauntless is an absolute triumph.
Team Sonic Racing is one of Sonic's best spinoff games to date. For the handful of problems I had with the game, I found I was easily able to overlook them because of the pure fun I had with the game. Team Sonic Racing is definitely worth checking out if you're looking for your next kart racing craze. Sonic fans can finally throw their copies of Sonic R in the firepits where they belong.
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain is the best entry in the series. It's also just a ton of fun, in case you were worried at all that killing endless waves of giant bugs and aliens could be boring. I hope future entries will adopt and adapt everything Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain has added to the series. It's certainly a better game for it and retains so many of the things longtime fans have come to love about the series. I'm happy to report that the EDF is back in business.
I don't have much else to say about Left Alive. If you're feeling up to buying it -- why? I'd stay as far away from Left Alive as possible. For all of you hardcore Front Mission fans hoping for a proper sequel in the series, you can bury those hopes and dreams. With a team consisting of so much talent behind it, I truly wonder what went wrong with Left Alive. I love Square Enix games to death typically but this is frankly unacceptable...and it's $60.