ZTGD

I really enjoyed my time with Mages of Mystralia. It’s a neat little game that has a lot of heart. There are a few issues here and there, but nothing that really bogged down the experience for me. The presentation is stellar, and me being a video game music fan I found the soundtrack alone worth the price of admission. It helps out a lot that the puzzles and abilities feel rewarding and fun to use. I would suggest picking this game up for anyone that enjoys an action adventure game with some puzzle solving thrown in. It’s a pretty great time.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is the epitome of a sequel. Almost to its detriment the game delivers more of what we loved about the first one. There is plenty of content, excellent writing, I just wish it took more risks in the game play and pacing department. Otherwise this is yet another stellar game in the already crowded 2017 lineup.

While the story has some interesting beats to it, it is rather bland many times. Mainly due to the main character being a standard soldier type. The upgrades to the visuals is OK, but it is easy to see this was a 2006 game redone. Certain things like animations and the look of the explosions really show the game’s age, but in the end, it didn’t bother me too much.

An extremely well done story crafted inside a psychological horror game that nails its terrifying atmosphere. It might not be the longest game or even the best horror game, but it truly got under my skin at times, and that’s one of the highest accolades I can give any title in the genre. Independent horror games continue to shine and bring forth some of the most interesting experiences when least expected. Here we have one that mixes history with fiction creating an ultimately trippy, twisted journey.

Wulverblade is a blast to play, it looks and runs well, and it has rolling heads and slow motion death kills. It’s colorful yet dark, it’s a game yet it offers an educational aspect. It can feel hard at times, but the checkpoint system helped elevate that most moments. Grab a friend, a joycon, and do some split screen skull bashing because Wulverblade is a fun nostalgia romp and worth the price of admission.

I have to give props to Light Tracer for attempting to take a classic genre and flipping it on its head to fit in VR. In some areas it shines, but it is where it counts the most, in the controls, that the game just falls short on. If you have a PSVR collecting dust, then there is value in picking Light Tracer up and giving it a try, if only to experience a platformer in VR. But I would recommend maybe holding off for an inevitable sale.

Elex is a game that I like on a core and fundamental level. The exploration is fantastic and the world they created is this place that truly feels like a mixture of so many other games before it, yet it still stands out on its own to do its own thing. The mythology is interesting here but I tended not to care for any characters I met or myself, I had fun with the gameplay mechanics and world.

All in all, it’s a decent ride of a game and done really well, but I find that because of the high price point, only the shump veterans should look into getting it. Casual fans will find themselves done with the game way before they get their money’s worth out of it. If you can find this at a discount, I would say grab it for the game play alone, but for $35, I’d hold off for now.

Shadow of War improves on almost every aspect of the original game. There is so much to do and the systems in place are truly special. The story missions fall flat and the loot boxes are kind of gross, but otherwise this is one spectacular game. Those that enjoyed the original will find even more to love here. I just feel like this game is marred by controversy and a poor release window.

Evil Within 2 is how a sequel should be constructed. Everything about it feels like an improvement upon its predecessor. I had more fun digging into this 15-20 hour adventure, and would even consider replaying if not for so many other titles vying for my precious time. The genre is still poorly represented in the gaming community, so when a solid survival horror game emerges, it is best not to miss the opportunity to check it out.