ZTGD

Enclave is a quirky game that has some moments and I enjoyed revisiting it. I love this era where any game can come back and it is great for nostalgia. If you don’t have any fond memories of this game you might want to steer clear. This is not going to impress anyone in today’s world, but for those looking for a trip down memory lane of this obscure title, this version achieves what it set out to do.

As far as the presentation goes this is exactly like every ACA release. They work with a standard template and the extras are minimal. The main menu is very simple without much flair. The graphics options are standard and not that exciting. I do wish there was a bit more to showcase the history of these games, but this feels like just a standard compilation of a bunch of the games that are already available. It is more about value than presentation.

Starfield is a great game, but it is not the second coming of Bethesda. This is exactly what I thought it was going to be and if you love their games, you will love Starfield. There is so much to see and do. So many great characters, excellent writing, and plenty of side quests and choices to make. I hate the cliché “if you’re a fan of the genre” but if a game ever matched that quote, it is this one.

Immortals of Aveum is a decent game that takes some risks with its technology. Some of those pay off, while others hold it back. The game itself is fun if not a bit too long and it just comes across as a decent game that feels undercooked at times. I enjoyed my time with it, but I am likely to forget it come the end of the year. In an overcrowded year this big budget gamble might not pay off, but I would certainly be in for this team’s next outing. The pieces for a great game are here, just need to fit them into place.

Madden NFL 24 is a solid entry that simply doesn’t do enough to push it forward. I feel like EA really needs to take a year off, do a roster update, and build an entirely new game. This copy paste stuff continues to bring down the advancements made. It is wild that we say the same stuff every year and each year it rarely changes. Like most people though, I play it every time because there simply isn’t another option, and it isn’t a bad game, far from it, it just feels on cruise control. I want the game to get better, and it does, just not enough to warrant yearly iterations.

I freaking loved Sea of Stars, from its adorable graphic style to its heartwarming story Sea of Stars is a sure-fire hit. Even the times I ran into glitches and bugs I still enjoyed my time within its world. Sabotage studios already proved the pedigree of their studio with The Messenger but I fully expect them to level up with the release of Sea of Stars. With its enjoyable story, utterly fantastic musical score, and beautiful pixel world if you are a fan of RPG’s this one is NOT to be missed!

I enjoyed Adore for the things that it did differently with its creature collecting and real-time combat, I could have done without the roguelike systems. But even with that going against it I still had a great time playing Adore, collecting creatures, theory crafting for that perfect team and the combat system still has its hooks in me, despite the overused roguelike system.

Circling back to the question that I pondered for all those years- with all the great new talent and abundant resources in tow, FromSoftware has brought Armored Core back in glorious fashion with their finest overall entry in the series history yet. Whether you’ve never heard of Armored Core before or are a die hard fan that’s been waiting a decade for a new release, this mission to Rubicon 3 is one not to be missed.

Combat in Oceanhorn 2 is no different as it is simplistic in nature. Players will begin with a sword and quickly find a shield and use those as the base for their offence. A mix of sword slashes and shots from the slingshot ranged weapon will usually make short work of most enemies, bosses will require more movement and dodges but again if you have played a Zelda game and fought a boss then you already know how to approach the foes here.

Pikmin 4 is extremely forgiving with a rewind feature that allows players to restart from specific floors if they fail any of the caves (which return from Pikmin 2) which is great because some of the bosses are extremely difficult. I had to spam one with items to defeat it because I couldn’t figure out the way to kill it without killing most of my Pikmin. A lot of Pikmin 4 seems to be more flexible in the way players choose to play. I am a bit disappointed that co-op is relegated to what sounds like the co-op from Super Mario Galaxy. I didn’t have anyone to try this with, but it is mentioned that the second player can upgrade their stone pitcher to be more effective.