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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Ape Out stands out with an incredibly distinct art style and frantic, chaotic gameplay that is emphasized all the better with its pairing of frenzied drums and cymbal crashes perfectly in tune and timed with your actions. The procedural generated nature of the levels keeps every attempted escape an engaging and suspenseful affair. With its graphic blood splatters and rather intense gameplay, it is a bit unsettling and not recommended for those not keen of overly violent imagery. But it does perfectly capture the essence of what an escaped ape must be feeling through each of these scenarios and has a surprisingly striking ending for what is a generally simple narrative to be told.
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Astro Bot Rescue Mission is without a doubt the definitive game and reason to own a PSVR headset. The level design and creativity displayed in this adorable platformer rival that to be found in many of the great 3D Super Mario games. The worlds feel incredibly immersive thanks to the inclusion of VR and make great use of this new perspective for such creative platforming challenges. One moment players are ascending an ever-growing beanstalk, then the next moment they're riding the waving currents inside a whale. And the bosses especially feel immensely impressive in VR with their wildly huge presences and over the top, orchestrated performances. With loads of secrets to find, so many fun and clever levels to play through, and such a genuine sense of charm found all around, this is not only a superbly fun-fledged game in its own right, but assuredly one of the best VR games to be found.
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(Played on PlayStation 4) - From the French game developer David Cage that brought the likes of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls comes his most polished and David Cage game yet with Detroit: Become Human. The attention to detail to be found in this world is absolutely incredible, and the science-fiction world building is wildly cool and well thought out without seeming too far-fetched or implausible. Each of the three characters you get to play as have such unique play styles and stories to be told, it is an absolute pleasure switching between the likes of detective investigations, rebel uprisings and fugitive escapades. And the moments where these stories intersect make for all the more captivating drama to take in. The game also excellently showcases the many choices made at the conclusion of each chapter, how the outcomes could of varied, and how your choices / outcomes compare to that of other players. The story beats and character moments can certainly feel very campy or over-played at times (especially if you've played other David Cage games before), but the technical prowess on display in this game is nothing short of stunning.
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Fire Emblem: Three Houses contains a staggering amount of content packaged together in this one game. Some of those extraneous figures may be the unfortunate byproduct of uneven pacing which drags certain elements longer than they should, but even trimming / fine-tuning these areas, the overwhelming amount to be found and enjoyed in this game cannot be denied. Some new additions like exploring the monastery offer immersive new means to feel engaged with the world, while others like battalions feel like cumbersome mechanics that do little to enhance the battle system and bloat an already overloaded management system. With three fully unique campaigns (one with two alternate paths / endings), a wide and colorful cast of characters to learn their backstories and grow to fond of, and so many other intricacies to manage, there is a lot to dig into and love.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Floor Kids sold me on its charming art aesthetic and promise of unique, free form music-based gameplay. Tragically, though the art is still as eye-pleasing as ever, the game itself feels mostly an empty promise. The music is funky and fun upon first listen, but quickly becomes repetitive and uninspiring per subsequent levels. The free form dancing is a novel idea, but crippled by a confusing and unexplained scoring system. And there is no light to be found at the end of this rather short tunnel. This is a disappointing, overpriced and underdeveloped product whose aspiring premise deserved so much better.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Forgotten Anne manages to find distinctive charm in a style I can strangely describe as both stunning and rough around the edges. The animation and art feels at times as imaginative and fluid as a Studio Ghibli movie (emphasized even more by its whimsical music scores), and then as choppy and low budget at times as those poor Zelda CDI games. And yet it works and really does stand out. With such a fantastical sense of world building and unique mix of point-and-click puzzle gameplay, there's a lot to love here. As magical as this all is, the story and characters don't quite carry as much weight or interesting development as would be hoped to match this intricate world. Still, the pure and splendid imagination displayed in this adventure is sure to get one's own creative cogs turning.
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(Player on Nintendo Switch) - The Gardens Between is a short, but sweet unique puzzle game that centers around the concept of manipulating time both forward and backwards. With a charming, nostalgic aesthetic and zen-like musical scores, the game is a delightfully chill time to tinker with time and piece together these poignant memories. Unfortunately, the puzzles never seem to hit their full potential for just as they hit their stride, this short adventure comes to its end. Perhaps it is a bit poetic though as such fits in line with what is the simple, but heartfelt premise of its narrative.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Gato Roboto asks the question: What if Metroid, but with a cat? And that is exactly what is delivered. Players are treated with all the gaming goodness of a Metroid game, with an interesting world to explore and backtrack through while obtaining a growing collection of power-ups used both to aid in exploration and combat enemy aliens / robots. But this game also features a delightful sense of humor all its own that comes with the many attempted conversations between this cat whose only responses vary between meows and adorable facial expressions. Players can also exit the mecha suit at any time to freely explore just as the cat, which can be necessary for certain traversals, but leaves the player much more vulnerable (similar to that of Zero Suit Samus in Metroid: Zero Mission). It's a small and simple adventure that doesn't redefine the genre, but still a tight and well-polished experience to be enjoyed.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - At a glance, Gris evokes the vibes of Journey if such were translated into a 2D puzzle-platformer. But at its core, it offers a more nuanced and abstract narrative coupled with a gorgeous art direction and unique abilities to match. The art and animation truly are the stars of this game, serving as a compelling driving force both to the gameplay and overarching story as players push to restore color to this visually striking landscape. Though the puzzles aren't overly complex, the world is still a joy to explore with many secrets scattered about to uncover. Because of the minimalist approach in storytelling, players' emotional resonance with the game may vary, but in either case, it remains such a beautiful and artistic experience all the same.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Iconoclasts presents a unique and distinct spin on the Metroidvania formula as players wield a handy wrench which is used both offensively and constructively to solve puzzles. The story is quite unusual and frankly just plain weird at times, but is engaging and curious enough to keep your interest across the adventure, even if it never is fully comprehensible by the game's conclusion. The sprite art and animation is very impressive and the game isn't afraid to change things up on a whim's notice, such as suddenly turning into a stealth puzzler of sorts for a short segment of the game. All in all, a bit of an uneven narrative to be told, but a fairly solid game nonetheless.
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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening holds as one of the more unique and cherished adventures in the Zelda series. It's an adventure full of bizarre and lovable characters contained within a world and narrative that is both charming and poignant. The classic dungeon solving gameplay particularly stands out in this entry thanks to the distinct means of combining items for interesting uses, all of which is made better in this Switch port now being able to map more abilities / items to more buttons. The new art style is also beyond adorable, although the frame rate does often suffer an unfortunate dip. The soundtrack manages to deliver some added emphasis to certain key moments, while still elegantly paying respects to its roots. The last biggest addition / change to this remake is the new Dampe's dungeon creator, which sadly leaves much to be desired considering the potential is certainly there. At a price point of $60, it's difficult to say if the revisions merit the cost when the original is still so darn good, but for those willing to splurge, there is a lot of quality and love to be found in this faithful revisit to Koholint Island.
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Luigi's Mansion 3 feels like a culmination of its previous two entries to make a distinct and ghoulishly fun adventure all its own. The game is packed full of wit, charm and humor through its gorgeous world design, fluid animations and clever puzzles. The boss battles in this entry stand as particularly notable, bursting with creativity and wickedly fun mechanics. The many floors of this tower of terror that you explore are stuffed to the breams full of secrets to be found. While it may not feel as conjoined as that of the original Luigi's Mansion, the game keeps a smooth pace with new and interesting ideas around every corner. The multiplayer is a bit of a disappointing add-on, especially now that it requires multiple game cards and Switch units if you're to play Screamscraper with more than 2 players. But as a primarily fun, single-player ghost-busting adventure, Luigi's Mansion 3 delivers in spades.
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(Played on PSVR) - Moss is akin to experiencing a classic fairy tale book like the Redwall series come to life. The world in which players are able to explore is so incredibly lush and vivid, really immersing players into the experience. And the asymmetric gameplay of controlling the adorable mouse hero Quill and the world around her creates some very memorable and fun moments. As rich as this all is, the world does feel very much limited in its fixed perspectives and basic, such as no townsfolk to interact with in your starting village. The story also ends quite abruptly as it turns out this is intended to be an episodic game. But at its somewhat steep price point of $30, its either somewhat a rather short adventure or will be a rather expensive package by the time such finally feels complete. Still, a wonderful and safe entry point for those interested in the world of VR.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Pan-Pan is a very minimalist puzzle adventure with a vivid art direction and curious world to explore. It ends up being a bit of a short and simple adventure with little weight to its overall journey, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. And for its cheap price point, a few vague puzzles feel acceptable enough. If you've got the itch to explore a strange new world with little hand-holding, Pan-Pan should provide some decent satisfaction to fill this whim.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Pikuniku is an absurdly weird and quriky narrative platformer to which if you're a fan of the humor, players will bask in all the peculiar oddities. From its loose and silly walking animations to its nonsensical writing of talking rocks and the perils of consumerism, its this strangeness that serves as the main motivation to press onward. The gameplay itself is rather simplistic and a bit bland, but there remains an innate joy to be found in this little red blobs wonky walk nonetheless.
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(Played on PlayStation 4) - Rime is a beautiful adventure that strives to tell a moving and emotional tale, but isn't quite able to fully resonate despite its best efforts. Exploring a mysterious island with a beckoning tower, players are treated to many curious vistas accompanied with many grand, sweeping orchestral suites. However, though the environments contain a fair share of secrets to uncover, they don't lend themselves particularly well for exploration or backtracking. And as captivating as many of the story beats can be, the abstract nature of this game's storytelling keep it from feeling more a cohesive whole. It's an enjoyable, but imperfect experience.
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(Played on PlayStation 4) - Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third entry per the new reboot of the Tomb Raider series back in 2013, and while I am quite enamored with these first two entries, this latest installment sadly fails to emulate the same greatness. The environments are largely uninspiring and linear jungles, providing little incentive for backtracking or revisiting areas. The gameplay varies from frustrating tomb designs and a slew of stealth sections that will inevitably end in annoying firefights. The story, though appreciatively different, is uninteresting and does little to show growth in Lara's character. And much of the game feels overly violent for the sake of being "edgy" and "dark". This is unfortunately a disappointing step back for this rebooted series.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Tangle Tower is a superbly polished point-and-click puzzle adventure that has players gleefully prod about the many corners and conversations of this wonderfully weird island and its equably odd inhabitants. With exceptional art direction, eye-catching animation, vivid voice acting and stirring musical scores, it's easy to become engrossed in this tangled mystery. The game unfortunately does fall a little light on the puzzles and the pacing feels rather rushed come its sudden conclusion, but the sheer craft and care that went into every other aspect of this game's design still holds it up as a deeply engaging and memorable experience to be had.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Untitled Goose Game perfectly captures the essence of goose in both animation / mannerisms, as well as the tenacious tendencies that is being a nefarious jerk. The silly and sheer joy that is honking and flapping at others' misfortunes as you prank away this pristine and idealistic little village. Though the game is very much a repeated one-punch joke, it is a joke that manages to mostly keep its edge and land the finale of this short, but deviously sweet puzzle adventure. A unique and creative game to be fondly remembered and honk back on for sure.
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(Played on PlayStation 4) - The fourth and final season of Telltale's The Walking Dead series provides a satisfying conclusion to Clementine's journey across this post-apocalyptic, zombie infested world. Though it may not hit the same emotional highs as the first two seasons, it still manages to keep players invested with compelling story beats and witnessing the culmination of your choices shape not only who Clementine has become, but also AJ who indirectly learns from your decisions. The polarizing choices to be made have become a bit formulaic by now in this last installment, but for the fans of Clementine and seeing her story through to the end, it feels good to have some admirable closure.
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(Played on Nintendo Switch) - Yooka-Laylee is the love project of many former Rare developers who brought us the beloved likes of the esteemed collect-a-thon that is Banjo-Kazooie. While this sounds like a dream come true in concept, it sadly fails to recapture that magic and instead leaves us with an uninspiring mess of a game. Worlds that feel slapped together with repeated characters and awkward item placements that annoyingly have to be expanded for further exploration, which instead makes them feel just sad spaces not lived in. A bland plot and even blander excuse for a quiz show. The art and character design is mostly very well crafted, but the end result sadly just seems to lack the passion and grandeur that was once found in our goofy bear and bird.
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If you have any questions or thoughts about any of these games, please feel free to comment and discuss below. And find many more reviews of games on Hughes3D right here! Thanks. And as always, happy gaming!
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