Kraven

I can’t wait for this, and it sounds like there will be a lot more content. And by content I mean dialogue.

I can’t wait to see how Remedy remakes Max Payne. They are a masters of craft, and the first game holds a special place in my heart. I can only imagine how incredible the game will look and feel with modern hardware which is surprising to say since the game holds up very well 20 years later.

Does it include a chapter replay? I missed one collectible in the game and I know exactly where it is at. I would love to go back and grab it to get the platinum trophy instead of playing all the way up to chapter 9.

All of these types of games are melding together. If you put a sizzle reel of all of these games and didn’t have the title in them I would assume they are all the same game.

Great review — well thought out and articulated. I enjoyed reading it. I’m personally loving the game despite its lack of evolution in the franchise, going back to a more linear direction, but bringing along PS2 limitations. I know this is a negative for many and I totally understand, but for me it’s refreshing. And while the gameplay isn’t going to really reinforce any positive feelings, I think it’s enjoyable enough. I guess I never expected Mafia The Old Country to do something new and exciting. My hope was that we would get a strong narrative similar to the first game, with great voice acting and character animations, and solid gunplay. That’s all I was looking for and I’m quite pleased with the experience.

Echoes of the End looks great, and I feel like it could be a sleeper hit. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on reviews.

@ErrantRob I also reached the final boss in THE First Berserker, intending to get the platinum, but he was too hard. I wasn’t expecting him to have three phases either. I didn’t lower the difficulty in order to beat him so my progress is haltered and will probably remain that way for the long foreseeable future.

This week I managed to obtain the platinum trophy for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It was a sublime experience, and only gets better once you unlock hard mode. It’s here where the game truly begins as you endure the classic difficulty of the original NES trilogy.

The last trophy was the hardest, and I’m not sure how I managed to accomplish it. In order to get the platinum you need to complete the game in hard mode. This difficulty setting introduces more difficult enemies in the earlier stages as well as more traps sprinkled throughout the levels. It’s a brilliant way to make the second playthrough feel fresh. Subsequently, you are required to do a boss rush without dying. What makes this even more challenging is that there are no health items or power upgrades. I have no idea how I did this, but it’s one of my proudest platinum trophies.

I’ve said it last week - The Game Kitchen deserves to make a 2D Castlevania game. The Blasphemous games were fantastic, and now NG has surpassed all expectations. This developer simply understands how to make 2D action platformers along with Metroidvania games, from precise platforming, challenging combat and levels that steadily progress in difficulty, rewarding abilities that are paced out expertly, and atmosphere that sucks you into their world.

I have also started Mafia: The Old Country. I am a couple of hours in but I consider it pretty good. in fact, it’s exactly what I expected from a Mafia game; a gripping narrative with solid gunplay.

I understand some people’s hesitation on the game due to its archaic design (PS2 energy) with its gunplay and stealth mechanics. From time to time it’s a cover based shooter, an on-rails set piece, and stealth sections that are mandatory but simplistic in nature. However, my question to some is: Why is this a bad thing? I’m not sure why there were expectations that The Old Country was going to reinvent the wheel in its gameplay. The Mafia games have always emphasized narrative over gameplay. That isn’t to say it couldn’t be better — it absolutely could — but I knew what I signed up for and it’s exactly what I wanted.

With all of that said, I do have one minor complaint and that is its limited open world that generally keeps you on the straight and narrow. While I absolutely adore a linear experience, The Old Country does an exceptional job of recreating 1900s Sicily that it’s a shame you can’t fully explore it because it’s a beautiful landscape that is rich with history and deserves your undivided attention. Nonetheless, it still immerses you deeply and I’m excited to see how things ultimately unfold.

@PuppetMaster This seems like classic Ninja Gaiden to me too. I think it looks incredible, and I have no worries at all on whether or not it will deliver. I do wonder if Ryu will be able to use a variety of weapons like in 2, but it doesn’t matter either way. I can’t wait for this.

Welcome back, Ninja Gaiden.

It is a well deserved game of the month. I just got the platinum for it this morning, and I can’t wait for NG4.

Heretic! Wow, a blast from the past. And it’s a cheap bundle so I’ll pick it up for sure!

I just picked it up for the Switch. It seems better suited for handheld play. I’m looking forward to diving into it later this evening. Hopefully it will come to PS5 down the line.

I’ve been waiting for this game for a couple of years now. I’m glad it’s finally releasing soon. I’ll probably pick it up on my Switch because I feel like these games are made for handheld play, but I might double dip if I like it.

It’s ranging from 7’s and 8’s which is what I expected. It appears to be a solid game — great story, good but not great combat — and that is perfectly fine by me. The story in the Mafia games is what really compels me more than anything since they are typically very well done. I’m looking forward to trying it out tomorrow.

@Oram77 All I’m asking is why you consider it a bad thing. It’s an honest question; I’m not asking for justification.

As for Clair Obscur, it’s an open world JRPG. Of course it’s going to be more time consuming that Mafia, a game that has been mentioned by developers as linear with a few open world tethers. Again, they are two different games going for different results.

@Oram77 Why is 13 hours considered bad by your standards? I think that’s a perfectly acceptable length, particularly in a medium where open world games are a constant. For $50.00, 13 hours seems fantastic.

I have high hopes for this — I hope it’s a return to form for Hangar 13.

This one is tough for me. I’d have to say RoboCop. I had a blast getting the platinum trophy. With that said, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is phenomenal, and I’m about to wrap up the platinum trophy for that as well.

I’ll be here for whatever they decide to create next.

I’m also playing, finally, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It’s brilliant, challenging, features precise platforming and engaging combat, but it doesn’t rush you to the next transition screen. You can take your time if you want, but you also feel like a badass if you rush in and mow down enemies without being hit. There is a deep level of satisfaction due to the degree of difficulty Ninja Gaiden is as a whole. With Blasphemous and now this, I can’t wait to see what TGK cooks up next. Castlevania, perhaps? Please.

I want to start by saying I’m very easy to please when it comes to video games and thank goodness for that. Throughout my 35-years I have seen many game reviews that are either mediocre, average, or my favorite, 7/10, and oftentimes I end up adoring them. I reflect on the pre-internet days in the 90s when my parents would take me to the movie/game rental store and I’d pick out NES games based on the box art; sometimes they were great games, sometimes they weren’t, but I discovered a lot of games that I love that I later found out weren’t reviewed well once the internet became prominent.

That brings me to Blades of Fire. It has a respectable user score of 8.2 on Metacritic, while (some) critics weren’t that high on the game. Nonetheless, it clearly made a positive impression on the players, and I am one of them. I’m glad I took a chance on it despite its generic box-art because it’s the definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover”, and I’m enthralled by it.

First and foremost, it’s a 3D action adventure whilst simultaneously being a Metroidvania. This should come to no surprise considering their most recent game was a new 2D Metroid (Dread). Some people have touted it as a Souls-like, which I think is an inaccurate comparison. It may feel that way in terms of its difficulty, and believe me, it’s not even close to being that hard in terms of defining it as an entire genre built on that punishment.

The game shines in its combat, offering a wide array of weapons and combat techniques. Each weapon has its unique move-set and the way to attack enemies is based on directional hits. It’s a distinctive combat system that really requires you to experiment. And the way to acquire new weapon types is by defeating enemies a certain number of times, making you feel like you’re always progressing. However, you have to forge these weapons in order to obtain them. It’s an addictive mini-game that plays a drastic role in your success or failure in future combat encounters.

The game world itself is charming—it really does feel like that old school PS3/Xbox 360-era of action adventure games where the characters are over the top, the story is bombastic but fun, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It evokes feelings of when I played the original original God of War for the first time, and that’s probably the most accurate description for the entire game because it plays like it in terms of progression, exploration, and combat.

I have only one real complaint, and if it was handled a little bit more eloquently this game would be top tier for me; that is the level design and map. While exploration is rewarding, it’s very easy to get lost despite the game being touted as linear. There are so many interweaving paths in dense sections and it can become confusing, and the overworld map does little to help with navigation. I think it would benefit greatly with a mini map. With that said, it has Metroidvania DNA so it’s meant to be obtuse. Additionally, I’m playing on the hardest difficulty where it doesn’t show you where your next objective is, so exploring your surroundings and paying attention to dialogue is key to advancing the story.

I tried multiple times to get into this game but I just couldn’t do it. To me, it felt bloated from the very beginning, and the missions I did do were quite repetitive. The exploration wasn’t satisfying either—I wasn’t getting any environmental story telling like previous Bethesda games. I may give it another shot but I doubt I’ll buy it unless it’s on a deep sale.

I guess it’s time to go back and replay the series. The first two entries were great, but I haven’t played the third one yet. Now is as a good of a time as any to start.

I can’t wait — Silent Hill 2 Remake is in my top 5 games this generation. With that said, from the trailers for SHF it was pitch perfect in terms of atmosphere, but I thought the movement and combat looked very janky. I’m glad to see that it’s not bothering people as much which gives me hope that it’s solid in those areas.

When it comes to specs I am a “explain like I’m five” person. All I care about at the moment is the handheld and the cost of it, and if it will play my PS4-6 library natively.

@Northern_munkey I’m 35, haha. But the game is fantastic. I’m only a few trophies away from the platinum!

@PuppetMaster Exactly this. It’s challenging, but it doesn’t rush you to the next transition screen. You can take your time if you want, but you also feel like a badass if you rush it and mow down enemies without being hit—it feels incredibly satisfying due to the degree of difficulty Ninja Gaiden is a whole.

This game has been awesome so far! It’s a shame my reflexes have diminished as I’ve gotten older, but it feels incredible to play nonetheless. And the pixel art is sensational. I have a feeling I’ll be playing this for the rest of the day since I have the day off work.

@themightyant It’s $24.99.

I’m off work tomorrow and this is an immediate buy. I’ve been waiting for this game for a hot minute and I’m glad it’s living up to expectations. I can’t wait to boot it up!

This game continues to impress me the more I see it. I’ll definitely be having a pen and pad next to me while I play the game.

@get2sammyb The Getaway is one of my all time favorite games. I wish that franchise would come back, but it’s a pipe dream.

Hopefully this ENDS better than Minds-Eye.

@Greifchen Sorry, let me clarify — I wasn’t trying to be negative. Lies of P is an incredible addition, but I think the other two games aren’t really substantial. That’s okay, though. That’s all I meant by it; my apologies.

Lies of P alone is worth it. Other than that, it’s a weak month, but that’s okay — I have a huge backlog of games to work through as it is.

I should get around to playing this. I did play, beat and love the base SMTV, and wasn’t sure if Vengeance was enough of an upgrade from the original to warrant a second playthrough. With that said, I’ve been in the mood to tackle a tough JRPG with turn based mechanics.

I played and platinumed this and I surprisingly didn’t have any bugs at all aside from a few frame rate dips, but those were rare.

I figured it would come to PlayStation — it was fairly obvious. With that said, this shouldn’t have been a surprise.

I cannot wait for this. Aside from Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, this is my most anticipated game. I hope we can get a proper release date.

This looks incredible. I do have concerns about the gunplay - it looks a little janky. I’ll be earnestly keeping my eyes on this.

@lazarus11 Probably 8 hours. 10 if you do all the side quests which are pretty short.

This week I’ve played, beaten, and got the platinum trophy in RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business. I think it’s exceptionally better than its predecessor, which says a lot because I think highly of the base package.

I like how the game is set in one location - a tower where your goal is to reach the pinnacle. This allows the game to set its own pace. For the most part it succeeds, though it does falter from time to time. Throughout its 10-hour runtime, the game switches its perspective by allowing you to play as other characters for a brief moment. They are short and sweet, but add context to its totally 80s-90s story.

When you get to play as Alex Murphy the game feels different to play in a positive way. The developer clearly has a knack for the first person shooter genre and it shows by how smooth the gunplay feels as a regular Joe instead of RoboCop.

I do have a few issues with the game. First, I wish there was more weapon variety. While there is large arsenal to choose from, there is only one weapon that is new compared to the first entry. To be fair, it’s a linear expansion that takes place immediately after the events of the main game, so it’s only a minor, almost irrelevant complaint. Plus, your quintessential Auto-9 feels amazing to use throughout the entire experience.

My second problem is the RPG-lite mechanics. You gain experience points and can level up various abilities, but I think the options could have been trimmed significantly. You can dump all your acquired points in the engineering tree so you can eventually unlock the ability to open all safes in the game without a combination. This is an essentially useless considering I only discovered one safe throughout the game and there wasn’t any meaningful reward. It’s not an issue that takes away any form of fun factor, but it is noticeable.

Lastly, and more importantly, the bugs. This game could desperately use a patch or two. Everything was in tip-top shape until midway through the campaign, when I started noticing dialogue issues where the NPC would go silent while speaking, or the cutscene ends abruptly when it shouldn’t have. In the same suit, I had issues where the overall sound was static, as if the speakers on my PlayStation Portal were going bad. I decided to see if it was a game issue or a hardware issue, and my television was also experiencing the same problem. To be on the safe side I booted up a few other games on both devices and it sounded perfect, so I know it was simply the game itself. Other than that, there weren’t any gameplay bugs or mission hindrances.

This might raise some eyebrows, but RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business will be in the conversation for my GOTY. It’s not perfect by any means, but in an age where every game feels like it has to be open world, having a linear experience was a breath of fresh air. I’ve yet to be disappointed by any Teyon developed games, and they know how to tick all the right boxes that I look for in the medium.

A quick side note: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is my clear GOTY choice and it’s not even close.

I’m now biding my time until Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound releases. In the meantime, I did buy Blades of Fire since it is on sale. I have read tons of reviews and it sounds like it could be a cult classic down the line.

At this point, I think people need to accept that gaming culture has changed drastically within the last 10 years. As much as I prefer competition, that’s not the era we are in any longer. At the end of the day, games are meant to be played by people. Developers probably want their games on every platform because they want to share their hard work to every person possible. I guess what you have to decide is what console do you prefer? I’ve always been more PlayStation oriented and have a long history with the brand, so that is where my loyalty will be.

@Anya-chan How are some games ranked that aren’t even released yet? That’s bizarre.

@Balaam_ I understand your sentiment, but at the same time I don’t. The trophy list essentially requires you to beat the game, find all collectibles, avoid damage in some levels, and get an S+ rank on one stage. That doesn’t sound too difficult. Moreover, to somewhat kinda contradict myself, have you not played any Ninja Gaiden before? The games are known to be notoriously difficult. They have been that way from the very beginning.

I’ve been playing a few hours on the base PS5 and haven’t had any issues. Either way, updates and patches are always welcome!

The list doesn’t actually sound that difficult. It seems a lot more obtainable than achieving an “S” rank on every level or beat the game on every difficulty. I can’t wait for this one - it’s been my most anticipated game of the year, and I’ll definitely try for the platinum.

@SirSephy I agree wholeheartedly. That was the beauty of being a kid during the 90s. My dad would take me to the movie rental store and I’d pick out NES games that had cool cover art. I did that all the way up until the PS3 era. I’ve discovered so many great games that had an impact on me despite later finding out they weren’t reviewed all that well.

I’ll be on this like white on rice. Handheld gaming is my preference, and I typically play my PS5 exclusively on my Portal. I even still play my Vita too. I would love a proper new handheld experience.