ZTGD

Once again, being a fighting game fan really helped me get into this game a lot more than what I originally thought. It is a competent fighting game where I feel the standing game is still a better experience then the ground and submission game. The kickboxing is still really great and the combo system is intricate and entertaining. On top of all that Joe Rogan yelling at the top of his lungs when I made a bone crushing hit land is always fun, and with the career mode being simplified and still robust, players of both fighting games and sports games will have a pretty decent time here.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a solid experience that I really enjoyed taking. It could have benefitted from a little more structure and fleshing out the characters a bit more. Still, it is great to finally have the game come to Xbox, and I am happy to have experienced it.

Visually the game looks fine. It retains that dirty and violent look of the classic titles, but with a fresh coat of paint, nothing revolutionary here, but there are some nice effects. Don’t mistake that though, this still feels like a $20 game, especially when it comes to the commentary. The voice work is done by the original king of arcade voices Tim Kitzrow. For those too young to remember, he is the NBA Jam guy. Yes, it definitely had to be the shoes. However even his lines repeat far too often, and his cohort is just flat out annoying. There is literally only one set of dialogue for every extra point attempt.

Visually the game looks fine. It definitely feels like an upgrade from its mobile counterpart. However, there are definitely remnants found within. Simplistic geometry and limited level design further accent the origins of the game.Future War: Reborn is a mindless game that suffers from its roots. There is fun to be had, but the clunky menus and brief missions make it feel lacking. Those wanting something mindless will be in for a treat, all others might want to steer clear of this purchase.

Even with everything that has been said, I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of what Monster Hunter World has to offer. The sublime combat against a variety of awe inspiring monsters- the meaningful sense of progression where every little thing that I did felt like it mattered- it all culminated to the thrill of the hunt in those moments where with only a single life left, I fought against the odds, shoulder to shoulder with a group of strangers who became my brothers in-arms and when it was all said and done, I waved goodbye knowing that we had shared an unforgettable moment of triumph… until the next hunt.

Iconoclasts is a pretty fantastic game. The story is fun and interesting, the controls are tight and near perfect, the art and animation is beautiful, and many of the puzzles and traversal are both fun and challenging at the same time. If you’re into the Metroidvania style games and don’t mind a bit of backtracking, this is the game for you. I can’t suggest it enough to fans of the classic SNES side scrolling shooters and action puzzle fans.

Ranging from the simplistic to the absurd, the Escapist 2 offers a great variety of ways one could escape from prison. Scoping out a new prison for its vulnerabilities and formulating a plan to carry out is a great time, but getting to those thrilling moments of misadventures are often plagued with days of scavenging, looking for those one or two materials I desperately needed and as the tedium began to set in, I wasn’t looking for a way to escape from the prison but rather from this cycle of boring, repetitive gameplay.

Visually the game continues to pay its respects to its influence. The world is broken into squares with each one hiding new areas themed to the dungeons. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. The game can be run through in about 10-12 hours depending on how much I wanted to dig around. Blossom Tales scratches an itch I have of wanting to venture through Link to the Past once a year. It is well-designed if not a bit cliché in its approach.

Bridge Constructor Portal is not the Portal game many would have been expecting, but with the reassuring presence of GLaDOS and the Companion Cubes (also, coincidently, the name of my new band), it’s nevertheless enough to scratch that ‘fun with portals’ itch left in the wake of Portal 2.

All in all, Romancing SaGa 2 is a decent RPG with some very interesting mechanics that were revolutionary for its time. There’s some issues here and there with the old style of game play where players aren’t told where to go or what to do. Then on top of all that, the game is not going to go easy on you. This one is for the fans of this style of game and for people looking for a bit of nostalgia. For those, you’ll find a finely crafted RPG with some interesting mechanics. At the same time, the price is a bit steep for a 25 year old game at this point. I would still wait for a slight sale.