Coming to the end of my course I got a little more ambitious with my gaming. Now I’m not the fastest player in the world so I didn’t neccessarily complete all of these games. Still, I want to share my enjoyment with my readers. Starting with…
Need for Speed Payback 7/10
A decent racer with some fun moments. It’s cool that there are several different race types: Race on the road at top speeds and off-road swerving around dirt tracks, escape the police as a runner, slide into first in a drifter and tactically control your gears as a drag racer. The variety with challenging difficulties that increase at each point in the story all make for an enjoyable racing experience. The story itself is fairly simple, let down by pretty bland characters and obvious plot points but there are some cool cinematic moments that keep the pace going. The map feels a little small the side missions make it feel bigger with plenty to do outside of main missions. Overall, fairly middle of the road but maintains a decent pace.
Fall Guys 8/10
Fall Guys still stands up in 2022 as one of the most enjoyable battle royales on current consoles. Plenty of creative party style gamemodes for the saltiest of friendships and the silliest of sessions. New seasons give the game a fresh new look with creative new gamemodes that vary every “show” for yourself and your group. Unfortunately the shop has taken on an unfriendly price point and the lack of progression or stat tracking limits the game. However, those are minute criticisms of a great casual experience. Players will jump through hoops, chase tails, throw penguins, float past hexagons, bounce on frog heads and so much more just for one of those elusive crowns. What’s not to like?
Power Rangers Battle for the Grid 8/10
I was a huge Power Rangers fan as a child so naturally when I heard that a fighting game was coming out for the masked marauders, I jumped at the chance to play it. After two years the series has received four waves of DLC with heroes and villains from across the series. Combos feel player friendly, achievable with easier inputs than most fighting games and a variety of playstyles from ranged ice powers to a rushing dragon mech give it a sense of flare that makes it stand out. It’s a super underrated fighter that hopefully will keep receiving support.
Pokemon Rescue Team DX 9/10
Speaking of childhood favourites, Mystery Dungeon was one of my favourite games growing up. Lots of happy memories of going onto the beach and hiding under an umbrella to beat that next boss and get some coin for my rescue team! The remake is true to the original from the combat to the settings to the sound effects that evoke pure nostalgia from any long time Pokemon fan. The after game is plentiful, the character choice is bountiful, and the art style is beautiful. Definitely worth the purchase.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist Link Evolution 9/10
Yugioh has always been a tough one to keep up with so naturally, with the introduction of xyz summoning, pendulum summoning and link summoning; I had no idea what was going on. LotD is a great way of catching up with nostaglic, new and updated decks from across the series. Including DLC from the last game, the story from each series can be played as originally intended or with the player’s original decks. Players can learn with helpful tutorials and eventually duel online, albeit a little slowly with the naggy text boxes, against friends to show off their skills. Hours of entertainment with this one and a great way to learn the card game.
Guitar Hero Arcade 7/10
Lastly, an arcade classic. Guitar Hero is a super fun game, sober, drunk or both. A range of classic rock songs to enjoy with friends as you try to outdo each other trashing the joint. Admittedly, this gets old for me after about three songs due to the sheer arm ache but it’s fun until then! Should never be walked past in an arcade in my opinion.
I have definitely tried to make up for lost time. Did I succeed? A variety of games and a ton of enjoyment. This is what this challenge is all about: pushing yourself to play games that would usually sit and gather dust at the back of your library. Why not have a go yourself?
