Kevin Dunsmore
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Hardcore Gamer Latest Reviews
2024 marked a massive milestone for the Destiny franchise, marking the series' ten-year anniversary and the end of the Light and Darkness saga. Destiny 2: The Final Shape felt like a definitive end, closing numerous open story threads amidst a final clash with The Witness. Yet, it is not the end, as Bungie has made clear the story will continue in the new Fate Saga. Starting with Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate, Bungie hopes to usher in an exciting new era for Destiny 2 by taking players to an all-new location with new mechanics, characters and threats waiting to destroy Sol. Does Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate successfully start a new chapter for Destiny 2, or does it falter under the pressure of its Herculean task?
There's a certain level of risk for Nintendo to launch new hardware without a new The Legend of Zelda or 3D Mario. The last two hardware launches without one of the iconic duos (3DS and Wii U) ended up as disasters, and though the 3DS recovered, it never came close to matching the historic sales of the DS. Nintendo's biggest successes, Wii and Switch, both launched with Zelda titles and had a 3D Mario waiting in the wings a few months later. So, for the Switch 2 to launch with no new Zelda or Mario title feels like a risk. Instead, Nintendo is hoping a new 3D Donkey Kong, the first since the Nintendo 64, will help tide players over. Donkey Kong Bananzais the end result, a new 3D platforming game developed by the same team that worked on Super Mario Odyssey, but with an emphasis on destruction. Can Donkey Kong Bananza fill the massive 3D Mario and The Legend of Zelda hole in the Switch 2's lineup or are these bananas rotten?
The 2010s was an interesting decade for Square Enix. While the publisher’s HD releases saw an increased focus on action, its handheld titles focused on traditional and experimental RPG mechanics. Out of this era came Bravely Default, a 3DS RPG title that harkened back to the first three Final Fantasy titles where four young adults were chosen by a crystal to save the world. The game proved extremely popular, spawning a sequel and spin-offs across the 3DS, Switch and PC. While fans await a potential third sequel, Square Enix and developer Cattle Call aim to reinvigorate the franchise at the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Bravely Default is back, now titled Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster. Is this remaster brave enough to excite RPG fans or should it have stayed on the 3DS?
Assassin’s Creed has been lost in the wilderness for some time now with fans split firmly into two camps. On one side, you have the traditionalists that stand firmly behind the pre-Origins titles, preferring their narrative linearity, urban cities for advanced parkour and a blend of mechanics that made you feel like an assassin. On the other hand are the RPG fans who crave the open worlds, narrative choices and more action-packed combat of the post-Origins titles. At the center is Ubisoft and its studios, who have not only struggled to find a middle ground that pleases both camps, but have stumbled through numerous controversies over the last few years. Botched launches, copying and pasting of design ideas and intense monetization of every release has hurt their reputation over time. Suffice to say, there’s a lot riding on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the first mainline entry since 2020. After two major delays to polish the game and promises that it would blend elements to make both camps happy, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally here. Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows the hail mary Assassin’s Creed and Ubisoft needed or should this game have stayed in the shadows?
There will never be another moment for Star Wars gaming like there was during the prequel era. Buoyed by the renewed interest in Star Wars and evolution in gaming graphics, LucasArts and its partners began pumping out a trove of games based on the IP. That era gave us beloved titles like Knights of the Old Republic, Battlefront I and II, Republic Commando, and Jedi Power Battles among many others. Once thought lost to time, publisher Aspyr Media has spent the past few years porting these titles to modern platforms with various improvements.
There’s a good reason why Treyarch and Black Ops are so beloved by the Call of Duty community. The sub-franchise usually delivers the stronger campaigns, multiplayer and third modes in the series. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 does all of those things, especially when compared to the more recent Call of Dutys. The campaign, from Raven Software, may drop the ball at the end with its story, but it’s filled with fantastic characters and a wide variety of missions that help elevate it into must-play territory.
The wait for Horizon 3, and honestly, a lot of PlayStation Studios titles is agonizing, especially four years into the PS5’s lifecycle. Horizon Zero Dawn isn’t that old of a game or in dire need of a remaster like those still trapped on PS3 hardware, but what Nixxes has managed to do with Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is simply breathtaking. The studio has successfully taken a game that delivered a nearly perfect presentation for the time and managed to make it look even better. No stone was left unturned, with Nixxes essentially overhauling every detail, piece of vegetation, animation and material possible.
Concord isn’t the disaster many predicted it would be at its debut back in May. The simple truth is that Firewalk Studios have created a competent and fun multiplayer shooter. In Concord, you get the same level of polish and gunplay you’d expect from a Halo or Destiny, but with a hero shooter twist. The sixteen Freegunners are all well thought out and fun to play, and the Crew Builder mechanic, while overly convoluted, injects strategy into the multiplayer chaos. It’s also a gorgeous multiplayer game.
Relive the bounty hunter fantasy and take control of the legendary Jango Fett. Explore the galaxy's underbelly, face off against deadly foes, and capture a fallen Jedi as you explore Jango's story leading up to Episode II: Attack of the Clones.