This past week was a huge one for reviews of big name titles over at GameSpace.com. Some of our most recent reviews include Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Awake, Destiny 2, NHL 18, as well as sneak peeks at Blood Bowl and Lost Sphear to name a few of our great articles on our sister site. If you're looking for new games, check these out!
REVIEWS GALORE
Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Awake Review - Verdict: 9/10
As I played through the game, I found myself profoundly moved by Chloe, by Rachel, by loss and pain and the wondrous beauty of a newfound love. Excellence in writing evokes emotion and memory. Awake has it in spades. Deck Nine has done what most didn’t think they could: It took a beloved series by another developer (DontNod Entertainment) and made it even better. There simply isn’t a better way to honor another game than that.
Destiny 2 Review - Verdict: 10/10
Destiny 2 is an epic: a story with an ever expanding scale made greater by the heroes of whom the story is told with tragedy, struggle, and redemption. It is very fitting that the score to accompany it must be, too. And it is. There were moments that I had to put the controller down and simply listen, taking in the scope of what I was experiencing.
As always, there can’t be given any clear recommendation whether you should buy yet another NHL game or not. If you already own NHL 17 and are more of a casual solo-player, then the new features will not give you enough reason, so it comes down to the well-known question if the updated teams are worth the money for you or not. As fun as NHL Threes might be, it definitely is not reason enough on its own. If you missed a couple of incarnations and your last game is NHL 15 or even an earlier one, then I can recommend NHL 18 without hesitation, as it delivers the whole package in a modern style. Lastly, if you want to play online and are the competitive type, there is probably anyway no way around it.
Retro-City Rampage DX (Switch) Review - Verdict: 8.5/10
Gameplay wise, you’ll be hard-pressed to run out of things to do in RCR. Not only is there a free roam mode right off the bat, but the New Game+ is crazy and off the wall too. We’re talking dozens of hours of gaming here, and if you’ve never played RCR before, probably even more. I don’t hesitate when I say that Retro City Rampage is a must play for any retro-gaming fan, open world fan, or Nintendo gamer. It’s iconic, and worth the investment. And yes, RCR DX on the Switch is probably the best version out there.
Kingdom: New Lands Switch Review - Verdict: 8/10
It’ll take you many many tries to get a full build going and get off the island, but when you do it’s so rewarding in a way that feels like a true victory. Kingdom: New Lands on Switch is probably the best version of the hit indie game. Once you’re in the new lands, thinking you’ve already done so much to get there, suddenly the game becomes even bigger with even more things to do. For $15, it’s well worth the spend, and comes highly recommended.
Songbringer Review - Verdict: 6.5/10
Neo-retro games have had a great resurgence in recent years with the increased prevalence of Indie developers, and I believe what Songbringer accomplishes is nothing less than a fond wistfulness of those days of cartridges and arcades. While Songbringer plays heavily on the nostalgia of games long past, I believe new players with a little determination can still find a lot to like in this updated take on an old-fashioned game. For a game priced around the same as a movie and popcorn, this is an expeditious journey worth taking. Board the Songbringer sailor. Ekzera awaits.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Review - Verdict: 8.5/10
I don’t want to give away too much and spoil anyone’s fun, but rest assured that Death of the Outsider is a worthy installment in the series. It lightens up on the story consequences from your actions and allows a much more liberated approach to your gameplay in which I found myself gleefully slaughtering guards more than creeping around corners. If you feel like I didn’t touch on the story, it was intentional. The title doesn’t leave much mystery on the main goal of the game and giving away details is not my style – go discover them for yourself.
ON TO PREVIEWS
Blood Bowl: The True Game of Fantasy Football
The Blood Bowl 2 Legendary Edition is a very welcome addition to the franchise and a perfect place for you to join in on the fun. Get a group of your friends together, start a league, and play one night a week with all of you in a VoIP program and let the good times roll.
Lost Sphear is the Kind of Classic JRPG Tribute We Should All Love
Right now there’s still a few more months of development before Lost Sphear hits store shelves for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam in January. But it’s an intriguing concept to anyone looking for a classic style RPG with modern aesthetics that offers something new as opposed to a revamping of say a classic JRPG, you’ll want to keep your eyes on Lost Sphear.
Secret of Mana is More Than a Remake & We've Played It
Okay, look, most of us (and by “us” I mean those fortunate enough to have been born in the SNES golden era and some very hip gamer kids) we all know the Secret of Mana is one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. And now fans new and old will get a chance to experience the remastered version. We got to check out a brief glimpse of what’s in store during my time at PAX.
Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is Waterworld Meets Arcanum & That's a Good Thing
Like any good RPG, Empyre offers multiple options for overcoming obstacles including conversational finesse and combat superiority with a diverse weapon selection from fist weapons to steam powered cannons. The game also boasts a new bartering system in which specific desired items are the currency, rather than boring, old, coin currency (Ducats).
Immortal Unchained is a Sharp Looking ARPG from ToadMan Games
The single player action RPG can grow and change, sometimes we get a lot of similar titles. Yet, every now and then a game comes along that truly catches our attention. Immortal Unchained is simply flat out cool. This RPG takes place in the future where you are released from prison as a living weapon to battle across several planets and take down alien foes. Sounds familiar right, well, the team at ToadMan Games have mixed in some fantastic artwork and design with solid gameplay to bring a great demo to PAX.
