Imran Khan
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Writing For
GameSpot
Game InformerLatest Reviews
A weak story and frustrating pacing combine into a disappointing entry in a venerated series.
A strong battle system and exciting moments make Stellar Blade more than just an imitator.
“In a mad world, only the mad are sane,” a stirring line from Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 samurai epic Ran, urges us to remember that in times of chaos, strange or unconventional ideas may actually be wise. In Rise of the Rōnin, I argue Team Ninja exemplifies that madness with an open-world title far outside its usual comfort zone. Unfortunately, even in a mad world, seeing the wisdom in many of the decisions made here is difficult.
The thrill of adventure in a boundless playground tickles the imagination, something intimately familiar to players of Granblue Fantasy, a mobile/browser-based title that has been a hit internationally for over a decade. The original title resembles 16-bit turn-based RPGs like the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest games of old, leaving daydreams of grander scale and exploits a hopeful wish rather than an inevitable reality. With Granblue Fantasy: Relink, developer CyGames has an opportunity to explore a fantasy world of open skies and magic while pulling the game from a comparatively modest mobile title into a full-blown 3D action game. While not completely successful, Granblue Fantasy: Relink should be lauded for getting most of the way to being a memorable title, but it needed a little more ambition and unique content to reach that goal.
The Metroid series has inspired countless games, and while some of them borrow the sci-fi premise and setting, the sense of progression is what seems to captivate most developers. At its core, the genre is about exploring an interconnected world and gaining abilities to get to new areas within it. Hollow Knight falls within this common category, but quickly distinguishes itself as both an adept emulation of the genre’s brightest stars and a unique melding of different ideas. The action, tone, and world design of Hollow Knight set it apart from what has come before.