RYAN JOHNSON
Death Tales (Switch) Review
Death Tales is a cutesy-macabre platformer that is unfortunately weighed down with flimsy controls and psychedelic colors that make it hard to navigate. The game feels rather aimless and in need of a focus.
YesterMorrow (Switch) Review
YesterMorrow is a wonderful concept and a unique story that draws you in that is unfortunately hampered by many glitches that make it rough to play.
Liftoff: Drone Racing (PS4) Review
Liftoff: Drone Racing provides a thrilling simulation to gamers looking to see what it’s like to get into the sport of FPV drone racing, or pros looking to have the thrill at home without wrecking their hundreds of dollar drones on some crazy stunts. Casual players have a chance to warm up with some customizable controls, though the full experience offers all the thrills (and headaches) that come with real drone flight.
The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny (Switch) Review
In the 90s, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny was an amazing handheld edition of something you could only get in an arcade. Whilst this is an amazing port with great honor done to the original Neo Geo Pocket Color experience, it’s hard to recommend when the original arcade experience this was emulating twenty years ago is sitting right there on the eShop at the exact same price.
Cloudpunk (PS4) Review
Cloudpunk is an immersive story-driven narrative that sees you as a delivery driver in a Blade Runner-esque pixelated world. The narrative drives the action, with some choices as you go through that will shape your personal story. While not action packed per se, Cloudpunk offers an engaging tale as a visual novel in the style of an action game.
Monster Truck Championship (PS4) Review
Monster Truck Championship is a wonderful game that brings a more mature feel to the world of monster trucks. With over 50 tweaks to streamline and perfect your truck and tons of race modes, don’t let the lack of an official license steer you away from this monster of a game.
RPG Maker MV (Switch) Review
RPG Maker MV is an excellent tool for gamers who want to dip their toes into game making. It won’t allow heavy customization, and loses a few functions from it’s PC counterpart, but definitely allows creatives to flex their muscles at home and (in case of the Switch) on the go.
Destroy all Humans! (PS4) Review
Destroy All Humans is full of fun, 1950s human zapping memories for people who played it fifteen years ago. As a remake, the game was meticulously recreated from the ground up. While this is an overall great thing for the game to get an ultimate edition, fans of the game have already done it all, while new gamers may find themselves stuck with issues that plagued gaming fifteen years ago.
Ultracore (Switch) Review
Ultracore is a game that should have released in the 1990s on the waning Sega Genesis. Literally slated for release back then , it has been resurrected and finally released nearly 30 years later. Had it released originally, it would have been an amazing swan song for the Genesis, but being released now it gets lost in the myriad of indie action games on the Switch.
Guns of Mercy: Rangers Edition (Switch) Review
Guns of Mercy is a retro arcade style shooter for the Switch. While it has a lot of cool gameplay elements, it feels like it held on too tightly to it’s mobile roots.
NASCAR Heat 5 (PS4) Review
NASCAR Heat comes again, with the fifth in the series two months prior to the annual release of 4. Whilst the penultimate version of the game, new players will less marvel at the updates, but rather wonder if they bought the same game again.
CrossCode (Xbox One) Review
CrossCode is a love letter to 16 bit gaming, with an awesome amalgam of traditional RPG tropes, fast-paced combat, and Zelda action.
West of Dead (Xbox One) Review
West of Dead is a cover-based twin-stick shooter roguelike that feels like a 3D western shooter themed Dead Cells. Ron Perlman’s voice adds a gritty side to the story that sounds like a grizzled bandit telling his story whilst mulling over a whisky and talking to the old bartender on his way to the afterlife.
Desperados III (PS4) Review
Desperados III is a return to a 14 year old PC series, bringing stealth to the Western genre. With plenty of strategies, a quick save that helps players through the title, and plenty of challenges to come back to, Desperados offers loads of content for new and old fans alike.
The TakeOver (Switch) Review
The TakeOver has a story reminiscent of Mighty No. 9: A re-invigoration of a genre that ends up coming out just as a classic king returns. However, while MN9 faltered, The TakeOver earns its stripes and deserves to live alongside Streets of Rage 4 as a great homage and wonderful game all in itself.
Liberated (Switch) Review
Liberated brings a graphic novel to life, telling an all-too-relevant tale of an overarching government, masses willing to be monitored constantly, and a revolutionary group trying to overthrow the regime. A mix of V for Vendetta, Minority Report, Sin CIty, and Comix Zone, Liberated tells an excellent story, but the gameplay could use some fine-tuning.
Dread Nautical (Switch) Review
Dread Nautical is a strange amalgamation of survival horror and tactical RPG. Touchscreen control support proves that the Nintendo Switch is the superior system to play on, though the game’s unique mixture can be enjoyed by gamers on all platforms.
SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC (Switch) Review
Thunder Force AC is another entry in the SEGA AGES series for Nintendo Switch. A faithful representation of the arcade classic adds a newbie-friendly mode as well as the option to play as ships from other entries in the series.
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen (PS4) Review
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen is the first time the origin story for the two other titles: Mask of Truth and Mask of Deception is officially released with an English translation. Expect a heavy visual novel with some strategic RPG battles thrown in for good measure.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix Review
Miku jumps to Nintendo Switch in a Mega Mix celebrating over 100 songs and adding a new motion controlled mode to mix up gameplay. Is it worth it for new rhythm fan or diehards who follow the series? Ryan Johnson with The Gamer’s Lounge investigates.