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Welcome back! The next few months are going to be stuffed with new games. It’s time to release the rest of my Spring reviews before the gaming schedule gets busier. I have 8 games to cover today, so you’re getting a beefy post. Some of the games I played were amazing while others were pretty awful. The month of May had a strong start with a few titles, but some of the most recent games were disappointing. Check out the details below. Have fun!  Say what you will about Doom: The Dark Ages, but I think it’s awesome. It’s a really good FPS that brings some new elements to the Doom series. The shield and melee weapons are a great addition to your arsenal. This game has a new gameplay style that encourages you to get up close and personal to menacing enemies. It gives you plenty of opportunities to switch around different firearms, including the classic shotgun, a rocket launcher, a BFG crossbow, and a gun that grinds demon skulls into shrapnel. The story is a bit weird and it takes place on a Medieval planet that has a high tech culture in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. You’ll battle a huge army of demons in various shapes and sizes. Arenas are quite large with plenty of room to maneuver through mobs of enemies and exciting boss fights. Combat is fast, brutal, and bloody to the max. The gameplay is buttery smooth with minimal frame rate drops. Some elements weren’t the best experiments, such as the dragon missions and giant mech battles. However, I’m willing to forgive those missions because the rest of the game is highly entertaining. The Dark Ages features a lengthy trek through Hell and a few levels with Lovecraftian creatures. It’s probably worth your time to check out the settings. You can make the gameplay as easy or challenging as you wish. Changing some of the settings to reduce motion sickness was a great option for me. Doom: The Dark Ages is a AAA game with very high quality. With that said, the runtime is a bit short for a $70 value. Your best option is to play the game on Xbox Game Pass. It will save you a big chunk of money.  Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing occasionally. The Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a fun journey through Capcom’s retro catalogue. It can easily appeal to fans of multiple franchises, including Street Fighter, Power Stone, Rival Schools, etc. Some of my favorite entries were Street Fighter Alpha 3, Plasma Sword, and the first two Capcom vs. SNK games. This collection includes deep cuts that very few modern gamers would know. It’s a nice combination of titles, including both 2D and 3D examples. Each campaign is really short and encourages you to experiment with different characters. This collection has plenty of replay value and you will likely find specific characters and difficulty settings that will work fabulously for your gameplay style. Many of these games are frustratingly challenging, but that’s also part of the fun. Most players would agree the weakest entry is Capcom Fighting Evolution because it was such a cheap game, but it has a certain amount of charm. Usually, retro collections aren’t very accessible to modern audiences. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 might be a rare exception because the combat is smooth, the library has a variety of titles, and players can change some of the settings. Everything about this collection is an easy recommendation. I would say playing these games on the Switch in handheld mode is the best experience. The price is $40 and I believe it’s fair. Granted, I can understand if you want to wait for a sale. Some players might think $40 is a little steep for a collection of short, old games.  Sometimes I enjoy small indie games while I’m waiting for the next AAA project. Neon Blood is a narrative driven game with a neo-noir cyberpunk setting. It’s important to be up front. This game doesn’t have a lot of original ideas and the runtime is probably a maximum of 5 hours. The story and world building feels like a combination of Blade Runner, Mad Max, and RoboCop. Honestly, I like those movies and the cyberpunk genre overall, so these elements are totally acceptable for me. Neon Blood uses a pixel art style and places a big emphasis on dialogue between the characters. Much of your time will involve searching for clues, getting more information from NPCs, solving small puzzles, and exploring the environment. It’s a side scrolling game, but don’t expect metroidvania elements. This game is pretty laid back without significant challenge. It actually has turned based combat, but these encounters are brief, simple, and sporadic. The general experience is more about the story than combat. Just spam the headshot option and heal when necessary. My description might not sound like a ringing endorsement, but this game will appeal fans of indie titles and shorter experiences. In the end, Neon Blood is a great choice for people who like narrative adventures, mystery games, and dystopian settings. It’s definitely part of a niche market. Currently, I’m seeing prices on Steam and other digital retailers for $20 and physical copies for $35. That’s as good as it gets in today’s gaming market.  I was in a bad mood after playing Blades of Fire. This game was marketed as a fantasy adventure with hack and slash combat and a unique way to create weapons. It was supposed to be similar to God of War, except with breakable weapons. Ultimately, Blades of Fire is just another soulsborne game. More importantly, this game seems very cheap, unpolished, and many of the game mechanics don’t work particularly well. It’s a bit too ambitious for a AA release. In fact, Blades of Fire might be even smaller than a AA experience. I can’t figure out the blacksmith mechanic. You must align layers and strike the molten metal the right number of times. Maybe you can figure it out better than me. Combat is a major part of the game, which is incredibly unwieldy and unforgiving with a lot of stuttering and bad camera angles. Enemies can take a ton of damage before dying and your stamina bar runs out quickly. Every time you die, you lose the weapon and must create a new one. It gives you a chance to collect your lost weapons at the sight of your previous death. The story is the one element that seems like God of War. Basically, it’s an inferior mimicry of the 2018 God of War plot with a mythological setting, a father figure who’s mentoring a teenager, violent combat, and supporting characters who fit various sword and sandal tropes. Don’t even bother playing this game. I know soulsborne games are really popular, but this one is lousy. Try Lies of P or Elden Ring instead. You might also want to check out Wuchang: Fallen Feathers when it comes to Xbox Game Pass in July.  Fans of brawlers might have fun playing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. This game features the original team of Power Rangers from the show’s first season, but it adds time travel to incorporate elements from other seasons. Generally speaking, the combat is sharp, smooth, and entertaining. You can dodge, jump, and execute special moves that can clear out multiple enemies at once. Unfortunately, all of the combat is just a combination of punches and kicks. I really miss the original Power Rangers weapons. Each Power Ranger had a unique weapon in the show, but the game doesn’t include them for some reason. The game features several notable locations from the show along with multiple classic villains who provide exciting boss fights. I was impressed with the mission variety because brawlers are usually one dimensional. A couple levels feature entertaining motorcycle chases. The weakest missions included the Zords or robots. Those missions feel awkward with a steep learning curve. Also, you have to start the entire level again if you die during the Zord missions. I also found the Megazord sequences a bit annoying, but I will be forgiving because you can’t die. It’s like an interactive cutscene. Overall, Rita’s Rewind is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy brawlers. It’s not quite on par with TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge or Streets of Rage 4, but the game still has very high quality. I recommend checking it out when you have time. Surprisingly, the digital and physical price is the same at $35.  This game makes me sad for more than one reason. Crypt Custodian has a bittersweet story about animals when they pass away and venture to the afterlife. It’s a really touching story. Also, the gameplay is pretty good, but some elements wrecked the experience for me. I didn’t get to finish the game, so that’s a shame. On the positive side, Crypt Custodian is a metroidvania, although it’s far more approachable than similar games. The platforming and combat is very solid. It’s somewhat challenging without being ultra difficult. I throughly enjoyed many of the boss fights. Each boss encounter is unique with specific patterns. You unlock the map in pieces as you reach new areas. Despite having some decent elements, I was underwhelmed with the optional skills and upgrades. I just picked a couple of skills and used them most of the time. Also, several puzzles and the overall navigation is super confusing. It’s really easy to miss key items and you’re probably never going to backtrack and find them because the map is gigantic. The game has many locked doors and I couldn’t figure out how to open some of them, which meant I could only progress through the story up to a certain point. It’s hard to recommend Crypt Custodian, especially at full price. I believe it’s a strong title for people who play metroidvanias on a regular basis. It might not be the best choice for anyone else. If you want to experience the story and gameplay, you can play it on Xbox Game Pass.  Most of my games are physical copies and I received a limited release of Industria from Limited Run Games. Truthfully, I can understand why this game didn’t receive a physical edition until now. Industria is a bare bones experience and most gamers could probably complete the story in a couple hours. It’s a post-apocalyptic story that takes place in East Berlin during the Cold War era. The protagonist winds up in an alternate dimension where robots destroyed mankind. It’s a sci-fi game with some horror elements, but the experience becomes quite forgettable after a while. Much of your time revolves around solving basic puzzles. The empty wasteland setting looks okay, but it’s pretty similar to other dystopias. I couldn’t get used to the combat. It’s very clunky, unwieldy, and awkward. Ammo is scarce and the robots can take a solid amount of melee damage. However, you will probably die in a few hits. The save points are relatively generous if you play on the normal difficulty, but the overall experience isn’t entertaining or memorable. You’ll go through the same motions all the time, like wandering around the environment, solving a few puzzles, and battling some robots. I also found the ending ambiguous and unfulfilling. It’s probably trying to set up a sequel, which I believe is in active development. Industria disappointed me quite a bit. I have an appreciation for indie games and small development teams. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the gameplay much at all. Most people could live without this game. Industria is $20 on Steam and that might feel generous for some individuals and overpriced for others. I can’t say the game has great quality, so think about that if you want to spend $20.  I’m saving the worst game for the end of today’s post. MindsEye is a single player action game that was marred by controversy before release. The game’s development and marketing had endless red flags. I won’t go in a lot of detail, but you can find juicy information easily on YouTube, game reviews, Steam, and basic Google searches. MindsEye takes place in a near future dystopia where robots, AI, gang warfare, and organized crime is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Some people might say it’s ripping off Grand Theft Auto, but I think the linear mission design and gameplay is more like Mafia. The story is remarkably derivative from popular sci-fi movies, including Total Recall, Terminator 2, and Stargate. Overall, this game feels unfinished with a lot of bugs and glitches. Sometimes I randomly died or failed a mission for no particular reason. Expect to see tons of screen tearing, stuttering, and other visual problems. Most of the missions are incredibly boring and lame with no imagination. The combat is a joke with simple gameplay mechanics. It’s a minimal combat experience with very little entertainment value. I will give the game credit for having pretty good driving mechanics. The vehicles move quite smoothly, but any little bump can send your car flying through the air and the chase sequences are really bad. You don’t even get a decent reward for finishing the campaign because the ending is really weird, ambiguous, and poorly written.
Ultimately, everything about this game is bad except for the graphics and some of the driving elements. I don’t mind some of the voice actors, but the dialogue is super cringey. MindsEye is $60 and I don’t believe anyone should support this minimal level of quality. Curiosity got the better of me because this game had so much bad publicity before launch. Trust me. You should spend your time and money elsewhere. You made it to the end of my game reviews. What do you think about these games? Have you played any of them yet? Leave a comment. You’re going to see more reviews and video game content this Summer. Gamescom is in August and multiple games are coming out during the next few months. I might find something else to blog about next week. Right now, I don’t have a specific topic. Over here in LA County, the weather is getting a lot hotter. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and stay inside more often. Enjoy your Summer vacations and party responsibly. Take care and I will see you again next week.
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Good evening! The first season of MobLand is finally done and I will break down each episode briefly. This show had ups and downs for me. Sometimes I’m not sure if Paramount+ is worth the money, but MobLand is probably one of its better shows. Check out the details below.
Stick or Twist- Episode 1 The Harrigans are a formidable crime family, led by Conrad and his wife Maeve. They move into the fentanyl business, sparking a dangerous rivalry with the Stevenson family. I can tell the first episode is setting the tone for the show. MobLand is definitely a show about organized crime, including murder and a disregard for human life. Surprisingly, the opening episode has a decent amount of action and violence. Maybe it makes sense because Paramount makes the Missions Impossible films and similar movies. This show appears to feature an ensemble cast, so it will be interesting to see how the relationships and dynamics progress through the story. The first episode was a solid beginning. Jigsaw Puzzle- Episode 2 Harry, the Harrigan’s fixer and hitman, finds a way to dispose of Tommy Stevenson’s body. He also suspects a police informant and traitor is hiding within their group. I have to admit, this episode feels a bit slower. It has less action and drama. MobLand has a ton of characters and they’re probably not going to have a lot of screen time. That means the show doesn’t have a real protagonist and it might work for all intensive purposes, but it’s a bit early to know for sure. Some shows are quite successful with ensemble casts, but the story has to be interesting enough. Let’s see how it goes. Plan B- Episode 3 Kevin, one of Conrad and Maeve’s sons, evades a mob hit when his house explodes. The situation becomes more complex when the police find a dismembered body. MobLand has some really good elements and a few notable weaknesses. I’m really surprised how much dark humor is in this show. It definitely helps the entertainment value. This show has quite a bit of action as well, including car chases, big shootouts, etc. I will give Paramount credit because they placed a lot of effort in this show. Unfortunately, most of the characters are underwhelming. Several of the characters are whiny and annoying. I would say Pierce Brosnan as Conrad and Helen Mirren as Maeve are the best characters with the most personality. Usually, I like Tom Hardy, but he’s just a bland strong and silent type as Harry. Rat Trap- Episode 4 Jan, Harry’s wife, develops an unexpected friendship with someone named Alice. Could this new friend be a police informant? Either way, everything continues to become a bigger issue for the Harrigans. This show has its fair share of chopped up bodies and headshots. If you can’t handle violence and bloody scenes, don’t watch MobLand. I enjoy good mafia stories, but it seems like the show is devolving into a soap opera. Lately, most of the scenes are just arguments between the various characters. Many of the scenes are focusing on family drama, broken marriages, sibling rivalries, and whatnot. I suppose that might be par for the course in a crime family, although the writing feels a bit weaker than the earlier episodes. There’s a trend in the streaming space. The stronger writers often write the scripts for the first couple of episodes and the final episodes. Weaker, cheaper, and less experienced writers tend to fill in the middle episodes. I believe that’s entirely true for this show. Funeral for a Friend- Episode 5 Richie Stevenson, the patriarch of his family, greatly resents the Harrigans. Conrad and the rest of the Harrigan family put on a facade at Tommy’s funeral. The violence between these mob families escalates to more casualties. The fifth episode feels like the dullest and weakest episode, so far. Remember what I said about less impressive writers and the middle episodes? This episode is in the middle of the season and it’s super underwhelming. I seriously doubt that’s a coincidence. It’s primarily a funeral scene and some discussions between supporting characters. However, the ending got my attention. So, it’s worth watching the entire episode just to see the final scene. Antwerp Blues- Episode 6 After Richie’s wife dies in a car explosion, he wages war against the Harrigans. A mutual enemy to Conrad kidnaps two of his adult children, Brendan and Seraphina, during a bloody shootout. This show is really interesting, but it gets bogged down by a couple of things. It’s still a huge soap opera with drama between the various characters. Most of the content just feels like filler material in these middle episodes. Also, the show has too many characters. I can’t even remember everyone’s names and their exact roles. The sixth episode does improve significantly during the second half. At that point, it feels more like a mob show instead of a lame soap opera. I know it will also create a thrilling opening for the next episode. The Crossroads- Episode 7 Harry and the Harrigan family scrambles to rescue Brendan and Seraphina. Harry makes a deal with a dangerous ally. Nothing comes for free in organized crime. Now we’re talking. I won’t give away spoilers, but this episode feels like a crime show with actual stakes. It still has some pacing issues. Granted, the writing is pretty good and the main story is heading in an interesting direction. Get ready for more violence. This episode gets downright bloody. Helter Skelter- Episode 8 Conrad and Maeve’s crew rescue Seraphina, but the rival mobsters execute Brendan. This detrimental outcome causes the Harrigans to think about their situation. Meanwhile, Richie considers making a deal with a pair of police detectives. Unfortunately, this episode is pretty slow again. I suppose it was probably a necessary transition after the previous episode’s intensity. Honestly, I feel really conflicted about MobLand. Some of the scenes and episodes are excellent. Then everything comes to a total stop with boring dialogue and soap opera elements that eat up time. The writing is hit or miss. I genuinely believe MobLand would be great if it had consistent writing. The show has so many strong elements, but the tone and writing meanders. Beggars Banquet- Episode 9 Conrad feels suspicious about Jan’s new friend, Alice. He invites Alice to the family estate for dinner, which becomes a huge scene when the police ambush them. As usual, this episode has a slow start and becomes more exciting along the way. I’m not enjoying the subplot about the mole in the Harrigan family. That part doesn’t seem fleshed out or well written. However, the main story is moving along briskly with some big surprises. The penultimate episode gives a huge cliffhanger that will set up the finale. The Beast in Me- Episode 10 Conrad and Maeve continue to have criminal sway while they remain in prison. Harry ties up loose ends with Richie Stevenson and anyone who conspired against the Harrigan family. The season finale is pretty interesting, even though it also feels a bit rushed and disorganized. It’s definitely setting up a second season. I assume Paramount will renew MobLand for a season 2. They need a bigger streaming catalogue and this show has a lot of potential. It subverted my expectations by killing a major character at the end. Generally speaking, the show is good. It’s perfectly watchable and fun during some of the bigger scenes, although it’s a generic mob story with a bunch of soap opera elements. That’s just my opinion. In the end, I think MobLand has many satisfying components. It can be entertaining, fascinating, and brutal during some of the more violent scenes. The characters and parts of the writing are pretty weak. Most of the positive elements are in contrast with something negative. Is MobLand good enough to subscribe to Paramount+? That’s hard for me to judge. I’m already subscribed to Paramount+, but it’s not a cheap streaming service and the app needs a lot more content. I’m not sure if MobLand is strong enough to carry the platform. However, it’s probably worth a one month subscription for a quick binge. Check out the show for a week and unsubscribe. That’s the end of my review. MobLand is a lot better than some of the shows I watched earlier this year. There are plenty more shows coming out during the second half of the year, including Alien: Earth on Hulu and Ironheart on Disney+. Have you watched MobLand yet? What are your favorite streaming shows of 2025, so far? Do you think 2025 is a strong year or a weak one for streaming shows? Tell me all about it in the comment section. Thank you very much for viewing my content. Have fun, party responsibly, and keep an eye open for next week’s post. I hope you all have an awesome Father’s Day. Good night! |
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