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#DashReviews Release Date: 10/2/2020 Completed Game: 10/6/2020 Played Game Time: 50+ Hours Currently at 80% Completion Intro Crash Bandicoot 4 sets out to reestablish the old style of Crash games while throwing out the past 21 years of subpar attempts made by other studios after the original 3 games launched. Toys for Bob, the developers behind 2018’s Spyro: Reignited Trilogy and 2011’s Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, try their hand at continuing Crash’s legacy in a way that feels like no other game came after the 3rd installment until now. Building off Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy was a must here but since that was made by Vicarious Visions, I was a bit worried that this game might falter in a few areas, and unfortunately it does. Story/World Building – 3/3 If there is one area that this game excels in, it’s the amazing cartoony cut scenes. A fun story with great voice acting and entertaining visuals. Voice acting withing levels can get a bit grating if you have to repeat a level over and over but VA audio can be muted for such an occasion. For a more casual playthrough, the story makes the game all the more special even though you need to 100% the game to see every scene within the game. The story is not the primary focus but the cartoony nature of this game lends its way to an overall fun experience. Gameplay – 3/4 Toys for Bob make this platformer worth the full 60 dollar price tag due to the amount of content within the game. Regular levels can be replayed inverted, special optional levels with different characters, videotapes to collect, and play through. So much replay value is bundled with this game that it will easily take you 50+ hours to 106% the game and see everything. This does lead to an issue where levels can feel a bit overstuffed. Special character sections can lead to some frustration like Tawna grappling hook not locking on to an object properly or Neo Cortex missing a platform due to weird hover physics. Crash plays like his normal self, just like in the original 3 games so no complaint about him. I love that this game has high replayability but levels that have boxes that are way too hidden or have too high of difficulty spikes to 100% clear can be annoying. N. Sane Trilogy had a pretty fair balance between fun and difficultly minus a few levels but Crash 4 is easily the hard game in the series, almost to an unfair degree in the later levels. It’s still a fun Crash game but most will have a struggle getting to 106% completion due to buggy special characters and high difficulty spikes. Technical – 2/3 This game can be buggy at times like the aforementioned grappling hook but works most of the time when playing as Crash. The cartoony style is fully realized and makes this game look beautiful. Framerates can be an issue with some levels dropping it to as low as 20 FPS and inverted levels shooting up to 60 FPS due to minimal style filters applied to these levels. Music through is serviceable but nothing that reaches the heights of the first 3 games. Nothing too game-breaking but issues arise here and there. Verdict Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a great first attempt for Toys for Bob. They almost stick the landing with great visuals, a fun story, and serviceable gameplay that almost reaches the heights of the originals. Difficult spikes and a few character glitches can be annoying and lead to some frustrating moments but if you’re willing to power through that, there is a lot of fun to be had.

#DashReviews Short Review Release Date: 7/16/2020 Completed Game: 7/17/2020 Played Game Time: 12 Hours A great rouge lite first-person shooter that’s also a great extension within the superhot universe. A pretty good amount of content and difficulty. Levels are reused in some areas which can make the game get stale a bit faster than it should but does not take away from the overall experience. Looks great, controls great, and sounds great. If you’re a fan of Superhot or great FPS games, pick this game up as soon as you can.

#DashReviews Short Review Release Date: 6/23/2020 Completed Game: 6/26/2020 Played Game Time: 10 Hours A pretty bland story even for a standard episode of SpongeBob. Good voice acting when the original TV show cast gets to shine. Replacement VA are less than stellar. A fun platformer that has many of the control and gameplay glitches that were present in the 2003 original. Lots of technical issues and graphics could be a bit more polished despite the cartoon aspect that it needs to maintain. Looks passable but not the best it could be. Fans of the original looking for nostalgia will like it but this is a skippable outing in the SpongeBob universe due to how mediocre it is.

#DashReviews Short Review Release Date: 8/4/2020 Completed Game: N/A Played Game Time: 50 - 70 Hours A fun platforming battle royal game that flips the genre so much on its head, that it was a breakout success the second the game came out. Moving and jumping works for the most part. Jumping can feel delayed at times and can make for some frustrating moments. A few glitches here and there but nothing too bad to keep you from coming back to playing again and again. The only thing that might detract from the experience is how repetitive the maps get after only play for a few hours. Hopefully, future updates will help with that complaint.

#DashReviews Release Date: 7/17/2020 Completed Game: 7/26/2020 Played Game Time: 70 Hours Spoiler-Free Review Intro From the developer behind Sly Cooper and Infamous franchise comes an unusual departure from the status quo that **** Punch Studios is normally accustomed to. A historic fiction game about samurai overcoming the Mongol empire. Samurai games are nothing new to the world of video games but ever since its announcement, I hoped that **** Punch could put enough of their own spin on the genre to make something truly special. To my surprise, **** Punch has succeeded in most areas that would make this game a hit. Story – 3/3 Jin Sakai, the main protagonist, is tasked to take out a new threat as the Mongols grow ever more brutal. Most of Jin’s closest allies are taken out within minutes, leaving him as one of the last of his kind. Conflicted on whether he should defeat this new threat with honorable samurai tactics or using more questionable methods. It’s an entertaining story about the inner conflict within Jin Sakai and the sacrifices that he might have to make to save his people. Normally most stories within a Feudal Japan era never keep my interested but I was on the edge of my seat for all of the 20-hour adventure. If you’re in it for the story, this is a must-play adventure. Gameplay – 3/4 This is your standard hack and slash affair or so it seems when you first start out. The game consists of having buttons for light and heavy attacks along with blocking/parry moves. The real fun is when learning on how to weave different stances together to make Jin truly unstoppable. Each stance can be switched on the fly and each one is super effective on one particular enemy. Even on hard difficulties, this game feels balanced as it will only kick your ass if you have no clue on how to use the systems put in place. Open world exploration is the best I have seen in any game due to the natural ways you can discover things within the world. Winds blowing in the direction of your objective, foxes and birds guiding you to secrets within the world. You get a sense of how beautiful this world can be and shows you some more peaceful moments before the chaos happens. The only thing I had an issue with was the smaller side missions. There are 3 types of missions, story missions, characters side missions, and regular side missions. The character side missions are a lot of fun as they expand on characters within the main story and give them more to do but regular side missions were bland. The game's full run time of 60 to 70 hours was stretch a bit thin if you’re going to 100% completion. Ghost of Tsushima is still fun in the gameplay department, just expect for it to get a bit bland near the ended mark. Technical – 2/3 The graphics are pretty good. On the level of 2017’s Horizon: Zero Dawn when comparing it to another open-world game. Glitches happen every now again like attacks phasing through enemies or QTE showdowns getting stuck by enemies walking away instead of staying in place. Music is really good but nothing I would seek out after playing the game. Its pretty polish and on the level you would expect from a Sony first-party title. Verdict Ghost of Tsushima is an amazing samurai game that gets so close to masterpiece status. An engaging story, interesting gameplay mechanics, and amazing open-world design greatly overpower small problems like lackluster side missions and small technical hiccups. This is a must-buy if you own a PS4 as this game will go down as the perfect send-off for AAA games on the PS4.

Completed Game: 6/23/2020 Played Game Time: 35 Hours Spoiler-Free Review Intro The Last of Us Part II is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2013 masterpiece that throws our main cast of character into an unexpected turn of events. Due to the controversy surrounding the game narrative, and my own conflicting feelings after completing the game, The Last of Us Part II will surely be talked about for a while, for better or for worse. Story/World Building - 1/3 I am normally a huge fan of Naughty Dog’s narrative, but the story in Part II is lackluster at best and hilariously funny at worse. New characters are poorly written and many are not given enough screen time making most characters like Dina, Jesse, or [REDACTED SPOILER] feel lifeless and inconsequential to the plot. Consider how the game stretches its thin and basic plot to almost 30 hours, you would think we would spend more time to learn about these new characters, but most screen time is taken up in the second half by [REDACTED SPOILER]. Most of the game’s plot felt like filler as it tries to poorly tell a story about the cycle of revenge, stooping characters down to basic character traits to fit the story narrative. There are a few heartwarming scenes from time to time that will make fans of the original happy, but once the game is going on to the second half, it goes downhill from there. If you’re planning to play Part II for its story, you might want to wait for a heavy discount before doing so. Gameplay – 3/4 The great combat from the original is back and better than ever. Bigger landscapes give way for more tactical options. New weapons and crafting options help in providing varied gameplay scenarios that can be tackled in a multitude of ways. Everything works as expected besides the few technical hiccups. AI can be dumb at times or a stray bullet may go through a wall and kill you. It’s nothing that bad unless you’re playing on the hardest difficulty. The only downside besides the minor glitches is the lack of a multiplayer. The campaign is lengthy enough and can even drag on due to it’s over winded story, but the gameplay is still as intense and frantic as the original. Technical/Performance – 2/3 Graphics are some of the best looking on the PS4 console. Technical hiccups still happen occasionally, as stated in the gameplay segment. Harder difficulties can make problems worse and at times can lead to the game feeling less polished than the original. The soundtrack is pretty good, a little less memorable than the first. Overall, it’s still close to a technical masterpiece but looks don’t make up for a lackluster story. Verdict The Last of Us Part II is a game of disappointing lows and really spectacular highs. It’s everything you wanted from the sequel and everything you did not want all at the same time. I want to like this game but the boring, elongated story is just painful enough to make it a slog to get through even with great gameplay. If you’re a fan of the original, you might want to wait for a price drop, as there are some scenes still worth seeing, but for those not the invested in this series, this might be a hard skip.

#DashReviews Trover Saves the Universe is a 3D platforming hack and slash game made by the co-creator of Rick and Morty. With a few smaller games under his belt, this is the studios first full-length game. Borrowing heavily from the Rick and Morty style and improve humor, will this game fall under the shadow of the successfully TV show or does this game have charm of its own? You play as two characters throughout this adventure, a chairopian, a creature that just sits around and has a controller (the self-insert player character) that’s got his dogs stolen by a weird bird creature named, Glorton that wants to stick the dogs in his eyeholes to make him all powerful. The chairopian has the job of controlling the eyehole monster named Trover, he is forced to help you get your dog’s back to save the universe. Roll credits. It’s a weird story that mostly told through improv humor. There are certainly some funny moments throughout the story but some characters and situations can get annoying and grating in a few parts. Some jokes are repeated over and over again and some are just straight up crude and vulgar without having any joke to support it. There a lot to love about Justin Roiland’s humor but a bit more variety in the jokes and a tighter script might have helped the story. The gameplay is one of the most fun aspects of Trover, especially when experienced in VR. The hack and slash and platforming mechanics are as simple as they come but they work well and there is a lot of fun to be had mowing down the many Rick voiced enemies and exploring the landscape. There are a few more complex mechanics near the end like throwing items to help Trover or heavy swing attacks, I just wish they did not wait ‘til the last few hours to put these things in the game. Enemies get repetitive around this time as well since the new attacks near the end are underutilized. This is remedied by the VR and how you play in this style but non-VR player will likely get bored of this game faster. There is free DLC coming soon to this game so hopefully, it will use the new attacks to its full advantage later. After you beat the story mode, there is not much in the way of replay value other than getting all the collectibles, another good distraction if you are playing a VR and want to see everything. It’s a solid 8-hour experience but it's lacking in variety and could have been a bit longer if said variety was put in. The game's world is really cartoony and fun to look at. It looks great graphically and runs at a smooth frame rate with no technical issues. There are short load screens that only appear once in a blue moon. The soundtrack is mediocre, most songs don’t stand out. There's not much more to say other than this game runs great. Trover Saves the Universe is a great starting point for Justin Roiland’s game studio. It has many fun ideas and concept with the only problem is that some of these ideas are not fully realized (unless that’s for the free DLC). Some humor is repetitive and stale but there are many great moments too. The base game can be a bit too simple and boring without the help of VR. If you plan to buy this game, I only recommend this game to those who like Justin Roiland’s humor and have a VR headset. If this sounds like a game for you, you can’t go wrong since the game is only priced at $30. Without VR I would give this game a 6/10, slightly above average but with VR it’s an easy 7/10. Pros: +Fun World to Explore +VR exploration and combat +Funny story moments +$30 Price Point +Free DLC Cons: -Repetitive and Vulgar With No Context Humor -State game without VR -Lack of Enemy Variety - Weapons are underutilized

#DashReview Persona Q2 is the turn-based RPG with first-person dungeon crawler and mapmaking. This latest installment crossover character with Persona 3, 4 and 5. Being one of the last games 3DS and being from the critically acclaimed series, will Persona Q2 live up to the legacy of the series or has this franchise had too many installments in the past few years? The Phantom Thieves from Persona 5, go on a mission to Mementos which takes a turn for the worst as they soon find out they are stuck in a mysterious movie theater with no way out. While trying to escape by going into different movies and changing them, they also run into other persona users trying to escape. (From Persona 3 and 4). It’s a pretty simple story that severs its purpose of being fan service for anyone that has played all 3 of the current mainline games. Some characters are stripped of their personality for the sake of a joke sometimes like in Persona Q1 but these moments are few and far between and don’t bog down the script like in the previous game. The script is serviceable but I felt that the pacing, especially in the latter half of this 80-hour game, dragged on and it became boring in parts. There a lot to like about the story in this game regardless if you played all 3 games or not but sticking through the whole affair might be hard for some. Turn-based combat is something that most games just can’t make interesting but the Persona series continues to keep players engaged with multiple ways to tackle situations by switching Personas or through the cast of 28 characters. The visuals of things like all-out attacks and union attacks also help to make for some fun moment due to certain attacks like a character cross-dressing for an all-girl attack or someone getting stuck at the wheel of a car and running over an enemy. In-between combat, you’ll explore labyrinth that you have to map out on the touch screen which adds some strategy to the game. There’s also fun side missions where you see more character interactions outside of the main story. While all of this is great, there not much to do outside of this combat and it did get a bit stale in the latter half. The first half is the best part of this game but just like the story, it drags on due to artificial game lengthier that are added to the 3rd and 4th parts of the game. The 3rd part having bullet sponge robots that makes the part a bit longer then it needed to be. Most levels follow the formula of having 4 acts followed by a boss but the 4th part has 6 acts and 2 boss floors. This stops the story right in its tracks and due to the length, you end up fighting the same enemies over and over for 10 to 15 hours of the run time. I thought the 4th part was the end of the game but there is a 5th and final part that was normal length again, so I don’t understand why the 4th part was so long. If you’re willing to get past the overly long 4th part, the other parts are pretty good. Gameplay severs its purpose for a Persona game but filler hurts the experience. The game looks great and union attacks steal the show when it comes to what you can graphically pull off on the 3DS. The soundtrack is amazing. New and old tracks are great. Nothing forgettable at all about this OST. A few framerate slowdowns but only in graphically intense scenes, nothing that takes away from the game. Persona Q2 is a good RPG for fans of the series and a great 3DS sendoff but newcomers might want to start somewhere else. The slow pace and the abundance of Persona references will put off some people. Even fans of the series might need to be a bit patient with a dull 4th part and bullet sponges in the 3rd part. Underneath the problems this game has, there is still some fun to be had with the multiple characters of this series and the excellently executed first half and finale of the game. Pros: +Fun Crossover Story +Amazing Presentation +Great Soundtrack +Almost Flawless First Half Cons: -Too Much Game Padding in Later Half -Needs More to Do Outside Of Combat

#DashReviews After 7 years without a proper sequel in the mainline series of games, two spin-offs and a whole lot of drama with Gearbox Studios, the 3rd installment in the mainline Borderlands games is here. Following in the footsteps of the previous two entries, this game tries to feel familiar while also trying to change up its formula just enough to make a game that feels right at home on current-gen consoles. Succeeding in some areas and fail in others. The story picks up right where Borderlands 2 left off, the main cast of characters finds a map that leads to multiple vaults hidden throughout the galaxy. The map gets misplaced between the events of Borderlands 2 and 3 and ends up the hands of the Calypso Twins, the main antagonists of the game and the leaders of the cult group, Children of the Vault. Throughout the adventure you play as a new group of vault hunters, trying to take down the cult and stop the twins from getting to the vaults. The Borderlands stories have always had an extensive amount of lore behind them. This story is no different but there is one key element missing, comedy. Everything from the main characters to the villains in the main story are not that funny. Some of the best moment of writing come from the side missions, which had me laughing out loud at some points. The most disappointing part of all this is the Calypso Twins, who can’t hold a candle compared to the previous villain, Handsome Jack. Most of their humor consisting of them being “YouTube” stars. Most new character introduced in this new installment are pretty forgettable in compared to the mainstays of the series. Story-wise, this continuation of events that happened in this game are pretty disappointing to say the least, especially after a lackluster ending that sets up one of the new forgettable characters for a bigger role in the future and completely sidelining many characters that longtime fans would rather see. As far as gameplay goes, it’s almost identical to Borderlands 2 and that’s not a bad thing. The first person shooting mechanics are as satisfying as ever. The 4 new vault hunters help add some more variety in the gameplay with unique abilities like summoning a pet or using a mech in battle. Skill trees are the most varied they have ever been in the series, with certain equipable abilities that you can unlock by getting further in the tree. A.I. enemies are pretty smart, hiding behind cover and using any maneuvers they can to kill you, making for a game that can be quite punishing in a good kind of way. This punishment does not go unrewarded as the game is throwing you new weapons left and right, keeping player incentivized to continue playing long after the credits roll. Gameplay-wise, this is the best in the series. Borderlands fans and newcomers alike will have hundreds of hours of fun to find here with more coming on the way thanks to free and paid expansions. On the technical side of things, this game can be a buggy mess at times. Framerates coming down to a crawl when opening menus, players and A.I. getting stuck in walls or flying across the map. Very few are game-breaking but most will be annoying like restarting a mission because you’re not able to click the “talk” button to a character. These issues are still present 3 weeks after the launch of the title. Besides that, graphics and presentation look nice and detailed especially for its cell-shaded look. The soundtrack is pretty incredible, one of the highlights from the whole series. Technical problems bring this title down a bit but nothing that outright ruins the game. Borderlands 3 can a fun and enjoyable time for fans of the series if they're looking for fun gameplay and don’t really care about story or lore. Despite a lackluster story and technical problems, there is still fun to be had. If you are new to the series, I would start elsewhere. Borderlands 2 might be a better starting point due to its great story and funnier moments. Borderlands 3 does not feel like a game 7 years in the making but it just passable enough to be a proper installment in the series. Pros: +Tight Gameplay +Gameplay Variety +Smart A.I. and Difficulty + Great Soundtrack Cons: -Lackluster Story and Villain’s -Technical Problems

#DashReviews One of the most famous and well-received games on the Gameboy is back with a complete remake on Nintendo Switch. From updated graphics to the new quality of life changes to the gameplay, does Link’s Awakening (2019) live up to the original or does it take too many missteps along the way? Link is sailing across uncharted waters when suddenly his raft is struck by lightning and he wakes up on a mysterious island with a giant egg in the center of it. He meets Marin, a young girl who lives on the island tells Link about the legend of the Wind Fish and how awakening this creature might help him escape the island. Much like the original game, the story is simple and to the point. The new setting that Link finds himself in is very different and almost dream-like compared to other games in the franchise While most of the story is told at the beginning and end of the adventure, there are many small interactions between well-written characters and even touching moments within these interactions. Don’t expect this to be a grand adventure like in previous titles since its story is more like a peaceful and calm dream, which ties heavily into the game’s theme and atmosphere. The story is a fun, bite-sized adventure in the world of The Legend of Zelda. The gameplay is very similar to past entries that deal with the top-down perspective approach. You go through the world, trying to find dungeons and then solving the mysterious within to get one step closer to your goal of awakening the Wind Fish. This game truly harkens back to the Gameboy days, since you are not given many hints when solving puzzles and I got stumped at least once or twice throughout my 15-hour playthrough. It feels satisfying solving the puzzles and getting to the next part of the game. There was never a time I felt frustrated at any point in the game. The whole experience was nothing but fun from beginning to end. With that said, veterans that played the original might not find much challenge if they remember the solutions due to all puzzles being the same. If I had any nitpick it would be that switching items can be a bit of a pain since you have to contently swap items in a pause menu. It would be nice if they gave the option to swap items using the d-pad instead. A slight annoyance but nothing too major. The only new addition to the game is a dungeon creator but this mode is a little bare bones. You have to collect room pieces throughout the campaign and these pieces can be arranged in any order to make a dungeon. With very limited tools to create with and a lack of online sharing, I could see this being nothing more than a fun little distraction from the main story that you might fiddle with once and never again. Despite these flaws, this does not take away from the incredible light-hearted adventure. This is not one of the most technically impressive games on the Switch but it does not try to be. The game tries to capture the feeling of playing a Gameboy game with modern HD graphics that we would expect from this console. It runs at a consistent 30 FPS but due to the simple graphics, I’m surprised it does not run at a full 60 FPS. This is combined with the fact that the open world does not look as good as it should due to weird draw distances that make the bottom of the screen blurry when traversing any open landscape. The rest of the game does not have this issue so it’s weird to see such a thing on a simplistic game. The soundtrack is amazing and perfectly captures the essence of a small game like this. I think this game needs a bit of polish on the technical side of things but these small flaws are something you will get used to throughout the course of the game. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) reminds me why the original Zelda games are such classics and why there is still a place for them next to bigger endeavors like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game has minor presentation issues and some more quality of life mechanics could have been added but this is still a solid game. This game is worth 60 dollars despite its short run time due to the time and effort that was put in this remake. If you’re not a huge Zelda fan, you could wait for a discount but I would recommend a purchase as soon as you get the chance. Pros: +Simple and Fun Story +Great Exploration and Puzzles +Great Soundtrack Con -Minor Technical Issues

#DashReviews 3 years after the Kojima-Konami split up, the first game from Hideo Kojima’s new production studio has finally released. While I would classify the game as a third-person action/adventure game, the game’s director classifies it as a new genre called – “Strand”. With some people calling this game a glorified walking simulator and some saying it’s one of the greatest games of all time, where does this game truly lie? The story starts off with you playing as a delivery man named Sam Porter Bridges, who is played by Norman Reedus. Sam must deliver cargo to sectioned-off regions of a post-apocalyptic United States due to the unknown threats of the supernatural event known as the Death Stranding. Sam is then tasked to connect all of America to a collective network to save everyone. Sam is given a BB unit to help him with this task, a baby in a jar that can detect BT’s, which is just this game's version of ghosts. Honestly, I could spend all day just talking about the beginning of the game and all the terminology but that where Death Stranding story gets a lot of its charm. The story is engaging from beginning to end thanks to creative storytelling and a wonderful cast of actors that bring this world and story to life. The ending is one of the emotional and heartfelt rollercoasters I have witnessed this generation. If you are coming to Death Stranding for its story, you will not be disappointed. The gameplay is trickier to talk about. Is it a walking simulator? – Yes and No. The first few hours can be sluggish as all you will do is walk packages from one location to another. This may turn some off from the game, but later portions start to pick up the pace. After the 3rd episode in the game, you are able to craft useful structures, signs, weapons, and vehicles that can help you or other players advance in the story. These structures can be given likes so you can see how many people found what you built and how useful it was to them. This sense of community and how you help each other progress is a big part of the game. There are 3rd person shooting segments every now and again, but that's not the primary focus of the game. It’s a game that some people will like and others will not, but despite that, I had fun helping other people reach their goals and encouraging them to see Sam’s journey to the end. There are moments where you will be bored or frustrated, like the beginning of the game or trudging through the snow at slow speeds, but if you’re willing to put in the work and see past some of the games greater flaws, there is fun to be had. The game is a technical marvel. One of the best looking games on the PS4 by a long shot. The little details help flesh out the world and bring the actors' performances to life. Glitches are few and far between. Players getting stuck to obstacles and other little things rarely happen. The soundtrack is a fantastic mix of original and licensed songs. The Decima engine has come a long way since its first title, Horizon: Zero Dawn. Death Stranding is honestly a hard game to review so I hope most of my thoughts on the game are clear. I think it’s a fantastic experiment when it comes to doing something new with video games. It can be boring at points but one thing that is never lost throughout the experience is the amazing story and how it is worked into what going on in the gameplay. If you’re on the fence about this game, I would wait until it’s on sale before picking it up. It’s hard to fully recommend this game, so you’ll have to come to your own conclusion on if you will like what is offered in Death Stranding. Whether you end up liking Death Stranding or not, it’s still one hell of a rollercoaster with a lot of thought and care put in to it. Pros: +Fantastic Story +Great Soundtrack +Top Notch Acting +Gameplay Centered On Community Cons -Very Slow Start -Some Frustrating Slow Parts

#DashReviews The Pokémon series has finally come to home consoles after two decades of handheld mainline games. With expectations high for what the series can do with this new powerful hardware, will it be able to live up to these expectations or will fall flat on its face compared to the less powerful 3DS versions of the game? The story in Pokémon Sword and Shield is pretty generic when it comes to the standard Pokémon adventure. Nothing really deviates you from going to the gyms, getting the badge, rinse and repeat. The story has a villain and a bit more going on besides the standard of trying to become the ultimate Pokémon trainer but it strangely set up near the end of the game. This makes for a story with super-fast pacing that has almost nothing interesting happening through most of its run time. The pacing is so fast and rushed, that the box art legendary plot is saved for the post-game. The story is easily one of the most boring aspects of this game which is a shame since titles like Pokémon Black and White had more going on and those are $30 DS games. Gameplay-wise, this is a Pokémon game through and through. It’s the standard turn-based RPG everyone has been playing for years. There a few new gimmicks like Dynamaxing, a way for your Pokémon to turn into kaiju monsters. There one open area in the game with a free-roaming camera. The game treats this as a big deal but consoles games have had free moving cameras since the N64 days. The best new mode in the game is Co-Op raid battles since you will be working with your friends to catch powerful Pokémon. These few new modes and gimmicks are also at the expense of half of the Pokémon roster being cut. Even with the fun of raid battles, it not enough to make these games stand out as next-gen titles. They are painfully average games in the series that are super easy to boot. If you love Pokémon games, they're passable but I feel like these games need more innovation for being console games in 2019. This is the least polished Nintendo I have ever played. Framerates dropping drastically every time you go into the open area, models pop in constantly, and it graphically looks like Pokémon Sun and Moon unscaled to HD. Animations are so stilled to the point that everyone moves like a robot and no one blinks. The soundtrack is my personal favorite of the series but the amazing songs don’t make up for this game's wealth of technical problems. Pokémon Sword and Shield are passable games in the franchise that will either please fans that want more of the same or anger others that wanted these games to have a new life on a home console. They don’t do enough to innovate this stale franchise and don’t even bother to give this generic game the polish it should have. I would wait for a discount or skip these games entirely. Hopefully, the next installments in this franchise give fans what they truly deserve. Pros: +It’s the Same Old Pokémon +Great Soundtrack Cons: -Boring Story -No Innovation in the Gameplay -Technical Mess -Cut Roster for Little Change

#DashReviews Completed Game: 1/31/2020 Played Game Time: 55 Hours Intro The long-running Dragon Ball franchise has delved into its first attempt into an Open World Action RPG which is a route many longtime fans have wanted for decades. Dragon Ball Z story has many retellings and this game follows in the same footsteps. While many anime games have a stigma of not being that great, can this game break the mold like Dragon Ball FighterZ? Story/World Building – 2/3 I have never seen the Dragon Ball Z anime but this game does a good job retelling the story in a way that someone like me could still follow and enjoy. If you have never seen the anime, most would tell you to watch that instead but this is not a bad substitute if you don’t have the time. If you have seen the anime, you’re missing nothing in the story department. While it is told competently, there is a varying level of quality between cutscenes. Due to the overwhelming amount of DBZ games retelling the anime story, this might burn out fans wanting to pick this title up. Gameplay – 2/4 Exploring the vast landscapes or fighting one of the many iconic villains from DBZ can be a lot of fun but there is a lot of fault with it. Fighting mechanics consist of an easy one to two-button press combo that looks flashy but can become repetitive especially when grinding for EXP if you want to max out all 7 playable characters. Most fights will not be difficult because characters automatically level up with the story making side quest pointless. Side quests are boring fetch quests with uninteresting stories and no voice acting. Other side activities like fishing and crafting are almost an afterthought and have little bearing on anything else in the game. There is fun to be had in the 40 to 50 hours you will spend in the game, but mix in the negative of the gameplay and a story you most likely have played though before, the game offers very little for a 2020 release. Technical/Performance – 2/3 LOAD SCREENS! Load screens are a major issue in this game to the point that you will spend 1/3 of the game in just load screens. Graphics look nice some times and look a little dated in others. It’s pretty disappointing to see almost flawless looking cutscenes, and then static characters with little to no life right after. The soundtrack is pretty generic with most songs lifted straight from the anime but it gets the job done. It’s not the worst technical performance I have seen from a game but improving load times would help. Verdict Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a game I want to like due to how much I got into the story and this game being my gateway into watching the Dragon Ball Super anime but there are quite a few flaws that show up in this RPG despite its potential. If you want to experience an Action RPG in the DBZ universe, this is still the best one (only because it's the only one) but I would wait for a price drop and for the game to be released with all DLC before making a purchase.

#DashReviews Intro Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the console follow up to the critical apprised portable outing, New Leaf. Nintendo has hit most Switch outing out of the part, so hoping the Animal Crossing would go leaps and bounds beyond previous titles is to be expected. While Nintendo mostly pulls this off, there are a few things that bring this title down. Story/World Building – 3/3 This topic a bit hard to talk about due to the nature of Animal Crossing. There is not much of a story so everything comes down to the world-building that is used through characterization and everything that happens within the world. Characters are varied and fun to interact with. You normally don’t see the same dialog twice. You feel like you’re having real conversations with neighbors that live next to you. Fleshed out characters help motivate you to keep building your island so all your virtual friends can have their best lives. Gameplay – 2/4 While there nothing inherently wrong with the gameplay, flaws start to show their ugly head once you start playing for a long period of time. Everything from fishing, collecting items to use for customization, crafting items, and shaping the world to your liking works well. The problems come in with the slow archaic menu system. It takes forever to craft items, selecting multiple of the same item, and talking to villagers for options. The option to fast skip text or being able to choose multiple of the same item would help tremendously. Online play is even more restrictive. It’s fun to hang out with friends but you are locked out from almost everything you can do on your island when someone else is visiting. You even have to watch a 30-second cutscene every time someone comes or leaves your island, stopping you from whatever you were doing. I think everything else works well with new additions such as terraforming landscapes and crafting items, which are great additions but changing the menu systems would greatly improve the overall package. Technical/Performance – 3/3 Nintendo must have put a lot of time into the visual aspect of this game because for a game that focuses on cartoon looking animals, there are so many jaw-dropping models scattered throughout this game. Decorative items, fossils, fish, and bugs all look stunning. They mesh well with the cartoony aesthetic of the game and make it all the more satisfying to build your island. The soundtrack is pretty good albeit a bit repetitive at times. Nothing terrible but nothing outstanding. If there is one aspect that Nintendo is good at, it’s the technical side of their games. Verdict Animal Crossing: New Horizons will please fans of the series while welcoming newcomers all the same. It’s a fun game for all ages that don’t mind playing a game with a slower pace. There is always room in the gaming market for a game like this but I would like to see menus be a bit more intuitive so I don’t have to spend 2 hours doing something that should have taken half that time. I recommend a purchase at full price if you are a fan of this style of game. If you’re not big on life simulation games or don’t have the time to play, you can wait a while before picking this one up.

#DashReviews Release Date: 3/31/2020 Completed Game: 4/10/2020 Played Game Time: 130 Hours Spoiler-Free Review Intro Persona 5 Royal is a remake of the popular JRPG from 2017. Built from the ground up to work on PS4 unlike the original that was built with the PS3 in mind, P5R grabs the core concepts to try to build up to something greater than the original. While some might see this as a cash grab, is Royal able to stand on its two feet as a worthy addition in the franchise? Story/World Building - 3/3 The story stays largely the same until the last 20 hours or so with minor script fixes and story elements, which are put in to help the new segment flow better with the rest of the story. Nothing feels unnatural with the new changes. Everything is done for the betterment of the game and I would have not noticed anything was off if this was my first time experiencing the story. It can get a bit boring and long-winded if you played through the story before but this depends on how much you care about fixes and the new story being presented. It turns a great story into a better one that is worth your time even if you have played the original. Gameplay – 4/4 The new gameplay addition is where Royal really shines. The overhauled baton pass system makes fights quick and snappy. Exploring palaces is more fun due to the addition of Will Seeds - collectibles scattered throughout that give out great items and abilities to use if you find all of them. Mementos is even overhauled with the addition of collectibles that help give additional boosts in XP, items, and money, making Mementos exploration more fun than it has ever been. New side activities like playing darts to level up baton pass stats, going to the jazz club to get additional abilities, and going to the temple to meditate to gain more SP are all welcome additions. A game that gives you so much to do, you won’t see it all within one playthrough. You are also given more time to do these activities with the addition of not having Morgana tell you to go to sleep and the addition of 2 more months of game time added to the overall package. You can take breaks from the main game with the immensely fun addition of the thieves den, which allows you to hang out with your follow Phantom Thieves, playing card games, look at concept art, mess around with player models and customize your own palace. More stuff is unlocked through achievements made within the main game, adding more time and replay value to the game. The gameplay outshines the amazingly fun and additive first outing, making for a game that goes above and beyond in areas that I thought could not get better. Technical/Performance – 3/3 Graphics fidelity upgrades are present within the game but some might not notice just casually playing through it. It looks as clean as the original with a few tweaks here and there to spruce it up. The real amazing technical achievement of Royal is its soundtrack. I love the music in the original but the new tracks outshines those as well. P5R is a highly polished technical marvel, especially when compared to other RPGs on the market. Verdict Persona 5 Royal is arguably the game Persona 5 should have been in the first place. I can understand that the PS3 did limit what they could do with the title but this is still a $60 re-release **** that already on PS4. If you’re a huge fan of Persona or never played Persona 5, I can’t recommend this game enough. It’s almost flawless in every aspect and it’s a crowning achievement for what RPG can be. For everyone that does not fall within those two categories, I recommend waiting for a heavy price cut. I still would recommend this game to anyone who played the original but not for a full 60 dollars. I honestly gave the original Persona 5 a 10/10 and if I could give Royal a higher rating I would. 10/10 “Masterpiece”

#DashReviews The Pokémon series has finally come to home consoles after two decades of handheld mainline games. With expectations high for what the series can do with this new powerful hardware, will it be able to live up to these expectations or will fall flat on its face compared to the less powerful 3DS versions of the game? The story in Pokémon Sword and Shield is pretty generic when it comes to the standard Pokémon adventure. Nothing really deviates you from going to the gyms, getting the badge, rinse and repeat. The story has a villain and a bit more going on besides the standard of trying to become the ultimate Pokémon trainer but it strangely set up near the end of the game. This makes for a story with super-fast pacing that has almost nothing interesting happening through most of its run time. The pacing is so fast and rushed, that the box art legendary plot is saved for the post-game. The story is easily one of the most boring aspects of this game which is a shame since titles like Pokémon Black and White had more going on and those are $30 DS games. Gameplay-wise, this is a Pokémon game through and through. It’s the standard turn-based RPG everyone has been playing for years. There a few new gimmicks like Dynamaxing, a way for your Pokémon to turn into kaiju monsters. There one open area in the game with a free-roaming camera. The game treats this as a big deal but consoles games have had free moving cameras since the N64 days. The best new mode in the game is Co-Op raid battles since you will be working with your friend to catch powerful Pokémon. These few new modes and gimmicks are also at the expense of half of the Pokémon roster being cut. Even with the fun of raid battles, it not enough to make these games stand out as next-gen titles. They are painfully average games in the series that are super easy to boot. If you love Pokémon games, there passable but I feel like these games need more innovation for being console games in 2019. This is the least polished Nintendo I have ever played. Framerates dropping drastically every time you go into the open area, models pop in constantly, and it graphically looks like Pokémon Sun and Moon unscaled to HD. Animations are so stilled to the point that everyone moves like a robot and no one blinks. The soundtrack is my personal favorite of the series but the amazing songs don’t make up for this game's wealth of technical problems. Pokémon Sword and Shield are passable games in the franchise that will either please fans that want more of the same or anger others that wanted these games to have a new life on a home console. They don’t do enough to innovate this stale franchise and don’t even bother to give this generic game the polish it should have. I would wait for a discount or skip these games entirely. Hopefully, the next installments in this franchise give fans what they truly deserve. Pros: +It’s the Same Old Pokémon +Great Soundtrack Cons: -Boring Story -No Innovation in the Gameplay -Technical Mess -Cut Roster for Little Change

#DashReviews Capcom’s second outing of the year is a return to form of the Devil May Cry franchise, which has not gotten a new installment since 2008 (if you don’t count the 2013 reboot). Running on the now popular RE engine previously used only for Resident Evil games up till this point. Will this game be as good as some of the previous installments or will it be as mediocre as the 2013 reboot? The plot of the story is pretty simple, a new demon is trying to take over the world and Dante is asked by a mysterious new character to kill it and save the world. This new threat proves to be too powerful for Dante to take on alone. While Dante tries to find a way to take this new demon out, the mysterious character that contacted Dante, who is named V and the Devil Hunter Nero make their own plan to take out this demon so Nero can get revenge for the demon taking his arm. The plot can sound a bit complicated with the number of things going on but I would say you need no knowledge of the series to be able to enjoy this story. If you have played the previous games, there are plenty of nods and other detail that longtime fans will be happy about. I have only played the first 2 DMC’s (so far) and the reboot so I was a bit scared I would not get what was going on in this installment but the story is a great time regardless if you’re familiar with the previous DMC games or not. Well written with a bit of cheese at times, makes DMC 5 story a goofy and fun time throughout. Throughout the game, you have 3 unique characters that have varying play styles. You start off with Nero, he has a pretty standard sword and gun for these type of games. Attacks using those methods are pretty satisfying but what makes him special is his robotic arms. With 8 different arms to choose from that do various things like shocking and drilling. There is never a dull moment when playing a Nero section. Next, you get to play as the new character, V. Out of the 3 characters, I found his segments the least fun. For the most part, the character does attack enemies, his pet vulture and cougar do most of the fighting while V only does the last finishing blow. I found these sections boring due to how easy they were. Getting max style rank was easy due to how far you are normally away from the action. Some parts of V missions were also annoying to do due to the animals deciding to go off in different directions and not attack the enemies that you are trying to target. Every time there was a V mission, I wanted to rush through it to get to the next part but at least he gets very few missions overall. Last but not least is Dante, the character that started the franchise. The variety of moves that Dante has is nothing more than breathtaking especially when you use his full arsenal in one big combo move. Dante has his sword, numb-chucks, a motorcycle that transforms into two giant motorcycle swords, melee combat with gauntlets, a variety of guns, a hat that lets him attack using dance moves inspired by Michael Jackson and on top of all these weapons, he can switch between 4 different stances to mix in with any of the weapons. Dante sections alone warrant buying this game due to the amount of time and care that was put into the complexity of his move set. The only downside is that if you’re new to playing hack and slash games or you’re not very good at them, the amount of tools at your deposal can be a bit overwhelming. DMC 5's gameplay is slick and stylish as hell. The gameplay alone is some of the most fun I have had in a hack and slash since Metal Gear Rising. DMC 5 presentation is nothing short of spectacular due to Capcom’s RE engine. Cut scenes look like they are strip straight out of a movie due to how real the engine makes everything look. The soundtrack is nothing more than amazing. Every track makes me excited for each encounter. The most notable track being Devil Trigger, one of the best tracks I have heard in a hack and slash in a very long time. Load screens are quite long and frequent thought-out. After each mission, you have a load screen for going in and out of the customizations screen and then another load screen to start the mission and then another load screen after watching the opening cut scene for the start of the mission. This happens after every mission throughout the game. My last complaint is that there is microtransaction in this strictly single player game. You can buy red orbs in this game which is not a big issue since you can get them fairly easily by playing the game but I hope this does not become the new norm for single player games in the future. Devil May Cry 5 has a simple and enjoyable story, fast and stylish gameplay and amazing presentation that only held back by some annoying load screens and some boring missions by newcomer V. If you’re a fan of DMC or hack and slash games, this is a must buy game still. Despite its flaws, Devil May Cry 5 is still a great return to form.

April Fools Review #DashReviews #Knack Knack 2 is the hit sequel to the popular Knack franchise, the same franchise that helped revolutionize gaming when it first launched during the PS4’s early years. Does this squeal live up to the knacktastic original or is this franchise out of steam only after its second outing? The story is a masterpiece, plain and simple. You got this creature named Knack, which was made by a professor for some reason and in this squeal, another professor is like “Yea, I’ll just copy knack!” That the whole story I think, I can’t remember if there was more to it but that’s what makes this a story worth telling. The story is so simple its genius. The gameplay is just as wonderful as the story. You have three punches and a kick for your move set but watch out, Knack can jump too! There is also a ton of QTE’s within this game and everyone loves QTE’s. The gameplay is flawless and fun especially when you play with another person. Did I mention there was Co-Op because there is! You can experience this amazing game with your friends. This is a must play game thanks to a wonderful combat system and tight QTE controls. This game is a technical marvel thanks to how many Knack particles they are able to put on screen. Stunning Knack graphics throughout. The soundtrack is godlike, the best soundtrack I have ever heard in a videogame. Mark Sony really knows how to put a video game together because this game has it all. Knack 2 is unlike anything you will ever play in your lifetime. It breaks all expectations and delivers one of the best video games of all time. If you have a PS4, GET IT NOW! If you don’t have a PS4, get to writing those E-mails to Mark Sony and beg him to bring it to other consoles. 11/10 “A Masterpiece” Pros: +Knack Graphics +Knack has a clone in the story +He can jump! +Mark Sony can do no wrong Cons: None

#DashReviews #SkyboundGames #StillNotBitten The Walking Dead: The Final Season is the conclusion to the hit choose your own adventure game series that started back in 2012. During development, the studio responsible for making this series, Telltale Games, went out of business and the owners of The Walking Dead IP, Skybound, task themselves with finishing the project. Is this game as good as the GOTY winning original or is it just as bad as its previous installment? In this final installment, Clementine is the lead just like in Season 2. Her main goal is to keep the orphaned child A.J. save while also teaching him how to survive. After these two encounters a horde of walkers, they are saved by children that are the sole survivor of a boarding school. Most of this seasons plot centers around this school and how Clem and A.J. adapt with living in a place fully run by kids. There are more interesting dynamics between characters in this season due to Clem mostly talking to kids her own age. Newcomers like Louis and Violet have great chemistry with the rest of the cast. With that being said, there are a few kids within the school that get little to no screen time. The new roster is so big that it feels like the writers forgot that some of these kids even existed. The story is engaging for most of the games run time. There are a few parts where the pacing would grind to a halt but nothing that really killed the overall narrative. The story really shines within its last few hours as its finale is bloody, intense and a perfect send-off to the series. The story has a few hiccups but this game narrative is near the level of the original. Before Telltale Games found out that this was their last game, they were trying to find a way to make their tired formula of gameplay new and fresh. They almost pulled it off but the limiting tools from the Telltale Engine still held this game back from its full potential. Choices are meaningfully in how the story plays out with most of them being hard to pick and made me really nervous about the outcomes. Choosing what dialog you want your character to say is completely unchanged from the other TTG projects but there is less focus on them to make way for more actual gameplay opportunities. Whether you’re in combat or exploring, you are given an over the shoulder view of the character and free range of the camera controls. It’s a very similar style that a third person shooter would have. This new style is a great addition for exploring especially since areas are more open and now have collectibles scattered throughout. I get what they were trying to do with the combat but their outdated engine makes it a bit wonky. Aiming is not precious during shooting segments and there is a very noticeable amount of lag in-between shots. The gameplay is passable but I feel like Telltale Games would not have had most of these problems if they would have just updated their engine sooner. All of the technical issues are due to the outdated engine. Long load screens can break the pacing of the story. Lag happens in intense scenes and during combat. One thing that surprised me though was the graphics and the presentation of the game. Even with TTG’s limitations, this game looks great. It truly feels like a comic book brought to life. A mostly great soundtrack with a few forgettable songs here and there. There is a lot of impressive shot throughout the game that makes it feel like a big blockbuster despite its technical shortcomings. The Walking Dead: The Final Season is a great send off to the franchise and to Telltale Games. If this game came out sooner and TTG embraced change to its engine, I have no doubt in my mind that this game would have helped keep the choose your own adventure games genre alive. Despite its shortcoming, this is a story you will not want to miss especially if you played the first two season in the series. Pro: +An amazing final narrative +Best exploration in the series +Graphics and Presentation +Hard choices throughout +Most of the new cast is great Cons: -Little to no character development for some -Telltale Engine performance

#DashReviews Jump Force is a 3D brawler that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Shonen Jump Manga. Multiple properties are on display here including Dragonball, Naruto, One Piece, Jojo, Yu-Gi-Oh and so much more. With such an expansive roster, is Jump Force able to make a fun fighting game while also making a compelling story for the fans of all these properties? The story starts off with Frieza destroying New York City so Goku and a few other Shonen Jump characters try to stop him. After the battle, they meet up at a base where they find out that the “Jump Universe” is merging with the real world. Everyone at the base makes groups to help scout for some cubes that will save the day. If you think the story sounds like a generic anime plot from the summary I gave you, you would be right. The story is pretty boring and awkward due to a nonsensical plot and lifeless animations during the cut scenes. If you want to play Jump Force for the story, you should look for a better story driven game. The fighting mechanics can be fun but they are more flash than substance. Most moves are ties to holding down the R2/RB button and clicking one of the front-facing buttons. This will execute a cool flashy move that looks really impressive but the wow factor will wear off quickly after having done the same moves multiple times in one fight. Besides the super moves, you have a standard heavy/light punch attack and a dodge which is really ineffective 90% of the time. This makes for a fighting game that you will only want to play once or twice. You could play with a friend but unless they are a hardcore anime fan, the combat will most likely bore them after a few rounds of performing the same shallow moves. For a game that does not have much visual flair outside of its super moves, this game runs really bad. Jump Force only runs at a measly 30 FPS and there are a lot of drops in framerate. Mix that with a heavy amount of motion blur and this game made me feel sick after playing for only a few minutes. The soundtrack is boring and generic. There are NO songs from the properties that appear in the game. Top this off with long load screens that appear every 5 minutes. This game is a technical mess that should have been delayed. Jump Force feels like I am playing an alpha version instead of playing the full product. The combat is the most fleshed out part of the game and even that is bare bones. The story is not entertaining and the presentation is a mess. I would only think to recommend this game to die-hard Shonen Jump fans due to the cool and flashy moves but I think even fans would be bored after 10 minutes. Jump Force has some cool ideas but ultimately fails in its execution. Pros: +Super moves look cool +Combat can be fun for the first 10 mins. Cons: -The story is boring -Shallow combat -A technical mess -Bad animations outside of gameplay -Terrible soundtrack

Resident Evil 2 (2019) #DashReviews Capcom has been on a massive win streak after making the RE engine and the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 7. Capcom has finally realized why people are fans on the RE franchise in the first place and are starting to put the series back on track. With the power of the RE engine, Capcom decided to remake the 1998 classic, Resident Evil 2. Will this remake be as good the original or is it going to be a remake not worth playing through? Much like its 1998 counterpart, you play as 2 characters, Leon Kennedy and Clair Redfield. Both are trying to make it through the virus infected Raccoon city to achieve their goals. Leon is a rookie cop just trying to make his way after finding the police station he was stationed at is abandoned and Clair is looking for her brother among the chaos. The story is very simplistic and can be very cheesy at times. This works in its favor since it is a nice homage to the original. Beautiful cutscenes and decent voice acting make the story of this game better than the 1998 original. This is one of the best survival horror game to date thanks to its gameplay. Ditching the tank controls of the past for a free moving camera and over the shoulder aiming. The gameplay can be super intense, from managing your ammo and items, solving well-made puzzles that can be a bit easy at times, and from running away from enemies when you have nothing left. The new gameplay mechanics helps ramp up the horror aspect to an 11 and completely surpasses the original. My only complaint is that the zombie AI can be wonky at times. Getting stuck in doors or on a side of a wall. This is a minor complaint since it does not happen often. This game is a new standard for survival horror games in the future. The soundtrack from this game is superb. Many chilling tracks that amp up the horror that the game is trying to convey. The sound design that accompanies this soundtrack is just as chilling. This game looks amazing thanks to the realism that Capcom is able to achieve with the RE engine. Gameplay and cutscenes run at a buttery smooth 60 FPS with little to no drops in performance. The fact that this game looks good, sounds good and run flawlessly at the same time makes this game a technical marvel. Resident Evil 2 (2019) gets the foundation on the PS1 classic and makes a game that surpasses the original. This game is a beautiful amalgamation of everything that makes a great survival horror while honoring the original work. If you never played a RE game before, I can’t recommend this game enough as it’s a good starting point. If you have played a RE game before or even the original RE 2, this is still a must buy game. Pros: +Simple and Fun Story +Great Horror Gameplay +RE Engine is Beautiful +Amazing Soundtrack and Sound Design Cons: -AI is wonky at times

Super Mario Party #DashReviews Introduction: Super Mario Party is the 11th main series entry in the long-running franchise of board games meet mini-games. Most games in this series consist of heavy competitive gameplay against friends as you try to become the superstar, except for the mostly butchered Mario Party 9 and 10. Does this game live up to the past games of fun competition or is this game not very super? Party Mode: The standard mode for most Mario Party entries. Nintendo changes up the formula this time by making smaller maps and smaller dice rolls. Each character has 2 dice blocks, one standard 1 through 6 dice and a special character die that has certain number rolls depending on what character you have chosen. I think this is a nice addition to the series, as it makes for more strategic gameplay and high risk, high reward moves. That’s sadly where my praise has to end due to the unbalanced nature of everything else. The coin economy in this game is straight broken. Coins are given out in abundant with very little chances of losing any. When losing coins, its only 5 or 10 coins max. Stars only cost 10 coins, mixing that in with players receiving too many coins and the map being small makes it so that everyone is getting an equal amount of stars most of the game. Items cost very little, between 2 to 5 coins, with the most overpower item, an item that sends you straight to the star being only 10 coins and easy to get. There are also these spaces in the game called ally spaces, which give you one random character that is not being used to play on the board. These allies give you their character block and roll an addition 1 to 2 dice roll on top of your dice roll. These can infinitely stack and can help someone get a star almost every turn they play. So you either have the problem of everyone being able to get the star all the time or the problem of only one person being able to get all the stars due to stacked allies since coins will never be an issue, everyone will always have enough coins for a star 90% of the time. At the end of each game, bonus stars are awarded for mostly trivial things that will give the win to some who failed at most things throughout the match. I like some of the concepts that Nintendo was going for in this new rendition of Mario Party, but it all fell flat due to balancing issues. Partner Mode: Very similar to Party mode except it a 2 vs 2 with combine dice roll. You get to move around the board in any direction you like and movement is set up like an RTS Fire emblem kind of way. I feel like this mode is a bit more balance since you have to strategically land on the star space to get one, eliminating some of the problems I had with party mode. River Survival: A co-op game where every player is in a boat going downstream. You work together to get more time, by popping balloons to activate mini-games for everyone to play, by making choices on which routes to take and, by helping each other avoid obstacles. This mode is the best mode in the game. It’s defiantly a fun mode to play with your friend, especially to defuse tension after playing the mess of party mode. Sound Stage: Think of Rhythm Heaven mix with Wario Ware and motion controls. Matches of this mode only go on for 5 to 10 minutes. It’s a nice, short bust of fun but everyone playing it will get bored after 1 or 2 rounds of it. Challenge Road: A single player mode with not much to offer. Can only be unlocked by playing all the multiplayer mode first (pretty ironic, if you ask me) and you have to play it to unlock 2 of the 4 locked characters. The only thing you do in this mode is complete a series of challenges within the games 80+ mini-games. Got pretty bored of this mode just wanting to unlock the character behind this wall. Mini Games: I should talk about the mini-games since they make almost half of what makes a Mario Party game special. The mini-games make great use of the Switch's gimmicks. Some are a little boring and dull but most have that Mario Party charm. Even with the badly designed boards, most will have fun playing these mini-games. Technical: The game looks great and blah, blah, blah… It’s a Nintendo game, it’s going to look and run great. The soundtrack is a little generic and not as memorable as some of the Mario Party games of the past. The UI in the game looks weirdly clean and not fitting for a Mario Party game. Veridic: Super Mario Party has some cool ideas but at the end of the day, there is nothing super about it. Its main mode is a mess due to the new additions, co-op is the best part, which is pretty funny since that was the worst part of 9 and 10. Single player should have never been a thing but at least Nintendo still knows how to make some fun mini-games. I like the direction they were going for but this game ultimately fails at what makes Mario Party fun, competitive, and the series that we love so much.

Marvel’s Spider-Man #DashReviews “You don’t need a suit to be a hero” Introduction: Acclaimed studio, Insomniac Games, known for classics like Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance, throws there hat in the ring for their first licensed video game based on the beloved Marvel character Spider-Man. Will this game be as bad as the Activision games of the past or will Insomniac’s record help Spider-Man have an amazing game? Story: We start the game with a college-age Peter Parker, trying to balance pay rent on time, having a job as a scientist and being Spider-Man. In most other media, Peter Parker is just a normal kid just trying to get through high school. Seeing this older Peter Parker makes for a more engaging story as you see Peter go through more serious situation in his normal life. As for Peter being Spider-Man, it just feels like your standard Marvel movie plot. It’s a good story with a few twists and some interesting character developments, just don’t expect it to be a complete overhaul of a new story just because Peter is a bit older. Gameplay: The gameplay is what makes this game really shine. Traversing through the city is so much fun. Insomniac web swing mechanic is amazing and is the best we have ever seen in a Spider-Man game. Combat is just as good with the fluid way Spider-Man moves around the screen and how every move you pull off feels nice, satisfying and interconnected. There are many ways to take down your foes with the variety of gadgets and moves you will unlock throughout the game. All this would make the game near flawless if it was not for the fact that the enemies do get repetitive near the last 3rd when the variety of enemies becomes nonexistent. This is alleviated a bit with stealth sections that allow you to play as some other characters within the universe. (But I won’t spoil it here ;)) Side mission can be fun and plentiful but some also have the problem of becoming very repetitive. Boss fights are also underwhelming since all you need to do to beat the bosses is stun them and punch. The fights look flashy but the cool looking set pieces don’t make up for the lackluster fights. This could have been fixed if your arsenal of gadgets were useful during these fights. Even with these faults, it is still the most engaging Spider-Man game yet. Technical: The visuals are stunning even on a regular PS4. Photorealistic looking people with amazing motion capture. Cutscenes, the open world, fighting enemies all looks superb. Music is pretty good but nothing too special. Sounds similar the generic music from an MCU film. The game has minor glitches like enemies getting stuck in areas, requiring me to restart the checkpoint. Technics are super polished but some minor gameplay bugs needed to be ironed out Verdict: Despite its fault, Marvel’s Spider-Man is an amazing experience. An incredibly polished open world game with the best Spider-Man mechanic to date. A fun story through a different take on Peter Parker life. Amazing performances and motion capture that suit the ultra-real looking graphics. If you have a PS4, it is a must-have game. I just hope that Insomniac Games will make a squeal to this game so they can fix there few flaws and make a masterful game. 8/10 “Great” +Fun Story +Best Spider-Man Gameplay to Date +Amazing Visuals +Lots to do in the open world -Minor Bug and Glitches -Boss Fights are too repetitive and easy -Repetitious side missions

Spoiler Free #DashReviews Introduction: After multiple showings and demonstrations at E3 about the vast branching choice that Detroit: Become Human was going to offer, Quantic Dream latest game has finally come out. Will this choose your own adventure drama lives up to its E3 promises or will this game be thrown in the android scrap yard? Story: This game follows three androids named Markus, Kara, and Connor. Markus story follows him starting a revolution to give the same rights to android as humans have. Kara has to protect a little girl that as to go on the run due to her abusive father. Last but not least, Connor is a prototype detective that is working on a case of why androids are suddenly having empathy and acting like humans. These stories eventually cross paths as more twist and turns unveil within the story. This story has a lot of good moment when playing as Connor or Kara but I always felt that Markus story and his line performance came off as a bit cheesy. Markus story is filled with clichés and moment that just feel a bit forced. With that being said, the story as a whole is engaging and fun for the whole 10 hour run time. You will get an interesting outlook on the story too if you decide to play it more than once with different choices, which I would highly recommend. Gameplay: This game is your standard choose dialog adventure game with QTE moments thrown in for the action scenes. Normally, I despise QTE’s but in this game, they really work since characters can be killed off at almost any moment of the game, giving a sense of every encounter being intense. Most choices are meaningful due to the fact that the story can branch off in so many ways. Once every chapter is completed, you get to see a flow chart of all the choices you could have made and it really gives a sense of scope on how many options you do have in this game. My only problem with this is Markus choices don’t have much difference in outcome due to how integral his part is in the story. Even when killed off, he is just replaced with his female counterpart and the story continues without your involvement. His most important choice, if you keep him alive, is that he can choose to protest peacefully or violently. This is easily fixed due to the other 2/3 of the game not having this issue. The gameplay, for the most part, is top notch and has multiple paths for you to explore in multiple playthroughs. Technical: I say this about almost every Sony game, but the statement still holds true. Top-notch graphics, the characters and the city of Detroit look so good, it was almost like watching a live action movie. A masterful soundtrack with a few forgettable songs here or there. No glitches or presentation issues present while playing. A technical masterpiece on every level. Verdict: Detroit: Become Human definitely live up to the E3 demo for having crazy amounts of branch storylines. The game can be a bit cheesy but still offers a fun time through the world of Detroit. This game sets a new bar for choose your own adventure games and I hope to see something come along that can use the Detroit formula and make something even better. Pros +Engaging story +Many branching paths to take +Amazing on a Technical Level +Great Soundtrack Cons: -Markus story is cheesy -Most of Markus choices don’t matter

“A promising start to a reimagining of a classic IP” Introduction: It’s has been 8 long years since we have seen Kratos in 2010’s God of War III. With a new mythology, new gods to defeat and a new way of combat, can this reimagining of the old PS2 franchise bring new life to this series? Let’s see as we delve into what does and does not work with God of War (2018). Story: The story starts with Kratos and his new son, Atreus morning over the loss of Kratos Wife and Atreus mother. Her last wish is to have her ashes spread on the highest peak in the land of Midgard. While getting ready to go on this mission, a stranger, knowing of Kratos past, tries to stop them for unknown reasons. I won’t say anymore due to spoilers but it’s an amazing story. The new calm and collective Kratos dealing with what he did in the past makes for a more relatable Kratos and helps the story stay intriguing. The references to the previous games are enough for long-time fans to piece together what happened between this game and the 3rd installment but subtle enough for newbies to the franchise not to get lost, hence why this game is only called God of War, The father and son relationship is perfect and is the driving force behind this amazing journey. If you’re getting this game for the story, it’s easily one of the best parts of this game. Gameplay: The gameplay is just as brutal as the previous games but it has changed in many ways. The camera is now in a locked position and gives a more cinematic look for story moments and for combat. It’s very similar to what they do in Naughty Dog’s more recent entries. The fast-paced combat from previous entries is replaced for a weightier and slow-moving combat. This makes combat way more brutal, thanks with the help of Kratos new weapon, The Leviathan Axe. This new style is also mixed in with light RPG elements and a semi-open world, even though the game is still mostly linear. The RPG elements work well but I feel like they were unnecessary, with the exception of the skill tree. Crafting armor and dealing with different stats feels pointless. Last but not least, the enemies are great when they are not repetitive. I started to get annoyed towards the end when I started to fight a boss gauntlet of enemies I had fought many times before. Luckily, this does not start feeling like a problem till close to the end. Overall, the gameplay is fantastic as well. Just need a bit more variety in the enemies next time around. Technical: This game is the best looking game of PS4, hands down, even if you only own a regular PS4. No framerate drop and no load screens (Unless you die). The game is present in one singular shot from beginning to end and it makes the game more impressive due to it. The soundtrack is amazing, such a powerful score that never lets up from beginning to end. No glitches of any kind. This game, like most PlayStation titles as of late, is a technical masterpiece. Verdict: God of War (2018) is a promising start to a reimagining of a classic IP. A risk I don’t think anyone would take with an established IP. Having the courage to get an IP that everyone knows and turn it into something so different is just unheard of in this day in age. I applaud everyone over at Santa Monica Studio for make a near perfect experience. Just try to make enemies a bit more varied near the end next time. Pros: +Amazing Journey +New Brutal Gameplay +Powerful Soundtrack +Technical Masterpiece Cons: -No enemy variety near the end

Introduction: A Way Out is a third person action co-op game from the director behind the hit game, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. As a co-op only game, it’s a hard sell in this day and age of gaming, but the studio behind this game pulls off a spectacular job at a game that could have gone wrong in many ways. Story: You play as Leo and Vincent, a pair of felons that have similar goals of escaping prison and getting revenge on a crime boss that has wrong both of them. Sounds simple in concept but the journey of the course of this 8-hour adventure makes this a memorable story. Very emotional and has enough twist and turn in the story keep it fresh the whole way through. If you’re looking for a good story to play with your friend, I highly recommend this game. Gameplay: The gameplay can be hit and miss with some people due to how many genres it tackles. There’s adventure click and point gameplay, third-person shooting, top-down chases, quick time events and stealth segments rolled into one. On top of this, there are many activities to do with your friend in the form of mini-games. I won’t spoil these segments here but they are some of the best parts of this game. All of this works well together, keeps the game from getting dull and gives you more of a reason to talk to your friend about the events in the game. The only complaint is that the shooting segments can be a bit stiff and are awkward to get used to. They could have also put a little less quick time events in the game but the gameplay is fun and satisfying if not a little stale if your planning multiple playthroughs. Technical: For such a low budget, the game looks great. Animations can be a bit rough at times but nothing too noticeable. The soundtrack is ok but nothing truly noteworthy. Plays great, no stutter and ran smoothly, even when playing online. Great game on the technical side of things. I should also note that a friend can play the whole game free if someone with the game invites them, which is a nice gesture from the company who made this. Verdict. A Way Out is an amazing co-op game that you should show to your friends. Great story, fun gameplay, and an overall technical marvel. With some stiff shooting control and not many reasons to play it past its initial playthrough can be a bit off-putting but that is rectified with its $30 price point. If you have a friend willing to play with you, I can easily recommend you pick up this game now. If you don’t have another person, you should look elsewhere for a good story game. Pro: + Unique Co-op +Amazing Story +Fun and varied gameplay +Outstanding on a technical level +Plenty of side activity that are fun and surprising Cons: -Stiff shooting controls -Not many reasons to come back (Unless playing it with a different person)

Introduction: With the Nintendo Switch being such a success with numerous award-winning games, it’s time for the pink puffball we all know and love to grace the system. Will this game another great addition to the franchise or will it fall under with the many tropes of its more generic entries. Story: The story starts out with our main villain, Hyness, getting a dark heart that is able to turn people evil. Kirby gets one these hearts as well and can use it to turn enemies into friends. It’s a pretty simple good and evil story but it works well, giving it a much-needed excuse to put co-op 4 player action in this game. Nothing mind blowing but if you like Kirby games, then there is much to like in this department. Gameplay: This game is a traditional 2D platformer just like the original Kirby games. It works well and plays exactly like you would expect it to. The enjoyment is doubled with the great addition of the aforementioned 4 player co-op. Since players can play as almost any enemy in the game, the Kirby staff stuff this game with many abilities, the most abilities in a Kirby game to date. Abilities can also be fused together with the help of your friends. The only downside is that there is very few fusion. The last new gimmick is this game is the friend abilities. These come in forms of turning everyone into a circle or a train to be able to get through certain sections. These sections are not much fun because if multiple people try to control it, it becomes a broken mess. The most logical thing to do is to let one person control these abilities but that means that the other 3 players will have nothing to do for a good 3 to 5 minutes. This is even worse during the final boss fight since it is most friend ability segments. It’s a fun and visually cool looking fight but it could have been better. This game length was a concern for some but I think 8-10 hours for this game was enough. The only disappointing thing about this is that multiple bosses are reused from previous games and are reused again near the games ending. The game can be very easy at times and this makes co-op all the more important to keep the game fun and interesting for the entire runtime. This game has some flaw and is most likely not the best in the franchise but it still has the fun and charm of some of the most average game in the series. Technical: Visually, the game looks great. The most gorgeous in the franchise. The soundtrack has some pretty good tracks but nothing that stands out. I notice that there were many load screens breaking up the action and some of these load screens were very long. Besides the load screens, this game holds up on a technical level that is comparable to all other Nintendo games. Conclusion: This is a fun but easy Kirby Adventure. I would only recommend it to die-hard Kirby fans or if you want a good co-op, especially if you have kids that might want to play a fun game (Like my little brothers and sister, who played this game with me) For everyone else, it’s hard to justify $60 for this game. If you slightly interested or just want to play it by yourself, wait for a price drop. Pro: +Beautiful looking game +Tight and responsive gameplay +Fun co-op +Pretty good length with some replayability Cons: -Easiest game to date -Too many load screens -Some bosses are reused too much -$60 can be a bit steep for this game

Introduction: OK K.O. Let’s Play Heroes is a side-scrolling beat’em up game based on the cartoon of the same. Can this game be as great as some of the beat’em games of the past or will this game fall victim to the curse of bad licensed games? Story: The story is about K.O., a hero in training that works at a superstore for heroes. While working at the store, the villain company across the street, Boxmore, tries to destroy the plaza, so K.O. has to stop them. The story sounds generic and that’s because it is. It has the humor of the show at times but the story mimics the beat of some of the most forgettable episodes of the show and while it has a few good jokes, most fall flat. The story will please fans but this will be a negative for everyone else. Gameplay: The combat in this game is fluid and satisfying. There is a varied amount of moves that you can use to beat up robots and this helps make this game feel like the beat’em games that you would see in the arcade. Unfortunately, that where my praise ends due to repetitive fights as you fight the same 6 enemies over and over again until near the end of the game. The 3 end boss fight start shaking things up but the game is over when it starts becoming good. The other half of the game is running around the plaza and collecting item for different characters. Since you play in the same location for the entire game and there nothing interesting about these part, you will be praying for it to go back to the combat. If you like beat’em up games, you might have to suffer through some less than thrilling parts. I do think that this game is perfect for kids if you are introducing them to beat’em up games for the first time. Technical: The game runs in a smooth 60FPS. There is times where the game's framerate started slowing down to a crawl but this was mostly at the theme song and title screen of the game. I had the game crash on me twice despite there being no problems with the game. Music is generic and forgettable. I had audio issues where the cutscene audio was MUCH louder than the in-game audio. The game works for the most part but had some flaws that should have been ironed out before launch. Verdict: The game's combat is certainly a plus and this game is sure to be a hit with kids and fans of the show, but the repetitive nature of the game with bad technical issues and the bland story makes for a game that most fans of beat’em up can skip. Pros: +Great Combat +Great for kids first time within the genre Cons: -Repetitive enemies -Bland story -Boring gameplay when there no combat section -Technical Issues

Introduction: The Inpatient is a VR chose your own adventure story game that takes place 60 years before the events of the hit game Until Dawn. Can this game stack up to the great Until Dawn and will the VR improve the game or hinder the overall cinematic feel of the story? Story: The Inpatient takes place in the Blackwood Pines Sanatorium, showing what event took place to lead to the infestation of Wendigo that we see in Until Dawn. You play as a nameless character that does not remember who they are or how they became a patient. That basically it for the story. The story is a catalyst to make a psychological horror game that does a good job at the start but quickly falls part by a second half that is filled with no scares, boring characters, and a disappointing and anti-climactic ending. The story only lasts for 2 hours and can be pretty short and daunting for a 40 dollar game. Gameplay: The gameplay is pretty simple, you have two ways of play. Choosing dialog and moving around an area and occasionally picking up collectibles. Choosing dialog can be interesting since you can choose said dialog by using the VR built-in microphone. Its bring immersion to the game and helps with the immersion of the character. Moving around on the hand is a chore. The left stick can only move you up and down and the right stick can only move the left and right. Since you can only move up and down with the left stick, I was repeatedly getting stuck on walls and other objects. If you even slightly click down on the right stick, you will turn in a 180 degree, which can be disorienting, especially if you keep repeating the mistake. While the voice option can help immerse you in the game, the movement for said character will slowly kill any immersion that the game try’s to build. Technical: This is graphically the best looking game on the PlayStation VR at the moment. Character look ultra-realistic and lighting and detail are fine-tuned. The sound design is generic and basic for a horror game. A lot of forced jump scars due to audio ques even though nothing scarring was happening on screen. A great looking game but that the only technical praise I can give it Verdict: The Inpatient has its moment of genuine horror near the beginning of the game but once it introduces its main cast, it turns in to a boring slog ****. This is a $40 game that has the run-time of two hours and only charges that much for its replayability of different choices, too bad it’s not interesting after its first run. If you like Until Dawn or story-based games, wait for a price drop if you really want to play this game. Pros- +Realistic looking graphics +Scary and fun opening hour +Mic voice option for dialog adds to the immersion. Cons- -Terrible movement controls - Boring second half -Too boring and sluggish for multiple playthroughs -$40 for a two-hour game.

Story: This game is spectacular show from start to finish. A nice and long 15 hours campaign where you play as the retired forture hunter, Nathan Drake, forced to get back in the game one more time. The gameplay and cutscenes are interwoven together so your always engaged in the story. No more black cuts between cutscenes and gameplay like in previous Naughty dog games. The ending is intense with an awesome fight scene. It is also the perfect send off to the Nathan Drake and this ending keep thing open so we may have a uncharted game without Nathan in the future Gameplay: Combat is more refined in this installment. More open areas that make for more dynamic gameplay. Stealth and melee are the best in the series taking a mix of uncharted and what Naughty dog in the 2013 hit "The Last of Us" Presentation: This has to be one of the best looking games of all time. I can't believe that the ps4 can handle it. The single player runs in 1080p 30fps while the multiplayer runs in 900p 60 fps. This was a good choice as the story presentation was going for a movie like quality so it's more pretty with a movie like frame rate. The multiplayer is focused on gameplay so it needs a smoother framerate. Mulitiplayer: The Mulitiplayer is fast and bombastic fun. Only 3 modes right now, Team Deathmatch, Objective, and plunder are all fun and exciting. If you want to be more competitive, there is a ranked mode for Team Deathmatch as well. Final Thoughts: This is a beautiful crafted game that rivals some of the best games ever made. Flaws are so minor if any at all, it shows how much time and care has gone in to the final adventure in this series (at least for Drake) That why I consider this a perfect game, a game that other games in the industry should try to live up to. To make a game with as much quality and caliber as this.

Intro: WHAT HAPPENED? This was suppose to be the Megaman spiritual squeal we have been waiting for, from the father of Megaman himself. Instead we get a lazy rushed experience with some fun bits every now again. With $4 million dollars in funds given from the fans, all the backers of this game are crying like an anime fan on prom night. Story:What there's a story in here? Yep and it terrible. It is told though the laziest 3D animated cut-scenes where the character don't move at all, NOT EVEN THEIR LIPS MOVE WHEN THEY TALK! It's even more insulting that after the final boss fight you get three anime-quest picture with no voice acting to tell the end of the story. Then they have the nerve to have an end credit cut-scene with the same lazy animation, trying to setup a squeal that this series will probably never get. The voice acting itself is ok, if the story was good or even necessary in this action platformer. Gameplay. There nothing that bad about the gameplay **** the most part. You have your shoot, jumping and dashing that you would expect from a game like this. The problem comes from the level design. Every environment is forgettable and have tons of cheap one hit deaths. There is a difference between a game being hard and a game being cheaply hard and in some of area of this game, it is cheaply hard. Stupid narrow spaces with no room to do anything, with a simply jump that's bit higher that you wanted and boom, your dead, There are some fun and fast pace moment and hell, even one level that had a real cool idea, but this fun is few and far between. Also to note there is one level in the game that's complete unnecessary. You play as a girl named Call for one level and her controls feel off and out of place. That level was a chore to get through. Presentation: GARBAGE! This game looks like a PS2 game and has multiple issue despite is low end graphics. On PC the game would go as fast as 60 FPS and go as slow as 20 FPS. That's not because of my PC because even the highest end PC are having the same problem, its even worse on PS4 and Xbone. As I said for the story, the cut scenes are the laziest thing I have ever seen. I don't know about consoles but while playing this game it also crashed 10 SEPARATE times while I was trying to get through the campaign. For a game that looks like this, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. Soundtrack The music is okay but it is mostly forgettable. I hate how every boss, except for the final one, has the same boss music. That's just embarrassing. There only one song I really like and remember and that was the final boss music.(I'll link it below in case you want to listen) Conclusion: This could have been a fun game. All the aspect of gameplay to make a good game are here but this is muddied with laziest. Terrible story, unimaginative and forgettable levels, framerate issues and crashes, all while the creator want to all ready focus on a squeal. There's a bit of fun to be had but if you really want to play it but wait until its on sale for $5 and you will need to be a BIG fan of Megaman. For everyone else this is a title I recommend skipping.

Intro: Wow, this game took me by surprise. I had heard nothing about this game up until its release and now I am considering it one of the best games of 2016. Fast combat, neon visual, a great soundtrack and interesting story mixed together to make something special. Story: The story is simplistic until near the end with the big twist but that's a good thing. You play as a sword and gun wielding stranger that has one goal in mind "The jailer is the key, kill him and you will be free" You followed by a mysterious person dressed as a rabbit who wants the same as you. I won't ruin the plot twist here but its unexpected and makes every conversation during your battles make sense. Gameplay: This is where this game shines. When in battle you have two different play styles. Shooting with your gun in twin stick fashion and fast pace sword play. Both are intense, fast and increasingly difficult. The controls are precise so if you mess up, it is completely your fault but once you have it down, you feel like your own boss, you feel like a total bad ass. The only part I had problems with was the walking sections. The environments are beautiful but the camera moves so much while walking that I end up getting confused what direction on the left stick to go with. Lucky this is fixed by clicking X, which will do these part automatically. Soundtrack: I love it. Some are intense while other have a great techno beat and pace that complement the neon visuals. Not much else to say, its a great fit for the fast action on screen. Conclusion: This game surprises me how it came out of nowhere and came from a developer that has not made any console games before. This game is the most fun I have had in a while. It made me feel so satisfied when I perfectly hit every strike against my opponent and escape danger with a quick dart across the screen. The difficult may turn some people off but I highly recommend checking this one out. Its available on Steam and PS4 for 24.99 and is free for Playstation Plus Members this month

Playstation has a new mascot and her name is Aloy. This is a well-crafted Action RPG from the minds that brought us the Killzone franchise. It amazing that a company who has only made First Person Shooters up until this point made such an amazing game. A weird blend prehistoric and future technology that works well due to a believable world and well-crafted story. Story: I don't want to spoil the story but I will talk about the beginning. The starts out with an outcast named Aloy, shunned for being a motherless child. You are protected by another outcast named Rost. You find a device called the focus and start discovering more about yourself and how these robot dinosaurs took over the earth. The story seems cliché at first until the twist and turns start happening. By the end, you will have experienced one wild ride. Gameplay: The gameplay is nice and fluent even at 30FPS. You have many weapons at your disposal like your bow, The Tripcaster, and a bomb sling. The combat is nice but the only way to defend yourself is by rolling out of the way, which 9 times out of 10 you still get hit by something. Speaking of getting hit, this game is hard, even on Normal difficulty. It's nice to have a challenge but when multiple enemies on the screen at one time (especially at the end fight), it will become little too much. Technical: The Decima engine looks amazing. The best graphics I have ever seen for an open world game. Realistic looking textures that run great even when not using a PS4 Pro. A pretty great soundtrack that meshes the prehistoric and future vibe together. It not the most memorable but it gets the job done. A solid package with no glitches and no DLC to fix mistakes. Final Thoughts: : This is one of the best-crafted games I have played in a while. In an industry that is focused on incomplete games, DLC and yearly sequels, it's nice to see a fresh IP that feels complete and tells a memorable story. A near 10/10 game if not for the fact of questionable dodge mechanics and a somewhat slow start. If you own a PS4, this is a must have title for your collection.

Intro: An open world hack and slash game that did not really need to be open world. Despite this, It's a fun ride with a good story and memorable characters. Story: This game is a sequel to NeiR, a game that released on the Xbox 360 back in 2010 but if you are a newcomer you can get right into the story. It starts with a world run by machines. Humans live on the moon and have android go down and fight the machine to get the earth back. A team of androids, 2B and 9S, are fighting with several other teams.When 2B goes to take on a bigger threat, they uncover some clues that might explain what happened to the earth and may even lead to a solution on how to kill on the machines. The story is great, has a few twist and turns and feels complete and is very enjoyable to play through and find out what happens next. Gameplay: A great mix of hack and slash and RPG gameplay. It's a fast and fluent game that runs at 60FPS. Framerate can drop below 20 FPS for a second or 2 in intense spots but other than that, it's fluent. The open world feels a bit unnecessary in this game since most of it is very linear. This game should have been linear or semi-linear just due to the nature of the game and the story progression. Not only that but the map system is often confusing and you will be scratching your head at points while being frustrated not being able to access the next part of the game. Besides FPS and the open world, the game has great combat and boss fights that make it worth it to get to the next part. Technicals: This game looks great. The graphics are crisp and clear. Animations look stunning at 60 FPS. The open world as much detail (even if it is a bit empty at times.). Unforgettable soundtrack, boss music sounds incredible and gets you ready for a fight. No problems with the technical side of things. Final Thoughts: If you love hack and slack games or anything from Platinum Games, I highly recommend this game at its full retail price. If the open world aspect sounds bad to you but you still want a great story and fun gameplay, wait for a price drop. 2 points were decided for the open world, confusing map system and some FPS drop but that should not deter you from playing this great game.

Intro: This is the best game I have played all year! From the gameplay, to the soundtrack, to the unique visuals., this game is an amazing turn-based RPG that you will get 100-200 hours worth of gameplay. I have small gripes about the game but nothing was able to persuade me to give it lower that a perfect score. Story: The story centers around a group of high schoolers that get a mysterious app on their phones that allows them to enter another world. When they get to this world, they find out that they have a power called a persona that comes from their rebellious self. In this world, they are able to beat dark desires out of people they deemed to be evil. Once finished, the person will confess their crimes in the real world and get sent to jail. It sounds like a simple premise but it gets more complex as the game continues. You meet new people to join your group or you meet interesting and relatable side character that don't even know what you are doing in the other world. Throughout the story, you level up your bonds with these characters, making each one unforgettable. This makes for an amazing story with a large cast of characters that are memorable and that is impressive due to the large cast. You will be entertained from start to finish, just don't rush through the 100-hour story because you are bound to get bored if your only goal is the finish line. Gameplay: The turn based combat is simple but complex. There are 10 different elements are used when you use an attack from your persona. Your enemy will be weak to one element but depending on what persona you have out, you will be weak to one attack as well. If you hit a weakness, you get one more turn with your character, or your enemy will get one more turn if he attacks you with a weakness shot. To upgrade personas, you can fuse them together or make your bonds closer with your friends by hanging out with them on your days off. On top of your personas, you will have your gun and your basic attack. In the real world, you can upgrade these by buying toy guns and weapons in the real world. They become real in the distorted world. All of this mixes together to make a flawless gameplay experience. Technicals: The visuals are amazing and stylized. There is so much uniqueness in this game. Even the UI and menu look amazing and don't get me started on the gameplay visuals like the all out attack (which you can see below). The game runs at a smooth 60fps, no graphical glitches and this game has NEVER BEEN PATCH. That is a miracle is this day in age of gaming and should be commended for it. An amazing soundtrack that gets you in the mood for battle or in the mood to take it easy with your friends (Depending on what you are doing in the game.) This game is a technical marvel and more RPG should look at this game to be their new standard. Conclusion: If you own a PS3 or PS4, this is a must game buy for most people. Some might be put off by too much story, but if you are able to become attached to the characters and you love turn-based combat, you will love this game. It looks great, it plays great, and it sounds great. Set 100+ hours aside and play what I might consider Game of the Year 2017, if nothing else comes along to dethrone it.

Introduction: After many years of Activision neglect of the license know as Crash Bandicoot, the orange marsupial is back with his original 3 games, redone with a fresh coat of paint. The only problem is that Crash should have gotten more than just a paint job. Story: Not much to say here. The story is exactly the same as the original 3 games. The only difference is the updated animation that really helps fleshes out the world of Crash Bandicoot. No complaints here. Gameplay: All your favorite mechanics from the old games are back as well. You will be jumping, sliding, and ground pounding your way through challenging platforming levels. Although something was changed in this updated version of the game. Crash uses the jumping physics of Crash 3 in ALL THREE GAMES! This can be a problem from levels in crash 1 & 2 that rely heavily on the jumping from the first two games. Levels like "The High Road" are a good example of a level that could be easily done in the original, that is hard as hell in the remake. The hit detection of platforms has also changed in the remakes. Edges of platforms are curved instead of being flat. Many time I would either slip off a platform or trip on the edge of a platform and die on the next jump. These sound like big complaints but they only affect a very small amount of levels and is not a reason to drop the score drastically. The last thing to note is the driving sections in Crash 3, THEY ARE GOD AWFUL. The turning is super stiff, that it's almost impossible to get first place in these level. The control for these sections needs to have a HEAVILY tune up in the control aspect. With all the complaints out of the way, nondriving/certain crash 1 & 2 levels aside, the controls work well and can provide a much need change to today games that are way too easy. Technical: The visuals look amazing. The animations, the bouncy, cartoony look all work well with the Crash **** updated soundtrack is great as well. Every track is great and really gets you in the mood to do some platforming. Final Thought: If you love Crash Bandicoot, the minor changes to the control won't bother you much as you will get used to it. The improved HD audio and visuals still make this collection the definitive version of Crash Bandicoot to come out to date. Besides a few level, you will have a fun time with this collection if you love platforms or loved the original Crash video games.

Introduction: This game is one of the most surreal experiences I have had this year. This Phycological Horror/Hack N Slash/ Puzzle game had me on the edge of my seat for the entire 8-hour length of the game. Those genres might not sound like they would mix well and in some parts of the game, they really don't. The great narrative and boss fights make up for a lot of this game's shortcomings. Story: The story follows a Viking warrior named Senua. She goes on a quest to resurrect her dearly beloved from the depths of hell. There is only one problem, she has a mental illness called psychosis and the quest she is going on is a figment of her imagination brought by her illness and the story of Noric God's she was told when she was very little. It's an interesting concept not explored in many forms of media and it makes for an engrossing story. Gameplay: The gameplay is broken up into two different styles, puzzles and sword combat. Puzzle have you manipulate the world around you, due to your illness, to solve sections of this game. The puzzle work well around the subject matter but a few puzzle near the end of the game have ludicrous solutions that made me want to toss my controller at the screen. Other than the last few puzzle, most are fairly simple, some have a few gimmicks but most standard and average puzzles are at play here. The sword combat is more simplistic than the puzzles. You have a standard light/heavy attack, parry, slow down time move and evade move. That's all there is to the combat. Combat looks and controls great but mixed in with basic controls and very few enemy types (except for the bosses) combat can get old quick. This is not much of a problem though because the game ends before it over stays it welcome. The gameplay is serviceable and works with the game well, it just has minor problems. Technical: The presentation is spot on for an independently released game. The graphics are gorgeous and rivals top notch visuals from AAA games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Uncharted 4: A Theif's End. The sound design for this game is only meant to be experienced with headphones. You hear the inner sounds of the main character head and makes you feel like you are going crazy with her. I am normally not phased by gruesome imagery or with horror in general but this game made me feel a horror I have never felt within a game before. What this game does on a technical level, is something I have never witness in a game before. Conclusion: On a technical level, the atmosphere, the story, the way the game makes you feel like the main character, it on near masterpiece level. Unforchantly, mediocre combat, and annoying final puzzles hold this game back from 9 or even 10/10. I would still highly recommend this game to anyone who is interested in the material being covered or the story in general. Just Be warned that the subject matter in the game is a very taboo subject, so play at your own risk. If you can get passed the passable gameplay and a very taboo story, there is something special here. Edit

Introduction: The classic 2D Sonic games are back with a mix of new, old, and remixed levels. Everything has been improved and updated for a classic Sonic game with new surprises that will keep you guess whats next. This is the Sonic game you have been waiting for since Sonic CD. Story: The story is pretty simple but it keeps the game going along. Eggman uncovers a mysterious gem that can warp and alter reality. You try to get the gem from him but a group of mysterious robot also want the gem. This gem is responsible for taking you to levels from the past that are completely different from what you remember. They also take you to new zones to explore. Throughout the story, you will fight Eggman with robots that he has used in the past with remixed attacks and you will also fight the new robots in crazy scenarios that could not be possible in the older games. The story helps make this new Sonic adventure feel fresh even though it's like the original Sonic games from the 90's. Gameplay: Run and jump just like you always have in Sonic games prior. The only new addition to Sonic arsenal of moves in the dash drop which helps you gain speed back up if you have lost it. This moves fixes some of the slower parts original Sonic games have had. The other thing that is new to the gameplay is the bonus stages. During these stages, you are trying to get a chaos emerald by collecting balls and rings that help you speed up to catch the emerald. These stages are a nice addition to the standard sonic gameplay we all know and love. Technicals: The animation presented in this game are amazing. Such detail was put into every frame of this game. This animation makes cutscenes and the game as a whole really pop out. The soundtrack of new and old remixes are amazing as well. Every ounce of this game is bleeding with passion from the original 3 games and should be commended for such. Conclusion: If you love fast platformers or Sonic in general, then this is a must buy game. This game is a celebration of what made Sonic good all those years ago and improves on the originals in every way, shape, and form. This game is the first in the Sonic franchise to become a masterpiece

Introduction: The sequel to 2013 hit game "South Park: The Stick of Truth" is out, so the question is, Does this live up to the original? In some ways, it does due to a massive overhaul in the combat system. Gameplay is more diverse and a chance to make great strategies (or very cheap ones.) Sadly, this game does slip in a few areas. Story: The story this time around is pretty simple. Eric Cartman or "The Coon" goes back in time to tell all the kids (including your custom character) that are still playing their game from the previous installment, that a cat has been stolen and they need to play Superheroes to get the cat back. Normally South Park takes simple premises like this and turns them up to 11 for the sake of comedy. This time around, I feel like the story never hit the 11 I was expecting. Jokes are used way too much and the ending is very anti-climatic and not over the top, unlike the previous South Park game. There is still some funny and crazy moment but there is only so many times you will think that Cartman talking about your Mom getting **** is funny. (He reuses the joke 5 to 6 times over the course of the whole game!) The story is like an average episode of South Park, not amazing but it gets the job done. Gameplay: The gameplay has been improved since the last time we played a South Park game. Instead of standard turn-based combat, it's a bit more complicated. In battle, all players stand on a grid and get to choose from a limited amount of spaces, where they will stand and where they can attack. This system allows for much more strategy instead of standing in place and attacking back and forth until someone wins. Before you start a fight, you will get to choose classes every so often. These classes let you get certain attacks and abilities for your character, these attacks can become stronger by raising your might level. The way you level your characters stats have been a little dumb down but I think its fine for what the game is trying to be. Your might level is determined but what items you attach to your character. The higher the level, the stronger you are. Pretty straightforward and works well. Gameplay is great and should be the standard if more South Park games are to come out in the future. Technical: The game suffers a little here. The overall presentation is nice and on par with the first game but technical issue get in the way at times. I had the game freeze in battle multiple times causing me to restart a battle. Audio would cut off or would not be sync at times. Other than this stuff that they should have ironed out before launch, the games runs fine when out of battle. Smooth 60fps in cutscenes and gameplay. Conclusion: South Park: The Fracture But Whole had all the elements **** South Park game. It ran with those elements and slip up a bit, but for the most part, they made it to the finish line. If you are a fan of South Park, I would still highly recommend it. There is still enough here to make fans of the TV show happy. If your just a fan of RPG's I would wait for a price drop due to a short and lacking story, and so they can iron out the bugs for the gameplay.