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Although the production is good, the meat of Sprawl is still rather raw. The concepts it tries to muster aren’t developed enough to propel a 7ish hour experience. Repetitive enemy types, lackluster weaponry and flow at odds with itself leaves Sprawl in a dark place. What Sprawl does have is...
You also occasionally run up against the edges of what you can do, which again isn’t much and inevitable really. Sometimes a dialog prompt won’t have anything you would want to say. Or a questline will go into a direction you don’t really feel your character would, but this is...
The energetic music and incredibly colorful visuals add a sense of liveliness to the already frantic gameplay, making it easy to get lost in the game’s flow as you jettison your marble from here to there. It’s a sharp looking game with visuals that suit the straightforward but pleasant gameplay.
Unsurprisingly, I dove back in. Because I wasn’t ready to be done with The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, I hadn’t uncovered all of its secrets yet. And as I continued to craft new cards, forge new relationships, and learn more about the cosmos, I felt even more connected. Not just connected...
Another strong aspect of the game is the visuals, which are of remarkably high quality. The environments are diverse and interesting, the character designs are memorable, and the particle effects – as is often the case with Square Enix – are brilliant. I found the soundtrack to be overall less...
My only issue with the game is that it’s got a few performance and UI quirks that it needs to iron out. I ran into a repeat issue where the game would continually load some older save when I’d hit “continue” from the main menu, requiring me to go back...
And therein lies the issue with Double Dragon Gaiden: besides seeing the different boss fight variations, its core loop isn’t interesting enough to really make you want to run through it multiple times to unlock a bunch of superfluous items. The playable boss characters you can get are cool and...
Moonrider’s ability to master the pacing and placement of level design from the period provides a platform to build a modern classic experience. It should come as no surprise that this is exactly what Moonrider offers. Developer JoyMasher has a rich pedigree in crafting modern retro with masterclasses like Blazing...
There are minor annoyances, such as explanatory tips that pop up every time you pick up an item and a reliance on auto-saves only, but overall it is enjoyable to play. While not the scariest horror game, it has its moments of tension and a nice approach to telling the...
Love environmental storytelling? Well, Sludge Life 2 LOVES environmental storytelling. Each character you speak to gives a (usually humorous) insight into the world these gonzo characters inhabit; the only unfortunate thing is that, like the first game, Sludge Life 2 seems more content with having you act as a simple...
Amy being playable is always a welcome feature since she’s probably the most well-known and relevant Sonic character after the main trio and Shadow the Hedgehog. Playing as Amy is a blast here, as she has a distinct drop-dash mechanic that has her run while swinging her hammer, providing her...
As you play, you’ll unlock numerous extras for completing “challenges,” which are in-game achievements that correspond to the actual trophies/achievements if you’re playing on a platform that has them. Unlockables include new backgrounds for the sidebars, art and illustrations, and music. It’s always nice to get this sort of glimpse...
