Hardcore Gamer

• PS4
• VITA
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a good visual novel that blends that genre in fairly seamlessly with strategy RPGs. It's far more of a visual novel than an SRPG, but when the SRPG elements come in, they're well-done. It plays well, but its slower pace isn't going to be for everyone and being unable to skip things dos make this tougher to get through if you've already watched the anime and just want to experience the SRPG portions. It looks fine on both the PS4 and PS Vita, but the core graphics are from Vita, so anyone looking for a PS4-level game will be a bit disappointed due to iffy textures. The soundtrack is excellent and the all-Japanese voice work is full of life and passion.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

For all of its noticeable issues, Acquire's risk to try something new in Akihabara pays off. Akiba's Beat is a superb game for players who want an anime imbued, character driven experience that refuses to take itself seriously. The very enthusiasm that the makers obviously have for their subject pulses through the title, giving it a true personality that helps it stand on its own. It keeps the rhythm like me behind the drum set: the heart is absolutely in it but the sticks get dropped a few times. Fans of the Persona series and those who enjoy otaku culture and its trappings will find plenty of reason to groove to Akiba's Beat. Just be prepared for the parts when it loses its tempo.

• SWITCH
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Disgaea 5 Complete comes with a lighthearted story, enjoyable characters, all the DLC and gameplay full of different strategies for every player to try. It works amazingly well on the Switch, as it's a perfect title to play in short bursts with handheld mode. Those who have already played on PS4 should only consider picking it up if they want to take advantage of playing it on the go, as aside from the DLC coming packaged with it, there isn't much change between versions. For anyone interested in tactics titles or just looking to give the series a try, Disgaea 5 Complete is the perfect title to jump into.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

All gripes aside, I've had less fun with games that were full price. This is a 2-on-2 arcade basketball game with some replay value for $20. NBA Playgrounds attracts you on the surface but brings a different yet inconsistent experience to the table that somehow still manages to be fun. Leveling up player cards and playing as legends while landing some awesome dunks are the main attractions. There's enough nostalgia combined with an entertaining aesthetic to make NBA Playgrounds worth a look for basketball fans.

• PC
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Strafe falls short of greatness, but is definitely great fun. Each of the three main guns feels good to wield, and if some of the mods aren’t as useful as others, there are still ways to use them effectively. The secondary limited-use guns provide a welcome opportunity to change tactics when necessary and grabbing an exploding bug off the wall to use as a makeshift grenade somehow never gets old. The bloody violence is particularly well done, because not only is it fun to get your carnage on, but the bloody trail you leave in your wake is surprisingly helpful in keeping your bearings. Plus you can always shoot an enemy on a toxic orange spill and use their blood to make the floor safe again, which is awfully helpful in a gory kind of way. There are plenty of secrets, occasional hidden levels and many other goodies and bits of weirdness to find amidst the carnage and mayhem, making Strafe a fun and highly replayable action roguelike FPS that wears its love for the 90s on its blood-soaked sleeve.

• PC
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

There’ll always be a time and a place for a game like Syberia 3. While not all of the tradition of its previous mid-2000 ventures have translated well into the modern age, Kate Walker’s third outing in this subtly steampunk universe, if sporting a few technical faults and some fairly sub-par voice acting, holds up well enough in its gameplay to warrant a playthrough. Microïds may not be looking to radically shift the formula from what came before all those years ago and while at points its controls clearly show an unpleasant age to itself, the charm of its aesthetic not to mention the design of puzzles in parts keeps Syberia 3 firmly away from the gated-off litter of games often referred to as sequels we never asked for. There may not be as huge or as lucrative a demand here, but the adventure undertaken — after fourteen years of wait for some — is a satisfactory but modest one all the same.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Dragon Quest Heroes II delivers what a fan would want from a sequel, which in this case is more of the same but with some additions and improvements. The original Dragon Quest Heroes was described by many as a love letter to Dragon Quest and that sentiment is just as true in the sequel. Dragon Quest Heroes II maintained what made the original great, but the addition of character class customization for two main heroes, multiplayer and the ability to temporarily transform into some of the enemies are a few of the ways it was able to improve on the original. Taking place in a new world with a mix and new and returning characters help make the sequel a distinctly unique experience over its predecessor. Due to the nature of the type of game this is, its gameplay can get repetitive, but that can be said of all Dynasty Warriors games of their spin offs. The absence of local co-op is noticeable, but the inclusion of online shows the developers did listen to player feedback and worked to make improvements over the original. Dragon Quest Heroes II is overall an improvement of the original and one of the better Warriors style games on the market. Dragon Quest and Dynasty Warriors seems like an odd combination, but the team behind these games shows that it works and hopefully this is not the last we hear of Dragon Quest Heroes.

• PS2
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

It feels like a dream seeing Bayonetta on PC, and thankfully, it’s no nightmare. While the frame rate is locked during cutscenes, everything else about the optimization has been done near perfect. Maxed out at 1080p60 is an easily achievable feat, even for older hardware, and the graphical enhancements only shed light on how well the visual aesthetics hold up so many years later. The controls are also done well for keyboard and mouse, so with the option of a gamepad, this is undoubtedly the best version of Bayonetta yet. As for the game itself, the story isn’t for everyone, especially considering how extraordinary deranged it is, and there are a couple of unforgiving combat scenarios. Fortunately, Bayonetta is still an alluring adventure that will hold a smile on your face until the credits roll.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a fine assortment of NES Disney Classics. None of these games reach the pinnacle of 8-bit greatness, but they’re all enjoyable. The inclusion of the Disney Museum give fans something to enjoy beyond the game, and the rewind feature makes it easy to surpass any difficult portion of any games. These are clearly the original NES versions, so enjoying retro titles is pretty much a prerequisite to enjoy this collection, but despite each game being well over 20 years old, they still hold up.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Cosmic Star Heroine does for the 16-bit JRPG what Shovel Knight did for 8-bit platformers. It takes everything that worked about them to remind you of why those games are classics, but builds upon that foundation with a modern-day sensibility by eliminating filler. Everything you do serves a greater purpose, and the game never feels like it’s wasting your time. Combat is a dream, with a brisk pace to battles ensuring that you never have a dull moment. Cosmic Star Heroine is a must-own for anyone who loves or has ever loved JRPGs. Lapsed fans of the genre will be reminded of just how great things can be with that framework, and anyone who never had a chance to experience them will be able to see what made them work.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

As a children’s game, LEGO City Undercover will surely entertain those of the proper age with plenty of witty wordplay and slapstick humor, as well as a varied open-world to cause chaos in by themselves or with a playmate. But for everyone else, the dated movie and TV show references and numerous new abilities won’t manage to keep older gamers hooked for long, as the shallow gameplay pales in comparison to the open-world antics found in other titles this year. While the sheer quantity of content may make it seem like a worthwhile timesink, the core LEGO formula, despite its storied history, has reached a consistent level of mediocrity, becoming one that desperately needs a overhaul if the franchise is to survive for future generations to come.

• XONE
• PS4
• PC
• SWITCH
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

While Aaero's challenge is enticing to tackle, the unfortunate string of performance and gameplay issues add detriment to the overall package. Outside of its confined choice of soundtrack and noticeably similar level design from beginning to end, enjoyable as it may be to rack up as high a score as possible and even push one's self to higher difficulty modes thereafter, Aaero doesn't quite demonstrate the same degree of intrigue or immediacy that past and even fellow contemporary efforts within this genre have so clearly shown. A few interesting mechanics here and there, the majority of the game's run-time is spent retreading the same loop -- perhaps worrying more so on when the next game-breaking hiccup will pop up next.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Full Clip Edition represents the most complete and enhanced way to experience Bulletstorm, as some smart additions and an improved presentation help breathe new life into the 2011 FPS. Many of the game’s issues from the past still remain, as some questionable one-liners and depth-lacking modes are still present for this 2017 remaster. But the core FPS combat still remains one-of-a-kind among its fellow shooters, as the high-flying action urges to be experienced by both veterans and newcomers alike, as long as you’re willing to get your boots a little dirty.

• PC
• XONE
• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Blackwood Crossing begins with the promise of a fantastic and emotional journey, and provides one from beginning to end when it comes to a terrific story, but in terms of gameplay, the journey ends well before we can even take a stroll to the dining car or the like. It's just too short a trip, not allowing for enough time to make the most out of things when it comes to puzzles, challenge or unique interactions. It's decent, sure, but sadly never gets the opportunity to be truly interesting, which is sad given the amount of potential here. If you're looking for an interesting tale, you may want to purchase a ticket, but the rest of us could arguably get more excitement from throwing pennies on the tracks.

• VITA
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is as close to the perfect package as is currently available for folks looking to jump into the Zero Escape world. The only thing that would make it better is if it somehow included Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma to complete the set. Even so, the two included games offer players over twenty hours of gameplay as they work through dozens of distinct endings. The lack of tweaks to Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward may seem strange in comparison, even though that title didn’t need much reworking to begin with. In either case, there’s no doubt that Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a set of visual novels that are both worth a look.

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

The decision as to whether or not Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King should be checked out boils down to the answer of a single question: does the potential buyer desire a new Zelda of the old school style? If the answer is yes, then this game is a must buy. All of the pieces are present and put together in an entertaining fashion, adhering close to the original design while upping the challenge and adding in more of a quest system. It’s not the most creative experience, but one can’t help but feel that Castle Pixel made precisely the game that they wanted to play. This level of care shows through in the final product, making it a perfect title for anyone who wants to recapture the sense of discovery felt while playing through A Link to the Past for the first time.