Paulmichael Contreras
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MP1STLatest Reviews
Metal Slug Tactics is a robust turn-based strategy game. You don’t have to be a fan of the franchise to appreciate the tactical options it presents you. While it’s not exactly the most helpful to players who might be new to the genre, the type of person who would even want to try a strategy game is naturally inquisitive anyway, so the trial by fire method of simply experimenting with your units and moves works here. The launch price is fair considering the average campaign length of around five hours, and its roguelike mechanics keep things fresh for each run. If you want a faster-paced turn-based game, then this is one to check out.
Neva is a great, concise platformer that should entertain you for a weekend or so. At around four hours for most players (and even quicker on the easier Story difficulty level), the experience doesn’t overstay its welcome, and yet some may be left wanting more. With only one main kind of collectible to grab in order to unlock the game’s best ending, it’s not even much of a chore to completely finish Neva, either. If you enjoyed GRiS, or simply want to support Nomada Studio, then Neva comes highly recommended.
Throne and Liberty is off to a strong start, especially with a price of free. The campaign may be derivative, but it does serve as a great intro for the game’s various systems. Transforming into other creatures is a versatile ability that offers a unique way to play. Whether turning into a four-legged beast as essentially a free mount, or an otter-like creature to traverse bodies of water, or even as defeated enemies to blend in or bosses for extra power in battle, the options are numerous and each change the game in interesting ways. With such a heavy focus on guild warfare, the best time to play the game is probably now, when the crowds are largest. NCSoft isn’t new to the MMO genre, though, so provided a healthy gamer population remains in place, then this game should be supported for a while to come.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is the ultimate release of this now quite-aged zombie game. If you didn’t like the game back when it originally released, then this version isn’t likely to persuade you otherwise, even if the auto-save functionality helps to avoid some pain points. Survivor AI is still hilariously inept, and it’s all too easy to screw yourself over when it comes to certain campaign progress points. But it’s the best-looking version of the game to date, and if you liked whacking zombies with random step ladders, or setting up amusing photos of them with cones on their heads, then picking up a copy of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster would be a fun time.
Nobody Wants to Die is a fun time, if you like piecing together a whodunnit. Outside of that, though, don’t expect anything more. The story is thoroughly entertaining, and at least two endings paired with branching story beats ensures you’ll see or hear something different if you play it more than once. While a low-action, linear game probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, those who like this style will find plenty to love in Nobody Wants to Die. Critical Hit Games has done a great job for their debut title, and hopefully we will see more from them in the future.
TopSpin 2K25 is an excellent restart of a tenured franchise. While the graphics occasionally dip into Uncanny Valley territory, overall the presentation feels like developer Hangar 13 has paid attention to what makes for a great career mode, while balancing difficulty and accessibility to boot. What it lacks in game modes, it makes up for in game feel and challenge. If this is the start of another multi-year entries, then this bodes well for tennis fans as the series will no doubt be even more impressive in future iterations. If you count yourself amongst tennis fans, you owe it to yourself to check out TopSpin 2K25.
Tekken 8 joins a full roster of fighting games, and competes with the best of them. Naturally, as we couldn’t take the game online during our review period, it remains to be seen how effective Bandai Namco and Akira were at implementing rollback netcode. All Tekken fans should buy Tekken 8 without hesitation, and most fighting game fans will find something to like as well. Though the year may have just started, Tekken 8 will probably compete for fighting game of the year and barring any surprises, should be the runaway winner.
Just like the original that preceded it, Lords of the Fallen is a solid Soulslike game, which relies on a familiar game loop of dying repeatedly, learning from your mistakes along the way, while finding a nice track of enemies to slaughter endlessly as you slowly grind your character’s level up to meet the challenge, or for those more inclined to not cheese things, then memorizing enemy attack patterns as you fight and claw your way to victory. The Umbral mechanic has brought something new to the table, but it’s a shame visits to the other side are limited. Hexworks set a high bar for themselves, and while they didn’t quite reach the heights they were going for, they should be commended for what they have accomplished.
Eternights can occasionally be rough around the edges, but there is a charming JRPG within that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. Sure, the story may be all over the place, but at around a 15-hour play time, the hijinks also don’t overstay their welcome. Combat can also occasionally frustrate with some uninterruptible animations and a merciless window of time with which to perform dodges and parries, but most people should be able to adapt to it, and there is also the easier difficulty to try out if things get too dicey. Being an indie developer, Studio Sai should be applauded for producing a well-rounded JRPG that many genre fans will have a blast with.
Sea of Stars will take any seasoned gamer back to a simpler times, when the games were colorful, flat, and lengthy. If you want a turn-based RPG that is easy to pick up and yet quite challenging, then you’ll want to check out Sea of Stars. Some of the enemies can occasionally cheese you to death, but it’s nothing that can’t be overcome. The added accessibility options are appreciated, and the imaginative story is entertaining. If you ever want to just chill with a simple game after a long day, Sea of Stars would be a good choice.