ZTGD

Once again Codemasters brings home the cup when it comes to racing simulators. Their years of experience and their access to the many facets of the license are there to be seen on the screen. The latest game in the F1 series is once again a must have for both F1 fans and those that enjoy the deepest of racing sims.

Outside of combat, I was given goals to fulfill, many of which would appear in the Alchemyriddle after a certain story events, and figuring out what needed to be done was fairly simple and the rewards for completing full chapters worth of riddles were worthwhile and always had me chasing the next goal whenever I had the chance.Atelier Lulua is a solid, albeit safe final entry in the Arland quadrilogy that does an admirable job of bidding farewell to a lovable cast of characters.Fun Tidbit – Goodbye frilly skirts, hello short hotpants!

Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity is a decent game. The gameplay can get slowed down by the story at times, but when upgrading abilities and hitting that Zen moment while speeding through a level, it feels pretty great. Even if it is just a short time with the game, it’s still a pretty fun time. I would suggest picking it up if you are a fan of the trial and error style games like Velocity, Trials, and others where you don’t mind trying to perfect your time.

I’m torn on Sea of Solitude. I don’t know what score to give it even. I can’t say I love the game because I definitely don’t. I don’t hate it either. It has also been on my mind constantly since I finished it and that must mean something. Maybe I’m just too rooted in my own depression to understand this game. I’m not sure. Ultimately I’m giving this the same score I gave GRIS because I would find it unfair to give it anything lower or anything higher and I feel obligated to give it some score.

Other than feeling bad about my lack of skill with the Contra series, I love this collection. I have zero nostalgia for any of these titles and they are still fantastic (if not incredibly hard). With the update that added the Japanese versions of the games I think this is a crazy bundle to pass up. Co-op, seven unique games, and plenty of challenge wrapped up into one collection. Do not skip.

Super Mario Maker 2 is an outstanding game that is marred by some odd choices familiar with Nintendo games. Their online features still feel like a relic of the past, and with something that relies so much on creation and sharing it sticks out like a sore thumb here. Still, getting past that and knowing updates are on the horizon makes me comfortable in recommending this title. It is a pure blast creating and sharing levels with friends, and of course letting my son’s creativity run wild in creating new levels. The single player content is a welcome addition to an already impressive package.

Warhammer: Chaosbane has the potential to be a top tier action RPG in the likes of Diablo, Torchlight, and Grim Dawn, but as it stands now, it is a fun 10 hours with the endgame content being watered down. Now, developers EKO Software has stated that their plans are to support this game throughout the rest of the year with updates and new additions, of course, only time will tell on that. Currently, almost a month after release, the newest patch that hit the PC version is still waiting approval for the consoles, so that’s been fun.

It is hard not to appreciate how good this game looks. Beenox has done an amazing job bringing these already impressive-looking tracks into the new generation. Everything is so clean and colorful. The design is immaculate and the implementation of 4K and HDR really showcase just how good everything looks. The game also runs beautifully on the higher-end consoles, keeping a constant frame rate and really making this feel like a brand new game.

SolSeraph is a love letter to fans of Actraiser and feels like it should somehow contain the name in its title. Sadly, it falls short on several areas that keep it from resurrecting the genre like many hoped it would. Ace Team continues to be a developer I cannot take my eyes off of though. Their creations are unique in and of themselves, and always entertain me even when they fall short of that great status mark.

Samurai Shodown is unlike any other fighting game. I love the deliberate combat and how each fighter feels entirely unique. I wish the online was more active, but even the amount of single player modes and promise of new characters means I will be revisiting this for a while. If things like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter feel overwhelming this might be the game for you. It is simple, yet deep in a different sense. It doesn’t require memorization, just good timing and understanding. It felt more user friendly than long string combos and the visceral attacks feel incredible.