Hardcore Gamer

• PS4
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

Despite all of these complaints, Has-Been Heroes isn’t a terrible time. Using skills in tandem to bolster their efficacy is, on its own, a reason to check this game out. The issues lie elsewhere in the design, making this a title to pick up for one or two runs before closing it down and doing something else. It does work in bite-sized chunks, which isn’t exactly a rousing endorsement for what Frozenbyte was trying to achieve. Should the developer want to revisit this concept in the future, the two best suggestions would be to add some real variance to the enemy art design and do something with how attacks are doled out by the heroes. Allowing lane switching when the heroes aren’t attacking would open up the combat in a way that is fun and there doesn’t seem to be a reason that this solution would remove the game’s challenge. As it is, Has-Been Heroes is fine for short bursts, but anybody looking for something that can eat away the hours should move on.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

A few bugs aside, Beat Cop is a highly engrossing and addictive adventure, a cross between classic ’80s action and routine cop duty that makes for some extremely interesting gameplay as you get sucked in and even get attached to everyone in your little part of Brooklyn. Proper management and investigation skills are rewarded with satisfying results and advancements in various intriguing narratives, and the gameplay is the kind that’s enjoyably simple to learn and fun to work with. Long story short, even if this is more of a tribute to the like of Harry Callahan, it’s Sonny Bonds who should feel proud that Pixel Crow made an enjoyable game about police work that does his legacy justice.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Though the plot opens the door to some compelling storytelling only to trip while walking in, there are so many other reasons to give Toukiden 2 a spin. This is faster and more action packed when compared to other titles in the genre. It features a truly open world with load times only occurring when first starting up, fast traveling, story transition or game over. Even then, loads are short. The player can explore and quest for hours without ever needing to stop. When taking into account the massive amount of options packed into this title, they might not want to.

• PS4
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an unbalanced experience. It’s an incredibly ambitious game with a colossal scope, but it doesn’t always hit the right notes. While there’s an air of mystery behind the story that will keep you going, the cast of supporting characters are far from the most compelling bunch, not to mention decision-making feels far less important than ever before. There will certainly be moments that resonant with fans, but at the same time, there are design decisions that are put into question. Combat and the sense of exploration are the key components and thankfully, they’re done perfectly. You will be engrossed in the vast new beautiful worlds and immersed within the fully versatile combat system. Unfortunately, even by open world standards, this is an absurdly bug-ridden game. I by no means regret the 60+ hours I put into Andromeda as it does have an addictive quality that draws you in, but it’s marred by frequent technical issues. Every time I begin to have fun, I’m quickly reminded of just how unpolished things are. When it works, Mass Effect: Andromeda is a stimulating adventure. When it doesn’t, it’s nothing short of dispiriting.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is the ideal mix of old and new. The visuals and 2D platforming scream ’80s NES, but the detail that went into the pixel art and the attack combos mixed with fluid animation give this title just enough of a modern feel so it doesn’t feel dated. This Metroidvania adventure is rather short, only requiring somewhere in the ballpark of five hours to complete for a skilled player, but that feels like the perfect length for this game. The various difficulty levels help make the title accessible to anyone, whether you are looking for a walk in the park to experience the story or a brutal onslaught that would challenge even the quickest of thumbs. Fans of Metroidvanias and old adventure games owe it to themselves to check out Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

A wisecracking goblin assassin may seem like an odd choice for a protagonist, but the titular character of Styx: Shards of Darkness is enjoyable to control. The game mechanics are on par with some of the better known stealth titles out there, and taking place in a massive and beautiful fantasy world only enhances the experience. The typical stealth elements such as hiding in the shadows and hanging off building ledges mix well with the more unique abilities such as invisibility and having a clone run amok to take the focus off of Styx. The intriguing story and dry humor make this title quite entertaining provided some vulgarities aren't a problem, but this is an M rated game after all. For a title that does not have household name status, Styx: Shards of Darkness is recommended to all fans of stealth games as Styx can hang with the likes of Ezio and Solid Snake.

• VITA
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Numerous Japanese visual novels have been coming to English-speaking audiences lately, many of them excellent. The Zero Escape series manages to excite and confound, the Phoenix Wright games lets players live out a Japanese take on Law & Order and even BlazBlue got in on it via the X-Blaze series. Danganronpa manages to eke out a place at the top of the pack. Players new to the series have no reason to pass up this collection. Both games are extremely well written and hard to put down. Returning players who already know the solutions to all of the conundrums but don’t mind re-experiencing the story will find a better looking version of the original two titles here. Since this is releasing at a lower price, that’s enough of a reason to go through again in preparation for Danganronpa V3.

• SWITCH
• 3.5 / 5
• États-Unis

It’s good to have Bomberman back and in a meaningful way. It’s hard to believe seven years have slipped by since the last entry in the series (by far the longest gap yet) and it’s exciting to see the franchise’s resurgence as a full-fledged retail launch title day. It’s amazing that after so many years the same gameplay can remain captivating, but the developers really tapped into something special all those years back. Although shifting to a pseudo-isometric viewpoint, not much has changed here and it remains as addictive as ever. Unfortunately, the very thing that makes it appealing also holds it back. There’s nothing new here versus the many other Bomberman games and although polished and featuring a colorful story, there isn't a major reason to return. Addictive as it may be, there’s not much content here and camera angle and control issues strain things further. That being said, it’s still a blast (pun fully intended) and can easily make for a great party for those looking to be social with their new console. A perfectly good “B game” for Zelda, Super Bomberman R is a cute ball of fun, but could have been more.

• SWITCH
• 3 / 5
• États-Unis

• SWITCH
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Skylanders Imaginators remains the same great game on Nintendo Switch as it was on other consoles, but with a few drawbacks and additions. The Digital Library addition is an intriguing one. Instead of having to manually place Skylanders on a portal to play as them, players can now simply scan them in and access every Skylander they own at any time. For those on the go and adults, this is a fantastic feature as having to have the portal constantly set up looks childish and makes you have to get off the couch (ugh, adulting). For the kiddos, this might take some of the fun away from seeing their figure "magically" appear in the game. Also to prevent theft (like going to the store with a Switch and scanning in all the figures on the shelf, which would have been admittedly awesome), you have to scan the figure a second time after playing for a bit to keep it in the library, which is a hassle. Still, being able to access any Skylanders with the press of a button is a nifty feature that hopefully will be integrated into future editions of the game on other consoles. The biggest drawback is the fact that this seems to be a port of the Wii U version, which itself was a port of the Xbox 360/PS3 version. As such, the visuals aren't up to snuff with its PS4/Xbox One brethren and framerate can chug at times. Finally, Imaginators is one of the few Switch launch titles to actually utilize the touch screen, but does so fairly rudimentary with the menus. While the Digital Library makes the Switch edition a great option for those strictly on the go, anybody else should stick with the PS4/Xbox One versions. Regardless, though, this is still the same great game it was in 2016, so you can't go wrong no matter which console you choose.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is an open world thrill ride. The departure from the formula used in previous Ghost Recon games is a welcome change, as playing like a military-themed Grand Theft Auto or Watch Dogs is a blast. The in-game version of Bolivia is enormous and Santa Blanca is a large organization, so players will be spending a lot of time exploring the beautiful scenery in their hunt for El Sueño. The action-packed gameplay and well-developed story make the time in Bolivia enjoyable, and the freedom to play solo or cooperatively through campaign caters to anyone's preferred social level in gaming. Wildlands might not be what longtime fans were hoping for from a new Ghost Recon, but putting expectations aside, Wildlands is not a game to miss.

• PC
• 2 / 5
• États-Unis

With frustrating tech, unappealing appearance and a lack of quality of life streamlining, Torment: Tides of Numenera might actually be my biggest gaming-related disappointment since I bought an Atari Jaguar. Some of the complaints mentioned here, especially exploration (wrongly as load times weren't this bad), could be leveled at Planescape: Torment, but many years have gone by with many new ideas to make gaming experiences more engrossing. To throw these out wholesale does a disservice to the modern gamer. Additionally, Tides of Numenera manages to find some brand new ways to be obnoxious. I've waited for patches and gave this game an inordinate amount of chances to no avail. If the writing weren't so well done, I would be okay with giving it a low score alongside a few wisecracks and forget about it. Because inXile is telling a story that demands to be seen through but made it so tiresome to do so, I cannot help but feel a frothy, incandescent rage. This could, nay should, be so much better.

• 3DS
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Fans of this series have absolutely no reason to ignore Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns. It continues to improve upon the Bokujo Monogatari formula in smart ways as well as retain the core concepts which fans love. Those who really need to take a look at this game are those who have for whatever reason never played one in the past. Or perhaps they’ve played one of the last few Harvest Moon games from Natsume. If you found any enjoyment with those titles then you’ll absolutely want to jump on the Story of Seasons bandwagon. With an outrageous amount of content, tons of characters and freedom to manage your farm as you see fit, few will be able to resist the allure of Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Ys Origin is over a decade old and holds up well despite showing its age. It’s not a lengthy game and a single playthrough will only take roughly ten hours, though if one were to want to see the full story with every character, its brevity makes that much more feasible. Being as this is a dungeon crawler centered around climbing a massive tower, the short length makes it just long enough to feel like it is a complete game without overstaying its welcome. Even on easy, the boss fights won’t hand over a victory without a fight, and the nightmare difficulty will challenge even the most seasoned Ys veteran. While this is a fun game and should be played by all Ys fans, I would be more inclined to recommend it to people who are already fans of the franchise. Newcomers to Ys will still likely enjoy this, but The Oath in Felghana or Memories of Celceta may be better entry points besides the obvious Ys I & II. Currently it is only available on the PlayStation 4 with a PlayStation Vita version coming May 30.

• PS4
• 4.5 / 5
• États-Unis

There are so many reasons to pick up Berserk and the Band of the Hawk. Fans of the series will get a chance to play through their favorite battles and see supporting characters get some additional fleshing out. Musou fans will be able to experience one of the most fully-realized series entries that captures the essence of what makes them great, all while telling a top-notch story. People who have never experienced either will be able to check out one of the most grisly titles to hit the market rendered in an accessible, entertaining way. The lack of multiplayer holds Berserk and the Band of the Hawk back from being the greatest Omega Force title, but players who are okay with this will find an experience that both captures the soul of the source material as well as one of the purest, most hyperviolent, titles to hit the market.

• PS4
• 4 / 5
• États-Unis

Even if our first follow-up to one of the most legendary games ever made is a more relatively small-scale PlayStation VR game, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is still an absolute treat indeed, and a must-play for anyone who owns the peripheral. It may be a bit of a quick journey, but the gleefully mad yet beautiful world, fun gameplay, and the return of some truly lovable characters and their witty dialogue makes it a journey you won't forget anytime soon (especially with the final section of the game, which will blow your mind in more than a few ways, pun semi-intended). Welcome back, Raz. We've missed you, and you came back with one damn fine game indeed. Now bring on Psychonauts 2 next year!