Stephan Adamus
This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.
Writing For
COGConnected Latest Reviews
I really wanted to love Hotel Barcelona. It has such an interesting presentation and game world. But its gameplay is just plain awful. It has a generic roguelite structure, and controlling Justine feels abysmal. The UI is also an overcluttered eyesore. I hope fans of SWERY and SUDA51 find something to love in Hotel Barcelona. But as it is, I just can’t recommend a game that plays this horribly.
I really tried to note every change in both versions of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. There are so many quality of life improvements, while honoring the original version as much as possible. I’m so proud of Square Enix for including the classic version along with the enhanced version. It’s amazing that the sound novel sections, which have never been in any North American version of Final Fantasy Tactics, are finally officially translated. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a loving remaster of the most beloved strategy JRPG of all time. If you have any love for the genre, it’s a must-play.
The Bubsy series gets by on Looney Tunes style visuals, and 90s ‘tude charm. And even those aspects won’t be for everyone. Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is a package of three below-average 2D mascot platformers, and one very early 3D platformer. They’re not good games, and they haven’t aged well. But Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is an incredibly loving and complete package of everything Bubsy. Anyone with nostalgic love for this series will be over the moon. I just don’t think Bubsy’s gonna make any new fans any time soon.
I really enjoyed Shuten Order. The narrative kept me excited to find out the identity of The Founder’s killer. I really enjoyed the structure of every investigation being a different style of visual novel. But the game suffers from many of the issues that plague the visual novel genre. The writing is long-winded, and can be lazy at times. There are lots of bad anime tropes that are going to turn away anyone who isn’t already a visual novel fan. But if you love the genre, Shuten Order is one of my favorite new visual novels in quite a while.
Cronos: The New Dawn has great horror elements. It has a strong story about the dangers of a pandemic. The world is visually gorgeous and interesting to explore. The problem with the game is its gameplay often gets in the way of its horror. The player aims, shoots, slowly lumbers around, searches for keys, and reads notes. It’s survival horror 101. Very basic gameplay. Cronos: The New Dawn works great as a visual horror feast. It plays mechanically solid, but can get also get so frustrating that it breaks its horror experience. All in all, Cronos: The New Dawn’s strengths, but it above the average survival horror game. Any fans of the genre looking for more should definitely give it a try. The game matches the quality of Bloober Team’s pre-Silent Hill 2 efforts, but, unfortunately, they’re still going to be looking to create a masterpiece amongst their original IPs.
While Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 doesn’t change much about the original, it fixes the massive problem of the small roster. Fans of the anime have a retelling of a large chunk of the anime’s narrative to look forward to. The game’s story mode adds light adventure and RPG elements to give the illusion that there’s more to the game than just combat and cutscenes. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is very much a sequel, so anyone curious about the story should play the original game first. If you’re just in it for the combat, then the sequel is a no-brainer best choice.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact is, at its core, a phenomenal fighting game. The fighting system is near-perfect, and easily stands beside the best triple-A modern fighters. Other than that, the game is a low-budget affair. Hunter x Hunter fans are guaranteed to be disappointed by the sparse roster and awful Story Mode. But there are more characters on the way, and because the core game is so strong, Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact could become one of the best fighting games of this generation. Hopefully, future updates will provide plenty more content, and maybe eventually bring the Story Mode Hunter x Hunter fans deserve.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is the original System Shock 2 experience for better and for worse. It includes every aspect of the original game, including the clunky menus and side features that don’t work as well as intended. Fans of the original will miss nothing, and have a smooth-running version on consoles. While System Shock 2 is an important video game, it’s going to be difficult for modern players to experience it for the first time. I recommend Nightdive’s System Shock remake for anyone who wants to get into the series for the first time. Undoubtedly, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is the best way to play this classic open-world survival horror FPS CRPG.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is an excellent sequel. It has the smooth skateboard gameplay we all know and love, with tons of features and modes. It also nails the vibes of early 2000s skate culture. All the new levels are fun as well. The only knocks against it are its lame create-a-skater, which is a huge missed opportunity, and the fact that its content just isn’t as iconic as the original two games in the THPS series. It also doesn’t look nearly as good as it plays. Anyone who played THPS 1 + 2 who wants more content should rest assured though that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is an easy recommendation.
Front Mission 3 Remake is a fantastic strategy JRPG. It has excellent combat, and deep mech customization, led by an engrossing story. It’s easy to get sucked into the conflict of the Front Mission world. And that early choice leading to different narratives truly shocked me. I had no idea! The game does have some visual oddities and too much framerate stutter in its cutscenes, but I would still say Front Mission 3 Remake is a must-play for fans of strategy JRPGs.