Leif Conti-Groome
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DualShockers Latest Reviews
Also, there’s a lot of potential here for some real mythology to be created within this universe-in-need-of-saving. Until then, Chroma Squad is a nostalgic step in the right direction but it might take some time before we take bigger strides in giant mech feet.
GNOG serves as a great way to spend an afternoon and one of those rare occurrences where you’ll want that earworm (albeit a relaxed, whimsical one) floating around in your brain.
For people such as myself who fall in the middle, the title acts as a nice distraction to pick up and play everyone once in awhile. The racing element is bogged down with all the minutiae and it’s hard to get really into everything without becoming frustrated. Too much detail in the wrong area can cause even the nicest ride to become bumpy and unpleasant.
All in all, Rise & Shine isn't a bad experience. It's just one that has a lot of wasted potential. If the AAA barrage on indie games is real, then this game would not make a good soldier to fight in that battle. The gameplay is good and the game doesn't overstay its welcome at 10-ish hours, but the sudden ramp up in difficulty plus the finicky aiming blemishes the experience. If you want a game that touches upon the horrors of military engagement, try This War of Mine. If you want a game that parodies/honors video game culture, try Super Meat Boy or Scott Pilgrim. If you want a weird mash-up of the two, I guess this experience was made for you.
While it would be easy to dismiss the GO series as another mobile game cash grab of a recognizable franchise, it’s definitely much more than that. Lara Croft GO is a great fit on the PlayStation 4 (beyond a few rare instances of fighting with the analog stick), especially at the $9.99 prige tag. I am now a proud member of the GO fan club and I’m ready to move on to the Hitman and Deus Ex incarnations. However, I might wait for the latter to come to PlayStation 4 since my time with Lara on my console was so great.
Amnesia Collection retails for $29.99 USD on both the PC and PS4. If you own Dark Descent on PC, I would suggest skipping the collection and just buying Machine if you’re curious enough. But if you’re someone who’s never tried the series (especially if you own a PS4 but don’t have a PC strong enough to handle the original game) I highly recommend picking up the compilation. Sometimes it’s worth it to go out and seek out those scares that will stay with you a long, long time.