Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Review: A Fiery Adventure
Ali Hasan April 29, 2023
Horizon Forbidden West was released more than a year ago and not only did it serve as a remarkable sequel to one of the most exceptional games of the previous generation, but it also propelled the franchise forward with several new mechanics and a compelling storyline. The game ended on an ominous note with Aloy and her friends preparing for the oncoming world-ending threat, posed by Nemesis. At its core Burning Shores offers more of the same great experience that the base game did, albeit with a healthy dose of character-driven storytelling that largely taken the backseat in previous outings. The DLC expands upon Forbidden West’s excellent fundamentals to deliver an experience that hits all the right marks, bringing in fresh gameplay mechanics and a significant number of new skills to discover, added machine variety, all set within a gorgeously rendered post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Despite a few drawbacks that hinder
Read MoreDead Island 2 Review: Gory Goodness
Ali Hasan April 29, 2023
For games that are in development as long as Dead Island 2, the end product often ends up being a hodgepodge of different ideas and mechanics that never quite reached their maturity. Dead Island 2 initially began development in 2012, over 10 years ago but the game would not see the light of day for another 11 years as it was passed around from studio to studio. The game was eventually handed over to Dambuster an internal Deep Silver studio that made the game as we know it today. Despite the long development cycle and the numerous studios that left their mark on the game, Dead Island 2 is a surprisingly consistent game. The sequel is a worthy follow-up to the 2013 original, taking everything great about that game and dialing it up to 11. The melee combat is much improved, providing a visceral experience that is unmatched along with
Read MoreResident Evil 4 Review: A Killer Remake
Ali Hasan March 29, 2023
Resident Evil 4 completely changed the gaming landscape when it was originally released in 2005. Not only did it revolutionize what was at the time one of the most important and beloved franchises but it set a precedent for everything that came after it. Inspiring games like Dead Space, The Last of Us and so many more, Resident Evil 4 left behind a legacy that has remained unmatched nearly 18 years after its original release. Following in the footsteps of its two prior games, Resident Evil 2 and 3, Capcom announced last year the seminal title would be getting the same treatment in the form of a from-the-ground-up remake for modern systems. Resident Evil 4 gets pretty much everything right. Building on the solid foundations of the 2005 original to deliver a game that is not only true to the original vision but enhances in a way that does not
Read MoreWWE 2K23 Review: Wrestling For The Ages
Ali Hasan March 26, 2023
The WWE 2K franchise hasn’t had the easiest time on the market. What was once one of the most beloved video game series of all time, became a laughing stock after a string of rather unimpressive releases. The long-running series finally came to a head with WWE 2K21. The game was not only panned by both fans and critics but it was near unplayable on launch. Following its disastrous release, the series took a break from its yearly schedule for the first time in over 18 years as the team decided to shift focus to create a better product for their next outing. After almost two years since the last release, WWE 2K22 finally delivered on its promise to provide an improved gaming experience. And now, with the recent release of WWE 2K23, the franchise continues to build on the strong foundation laid down by its predecessor. This latest installment
Read MoreWo Long: Fallen Dynasty Review: Souls-lite
Ali Hasan March 22, 2023
The Souls genre, which garnered its notoriety through a series of excellent games from FromSoftware, has reached new heights of popularity in recent times. Once considered a niche genre, it has now become a phenomenon that almost every gamer has explored at least once. Several studios have attempted to replicate the successful formula to create experiences that rival the original studio’s achievements. While some have succeeded, others have fallen short. Team Ninja, known for creating challenging games like Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, has now released Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, its latest spin on the soulslike genre. The question is, does it build upon previous attempts or does it fall short in comparison? Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty stands out from the typical Souls-like games with Team Ninja’s creative decisions that not only differentiate this game from its predecessors but also add depth and complexity to the overused and often times exhausted
Read MoreAtomic Heart Review: Mechanical Wonder
Ali Hasan March 19, 2023
It has been quite some time since Atomic Heart, a first-person action shooter game from developer Mundfish was first revealed. What was initially shown to be an almost indie-like title from a small yet determined team quickly picked up steam and developed into what we have today From its very clear inspirations across a number of games and the extremely stylistic nature of its world, it isn’t hard to see why this game has been on the radar for many but does it actually manage to live up to what it had promised, and more importantly does it hold a torch to the games it is so clearly inspired by? The derivate nature of Atomic Heart meant that it was always going to be held up to strict scrutiny, at least by me, and while it excels in some aspects it does falter in others. However, the good news is
Read MoreWild Hearts Review: Inherited Magnificence
Ali Hasan March 13, 2023
Monster Hunter has long maintained itself as the king of the Kaiju hunting genre. The series has established and broken conventions for the genre, creating a very specific niche in its first few years and then with its latest two entries, Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise successfully bringing it to the mainstream. Many games have tried to mimic the grandiose nature of hunting monsters but nothing has come even close to replicating what Capcom has achieved over the last two decades, until now. Wild Hearts is Dynasty Warrior’s developer Omega Force’s take on the beloved Monster Hunter formula. Wild Hearts takes the conventions and systems of Monster Hunter and builds upon them in an attempt to set it itself apart from what came before. Wild Hearts doesn’t shy away from taking that already great formula and running with it, while it does make a few fundamental changes to
Read MoreHogwarts Legacy Review: Exceeds Expectations
Ali Hasan February 19, 2023
The magical world of Harry Potter has entranced avid readers for the better part of the last two decades, transporting them to a rich world full of heart, unparalleled storytelling, and unforgettable characters. The series would spawn an equally as compelling movie series, bringing Rowling’s vision to life on the big screen. These big-screen adaptations also saw several movie tie-in games, an attempt to bring that magic into the homes and hands of gamers, and while they were serviceable, they were merely just poor imitations of the movies, attempting to cash in on the gaming market. These games were limited by two things; the movies and books themselves; as they could not deviate too far from the source material and constrained development times and small budgets which affected the overall quality of these releases. While there were other attempts, namely, the LEGO Harry Potter games and the Kinect-only Harry Potter
Read MoreHi-Fi Rush Review: Striking a Chord
Ali Hasan February 9, 2023
It’s not very common in today’s gaming landscape to see a developer branch out of their existing forte to deliver a game fundamentally different from their existing portfolio and do it so damn well. Tango Gameworks, the developer behind the highly successful Evil Within series and most recently, Ghostwire: Tokyo has broken all conventions with its latest game, Hi-Fi Rush. This game is a stark contrast from the developer’s previous offerings and is a radical departure from their established niche. Hi-Fi Rush combines the precision of rhythm-based games with flashy and over-the-top combat all in a colorful package to deliver a game that surprised and delighted me to no end. Endearing characters, a beautifully rendered world, clever writing, and a stellar soundtrack all meld together in this toe-tapping, laugh-out-loud, musically held-together adventure that kept me coming back for more. Hi-Fi Rush Features Some Incredibly Well Written and Diverse Characters
Read MoreDead Space Review: Survival Horror Reborn
Ali Hasan February 6, 2023
Remaking a beloved game can be a monumental and delicate task. On the one hand, you have to preserve the essence of the original so that the remake doesn’t stray too far from the heart of the original but on the other hand there needs to be enough innovation and just the right amount of change to justify the remake’s existence. Going into the Dead Space remake I was unsure whether the original even needed a remake because all things considered the original game holds up surprisingly well, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the team at EA Motive not only preserved the essence of the original but also justified the need for a remake. Dead Space is an excellent case study of how games should be remade. EA Motive has successfully brought the horror classic back to its former glory by delivering top-notch visuals and improvements across
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