Hardcore Gamer

• SWITCH
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Gear Club Unlimited 2 is an underwhelming follow-up to the first game. There, the idea of a lean simulation racer that was arcade-centric in a way worked. It was rough around the edges, and in theory, a sequel would allow those to be smoothed out. Sadly, that didn’t happen and the final product suffers from a number of shortcomings. There hasn’t been much added in terms of mode selection and the racing itself feels exactly the same. Loading times are fatiguing too and the entire experience is far more laborious than it was before. It’s strange to see that a follow-up that is in theory better wind up being less fun than the first, but that’s the case with Gear Club Unlimited 2. The game needed a bit more time in the oven and it’s evident in the final product.

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Just Cause 4 is a tale of two games. When left to yourself, the game can be an absolute blast. Calling in powerful weaponry and vehicles to blow up bases of enemies rarely ever gets old. Traversing the distinct biomes while swapping between the wingsuit and parachute remains a fun way to get across the world. On the other hand, the terrible enemy AI quickly turns combat into a real bore and the redundant objectives strip the game of what makes it a blast in the first place. It also doesn’t help that, aside from the supply drops, the game’s signature features never live up to their potential. The new grappling hook options are fun to play with but don’t serve a purpose in the heat of combat. Weather, while cool to look at, doesn’t alter gameplay in meaningful ways. Just Cause 4 delivers on the destruction, but the game never lives up to its massive potential.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight makes for a decent rhythm game overall, despite a relatively small song list and the lack of a story. Its gameplay hits that “easy to learn, but difficult to master” sweet spot and it’s easy to pick up for even a complete novice. Each song offers a slightly different experience from the rest and completing them always feels satisfying no matter the difficulty it’s played on. Spending time with the members of SEES is enjoyable for Persona 3 fans, but they’ll likely wish they’d gotten a story instead. It’s also nice that P-Studio thought to include Online and VR functions, but their bare bones implementation almost leaves one wondering why they bothered at all. In the end, though, it’s the gameplay and music that’s king here, and both together make for a very enjoyable experience. It’s not worth the for $60 price tag for non-Persona 3 fans, but is worth trying after a price drop.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

For an odd spin-off to an RPG series, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is very well executed. Its song library is more than a little sparse considering how many of the tracks are remixes, but each song offers its own challenge and is fun once one gets into its groove. Social link challenges, modifiers and character customization options keep everything feeling fresh, and the social events themselves are fun to watch for those who are already familiar with the Phantom Thieves. A robust tutorial and options menu help get players into the game and keep it tailored to their preferences, so it’s not difficult at all for even new rhythm game players to enjoy these games. The limited online functionality, less than bare-bones implementation of VR and lack of an actual story are a little disappointing, but not enough to ruin the experience. Altogether, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is great for what it is, but isn’t really worth the $60 price tag for non-fans. Unless more songs are added free of charge as DLC, casual fans of these sorts of games may want to wait for a discount.

• SWITCH
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Battlefield V is one of the best current multiplayer shooters on the market. Points could be made for its contemporaries, but the full-featured package, the carrot on the stick in new cosmetics and upgrades, and the pure technical marvel that comes from the graphical and sound work raises the stature of the product as a whole. The fact that it’s a living game, with huge, full-featured updates to be added at no additional price just ices the proverbial cake. It’s true that the single player portion is a let down considering the massive amount of potential that peeks through, but the high-quality multiplayer manages to make up the difference. The only real question is in how quick and efficiently the final glitches can be resolved. Even with these present, the title is well worth a player’s time. Once the wrinkles get ironed out, the Battlefield V will be required playing for anyone with even a passing interest in throwing down online.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Hitman 2 is the proper evolution to the Hitman formula. It may not be a monumental step forward for the franchise, but the number of features and adjustments that are made only help create a more gratifying and highly-captivating experience. It helps that while the plot is just there to be a bridge between scenarios, IO Interactive links everything together with intelligently-designed contextual storytelling which is found throughout each area. Unfortunately, there’s only five missions, not counting the five to ten-minute long prologue that acts as a tutorial. At least these missions are bigger than ever before, some even taking over an hour to complete, all of which include an impressive amount of ways to take down your targets. There aren’t any missions that could dethrone the top 3 of Hitman Season 1, but instead what we get is a solid assortment that will leave you wanting more. We may not get as many highs, but at least we get fewer lows. It’s also a shame that this is still bogged down with online connectivity requirements, something that’s to the game’s detriment. Even with its share of issues, Hitman 2 hits it mark, creating an addictive, overly-ambitious sequel.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition is a respectable spiritual successor to a legendary game. Yes, technically Dynasty Edition is added DLC, but it is the first to come out on a physical format and also on the Nintendo Switch. Even though the football action is a 1-to-1 representation of NFL Blitz, the strategy involved from the Dirty Tricks and field traps add a deeper and strategic experience to football. The Dynasty Mode is a worthy edition as has enough elements to make it stand out on its own. For $29.99, the package that is here is worth the price for a football fan of any level. Football nerds will all enjoy the name and team parodies where casual football fans will enjoy the action and comedy on the field.

• SWITCH
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a great example of how a retro collection should be assembled. The inclusion of American and Japanese regional versions of each game along with the original arcade and console port is a nice way to help ensure players get the complete experience. The actual games included are a bit more niche. For ’80s arcade titles these are fun but don’t seem like most of them were the ones that had huge crowds of people waiting to play, back when that sort of thing actually happened. The bottom line with SNK 40th Anniversary Collection boils down to whether or not someone has fond memories of the included games or at least those style of games from the ’80s. The collection presents these games in a manner that should please any fan of these titles, but there doesn’t seem to be much here to convert someone who is only interested in modern games.

• SWITCH
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

The infectious variety in its visuals and aesthetic no doubt prevails once more with the Switch rendition of this beloved cult classic. Sadly, though still attaining most of the original enjoyment of its touch-screen combat and varying opportunities for customization, The World Ends With You: Final Remix falls short of being hailed a genuine, complete experience -- instead lying a little too close to its previous mobile rendition rather than something altogether more well-rounded, and more importantly, improved upon for Nintendo's hybrid machine. But for anyone still having avoided or otherwise missed the original release a decade ago, a willingness to look past the temporary frustration of its controls notwithstanding, The World Ends With You: Final Remix remains, in both gameplay and story, as splendid a JRPG as it's always been.

• XONE
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

GRIP: Combat Racing is a must-buy for anyone craving non-stop racing action, going far beyond just being a modern-day version of Rollcage while offering a wide variety of gameplay options. If you want to top the rankings in a traditional race, you can — but those seeking a deathmatch-esque battle can be satisfied as well. It looks fantastic on PC and higher-end consoles, but does suffer a bit on the Switch. Fortunately, its rock-solid framerate is intact on all devices. The rock soundtrack fits the fast pace of the game, but won’t stay with you afterwards.

• PS4
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Simply put, Call of Cthulhu is a game of wasted potential. Its investigation system is fun, and something that could have easily carried the game on its own, working perfectly with the world of Lovecraft. And even any of the other gameplay elements could have made for a good adaptation. But when they mix together, the end result is a mediocre, cluttered mess that’s over too soon for anything to make an impact. Maybe hardcore fans of Lovecraft or the tabletop game can get some enjoyment out of things, but you’re better off waiting for The Sinking City instead.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

LEGO DC Super-Villains doesn’t change the core LEGO game formula much, but does its best to work within that formula and deliver a fresh experience through its storyline. Those who love the franchise’s blend of fast-paced brawling and light puzzle-solving will be in for a treat even if few risks are taken with the core gameplay. Luckily, the outstanding cast of characters and their top-notch voice work keep the game enjoyable to play, watch and listen to from start to finish. Beyond the voice work, the soundtrack is also outstanding and a pleasant surprise.

• PS4
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

The experience of playing this title is one of roller coaster highs and lows. At first, it seems like the new bad game everybody should check out. It’s so gormless in its stupidity that it’s endearing. Through extended play, those scales drop from the eyes and the blissful ironic joy gives way to tedium as the player prays to their deity of choice that they don’t run into a bug that renders the scenario unwinnable. With fixes to the pathfinding and spawning, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow would be an honest to goodness hilarious arcade style classic, intentionally or not. As it stands, only the most patient should climb behind the gun.

• 3DS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

For someone who hasn’t played Luigi’s Mansion before, this 3DS port is a good way to have an opportunity to dive in. Although the controls suffer a bit due to being on the 3DS, it’s not hugely detrimental most of the time save for a few challenging bosses. The visual upgrade is especially nice alongside the inclusion of actual 3D functionality that make for large welcome changes to make it pop. Those who still fancy the original GameCube version might not be interested if they can still readily play it, but the addition of the challenging new hidden mansion, ability to challenge bosses and local multiplayer can make it well worthwhile for those wanting to try something new. Luigi’s Mansion is still a great classic and fits in fairly well with all the other wonderful ports on 3DS.

• SWITCH
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

It likely won’t garner the longevity of something a kin to Deadly Premonition, but there’s no denying Swery’s fluency with a whole host of tones, on both gameplay and story — not to mention his ability in using the surreal to portray a real and hard-hitting theme of young love — shines through in a sufficient capacity, despite the numerous rough edges. The Missing: J.J. Macfield and The Island of Memories does in the end succeed in telling an intriguing tale complimented with effective and palpable means of progressing it. It doesn’t always find the right way to present it, but as odd a pitch this masochistic, self-inflicted series of mechanics in a puzzle-platformer might seem, it’s no surprise that Swery and developer White Owls are the ones to not only make it work, but convince its players more so to see this human and engaging tale through to the very end.

• SWITCH
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

There’s no other title with quite the same approach as Starlink has taken and it’s easily the best integration of toys to life that has been done so far. Each planet, and even space itself, gives tons of amazingly fun exploration opportunities for each pilot and the worlds of Atlas are filled with a good amount to experience along the way. While the heavy emphasis on toys may seem as though it’s aimed at a younger audience, Starlink offers a great amount of challenge and fun for players of any age and shouldn’t be counted out because of it. Anyone who has been looking for an amazing take on an open world space adventure doesn’t need to journey much farther, as Starlink: Battle for Atlas supplies one of the most enjoyable journeys yet.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

428: Shibuya Scramble is clearly the child of Spike Chunsoft as it pioneered many of the features that fans know and love from the Zero Escape and Danganronpa games. Yet, it manages to forge a totally distinct identity from both those titles. The ridiculous sense of humor and over-the-top drama is hard to tear away from. The biggest complaint is simply that, as an extremely long visual novel, its text options are not as fully featured as they should be. Simply put, 428: Shibuya Scramble is unlike any other visual novel out there.