kasparius

As I played more of the game, it appeared clear that it was developed by fans of the Metroidvania genre with a lack of experience or skill. There is ambition at work here, expansive map, tons of items to discover and ever expansive combat tools, however it is in the fine details that the game falters. Tedious and friction laden stealth and puzzle sections that showcase an inability to spice the game up without resorting to tired ways to challenge the player, and an overall sameness to the entire affair. The creators are trying really hard to create a memorable story and charming characters, but the fuzzy cast seems pulled out of a creepy third rate puppet tv show cancelled after a test screening ended up with traumatized children begging their parents to leave. I’m not sure whose idea it was to have a bunch of rejects from Watership Down and Animal Farm as the unlikely heroes of a clunky futuristic rebellion, but suffice to say I was skipping cutscenes and hitting buttons with zeal during conversations. To be honest I’ve always preferred my Metroidvanias light on story and dialogue, environmental storytelling should be key here, and the only thing the environment was indicating was a lack of creative spark in the world design department. It’s not all bad, mind you, combat was enjoyable enough in a belt action kind of way, and the presentation even though lacking in style indicates a lot of work went into it, but there is a very strong lack of polish that permeates most aspects of the game and I can only recommend it to Metroidvaniacs who’ve played pretty much every other game in the genre and need a fix. For others, if the mood strikes you there is so much better out there.

Many Metroidvanias falter in one of its most essential aspects, the ability upgrades. There are fewer feelings as incredible as unlocking an ability you've been hoping for since the beginning ****, like finally getting a dash or a double jump, but an even greater feeling is getting unexpected ones that make you jubilant because of how they transform the way you have approached the game thus far. I can count the games that achieve this on one hand. Not only does Astalon have such abilities in store, it hands them out at a masterfully careful pace, and I still found myself surprised and delighted by ones I found when most of the map had already been uncovered. There are many wonderful aspects that I could describe in detail here, but I don't want to take away from the experience of playing it blind, and I strongly recommend not looking up anything and just losing yourself in the game, it will reward this approach strongly. I hope I haven't given the impression that this is a game strictly for retro enthusiasts with a fondness for the NES. While Astalon: Tears of the Earth is in one hand a love letter to that era, it is also very much a modern game in its approach to game design and you most certainly do not need nostalgia or video game history knowledge to appreciate what it has to offer. This is a superb Metroidvania with few equals and I strongly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre.

I don’t want to sound too harsh, as a Metroidvania glutton I enjoyed my time with Ender Lillies, at a time where a lot of us are eagerly awaiting Hollow Knight: Silksong, a game that attempts to do similar things fairly successfully is bound to be warmly received. From the start though, I’ve had this **** feeling that this game was missing something and the reason it’s hard to pinpoint is that the devs are good enough that it’s almost never one major thing. The creators of Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knight, a title so generic it becomes offensive, understand what makes a Metroidvania work. If you go left at the start, as most Metroid fans are wont to do, you will be greeted with a locked door that will nag at you for 90% of the game and that exaltation you feel when you finally open it is exactly what the genre is all about. So if you are in the mood for a decent Metroidvania, read no further and go play Ender Lilies. If you are looking for the next Hollow Knight on the other hand, read on, or stay away from this game. So what makes a Hollow Knight so great? Maybe it depends on who you ask, but for me it’s a combination of true exploration, amazing level design and art direction, areas that feel different enough but part of a whole, great gameplay and combat; satisfying new abilities that make you want to immediately revisit previous areas. I could go on and on, but let’s focus on these for now. Ender Lilies never feels great, the areas are fine, but not memorable. It’s somewhat challenging but not consistently enough to give you a sense of accomplishment, the bosses are pretty good, but don’t feel especially inspired. There is also a readability problem where the fights become a sloppy combination of your flashy attacks and the bosses flashy attacks and you can’t tell when to dodge. The exploration is maybe the most problematic, because the game color codes the map, orange if completed and blue if you need to find something, there are also red dots on the sides if you need to find a new path. It’s helpful, but inelegant and also provides this checklist feel instead of the more refined and mysterious exploration of Hollow Knight. Another apt comparison would be the checklist nature of an Assassin’s Creed type open world map vs Breath of the Wild’s organic and explorative one. The game completely falls apart in the final section, a poisonous uninviting mess of an area that makes you reminisce fondly on Dark Souls’ Blighttown. It’s impossible not to take damage, and you are basically invited to rush through a rushed through environment instead of exploring it, an experience that mirrors development perhaps? It certainly feels that way. Ultimately the bottom line is that Ender Lilies is unoriginal, somewhat generic and if you’ve played Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Salt and Sanctuary or a SoulsBorne you’ve played a far better version of what’s on offer here. That doesn’t mean the game is without merits, it’s competently made for the most part and will definitely scratch the Metroidvania itch if you are a fiend like me. 7.5/10

This game is everything currently wrong with AAA gaming: a cinematic experience that completely forgets that gameplay is why people play games in the first place. Incredibly bloated, with side activities about as fun as a root canal. The story and characters are good enough to play the game through, but ultimately not memorable. The whole affair is seriously lacking in charm and personality. Everything is lifted from previous successful AAA games, the detective sections from Witcher 3, the enemy camps from Assassin’s Creed, the climbing sections from Uncharted, etc... and none of these feel like a design decision that really fits the game, rather the logical conclusion of a faceless think tank. The game is polished and looks great, but in a very homogenous, uncanny valley way. Just like the Infamous series, **** Punch delivers a game that looked promising but is ultimately frustrating and uninspired. And that is without going into the cultural appropriation of a Western team making a game that is about Japanese as The Last Samurai.

I love games like **** Valley, Rune Factory, and Story of Seasons, and I have always dreamt **** in that genre revolving around surviving on a desert island. So when I heard about Stranded Sails, my heart skipped a beat. "Was this finally the game?" I thought. It was not. The game is just the definition of amateur hour, nothing feels polished, the repetitive activities are tedious and far from compelling from a gameplay standpoint. Everything is either mediocre, or plain bad. The worst is the stamina management, it is so inept that it requires you to cook meals all the time that are barely keeping you afloat and are terribly obnoxious to produce. I'm not going to write much more, because this game has already taken far too much of my valuable time. Stay away. 4/10

This game really blew me away. It seemed like a fun concept and I've been meaning to play it for a long time. As a huge fan of Metroidvanias and a low key Pinball admirer (as in I always liked it in theory, but never played much of it) this game had my attention from the first time I heard of it. I was a bit concerned that it relied on god-like Pinball skills, but it was not the case. Some of the pinball challenges are a bit tricky, but the game never penalizes you in a brutal way, and it's easy to just keep at it. The real question here is how well do pinball and 2D adventure platforming blend together? The answer is that they blend shockingly well, at least they do here thanks to some clever game design. I was really happy with my time, it was over before I actually wanted it to be, but thankfully there are quite a bit of secrets and things to do in the post game. All in all, this is a must play if the concept appeals to you. Liked: A very original concept, that the devs completely pulled off. Nice presentation, graphics reminded me a bit of Rayman, or Ori. Fun world and story Pinball elements fit right into the Metroidvania genre Game can be tackled in different order, and you are never guided too heavily, yet I was never really lost and always had plenty to do. I want more of it and hope they make a sequel Disliked The music wasn't bad, but it wasn't memorable and it didn't really fit the game for me. Some of the rewards for difficult optional challenges felt completely useless and kind of bummed me out. 8.8/10

"In Space, Nobody Can Hear You Miaow" Very solid Metroid-like (I'm not saying Metroidvania, because this game is squarely inspired by the Metroid series and there are no RPG elements at all) It took me 6 hours to 100%, which is probably on the long side, as I took a while to kill the second boss because I **** at shoot em ups (maybe 20 minutes, it's the only shmup section). The game doesn't offer anything new in the genre, but it's a charming, well designed game where you play as a cat in a robot suit, hence the title. I like the mechanic where out of the suit you can do things that only a cat can do, climb and go through small spaces, but you are then vulnerable, which kinds of spices up the gameplay. Liked: Charming game with a fun little story Some solid and challenging boss fights You play as a cat Well designed Metroid-like game +Doesn't overstay its welcome, ends just about when you want it to Disliked The design is fairly straightforward and you don't really need to backtrack much, or even look for hidden items, because it's quite clear from the map where you need to go. Then again, that's better than a game that is obtuse for the sake of it. When going back to collect some items, mainly in the ventilation system, it can be extremely tedious to backtrack through the same treacherous zones without a shortcut. 8/10

As a game, Mummy Demastered is void of originality. It is 70% Metroid, 20% Castlevania and 10% Contra. As reference points you could most certainly do worse and to be honest, this game does a great job of emulating its influences. WayForward knows how to make retro-inspired games, as a matter of fact that's their bread and butter: Duck Tales Remastered, Double Dragon Neon, Contra 4, Mighty Switch Force, River City Girls, etc... The studio has made a name for itself remastering, imitating, and making sequels to classic 8-bit and 16-bit games. The other thing they are known for is making solid franchise games, which is unique in itself because generally games based on movies/cartoons are frankly not known for their quality, as a matter of fact in the 8-bit and 16-bit era, as a general rule, your best bet was to avoid them at all cost (Capcom/Konami ones excluded). Their successes in that realm include Aliens Infestation, Adventure Time, Scorpion King: Sword of Osiris, and now The Mummy Demastered. The movie itself might have been a massive flop and the nail in the coffin for the Universal Monsters Universe that had been planned before release, but for WayForward it was just another opportunity to flex their Metroidvania muscles. It's a short game 5-7 hours depending on how many secrets you go after, but that is perfect, because you do not have time to get bored and sometimes short and sweet is exactly what you want in world riddled with 100 hour + AAA games. Solid level design and gameplay, satisfying shooting and weapon upgrades, as well as power upgrades, combined with 16-bit pixel art that will remind you of the best Metroid and Castlevania GBA entries. Liked: Lovely 16-bit Pixel Art Fun Giant Boss fights Super fun weapons (shout-out to plasma gun and Flamethrower) Perfect Length, Never Gets Tedious Satisfying sound design and music Scratches that Metroid itch. Disliked: Very straightforward, you always know where to go and even secrets are barely hidden, however, it also prevents the game from veering into backtracking hell and becoming a slog. A happy medium would have been nice. 8.2/10

I had heard about this game for a long time, many say it's the best Mario RPG, and definitely the best Paper Mario. I finally played it through and have conflicted thoughts. At its best, this is prime Nintendo at its most magical and charming, the battle system is fantastic, the game is funny and the first few chapters are just a joy to play through. Unfortunately the game starts getting long in the tooth, and any backtracking, or platforming/skill section highlights that the gameplay really only shines during battles. Having to revisit or return to a location in this game feels like a punishment, so hunting for hidden items, is never as fun as it is in say a Metroidvania, or a Zelda game, because Mario is slow and fast traveling is far from optimal in this game. The battle system is great, continuing the interactive turn based combat that was started in Super Mario RPG. I always loved the skill based turn base RPG that allows you to do more damage, or decrease damage depending on your skill and timing, and Paper Mario has tons of way to reward that. I think if this game was remade and a few quality of life changes were made, for instance making Mario a little speedier and his jump a little more Mario-like, it would really be an absolute classic. As it is, it's a great game, but a few elements make it far more frustrating than it should be. 8.5/10

I was very pleased to discover that this was a great Igavania. Early impressions and previews had been fairly negative. I would say quality wise this is in the same vein as Symphony of the Night, Aria/Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia. The few issues I have is that if you grind a bit, the bosses become ridiculously easy, this was a problem in older Igavanias, but IGA had found a great balance in Ecclesia, a game that was quite challenging even if you grinded a bunch. I haven't tried Nightmare mode, but the problem is that the bosses are simply not that interesting, which is quite surprising, because even when the bosses weren't tough, they were definitely memorable in previous titles. This is not the case here, however the rest of the monsters are just as good as they used to be. Another slight let down is the music, it's really kind of forgettable, which again for an Igavania is kind of a shock. It's not bad by any means, mind you, I simply can't remember a single tune. It's also worth noting that this feels kind of like a throwback, not in a bad way, this is a great and fun game, but it is very much a by the numbers Igavania. The systems in place are more in depths than in previous titles, perhaps, but this is not the step forward that games like Hollow Knight, or SteamWorld Dig brought to the conversation. This game is "simply" an excellent Metroidvania, and if you are into that, then go right ahead and play it, because you will have a real blast. (Just don't get it on Switch)

Once again, I come bearing bad news about a Switch port. I literally just came back from the store with a PS4 copy because of how bad the Switch version is. At first it was only graphical downgrade issues (which are really significant, and I know the Switch can handle far better than that, so the devs are simply not adept at optimizing for the platform) and I was willing to deal with it if the frame rate was ok, but as the rooms got bigger and filled with monsters the game would lag and even freeze completely for a few seconds. The rumble feature was excessive and poorly implemented and even the sound mix seemed rough. For now, avoid the Switch version, I'm really annoyed because I know there are devs out there who can handle the platform and this is unacceptable. The game is really good by the way, so don't avoid the game, just buy it on any other platform.

I am giving the current version of this game on Switch a 0/10, because It is unplayable and I don't want others going through the frustrations I have. I actually like the game a lot and if it ran well I would probably give it an 8/10, because I love these types of games and it has plenty of good elements. However this port is utterly abysmal. At first it was just very long loading times and bad frame rate and slowdowns, but the further I got into the game, it would crash often, sometimes after hours of playing just one day and of course the game only saves at the end of the day. The game has crashed easily 30 times over 40 hours + of gameplay, and I recently contacted the game support devs and they told me to delete and reinstall the game, which I did. This actually created two new game breaking bugs that freeze me when I give a gift to npcs (which is a huge part of the game...) and prevents me from playing. Basically the game has now gone from deeply flawed, to truly unplayable. Avoid for now. If a patch is released that fixes the issues, I will update this review and the score. Again I like the game, but this port is for now unplayable.

I know most of these games really well, so I'm giving it a 10 based on the spot on emulation by M2 and ease of access. With multiple display options, save states, and a nice presentation, for $19.99 this package is a steal that lets you play some of the absolute best titles in this great franchise.

I love the concept and this game is right up my (****) Alley. However, the game is about 8-15 hours depending if you take your time or not, with little reason to go back to it (unless you are an achievement fan, in which case there is a lot of them). When you think of the arc **** like **** Valley, or a similar dungeon crawler like Isaac, it's a real shame that the devs couldn't find a way to make the game longer and more compelling. The shop portion of the game is decent, especially once you start upgrading your shop, however the amount of things to do is super limited. You stop people from stealing, put up items in the expensive section for certain customers, and determine the right price for each item. When you think of similar sim games like Diner Dash, that have so many things to do, it's a missed opportunity. The dungeon portion is fun, but the amount of secret rooms and different aspects every time you go in feels sub-par when compared to Binding of Isaac for instance. The combat is good, but the different armors and weapons don't really change it that much, so it's fairly repetitive, and there is no real incentive to change styles. The bosses are very easy, and you can only fight them once each. The village is also a let down, because besides the few shops you unlock (potion and armor especially), you will find that there is very little reason to interact with NPCs. There are side-quests later in the form of customers asking you to get a certain item with a time limit, but they feel tacked on, and are not very compelling. On the technical side, I like the way the game looks, and the music was good too, although a tad repetitive. I did run into some game glitches near the end, but I assume those will be ironed out, and they weren't game breaking. I hope they update the game, or make a sequel that address these short comings, because there is definitely the potential for a great game here. 7/10

As a big fan of Metroidvanias, I had heard good things about Valdis Story, so I got it during a steam sale. I wasn't sold at first, it seemed a little silly and unrefined, but as I kept playing I discovered that the combat was far better and customizable than I thought. Kind of like a platinum game combat, with combos, super powers, etc... Far deeper than you would expect from a indie platform game like this. I played on normal mode and it was still a fair challenge. The bosses are really good in this game. As for the rest, it offers a nice selection of areas with various timed puzzles that are quite fun to do. The only main issue is that it is hard to remember where you've been and where you need to go, or where a place is. There is a map when you are in an area, but you can't access a bigger map with the names of the place, etc... There is also a tram that brings you to 3 different towns, but sometimes a fast travel would be nice when you've been wandering about for a while. The game offers new characters to play with, once you finished the game and even items that can port over to a new game, and I can definitely see myself playing this game again in the future with a different character build.

I ended up enjoying the game quite a bit, because for the most part I enjoy an open world RPG more than the next fellow, but it's far from the masterpiece that some people say it is. First of all, If you've played Witcher 3 and Breath of the Wild, this game will not feel fresh to you at all. If you're a Monster Hunter fan, than the huge monster battles in Horizon Zero Dawn will seem simple and dumbed-down. The main strength of the game is that it's a well made game that doesn't overstay its welcome, has solid gameplay and a good main story. I was never bored while playing it and always welcomed going back to it. It's a good looking game, although I will say not as atmospheric as Witcher 3, and I still think that despite the technical limitations the almost hand painted quality of Breath of the Wild makes it a much more unique looking game than Horizon Zero Dawn. I think similarly to The Wind Waker on Game Cube, the games that were considered technically more accomplished at the time, like Resident Evil 4 for instance, will age terribly, while you could still start up the Wind Waker and be impressed by the art direction. 5 years from now, Breath of the Wild will still look good, and Horizon Zero Dawn will be obsolete. I think the current realistic approach to video games, while technically impressive, make the limitations of technology all the more obvious. For instance, when you look at the characters faces in Horizon, you are at first impressed by the likeliness, but then all you end up doing is noticing what isn't quite right. like facial hair, teeth, or skin tones. I think a skillful art direction is more important than realism. While I did say that the main story is interesting enough to hold your attention, I can certainly not say the same of any of the side quests. The other main issue is that literally none of the characters are interesting. (save for maybe Alloy and Sylens, although that might be due to Lance **** performance) They are absolutely milquetoast and cookie cutter stereotypes that remind us all too much that we live in a post Witcher 3 world. The game gives you plenty of documents to read and audio files to listen to, which would be fine if they were interesting, but they are anything but. I think I've had more fun reading the phone book. Having said all of that, I understand that with a big open world like this, comes limitations, and it's still an impressive effort from the devs. The variety in monsters is quite good, and some of them are genuinely challenging before you understand how to approach them, or get very overpowered once you unlock all the good equipment. I liked the hunting challenges, and collecting the right parts to unlock armors and upgrades kept me entertained for a while. The game is on the shorter side for an open world RPG. You could easily finish it in 30-40 hours if you focus on the main story, 60-70 if you're a completionist. But that is a blessing in a way, because the game would overstay its welcome if it lasted any longer. In conclusion, if you like open world games and are not expecting great characters and amazing side quests, you will enjoy this game. 73/100

I absolutely loved this game. Metroidvanias are my favorite kind of games, and I also love the Souls series and Bloodborne, so this game seemed right up my alley. I was a bit worried that it would just be a souls rip-off with light Metroidvania elements, but it's not at all. It's just as satisfying as a Souls game, probably not as hard, but still a decent challenge, which is rare in Metroidvania games these days. But the real surprise is that it is also a great Metroidvania game. It follows all the rules: One big unified map, areas locked behind new abilities and locked doors, backtracking, shortcuts, all of that with the combat and leveling system find in the souls game translated beautifully to a 2D platform game. The combat has that Souls heft, and weapons really do work differently. Just like Souls, you can create your heavy armored mage, or light armored heavy hammer fighter, etc... New Game + is part of the deal as well. The main game is quite long too, especially generous considering this is a game made by a small indie studio and retails for 17.99. A bargain if you asked me, because it offers really great value for that price. I know I will be revisiting this game often and it's now part of a select group of games that are for me part of the pinnacle of the Metroidvania genre: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, Guacamelee!, Metroid Fusion, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn/Aria of Sorrow. The Vita port is great, and there were no glitches throughout my play-through, it looked really good too.

I absolutely loved this game. Metroidvanias are my favorite kind of games, and I also love the Souls series and Bloodborne, so this game seemed right up my alley. I was a bit worried that it would just be a souls rip-off with light Metroidvania elements, but it's not at all. It's just as satisfying as a Souls game, probably not as hard, but still a decent challenge, which is rare in Metroidvania games these days. But the real surprise is that it is also a great Metroidvania game. It follows all the rules: One big unified map, areas locked behind new abilities and locked doors, backtracking, shortcuts, all of that with the combat and leveling system find in the souls game translated beautifully to a 2D platform game. The combat has that Souls heft, and weapons really do work differently. Just like Souls, you can create your heavy armored mage, or light armored heavy hammer fighter, etc... New Game + is part of the deal as well. The main game is quite long too, especially generous considering this is a game made by a small indie studio and retails for 17.99. A bargain if you asked me, because it offers really great value for that price. I know I will be revisiting this game often and it's now part of a select group of games that are for me part of the pinnacle of the Metroidvania genre: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, Guacamelee!, Metroid Fusion, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn/Aria of Sorrow.

I absolutely loved this game. Metroidvanias are my favorite kind of games, and I also love the Souls series and Bloodborne, so this game seemed right up my alley. I was a bit worried that it would just be a souls rip-off with light Metroidvania elements, but it's not at all. It's just as satisfying as a Souls game, probably not as hard, but still a decent challenge, which is rare in Metroidvania games these days. But the real surprise is that it is also a great Metroidvania game. It follows all the rules: One big unified map, areas locked behind new abilities and locked doors, backtracking, shortcuts, all of that with the combat and leveling system find in the souls game translated beautifully to a 2D platform game. The combat has that Souls heft, and weapons really do work differently. Just like Souls, you can create your heavy armored mage, or light armored heavy hammer fighter, etc... New Game + is part of the deal as well. The main game is quite long too, especially generous considering this is a game made by a small indie studio and retails for 17.99. A bargain if you asked me, because it offers really great value for that price. I know I will be revisiting this game often and it's now part of a select group of games that are for me part of the pinnacle of the Metroidvania genre: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, Guacamelee!, Metroid Fusion, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn/Aria of Sorrow.

I wanted to wait until I had not only finished the game, but done everything the game threw at me before writing a reviews. Sometimes initial enchantment for a game fades as you realize the limitation ****. Yesterday, after completing my final 120th shrine, collecting all the memories and about 450 Korok seeds, I went to defeat the bloated, furious, orange swine to save Hyrule. Once that was done, there was a feeling of elation and subsequently, emptiness and sadness. I had finished one of the absolute best games I will ever play, and I would never get that initial feeling again. I have been playing games for about 28 years, I've played a lot of them, and I can say that I've only extremely rarely had the feelings I had playing Breath of the Willd, and the most staggering thing isn't the fact that I got those feelings playing the game, it's how many times throughout the journey, I had them. Feelings buried deep within me that were probably beaten and driven to hide within the confides of my being somewhere around Junior High School. Feelings of awe and wunderlust, feelings of childish playfulness and wonder. The sheer desire to go see what's on the other side of the hill, the glory of the journey and the delight in what was to be found. You can find other reviews that will better describe what makes this game so wonderful, but I have to say that I think the less you know about the game, the better. The joy is in the journey, and the discoveries you make along the way. This might seem like a cop out, but trust me it is not. Is the game flawless? No, there are some minor issues and aspects that could have been even better (hopefully, those will come with the next iteration of the series), many of those can actually be fixed and patched, and probably will. But do those minor flaws take away from the whole? Absolutely not. I don't know of any flawless game, to be honest, even among my absolute favorites. I've played hundreds of hours of this game, and thankfully I still have 400 Koroks to find hidden within the world, but even if I didn't, and there was nothing left on my checklist to do, I would still pick up this game regularly just to take a stroll along the hills and see what it has in store for me. If you want to know what my absolute favorite games of all times are, to see if you might enjoy Breath of the Wild, here is a short list: Witcher 3 Ocarina of Time Wind Waker Dark Souls Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Pikmin 3 Bloodborne Red Dead Redemption Super Mario Galaxy 2 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Metroid Prime Resident Evil 4 Mario Kart 8 Chrono Trigger Silent Hill (the first one) And many more.

I'm giving the game a 10. Is is perfect? No, it's not. There are many small issues that plague the game, the combat, while good and definitely far better than what some people say, could be better and the list could go on, but despite these qualms, I absolutely loved every second I spent with the game, during two playthroughs and the first DLC. It is one of the most immersive and unforgettable game I've ever played. The characters and the writing are great, and not just video game great, simply great. While Bloodborne had better gameplay and combat, and other games this year had better elements, the all around best for me, by a huge margin, was Witcher 3.

First of all, let me preface this by saying that I am a huge Western fan and that I'm grateful for almost any game that scratches that itch. Having said that, this is one of the funnest games I've played and I've played plenty. The first Call of Juarez games were good, solid FPS games and a good time overall, but they weren't great. This game not only refined the formula, but added a sweet XP system that allows upgrades for your weapons. The game has a western spaghetti, cartoony vibe thanks to some sweet cell-shaded graphics and a muted color palette. But the real icing on the cake is the narrative, you play an old gunslinger, Silas Greaves recalling his adventures in the old west to a bunch of strangers in a bar. And the narrative, which is often interrupted by the doubtful gathering or even by Silas's need to urinate, is constantly changing as you play. It also happens to be a super cheap deal for the price and a new game plus allows to you to keep your weapon upgrade progress as you replay the game on new difficulties. Absolutely recommended.

I've been waiting to write a review of the game for a while. I've had the game since day one and loved it. But for me the true test **** Mario Kart is how long I'll be playing it. This is a game I pick up at least once a week on my own, and even more so if friends are over, or if I'm playing online with my family abroad. Simply put, it is by far the greatest Mario Kart ever made. The DLC that Nintendo made for the game is an incredible value for the price, as you get 8 new tracks that are all as great as the tracks that come with the game. It is a must own for anybody who loves video games.

At first I liked the game, the open pirate world is a lot of fun to explore, but once I got to the meat and bone of the game I was thoroughly disappointed. Ubisoft gives you the ability to rate missions and halfway into the game I realized that I had not rated any of them more than 3 out of 5 stars, and 2 out of 5 was the average. They made zero effort to bring any kind of real gameplay, or skill based progression to the game. The stealth missions are particularly laughable, especially if you have played a true stealth game like Metal Gear or Tom Clancy. To top it all off, the sailing portions are lifted straight out of Windwaker. Avoid, unless you have no more games to play.

Some people seem to think the game is too linear, but to find all the items I can guarantee you will be fumbling around for hours. I personally think it's a great balance of story and exploration. I think the gameplay and level designed has been refined from Super Metroid (which is a great game as well, don't get me wrong). This is probably my favorite Metroid game so far.

I expected to like this game, I am a Metroidvania and platform game fan and the reviews seemed to indicate that this would be up my alley. However, I was expecting a game that had a retro feel and might be limited by a derivative nature. I was gladly mistaken, this game has personality galore and a gameplay system that is entirely its own. What is truly remarkable is how polished the game mechanics are. The game can be hard, but it is never due to poor game design, just like the best Nintendo games. I find it interesting that the negative ratings have not bothered to write a review, unless you are truly hopeless at platform games, there is absolutely no possible way to think this game is bad. The amount of creativity and hard work put into the level design and gameplay is astounding, and the guys at DrinkBox Studios are to be applauded. If you like platform or Metroidvania games, or just great games in general. Don't miss this one, it's a triumph. It's a little short, but for a downloadable game at a reasonable price, you get way more than you pay for. And if you chose to get every item in the game, you will be challenged by some seriously devilish platform and combat challenge.

This is one of the most beautiful game I have ever played. While you could argue that it's too easy, although a few of the timed bonus levels are tricky, that would be missing the point. The game, just like say an animation film like Miyazaki's Totoro, is primarily conceived for children. However the creativity and level design on display here are simply breathtakingly inspired and delightful.

I'm giving it 5/10, because the customizable battle system is absolutely wonderful and the graphics are great for 3DS, the streetpass town progression was a great idea, however it ceases being of any use after a few hours in the game, and that's really too bad. However this is where it ends, the story is absolutely bare bones and the characters have zero charisma and the humor is abysmal and offensively dumb. A very disappointing game, if they re-use the battle system within a good game, I would love to tackle it. As it stands after about 8 hours of the game, I decided that it just was not worth my time.

Not a GTA fan, but this game is simply one of the richest and most rewarding video game experiences out there. The next best thing to a time machine. A masterpiece.

Fantastic game, not just a port, this version allows you to restart your day or go back in times a few days back. So the obnoxious time limit is not as grueling at all here. On top of that the wiimote seems to have been made for Pikmin, and this is coming from someone who does not like the wiimote one little bit. A wonderful first installment for one of the best series Myamoto and Nintendo ever created. Here's to many more Pikmin games.

This is easily the scariest and creepiest game I have ever played. And while I might never play it again, it lives on in my mind as the greatest horror game of all time. The sequels had their moments, but nothing ever came close to the original. The game feels like a horrible nightmare and it plays like one too. Don't be put off by the aged graphics, because in fact they are part of the reason why the game is so scary, the lack of clear definition of characters and places feel like one of those dreams where everything is a little blurry, rusty and confusing. Nightmares are not in high definition and neither is Silent Hill. The soundtrack of the game might be the most brilliant aspect of the game, it never ceases to keep you wondering what those sounds actually are and long after you are done playing the game, you will probably still shudder in the dark as you recall your visit to Silent Hill.