Games

With a fascinating story that, unfortunately, far overstays its welcome, Bravely Default is a good JRPG that tries to revitalize its classic genre by offering a less frustrating gameplay experience. The game opens with a great tragedy in the world of Luxendarc. After a terrible earthquake, the small village of Norende disappears from the map, giving way to a gigantic …

As I write these words, the final preparations to defend my home are being put in place: doors are being barred, windows are being covered with garlic, and precise lines of salt are being drawn in strategic places – they’ll never get me while I’m on the loo. For the truth is that Paper Mario: Color Splash is deeply influenced …

Earthlock is an unpretentious RPG that, unfortunately, fails to leave any sort of mark. The biggest fault lies in the story, which is basically non-existent, with paper-thin characters and a severe lack of tension and thematic purpose. So, even though its combat system is dynamic and engaging, it’s not complex enough to save the game all on its own. It’s …

One of gaming’s advantages over other kinds of artistic media is its ability to tap into the feeling of wonder through exploration directly: since we are the ones moving the camera, and choosing where to look, where to go, and what to investigate, games can turn us into intrepid explorers venturing into the unknown. And, to this day, few games …

Developed in cooperation between Nintendo and Platinum Games, Star Fox Zero is an on-rails action game that aims to bring something new to the genre with a unique control scheme. However, with a problematic tutorial and an uneven level design, the game fails to fulfill its potential. The plot of Star Fox Zero is simple: the scientist Andross wants to …

No one develops underbaked, bloated, and poorly written open-world games quite like Ubisoft. But even among many illustrious peers, such as * checks notes * most Assassin’s Creed games, Watch Dogs is special: taking place in a modern setting, focusing on the use of technology, the game is an even bigger mess than usual. The story follows the quest for …

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is hands down the best entry in the franchise to date.  It’s true that the game doesn’t try to reinvent the… wheel, but it more than makes up for it by offering some outstanding track designs and a truly stellar presentation. Mario Kart 8 makes use of several elements introduced in Mario Kart 7 and the …

Developed by Moon Studios, Ori and the Blind Forest is a competent Metroidvania that tells a beautiful fable about the importance of compassion. It’s a formidable game, but one that would have benefited from a greater connection between gameplay and story. The moving introduction of Ori and the Blind Forest follows Ori, a white guardian spirit, as he falls from …

The World Next Door is a frustrating game. It presents a story about alterity, introducing a world of magical creatures just a portal away from ours, with a protagonist who feels more at ease in this alien environment than at home. It subverts match-three puzzle games, creating a dynamic combat system that requires constant movement and thinking. And then it …

Hob is a top-down exploration game that, despite some great art direction and its vague story, can quickly become repetitive in its design, as we are constantly executing the same extremely simple actions over and over again in different locales. The world of Hob is one in which technology and nature are both intertwined and in conflict. The first area …