Jon (Jenna) Simpson
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So, The Game Awards happened and, Vampire Survivors received a surprise release for free on mobile devices and I'd just like to say, I get it now. On a mobile device, Vampire Survivors shines. It's so easy to pull up, play for a little bit, then put down and get on with something else. The mobile interface is great as well. It can be played in landscape, or in portrait so it's easy to play one-handed, and I've been loving being able to pull it up and do a run whenever.
I really enjoyed my time with South of the Circle. The narrative was compelling, and the relationship between Peter and Clara was genuine and realistic, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop through the flashbacks. And even though his past is the main focus, Peter’s present struggle in the Antarctic was also tense and interesting to follow. The art design, music, and editing all drew me in right from the start, and though I had minor issues with the way South of the Circle handled some of the social issues it tried to tackle, my enjoyment of everything else ensured I saw the game through all the way to the very end.
My experience with playing Skatebird was largely a frustrating one, mainly thanks to technical issues and floaty controls but despite the game’s issues I was very charmed by it. The birds are cute and fun to customise, the soundtrack is fantastic and catchy, and the environments are a joy to look at, leading to vibes that are, as the kids say, chill. While I wouldn’t recommend buying Skatebird until some patches happen. However, if you have Xbox GamePass, it’s still worth a look even just to create your own skater-bird while vibing out to the soundtrack.
While my time with Axiom Verge 2 started off rough, I only think back on the game with fondness. When I approached the game on its own terms rather than trying to force my own expectations on it, Axiom Verge 2 became a surprising delight. Seeing number in the title, Axiom Verge 2, set me up to expect more of the first game; however, not even Tom Happ, the developer, thinks of the game as a sequel, having described it as a sort of companion piece to the first game, one that can be played before or after it. I think if I had had this context going into the game, I would’ve enjoyed it more from the start. But once I got my expectations in check, I found a game that is beautiful, fun to explore, and that I can absolutely recommend.
Cadence of Hyrule is the crossover we never knew we needed. Jon Simpson’s review lets us know why.
Mortal Kombat 11 is an improvement on the Mortal Kombat formula in almost every way. The characters are fun to play, the graphics are amazingly detailed, and the sound design continues to be fantastic. The fatalities are the best the series has had. They’re all over-the-top and incredibly violent, but they’re not malicious. There’s a certain levity to them that makes the violence tolerable. The online netcode, lobbies, and other features are also very good. In addition, the story is a lot of goofy fun while also maintaining a certain level of seriousness that makes it a joy to play through, with an ending that is very satisfying and makes me excited to see where they take the series from here. There are some improvements that could be made to the Towers of Time and the Krypt, but Netherrealm has already shown that they are willing to listen to community feedback on these modes. The amount of single-player content and the in-depth and thorough tutorials make Mortal Kombat 11 a really good place for new players to start, though I would recommend catching up on the story since Mortal Kombat 9 first, while the changes to various gameplay systems make...