Hardcore Gamer

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• SWITCH
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Strange Brigade is one of those difficult games to review, the one where for every positive thing you have to say about it, there’s a downside related to or accompanying it in some way or another. But in the end, what we have here is still some classic shooter action best enjoyed with friends, with enough eye-catching style and various challenges to potentially keep players coming back for more. So much like the pulp stories it aims to emulate, one could say that it’s corny and flawed in several aspects, but still an enjoyable romp that can be worth checking out under the right circumstances.

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Shenmue I and II isn’t a perfect collection, but it is the best overall way to experience two remarkable games. Having the ability to enjoy the core adventure with a widescreen aspect ratio feels like it’s how the game was always meant to be enjoyed and the redone controls are much easier on the hands than the original d-pad-centric setup. The dramatic increase in overall image clarity and detail of the world helps things as well and the issue of core games having clunky English acting can now be easily resolved with Japanese voices using English subtitles — which significantly adds to the martial arts movie feel. These are epic adventures and can now be enjoyed on modern-day hardware for the first time. Anyone who loved them before should get them as soon as possible to prepare for Shenmue III, while newcomers to the series have a fantastic starting point to get fully caught up on Ryo and his adventures.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Fire Pro Wrestling World is the best entry in the longest-running wrestling game franchise. It combines the modern era of New Japan Pro Wrestling with a gameplay style that does not only that company, but many others justice with its diversity. The learning curve may be tough on newcomers in theory, but the training and Fighting Road modes ensure that you never feel too out of your depth even if you haven’t played a Fire Pro game before. Fire Pro Wrestling World is a must-buy for any fan of New Japan or pro wrestling as a whole.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

F1 2018 brings the complete Formula One experience to your cockpit. Featuring the new rule changes, a new handling model and a deeper Career Mode, racers are in for a different experience over F1 2017. The biggest gripe is with the A.I., which would most likely see some improvements as there is a patch due at launch. Cars shine beautifully and player models are the most realistic the series has seen. Having the F1 television graphics help complete the overall Formula One experience. Codemasters has established its own branch of racing simulation with F1 2018.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Daedalic’s fixation with transhumanism takes State of Mind and puts it in a similar bracket as many of its counterparts that have created an advanced tech-infused world. Its storytelling features elements found in stories like Deus Ex and Blade Runner, yet the studio doesn’t feel the need to imitate them or use them as a template for the title’s narrative. Players are instead transported to a world where a unique, riveting story awaits them, with twists lurking around different corners and insightful commentary on a whole variety of topics. While the developer is able to achieve so much success with its story, it does fall short on the introduction of a core mechanic that stops the gameplay from becoming repetitive. But that’s not enough to stop players from reaching State of Mind’s climactic ending, though. What does the future hold for humanity? While the answers might be unclear in this world, State of Mind’s interpretation is one that will captivate players by the sights and sounds of City 5 and the hard-hitting reality for those wandering the streets of Berlin.

• PC
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Much like Contrast before it, We Happy Few shows off plenty of potential with its original and engaging world from a team whose passion and heart clearly shines through. Unfortunately, the random nature of the world ultimately hampers this ambition, and is held back further by lackluster stealth and inconsistent dialogue. Compulsion Games’ future is bright, with their acquisition by Microsoft signaling potentially great things for this small but clearly motivated team. As for now, immersive sim fans and players who can look past these issues will find a world worth getting wrapped up in, but you might need to take a Joy pill of your own in order to want to see Arthur’s journey to its conclusion.

• SWITCH
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

It’s obvious how much rage-tinted joy can be conjured from out Ghost Town Games’ quirky set-up of cooking up meals, together with a sprinkling of simulation-style managing of one’s kitchen workspace. And when it comes to reinforcing the communicative and reactive side to co-operative play, Overcooked 2 is — like its predecessor — a welcome reminder that co-op can instill depth in its mechanics. Unfortunately, the continued issues with online play (least on Nintendo’s platform) as well as Ghost Town’s wilful dismissing of a properly-adapted single-player alternative will only go to dwindle the potential audience once more. An audience whom might not see much significant change from what is still essentially an unaltered recipe from previous, but will still find immense joy in partaking in when part of a group. Which is a shame, given how well-realized Overcooked 2‘s core, emergent style of play truly is.

• 3DS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Chasm is one of the finest Metroidvania games ever created. While the game’s developmental journey was longer than expected, the wait was well-worth it. Every aspect of the game shows that a great deal of care was put into it and the attention to detail for the core gameplay pays off in spades. There are many different ways to play Chasm and all of them result in an unforgettable experience. It plays like a dream, looks stunning and features an atmospheric soundtrack that makes every new room both exciting and terrifying.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Madden NFL 19 is ultimately the complete Madden of the current generation. Necessary changes to gameplay and Franchise Mode make it feel fresh and the improved visuals help complete the updated experience. There are still some issues with gameplay on the defensive side of the ball, but having the Real Player Motion helps in adding new ways not only to move the ball down the field, but celebrate. Longshot: Homecoming is an entertaining sequel while Madden Ultimate Team introduces new ways to play. Hardcore Madden fans will appreciate the changes this year and skeptics need to give it a try before judging this as just another “roster update.”

• SWITCH
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• SWITCH
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Octopath Traveler is a charming throwback to classic Japanese Role-Playing Games. It’s brimming with life aesthetically and the turn-based combat system is old school yet surprisingly modern. There’s a wide open world to explore with eight fascinating and unique characters to play as, and a musical score that will knock your socks off. It feels old yet new at the same time, which seems difficult to accomplish this day and age. While it deserves all of this praise and more, it’s still far from the most flawless of gems. Due to the characters having their own tales, ranging from happy-go-lucky adventuring to murderous revenge, the campaign fails to produce a meaningful narrative, instead segmented into portions where there’s little to no reason for the cast to be together. They’re just there. That’s not to mention the dungeons are some of the shortest, most uninspiring areas you’ll find in any RPG, going well beyond the issues of something like the recent Tales games. At least there’s plenty to find in the world, many offering fantastical riches and challenging boss encounters. Regardless, while there are problems with the structure and overall narrative, there’s no denying that Octopath Traveler is an alluring adventure and one of the better RPGs on the Nintendo Switch.

• SWITCH
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Tempest 4000 is the final Llamasoft Tempest and an incredibly strong game to go out on. The years of experience with the series are on full display in everything from the flow of the levels, speed of introducing new enemies while mixing in the familiar ones, web design and even the spikes in difficulty followed by a short break before ramping back up again. It combines difficulty with accessibility, giving plenty of challenge for seasoned players while being forgiving enough for new ones, and even when the intensity ramps up to be a little overwhelming, the music and lights make it worth pushing on. When the bullets are flying as you manage the crowd working its way up the screen, trimming back the horde over there while timing a power-ups trip up the web over there, zipping over just in time to grab it before heading back to thin out the next set of enemy rushes spawning on different parts of the web, it all feels like you’re conducting a techno-light show made of bullets, vectors and multitasking precision. Tempest 4000 is a fantastic conclusion to Llamasoft’s work on the games and easily holds its place amidst the classics of Atari’s flagship arcade series.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Shining Resonance Refrain doesn’t do too much to get away from JRPG tropes, but that might be part of its charm as some of its themes have been addressed in several JRPGs prior but that should come as no surprise to fans of the genre. While tropey, the different personalities of the party members and NPCs do help Astoria come to life and watching Yuma build his relationship with them how the player sees fit puts some emphasis back into the role playing aspect. The fast-paced combat is enjoyable and there is a good blend between the time spent in story development and actual game play, though tending to every citizen’s quest can become tedious. Having the protagonist turn into a dragon isn’t unheard of, but still a rather uncommon idea, and having music play such a significant rule in the story is pleasing to this writer’s ears. Overall the world of Shining Resonance Refrain is a joy to explore and the option to go through it a second time with villains on your side adds a good reason to play through again

• PS4
• 2.5 / 5
• États-Unis

The strange thing about The Lost Child is that, despite its many, many flaws, it still manages to be entertaining by virtue of being a bog standard, but competent, first-person dungeon crawler with a great pace of progress. It’s not worthy of scorn, nor praise, managing to cut right down the middle of the road. This title is great for a gamer that wants to try the genre out and doesn’t want to deal with the some of the twists other titles insert, such as the self mapping found in Etrian Odyssey or the face breaking difficulty of Stranger of Sword City. It also acts as a serviceable title for genre fans who’ve cleared the best games of its ilk. Here’s hoping that the developer learned some lessons from building this one and can inject this style of game with a fresh sense of life on their next go.