Game Reviews for April 2024

Good afternoon! 2024 is a packed year for new video games, so I took the time to organize some reviews again. The market has an unwieldy selection of releases with variable degrees of quality. How can you possibly choose what games to play, especially when time, money, and patience have limitations? Hopefully, today’s post can help you make a few decisions if you’re on the fence about certain games. Let’s check it out!

Here’s my big disclaimer today. I disagree with a lot critics regarding several major releases this year. Many outlets are hailing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth as a masterpiece, but this game didn’t sit well with me. I’ll give the developer credit for creating amazing graphics and making bold choices. However, the second chapter in the FFVII trilogy has a bloated environment, middling voice acting, boring missions, an excessive runtime, awkward gameplay, and a ton of busy work. Honestly, they needed to stick with the traditional turn based structure like the original FFVII. I’m not a fan of turn based combat, but it seems to be the most appropriate structure for this game. Rebirth’s combat is a hybrid of strategy and the hack & slash model, but it still feels a lot like a turn based system because you must switch between party members constantly. Also, the story is even more confusing in the remake series than the original title. Over time, I simply lost interest. 

I’m sure many people will thoroughly enjoy this game. Rebirth probably isn’t the best choice for people who are looking for something in the vein of God of War: Ragnarok, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, Horizon Forbidden West, and similar games with open world environments. Don’t forget, it’s another $70 release. In general, I find this game totally overrated, but you might feel differently. 

I realize physical media is going away. Limited Run Games and other specialty retailers are working hard to help preserve physical media. So, I buy some of these limited releases periodically. I tried a roguelike game, called Mythforce. It takes many influences from Saturday morning cartoons, including the animation and character archetypes. The concept sounds cool, but the overall experience isn’t great. Mythforce also encourages co-op play, which doesn’t bode well for someone like me who avoids multiplayer options. Basically, you move through levels with a procedurally generated structure while killing a bunch of enemies. At the end of each area, you’ll have a boss fight. You’ll collect temporary boons that may improve health, weapons, movement, and such. If you die, it’s back to the beginning of the said chapter. The gameplay works fine, but the experience is super boring and uneventful. Eventually, you receive permanent upgrades, although progress tends to be very slow. Sorry, but cute graphics aren’t enough to motivate me. 

In the end, I don’t believe Mythforce is worth playing for most audiences. It might be an okay experience if you’re playing with friends. It’s only $15 on Steam, so some gamers might want to experiment. 

Fortunately, I found a really entertaining game with a limited physical release. GigaBash is a fun co-op fighting game that pits various kaiju monsters and giant robots against each other. As expected, this game lacks substance, but the experience is quite enjoyable. You’ll choose a monster or robot and fight through a number of rounds. The controls are easy to learn and the pacing is very fast. Each kaiju becomes stronger as you clear through the stages. The game works excellently both in single player and co-op modes. I found the story mode is a little bit short and it only features some of the monsters on the roster. At first glance, GigaBash might seem like a bare bones experience. However, it’s a total blast and a nice break from AAA RPGs and open world environments. 

It’s easy recommend this game to a number of audiences. The target audience is probably fans of Godzilla, Ultraman, Voltron, and similar franchises. GigaBash should also appeal to people who enjoy the fighting genre, arcade games, and indie titles. Believe it or not, it’s a pretty good live service game. So, you might want to check it out. 

THQ Nordic has a tendency to publish AA games with a lot of flaws and Outcast: A New Beginning is no exception. It’s an adventure game on an alien planet with an open world setting. There isn’t anything special about the protagonist or story, but you can use a jetpack, modify a couple types of guns, use a digital shield in combat, and perform quests for the planet’s natives. I enjoyed the first several hours of Outcast, but upgrades feel ineffective against enemies in the second half of the game. Some of the later missions also feel insufferable with annoying platforming, imprecise paragliding, and enemy encounters that can kill you in one or two hits. Maybe I didn’t understand the upgrade system, but a fleshed out skill tree and various modifications didn’t help me very much during the last several hours. Plus, the combat and traversal is super janky and unresponsive. Outcast seems like a missed opportunity because the game had a really good start. 

Given the crowded gaming schedule for 2024, this game doesn’t need to be on the top of your priorities. Some people might like this game, especially players who enjoyed last year’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Keep in mind, this AA title is an astounding $70. That’s highway robbery for a game with this level of quality. Definitely wait for a sale if you’re curious. 

Let’s head in a different direction with the reboot of Alone in the Dark. I’m a big fan of survival horror games and surprisingly, this one is another publication from THQ Nordic. You play either as Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood while they search for her missing uncle in the unusual Derceto manor. It’s an original story in Louisiana with some cosmic horror elements and haunted house tropes. The original Alone in the Dark inspired games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Those elements were clear to me while I maneuvered through the environment. The mansion serves as a means to solve puzzles and learn more about the lore. Portals will take you to nightmarish worlds where sneaking around the environment and fighting monsters will take centerstage. Some players may find the gameplay cumbersome, but I actually like it quite a bit. It feels like an old fashioned survival horror game with limited ammo and imperfect aiming. 

My review probably isn’t selling this game’s appeal very well, although I strongly recommend it for horror fans. Alone in the Dark is really scary and it’s not overburdened with a skill tree, an extensive runtime, or annoying inventory management. Try it out if you want a good scare. 

Sometimes retro games are fun to play. Granted, I wasn’t impressed with the Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection. This collection includes several Jurassic Park titles from the NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and Super NES. It sounds like a good idea on paper, but these games don’t play very well. In fact, I don’t think any of the old Jurassic Park games are actually good. Depending on the individual game, they can range from ridiculously difficult, boring, or entirely broken. I used to enjoy the Genesis version of Jurassic Park during my childhood, but now it just feels confusing and difficult to navigate. One of the games is literally a shooter, kind of like the Contra series. Maybe I shouldn’t have played this collection because I saw it through rose tinted glasses until now. 

Ultimately, this collection isn’t worth your time and money. I know Jurassic Park is a really popular IP, but you should resist the urge to purchase this one. I feel confident that you’ll feel really disappointed. 

Dragon’s Dogma II is another so-called masterpiece that didn’t pan out for me. Don’t assume this game is a generic fantasy RPG with a traditional open world environment. Capcom took a lot of risks and creative choices with this game. I admire their effort, but I have multiple complaints. In a nutshell, Dragon’s Dogma II has a frustrating inventory system, no fast travel options, confusing interfaces, clunky combat, subpar graphics for a AAA release, and other irritations. You can hire pawns to assist you in combat, but the best ones require a bunch of rift stones. All characters, except you, have a permadeath system, including your main pawn and NPCs who are essential for story progression. That means you need a wake stone to revive them, which are rare commodities. Dragon’s Dogma II also has a predatory micro transaction system that allows you to buy extra wake stones and rift stones. Good luck getting through the game without spending real money unless you want to die and retry for days on end. Also, the story is another derivative take on Game of Thrones. 

I don’t have many kind word to say about this game, but other reviewers disagree with me. Some gamers really enjoy Dragon’s Dogma II because it’s complex without hints or other modern mechanics. If you want to play this game, I recommend waiting for the $70 price tag to drop. 

There you go! Did you fair any better with games during the past couple months? What do you think about the games on this post? Leave a comment. I’m still working on Rise of the Ronin. A few games come out at the end of the month, including Sandland, Stellar Blade, and a little cozy game, called Whisker Waters. Next month is also going to be stuffed with new releases, especially indie games. So, we have a lot to talk about within the next several weeks. Thank you for supporting my work and game on!