Mikau94

As someone who loved the original game as well as point and click adventure games, The Fall Unbound falls flat. Being able to switch between 3 unique characters kept things interesting. However, the puzzles are obtuse. Far too often I found myself clicking around every environment to figure out where to go next; even when I finally figured out what item to use Idisnt have an “ah-hah!” moment; my reaction was often, “How in the world was I supposed to figure that out?”. Remember this is coming from someone who loves Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle and Thimbleweed park. On a few occasions I had to look up guides because I was so stuck. This problem is only exasperated later in the game when your companions are forced to work together and you need to inspect objects us the correct companion. It works but you’ll often feel cheated because you inspected the correct object with the wrong character. This is only made worse h the extremely dark environments where objects and context clues can easily be missed. The combat is some of the worst I’ve seen in years. There are two forms of combat, both of which evolve overtime but unsatisfying ways. Arid’s combat in particular is chore and very clunky on console. Thankfully combat is not the focus and the difficult can be changed if your like me and just wanted to get it over with and get onto the story. The final nail in the coffin is that this game sets up a 3rd game that will never be released. I was really enjoying the last 10-15 minutes of the game (minus the combat) as we saw character development. I really wish Over The Moon would have ended things after the first game as this one has sullied my view the franchise.

I absolutely loved Astro’sPlayroom and actually Platinum got its Platinum trophy, which is extremely rare for me. I had high hopes for Astro Bot and it has not disappointed; it’s just fun! Astro Bot shines because it focuses on stellar gameplay and charm. The controls are ridiculously tight and responsive which is critical for 3D platformers; another thing that it does well that many similar games struggle with is the camera. In my 10 hour play though I had one instance where to had to fight with the camera, but a quick flick or the right stick got me right back in the game. Even if you aren’t a diehard Sony/PlaystStation fan you're sure to enjoy the Easter eggs that are everywhere. Another highlight of the game is that after you a boss you get a special level where you’re given unique abilities; these are some of my favorite levels and pay homage to beloved Sony IPs. The way the game utilizes the Dualsense controller is great; whether it’s raining or you’re walking though a pile of gold coins the controller will vibrate to give an added level of immersion. Astro Bot also uses the controllers motion controls for great effect. while motion controls are 100% necessary for this game they always felt like they added to the experience as opposed to being tacked on like we saw with many Wii games. Overall, I can easily recommend this game to anyone.

Ring Fit Adventure has been surprisingly fun. I've seen the comparison to Wii Fit but this leaps and bounds better. There is actual motivation to keep working out and come back for more. The beginning is a bit slow and repetitive but it starts hit its strides after an hour and a half. Very fun gameplay. I'm excited to see what else this game brings.

Haters gonna hate. This is an amazing game period. It stays loyal enough to the franchise not to isolate the existing fanbase but does enough differently to be fresh and relevant. I haven't felt this excited about a Zelda game in a long time. Fans and newcomers alike will love it.

Resident Evil 7 is a truly terrifying experience with a few interesting flaws. I want to address the claims of nauseous while playing first. As someone who has played 1000s of games from Atari to PS4 I have never felt this sick while playing a game until I played Resident Evil Biohazard, I was playing on a regular HDTV and I had to take breaks every 1 - 1.5 hours because I would get terrible headaches and some nauseousness. I found that playing with the lights on reduced this dramatically but It's more fun to play games like this in the dark. The atmosphere and sense of dread were amazing and the mystery kept me coming back. Unlike many modern survival horror games, RE:7 didn't rely on jump scares and loud noises to startle the player. The atmosphere, in general. was unnerving and gorgeous. The sound design especially was on point; from subtle background noises to the score itself, RE:7 was on point. The visuals were very good, especially the characters models, but there were a few times that textures would get muddy upon close inspection. This seems a little strange as this franchise is known for making the player look through everything in detail. I found the setting the game in the Louisiana bayou to be a fresh change of pace that allowed for new and interesting environments. Without going into spoilers there are more areas than what are seen in the trailer and a few in particular were new and unique. Capcom used a few awesome new story-telling method such as interactive VHS tapes. These tapes found around the game are used to give insight into the past and depravity of the Baker family. Upon inserting the tape you take control of the individual holding the camera. These are particularly engaging and fascinating as they allow you to explore the same areas long before the events of the game. This leads to some fun puzzle solving and rewards if you paid attention. When it comes to combat it feels pretty good. The gunplay isn't perfect but it's not unfair. I was glad to see that Capcom when with a RE:5 style of shooting instead of something more akin to Resident Evil 4. The ability to move while looking down the scope in RE:4 felt unintuitive to me. The enemies aren't extremely varied. You have a handful of typical grunts and then you have the main characters/bosses. The first two, in particular, reminded me of nemesis which really put me on edge. Irritatingly, the final boss was far too easy. This game does deviate from the tried and true and that's why it shines in my opinion. Sure, you still have item boxes, standard inventory management, and some overused horror tropes but this game but it stands on its own as an amazing game. Just don't expect to be forced to backtrack through the same area 7 times because the developers thought it would be fun to include one-way doors near critical locations (I'm looking at you Resident Evil 1 & 2). There's decent replay value if you are looking to find all the collectibles and optional weapons. There are even multiple endings and a free story add-on that will come as DLC in Spring. The first person POV and chilling atmosphere make this a terrifying game and I applaud Capcom for trying something new with a well-loved series. This was was Resident Evil needed and I loved it. Biohazard might be the new best game in the franchise.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a breathtaking game that more people need to experience. The plot and sense of scale created by the NPCs is astounding even by 2015's standards. The music and visuals are beautiful and the controls are very easy to use most of the time. While there are fewer dungeons this time around there are a lot more sidequest and these really bring the game to life; everyone has a schedule that they follow, creating a more dynamic characters that you truly want to save. The time mechanic is probably the mot controversial part of both versions of Majora's Mask. There is an in game timer that gives you 3 days to save the world. At the end of the three days, you must travel back in time to keeping the world from ending. Some say this mechanic harms the game as the player feels rushed but I think that it works well. The ability to slow down and speed up time make this a non-issue. Change have been made to the game and most of them are for the better. Everything looks and sounds better and the save system allows players to save more often now. There are more save points and can reload from an owl statue as many times as they want now. Some heart pieces and bottles have changed locations. I thought that this would be annoying but I enjoyed finding everything again. While I was confused by some changes such as the location of the bank and the complete revamping of the Gyorg section on the moon. The change that I didn't like was the bosses; each one now has a ridiculous massive eyeball for Link to attack and Gyorg and Twinmold have changed drastically. If it wasn't for the boss changes I would have given this game a 10/10. Whether you have or haven't played Majora's Mask, you should give it try.

Shovel Knight took what the gaming industry has learned about platforming over 30 years and created a game that is sure to please. The pixelated graphics are charming yet not overly simplistic relative to the time that the game is paying homage to. The 3D graphics look good and polished. The midi style music is different in each area and many are really catchy. The controls are precise; it plays much like Megaman or Castlevania but the controls are responsive and far from clunky. Jumping off a ledge and onto a small moving platform requires little thought after a while as you always feel in control of your character. Granted, some players may not be used to the strange bouncing effect from landing a blow on an enemies/object below them, but the mechanic works great and it is very reminiscent of Scrooge's cane from Duck Tales. Difficult spikes appear from time to time, but since you can upgrade your health and magic with treasure, most players who get stuck can replay a level to earn its spoils, level up and continue on. The game was a little more difficult that I am used to this day and age but I loved that it challenged me. Oftentimes the player can choose from 2 - 4 different levels to try in any order. This can often help with difficult areas. The story is simple but it keeps the game flowing. The colorful and varied characters all bring the world of shovel knight to life. The towns even remind me of those seen in Zelda 2. Shovel Knight has taken great inspiration from Megaman, Castlevania, Duck Tales, Zelda and many other franchises and yet the game still feels fresh. There are more than enough new idea to keep it from seeming like a clone or ripoff of another game. Don't listen to the haters, this is a game that you have to pick up.

NES Remix Pack takes all of the material from both NES Remix and NES Remix 2 and places them on one disc. All of the original content still exists but now you can own a physical copy. The game is centered around completing challenges from 25+ original Nintendo titles. These challenges may be anything from completely a task in limited time, collecting X number of items or trying to control multiple characters at once. Some of the games such as The Legend of Zelda let you play through most of the key moments in the game via challenges. Admittedly, if you have played/beaten a particular game before, it may seem easy or even a bit boring but you are sure to find some levels that really stump you in a classic old-school Nintendo fashion. The game really shines in its remix mode where you play new levels which are often mash-ups of multiple NES games (ie play through of section of Super Mario Bros as Kirby.) NES Remix 2, albeit shorter than its predecessor, has multiplayer capabilities which I have yet to try but it also has Super Luigi bros which is funky twist on the original Super Mario Bros which will challenge anyone whether they played the original or not. There is also Championship mode which pays homage to the 1990 Nintendo World Championship. The game is highly polished and plays just like you would expect it to. The lack of leaderboards is a bummer but we may see them in a later update. If you have any interest in the game, you might as well pick it up because it feels like a steal at $30.

Hyrule Warriors isn’t your typical Zelda game but it fantastic fun for none-the-less. The game removes the dungeon crawling and puzzles in favor of real time strategy battles between two or more warring parties. The game plays like any other game in the Warriors franchise but it still stay true to its Zelda roots. In each “scenario” the player can choose from a variety of playable characters (many familiar faces but a few new ones as well) and you will play on iconic Zelda locations from multiple games. In each battle you play as a one-man army who takes on thousands of enemy soldiers in order to wipe out the enemy army or keep them from advancing. You will play as an overpowered character but the sheer number of enemies keeps the game from getting too easy. The main quest or “Legends mode” will probably last 8-12 hours depending on which difficulty you choose and if you are playing single or multiplayer. There is also a challenge mode as well as Adventure mode where you make your way across the map from the original Legend of Zelda completing all sorts of challenges. The combat here is the same as the main game but you can earn a ton of extra weapons and upgrades by doing well in each level. Adventure mode has a huge variety of difficulties and all sorts of different challenges; I’ve been playing Adventure mode for 10 hours now and I still have a ton to do. There is also an awesome system for getting new combos, better defense, creating/upgrading weapons and leveling up low level characters using rupees you find in the game. The game keeps this balanced by not allowing you to level up any character to a rank that is higher than your highest level character. The game looks good on the Wii U but its graphics suffer when you play using the screen on the gamepad. If you are playing with 2 people, one person will have to use the gamepad while the other uses a Wiimote and Nunchuck or Wii U Pro Controllers (Sorry, no classic controllers). I rarely had issues with lag or framerate drops co-op like others have mentioned. The music is excellent! Most of the time the score consists of revamped music from the main Zelda series and it fits the game really well. The game has 3 difficulty levels right from the start which do a good job of making the game enjoyable for everyone. Upon complete Legends mode a harder difficulty will be added. The game controls well and everything responds the way you expect it to. My main concern with Hyrule Warriors is the fairly easy and overused bosses and the gameplay which can get repetitive. There was also a $20 day one DLC pack. Even if you buy the DLC you will get it periodically instead of all at once. While this does increase the longevity of the game, day one DLC just turns me off. There was also a $8 Master Quest DLC but you get it all at once and it gives you some new story level and gives you whole new adventure mode map. This is a must have for Wii U owners especially if you are a Zelda fan.

Even after 13 years after its 1998 release Ocarina of Time is still legendary. First off, the controls were the best back then and even now they hold up to today's high standards. One part of the control scheme that made the game play so smooth was the intuitive Lock-on system. This may seem like it would make Ocarina of Time a snap, but there is still a great difficulty level. The graphics were great then, but now they look very crisp and bright. Unfortunately I can't say how the 3D effect is as I can't see it. One of the best things about the Ocarina of Time is the story. It seems simple and to the point, but it is riddled with plot twists that keep you coming back for more. One aspect of video games that many overlook is the music. Ocarina of Time has one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard. And the variety of music styles is amazing! There aren't just one or two great tracks, every soundtrack is unique and great. Overall, this is the best game I have ever played as it is the perfect mix of action, puzzles and story. If you call **** you need to play some version of this game.

Even after 13 years after its 1998 release Ocarina of Time is still legendary. First off, the controls were the best back then and even now they hold up to today's high standards. One part of the control scheme that made the game play so smooth was the intuitive Lock-on system. This may seem like it would make Ocarina of Time a snap, but there is still a great difficulty level. The graphics aren't up to par with today's standards but they aren't bad at all as the graphics were ahead of their time. One of the best things about the Ocarina of Time is the story. It seems simple and to the point, but it is riddled with plot twists that keep you coming back for more. One aspect of video games that many overlook is the music. Ocarina of Time has one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard. And the variety of music styles is amazing! There aren't just one or two great tracks, every soundtrack is unique and great. Overall, this is the best game I have ever played.