Grant E. Gaines

“Gunfire Reborn is a fun game that suffers from some pretty substantial problems. Online is simply a mess; regardless of where the fault lies, it results in a negative experience for all. Add in a lack of updates and questionable history on Xbox, and it’s a hard sell for Gunfire Reborn. Sure, it has good gunplay, charming weapons, and a lot of build potential; unfortunately, these issues exist. Perhaps things will improve now that more resources can be poured into the console side of things, but for now, I would stick to PC or Xbox via Game Pass.”

“In many ways, Protodroid Delta reminds me of Mighty No. 9. I can see where Mega Man X influenced Protodroid Delta, but it takes some of the franchise's worse parts without offering many improvements. The floaty controls will put some off, and others will have unintended glitches or weak art direction, in addition to the other things mentioned. For these reasons, it will probably appeal to fans of Mega Man X, itching for a new experience, but likely not anyone else.”

“Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is ultimately in a weird place. The gameplay is enjoyable if you like the genre, but so many elements won’t resonate with people. As someone who dislikes resource management, those frequent sections get old quickly. For this reason, I suggest giving the demo (PlayStation / Switch) a go. The core gameplay loop is relatively unchanged from early and late games, so you should instantly know if this is a winner or a dud.”

“I don’t particularly appreciate giving games low scores, especially to a game that was a labor of love by a small team, but Death or Treat is a hard sell. It’s short, features only four bosses, limited variety, is poorly balanced, and is filled with bugs. The last one is significant because I can overlook some of these things, but in its current state, I can’t recommend it. This is a shame because the jokes and core gameplay loop are enjoyable, but the flaws are impossible to miss.”

“The hard part about the introductory chapter is starting with a bang. It doesn’t feel like the story actually starts until the very end of Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy Vol. 1, with gameplay that is simply not appealing enough to carry the rest. As a result, this is going to be an experience, at least in its current form, that appeals to a very small set of people. Maybe if you’re a fan of the Gundam Battle Operation series, otherwise I’d wait to see how the second volume goes.”

“here are a lot of things going on in Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi. It’s a simple-looking game that relies heavily on a love of the tactical side of RPGs. There is also a strong story, one that does a good job hooking players quickly, though can lose them with frequent tutorials and vague answers. At its core, Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi does a decent job in the genre and certainly has its own perks, it just might not be enough to make it stand out next to similar titles or fall short of some of the better games in the genre.”

“As a huge fan of Disgaea, I’m simply disappointed in the direction Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny took. It went from a charming RPG that had larger than life bosses with equally impressive stats to numbers so inflated it’s legitimately hard to know what exactly your stats are. Add in auto play that will literally grind while you sleep, various mechanics that make the mechanics irrelevant and it’s literally just a pointless grind until the next pointless grind. For some that might be fun, but that simply isn’t what Disgaea is for me.”

“The main thing to remember with Rust Console Edition is that you need to come in with a desire to build a life and invest the time to see that life through. This makes it hard to suggest to everyone, especially those who will want to fight a bear the second they spawn, a choice you’ll likely immediately regret but it does what it wants to quite well. The meta-game alone can feel hours, days, weeks or even months, provided you come in with an open mind.”

“ScourgeBringer is in a weird place where it's a novel concept, it's just a question of how it all comes together. There have been efforts to bridge the gap in difficulty, like making it more accessible, though it's a fast-paced game that requires good timing. This will resonate with some, maybe even to the point where they chase after all the challenge stars, with most doing two or three runs and finishing. Given the price, it's still a good value, though it hinges on how much value that provides.”

“I would be hard-pressed to say Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two was a bad experience. It honestly made me appreciate Doom Eternal's desire to make every weapon have some kind of purpose, be it destroying armor or instantly blowing up an enemy, but the conclusion is a mixed bag. At most it makes the seemingly endless waves of demons seem manageable and Doomguy legitimately feels like the killer the story suggests he is, it just doesn't stick to landing. It doesn't add much of a new experience and one the conclusion hurts more than it helps. I don't think anyone will dislike Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two, though I also don't think anyone will be blown away by it either.”

“For the most part, Sword of the Necromancer is decent fun in a rather flawed package. I can't imagine anyone could have fun playing with decreased levels and losing gear since even without that stuff it isn't particularly amazing. Toss in lazy enemy names, kiddie pool level depth, and a generic story, and Sword of the Necromancer falls short of where you want to be. Especially when there are so many other games that handle rogue-like elements better. Maybe if it goes on a deep sale it might be worth it but at full price, it's a hard sell.”

“In so many ways I want to like Mad Rat Dead. It has an art style I love and the music is so good I legitimately want the OST, it just isn't fun. Most stages come down to trial and error, to the point where you basically need a practice run before doing a real one. People more in-tune with the concept will do better but for most, it can be frustrating. I still think there is a good enough game to warrant visiting and enough side content to get past those hurdles, there is just no denying these shortcomings prevent Mad Rat Dead from being as enjoyable as it could be.”

“What makes Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck difficult to review is, the core game is obviously fantastic and the dialogue makes it fun, yet it really isn't that impressive of an expansion. Familiar locations and expected storytelling take away from the journey, as does the need to play so many things safe. It is fine as part of the season pass or an additional bonus adventure, it just struggles to make the journey worthwhile. At least when compared to the other expansions, which had more to say, do and experience than Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck offers.”

“To be perfectly honest, I could probably write another 1,000 words explaining just how hollow this experience is. When you figure you have a bland indie fighter, set in largely linear stages, that has, at best, three modes to play, it's not an attractive experience. Toss in stiff animations, extremely frustrating stages, underwhelming characters and it's hard to find something redeeming in Bounty Battle. Heck, I unlocked every costume and can only seemingly use them in one mode, which brings into question why even bother. The really unfortunate thing is, a lot of the problems can be fixed and likely was the goal when it got delayed sometime back but in its current state I struggle to find something positive to say and that is really unfortunate.”

“The hard thing about this expansion is, I liked it but I didn’t love it. There is enough to do to feel like it’s worth the investment but so much of it is forgettable.”

“It's easy to understand why Mr. Driller DrillLand was so beloved. The mini-games are fun, the core concept is a blast and it works amazingly well as a pickup and play the game. Adding an easier mode, so you don't need to stress as much about difficulty was a welcome addition, plus there is just so much to do. Sure, some of the games are slight tweaks and it takes a lot of practice to be good, at least this is an experience that is worth putting in the time and seeing where that takes you.”

“Fun or not, there are a lot of flaws and there are plenty of better options for those looking for mindless violence. ”

“Despite having a lot of fun with Dead End Job, it’s hard to ignore where it falls short. ”

“Despite lacking online multiplayer and giving players a lot of different ways to do the same thing, it's impossible to not find value in Fight'N Rage. There is enough diversity between paths to warrant at least a couple cycles and gameplay is complicated to the point of giving you something to work towards. It is the fight beat'em up in a while that I felt like I could play for 10+ hours and not get bored and that is an impressive feat at an extremely fair price.”

“There is a reason Disgaea 4 is widely considered the second-best game in the series. The story is endearing, this cast of characters is lovable, the gameplay is extremely refined and the sardine jokes are amusing.”