Mark Sammut
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GameSpew Latest Reviews
There is very little to criticise about Darkest Dungeon. It does lag at times, which can be frustrating, and the battle system could be a tad faster (although this would take away from the gruelling experience that they’re clearly meant to be). Perhaps the biggest problem for me is the RNG system, where too much of everything is influenced by a random invisible throw of the dice. Especially on harder levels, when suddenly your heroes seem to decide that actually getting a hit in is not all that important. It is a small nitpick, but it adds some artificial difficulty that the game really did not need.
And there is never a moment when Roughshot is not being bombarded by laser beams and space trash. It is literally one onslaught after another. Edge of your seat entertainment in bursts, but really exhausting after awhile. In about two hours, I saw the death screen more times than through all of Dark Souls III. And, unfortunately, I found myself getting annoyed rather than enthralled with each passing death. Even with the very generous checkpoints, Rive failed to give me that sense of satisfaction after finally passing a difficult segment. Especially since most situations felt more like trial and error than actual skill.
Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness somehow manages to be an easy and hard recommendation at the same time. The story, characters and theme that worked so well in the first season of the anime return and are in top form. The antagonist might very well be the best in the entire franchise. Any fan of the series will find a lot to love here. Unfortunately, as a video game, or as a visual novel, it fails to really impress. If you’re unfamiliar with the anime, I doubt there’s much here worth investing in.
Considering all that it has to offer, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is probably the best JRPG currently available on the PS4 (although stiff competition is incoming). A loveable cast, fun gameplay, and an addictive reward system aid the often meandering story, although it can’t help but show its last-gen roots. Despite their reputation, Compile Heart continue to deliver solid games. I just hope they catch up to the demands of the current generation before too long.
Although this review possesses a rather negative tone, I did enjoy my time with Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII. It is a surprisingly easy game to pick up and play, and I rarely found myself bored during the 25 hours of game time. Saying that, XIII fails to be the best at anything it attempts to do.