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FIA European Truck Racing Championship Review
There comes a time when a game’s enthusiasm for being super detailed and like a simulator starts to work against it. This is definitely one of those times. No matter how many points I may give the title for being realistic, I am taking far more of them away for taking away the game’s ability to be fun. At the end of the day for a video game being entertaining is absolutely king. Without that, there is just nothing left.
The game starts you off with an incredibly detailed tutorial mode. You have to clear this in order to even start racing and unfortunately the tutorial is over 12 levels long and each one is rather difficult. I was not able to complete all of the tutorials in the end so I didn’t even get to the main part of the game. That’s crazyyyy! You could say it’s a skill issue but I’d call it a gaming issue instead tbh. The game should allow you to start rolling right away and if the controls are so detailed that you need over 10 tutorial levels then that is absolutely another issue right there. You just can’t come back from that, it’s not a smart way to set up your game.
The actual gameplay starts off like your classic driving title where you have to drive, brake, and zoom around but here’s where things change. Because you’re playing as a giant truck, when you break, the back half doesn’t slow down at the same speed. So in an ordinary game you would break and then seamlessly turn right. If you try that here then you’re going to go way too far right and the whole thing goes out of balance. Instead you have to go about this very slowly and methodically.
Additionally your brakes can overheat. You have to remember to cool them as you are braking. If you don’t then that’s another problem to deal with. Specifically this was the level that stumped me when I was playing the game. You had to keep your truck’s temperature at just the right amount or you would automatically lose. Doing this while navigating the whole course with a lot of turns ended up being too much. You can’t go off road either or you lose instantly.
There are too many restrictions here. You never get to just race and that’s a shame. The soundtrack is mainly forgettable but the graphics are actually rather good. I do think that the game put some real heart into that part. And of course, while I don’t like the overly advanced realism, fans of the genre will probably love it. So I definitely get that, it’s just that it doesn’t feel right for a game. So if you super love trucks and want to be able to master the craft then this is a good title to check out. For just about any other gamer though, there isn’t any real reason to play this one.
I suppose in a way there is a ton of replay value here since the levels are so hard. After that you can also enter tournaments and rank up and everything. I imagine that getting the Platinum trophy in this game would be incredibly difficult. Definitely not something for the faint of heart that’s for sure. Even if I spent 50+ hours on this game I’m not sure I could pull it off but hey it does give you a tangible objective/prize to shoot for. You just gotta give it your all.
Man, if this game had an arcade style controls option that could have saved the whole thing. At least make it an alternate mode or something where you are just driving. That would have done a world of good and then you still have the advanced controls for everyone else. Perhaps this is just me being a little salted though. So hey I respect what the game was trying to do, it just didn’t end up working out.
Overall, FIA, is definitely not one of the top games. If anything it’s not even one of the mediocre games. This is one of the lowest ranking titles that I’ve played and it’s because the game isn’t fun. When you restrict the gameplay to this extent then you defeat the whole purpose of playing the game. I want to be able to just cut loose and feel the wind passing me by as I style on everyone. That’s the whole point of all this ya know? Instead what happens here is you are stuck behind a bunch of red tape which has no place being in a video game. Definitely give this one a skip as fast as you can.
Overall 3/10
Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxiboost On Review
Gundam is one of those series that has so many games and shows and movies that it’s hard to know where to start. I’ve played a few of the games back in my day though and they were always fun. So I figured I could expect a similar level of entertainment from this game. I do wish it had a real story mode but the gameplay is fun and overall it’s extremely impressive how many characters are present here. It’s truly an ultimate collection for Gundam fans.
The main gameplay style here is that of a 2 vs 2 brawler. It’s in 3D and you use your blasters and occasional energy sword to take your opponents down. The first team to lose all of their lives will suffer defeat in the match. You have around 6 lives split between you and your teammate and depending on how strong your machine is will determine how many lives you lose when your robot is destroyed. At the end of the day though your strategy will remain the same. Just don’t get hit and you will be fine. Of course when the levels are this chaotic that can be a little difficult.
So there are well over 100 robot suits to choose from here. The game breaks up the roster based on series which is pretty cool. It does mean you have a lot of scrolling to do but it’s a clear way to identify each Gundam. Then when you choose the Gundam you can choose out of 3 different modes you want to fight as. By the end I usually went for balanced since it seems like the best bet but long range and short range can be fun too. You just need to master the gameplay a lot more before you can pull that off. Otherwise you’re just going to get absolutely obliterated the instant you head into the fray.
This game doesn’t have a tutorial or training mode at the ready though which is too bad. This is one of the few games where I would have appreciated that. There’s just a whole lot that you have to sift through here from various weapons and special abilities. So if you’re not constantly on your A game then you’re gonna be in some real trouble here. I was mostly just button mashing and I can tell you that this doesn’t fly in the Gundam games. Unless you know what you are doing you will ultimately be crushed. That’s just the way that it is. So I couldn’t really get to enjoy the gameplay mechanics to their fullest extent but I still had fun.
The graphics are naturally very solid here. The robots all look on point and the level designs have a lot of detail to them Everything is very vibrant at all times and each level stands out. The soundtrack is a bit more forgettable but there were a lot of tracks in the music menu so I’m guessing there are some really solid ones in there that I just didn’t come across yet. Once you factor those in then I’m sure the soundtrack is probably good overall.
In the end this game is definitely going to have the most value for true Gundam fans. The online scene already seems dead from when I was trying to find a match so you better have someone that you can play it offline with. Technically you have unlimited replay value with the vs mode but that is all assuming that you really love the gameplay. It needs to be a top tier fighting game for you or the whole thing will just not be worth your while. For me, it’s a fun game but not one I’d be clamoring to pick up again in the future.
Overall, Gundam makes for a good robot combat title. It’s always been solid in the past and I don’t see that changing in the future either. It’s really quite impressive. That being said, not having a story mode will always be a blow against it. Some fighting game titles like Super Smash Bros can get away with this but most cannot. Even if it’s a really basic arcade mode type setup, I want a character ending and some interactions. It helps to make the whole thing more real. This one is satisfied to be a super basic fighting game. Albeit, one with an absolutely huge roster which I give them full credit for. It’s extremely impressive and I’ll probably look at the game more fondly once I know more of the Gundam fighters.
Overall 7/10
Hot Shots Tennis Review
Hot Shots Tennis is one of those games where I would always see the cover at the game shop but I never really got to try it out. Well, now was my chance to finally play through it and it’s a fun game. It takes a little getting used to because they put a whole lot of effort into where you tilt your controller. So if you hold up for example then the ball is absolutely going to go past the end of the field. I don’t think this was a good idea to be honest but the game still succeeds.
Right away when starting the game you are impressed by how clear the menus are. They spared no expense here, each mode is clearly labeled and I like the way the progression system is set up. For example in the first round if you win then you unlock a new character. After that you unlock stages, new ranks, etc. The game always tells you what the reward will be ahead of time and what you have to do in order to earn it. I really appreciated the way the system was set up.
You always want to know what is coming next. This is something you would see more with some of the older games and it’s something I would like to see continue on with the newer ones. It just gives you extra energy to know that you’re about to reach the next stage. The graphics are also charming and capture the PS2 level of tech really well. The artstyle was absolutely a perfect match right here. It reminds me a lot of the Mario golf graphics when Plum was introduced. It’s not quite chibi either, just compact. It’s a very colorful game.
The soundtrack is more on the forgettable side unfortunately. I suppose not every game can be Xenoverse 2 though. As for the gameplay, like I mentioned it’s a bit different. So the idea is that you don’t want to make your move until the ball is close to your racket. For example if you get to the right spot early enough and prepare your shot, you will hit it too hard in the direction you are pointing. You will end up losing the point.
So in a way you are penalized for reading the ball too well.
You have to really just trust in your reaction times and land the devastating blows at the last moment. This is easier said than done though, it’s a whole other set of skills to pull something like that off. So you definitely need to practice. I was getting rolled for a bit during my matches as well before I got the hang of it. Once you do get the hang of it then you should be playing rather smoothly but the only tricky thing is that it does make the gameplay a bit slower. I’m not really sure how you would combat that. In a way it seems like the gameplay style actually makes that rather inevitable which is a shame.
It’s possible that there are alternate gameplay styles that would really let you show off the speed more though. So I don’t want to put any of this in as being definitive or anything like that. I’m also sure that the more I get the hang of the controls, the more I will have pinpoint timing that will even subtly speed up the gameplay somewhat. It’s really a game that rewards continued effort and dedication.
I dare say they should make a new one for modern consoles. You’d probably need a bit of a hook to make it stand out with how many tennis games there are nowadays though. Some kind of a real cinematic story would go a long way though. That would absolutely do the trick and then you have something that’s really around for all ages with no drawbacks. If I’m being honest there are so many games around that I wouldn’t get it day 1 or anything but I would definitely still pick it up at some point.
Overall, Hot Shots Tennis is a lot of fun. It took me some getting used to with the way the gameplay works but I got it down by the end. It could still benefit from a faster style but it is what it is. This is the kind of game you can pick up with no context and jut have fun with. It’s clear that the developers had a lot of passion with this one and it wasn’t just slapped together. I would definitely recommend it if you like tennis games.
Overall 7/10
NBA 2K24 Review
The PS+ trial definitely let me try a bunch of games so that was really cool. This one in particular is still pretty new so you’d be paying a pretty penny if you wanted to buy it. It’s a fun game even if I still do tend to prefer the NBA live series to the 2K experience. I feel like this one tends to be more grounded while Live is a lot more arcade style. So the latter just ends up being more fun and explosive. Still, it’s basketball so either way you’re going to have a good time.
I jumped into some exhibition matches to test things out. I can say right away that you will probably have a hard time scoring or doing much in the game at the higher difficulty levels. These guys were absolutely brutal so I had to switch to easy mode real quick. Even then it could get rather close at times. When you’re shooting, you have to hold the ball until it reaches a green zone in a meter that shows up. The tough part is that the speed of the meter really varies based on distance and which player you are. That or it’s completely random. I would have a better idea of that the more I play the game. In the meantime though, it means that sometimes I will be wide open and still miss the shot. This is where the retro Basketball games were a bit better like NBA Live 2003 where you would just line the shot up and make it.
It was less precise but you still had to get into the open lane and time things strategically. I thought it was a pretty good balance overall. Ah well, it gives you something to really practice at until you get good. I ended up challenging myself to getting the trophy for 10 3 point shots in a game and I managed to pull this off so that definitely felt really good. You do start to get into a rhythm after a while although raising the difficulty level would probably destroy that rhythm real quick. So you do gotta watch yourself there.
In terms of the graphics, the game looks really good of course. The sport titles may get a lot of shots for not innovating much but they always do look really solid no matter what console you play them on. This one is no exception. Not much of a soundtrack here but I know you can usually add music in the settings for a lot of sport games and I didn’t check that out so it’s possible that there are some good tunes out there.
Naturally as a sport game there is really endless content to have fun with. You can play exhibition matches against a friend or online forever. There is also a lengthy career mode. So as long as you enjoy the Basketball gameplay then you will definitely be here for a long while. I always do have to give the game some credit for the career mode because you really ought to have that in any modern sport game now. It’s what really lets you get absorbed into the title.
What better way than when compared to playing as yourself right? There are a lot of modes I haven’t even touched on yet either like practice, training, all the online modes, etc. They’re all Basketball modes of course but it does give you some options on what you want to do which is very important. It’s another thing you would expect from a big PS5 title and it delivers here.
Overall, NBA 2K24 is a petty good game. It’s still not the best Basketball title out there and I’d like the gameplay to be simplified a bit in the future. Still, you can’t deny that the game delivers with a ton of content right out of the box. This is the kind of game you can keep on playing for a very long while, as long as needed until 2K25 comes out. There’s not a whole lot to talk about here that I haven’t said about the other 2K titles though which also makes it easy to decide who to recommend it to. The hardcore Basketball fans would be my target audience for a recommendation here. Otherwise I’d say to save some money and get something like 2K17 which will be well under $5 at any shop.
Overall 7/10
Untitled Goose Game Review
This game was really making the rounds for a while there. I remember seeing the game be talked about a whole ton as the next big thing. A GOTY candidate and everything like that. Well, I finally got to play it and I can safely say that…the game’s okay. I mean it’s just not all that entertaining in long batches but I can see the novelty value here. With more of a story I would have really been on board.
The game starts off real quick as the goose you play as decides to have a walk around town. You go here and there, all the while activating objects and seeing things happen to everyone. You are given a tasks book where you have to try and do everything on the checklist. At times this can be easy and at times it can be hard. The tasks themselves can be like puzzles as you have to find out how to achieve them. The controls are deceptively simple so you would expect the puzzles themselves to also be simple but that is not the case. Some of these puzzles will really take you for a spin. If you’re not careful then you will be completely lost and not doing anything for a while there.
The main problem as I see it is that there isn’t a whole lot of motivation to go forward and accomplish. Why bother completing the checklist? You can do it for completionism’s sake and to unlock more terrain to run across but the lack of a plot really huts here. I guarantee you that if you added a cinematic plot it would be a lot more engaging. I would be racing to accomplish everything as quickly as possible to see what is going on. That’s the kind of incentive that you have to give me.
There’s nothing wrong with a free roam adventure that doesn’t have much of a story but I would argue you need something more than the goose to pull that off. The novelty factor alone just isn’t worth it here. You have to pull out all of the stops and everything. As a bird you can grab things and walk around. That’s basically it. I would want to see some combat and other gameplay additions to really get ahead here.
Lets also improve the graphics while we’re at it. They’re not bad or anything but they are going for a very simple look that doesn’t quite work on the PS5. I need more details and everything. There isn’t really a soundtrack either which is too bad. Some good tunes could really help out with this to be sure. I definitely recommend putting on some background music while you play through the game to add in some fun vibe to the game. Otherwise you might find yourself falling asleep. Okay that sounds like a big shot to the game but my main problem is that it can get a little boring at times. I really need more of a focus to keep my attention going. Otherwise I jut feel like I should have been doing something else. For sure I wouldn’t spend money on the game.
This feels more like a sandbox title that I would play on the mobile. It should be free to play. Now I don’t doubt that a lot of effort went into the game in order to get all of the right sounds and everything but me personally, I do think they could have gone a little harder with the content. You know, really gave us something to think about. It does feel like a true simulator so it does succeed in that way.
Overall, Untitled Goose Game is an interesting gimmick but it just wasn’t for me. It could have used some combat or some action to take it to the next stage. You know, something to really help it stand out and get my attention. Because as it stands, the game just did not have what it takes in that field. I could play it for a long time if I was trolling everyone or had a captive audience but on its own it just wouldn’t be fun enough. It needs more variety.
Overall 4/10
The Last Blade 2 Review
This is a fighting game that I had definitely never heard of before but it sure is fun. You feel like they put some extra effort into this title relative to the average fighting game. For starters there are some fun illustrations here for the story aspect. There is a real ending when you beat the arcade mode. Not just a quick picture or something but a true story. The opening is good as well and I really liked the vibes here. The characters all have great designs and movesets.
I never played the original Last Blade but the fact that this one continues after the first title is a good thing. You can feel the continuity here all the way through. The lines and twists would hit harder if you had any kind of context for them but I’m still glad to see them around. The game has vs mode aside from arcade of course but there isn’t a ton of content here. So the story that we do get really goes a long way to making the game be more memorable. The genre has a lot of competition and even back in those days there were always a ton of games being churned out left and right. So what that means is that you needed to try hard in order to stay ahead of the curve and that’s not easy.
I’m surprised you don’t see this game series around more nowadays since I feel like the game would do well. It had that anime feel to it and the actual gameplay is fairly fast paced. It’s your classic 2D fighter all the way through and the characters deal a whole lot of damage. So if you take the wrong combo you will be knocked out almost instantly. Of course by the same token that means you just need to land a good hit and you will be the one claiming victory. So definitely don’t give up, if you strike hard and fast then you will always have the ticket for victory. The game is really about proper spacing so you definitely need to be careful when you throw a strike.
I approached the title with my usual button mashing style which I have to admit worked rather well here. Most opponents are just unable to stop my combos but some matches did take me a while. I will always stand by the fact that games were simply way more difficult back in the day than they are now. Games in the present could mostly be blasted through at any point but for the older ones you really had to work at it. Easy mode itself could be a little difficult at times.
The graphics are pretty good like I mentioned earlier with the illustrations. The soundtrack isn’t very memorable but you win some and you lose some. The writing is also where the game really stands out, there are a lot of great lines here. The characters really have no chill and will deliver some of the biggest verbal smackdowns that you have ever seen. Seriously I was impressed but also a bit nervous at just how hard these guy went. It’s the kind of dialogue you won’t see as often nowadays because it can tow the line but I think it works out since these guys are villains. It also gives you an incentive not to lose. If you lose then you’re just going to have to put up with that.
Overall, The Last Blade 2 is a pretty fun game. It’s always cool to find a hidden gem inside the PSN+ like this. It may not be a title that changes everything that I ever knew or anything like that but it’s fun which is the important part. I always enjoy fighting games quite a lot so this is another one that I can then add to the list. If there was to be a new game for the series on PS5 or something I would definitely check it out. This setting with full blown cutscenes and everything would be absolutely intense! I know that’s probably a longshot though but either way I would recommend checking this game out at least. It’s a real blast.
Overall 7/10
2XTreme Review
It’s time for a title that lets you play different sports. So that part’s pretty fun since you get to really switch things up all the time. That said, none of the games will really wow you and there isn’t a ton of variety to be found here. For the most parts the games are just standard so you will have a good time but you won’t be sticking around for very long. Before you know it you will be gone and this game will vanish from your memories.
I decided to play a few levels in each gameplay style to really get the hang of it. My favorite mode was bike riding. I felt like the controls worked best for this setup. It is really hard to win though so I feel like I’m still doing something wrong. No matter how much I would accelerate, I would never catch up to my opponent. Simply put, he was just way too fast. Nobody was lapping me or anything like that but I would usually be sticking to last place. At least I still got some trophies by driving quickly and staying inside of the gates but I would have liked some more wins along with that.
The other gameplay modes like skating and blading were also pretty fun. It could be a little harder to turn in those modes but still nothing crazy. Your main objective in each mode is to go ahead and win the race. Along the way you can pull off some advanced tricks like going through each gate or keeping up a top speed. If you do that then you can earn some trophies. There isn’t much of a tournament mode here though or at least it isn’t unlocked yet. The way you select the match isn’t great though so the menus could use some work.
You have to one by one go down each setting to set them up for the match and then you can start. The problem with this? That means you can’t just jump into a match with ease. It’s probably something where you won’t even notice it once you are used to the setup for a while but it definitely could have been a lot better. Just let me have my settings straight and I can keep on switching levels with ease. This is the definition of a minor problem though and not something that actually hurts anything all that much.
As far as the graphics are concerned, the game looks good. It is definitely on the older side and of course you can tell that but it’s not sloppy or low budget. It holds up as well as I would expect. The soundtrack is more on the forgettable side though. I can’t recall any of the themes at all which is definitely a problem. So the technicals are okay but nothing to write home about which fits in with the rest of the game as well. This is a game that lets you play some sports and that’s exactly what you get. Nothing more and nothing less. So you will be satisfied if that is why you have selected this title.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about the game otherwise since it is very direct. There are no real gimmicks or items here either. It all comes down to your individual skills. How do you handle the turns and unexpected obstacles? You have to always react quickly or else that is it for you. You will be surpassed by all of the other racers and then it’s game over. Although I thought I reacted quickly and I still lost every time so it is what it is.
Overall, 2XTreme is a reasonable game. I wouldn’t call it all that good but it’s certainly not bad. There’s just not a whole lot of bang for your buck here. So you will play it a bit and get accustomed to what’s going on but that’s about it. Before long you will be ready for the next title. So if you have PS+ then you should definitely check this one out but otherwise you’re not missing much if you decide to just skip it outright. You just can’t really go wrong with the game being free.
Overall 5/10
Bonds of the Skies Review
I can’t say that I was familiar with this game before it came out but the fact that it’s from Kemco was a really good sign because they have quickly solidified themselves as one of the leaders in mobile gaming. Whenever their games get ported to PS4 you know you’re in for a treat. To date Asdivine Hearts is one of the gold standards for RPGs. I would put it up there with fellow titans Kingdom Hearts 2 and Final Fantasy XIII. The sequel was a little weaker thanks to the story but the gameplay was still top notch with a lot of strategy. I’ve never played a game like that where I got all the characters to the max level 99 and still couldn’t beat the final boss without working on my magic some more. This game is on the shorter side next to those but still delivers a complete experience.
So in this world there exist a few Grimoa. These are the deities of the land. 3 of them decided to split their powers into a kid of sorts while the flame one decided not to do so. Well, many years later various towns start being attacked by a fire monster and all of the deities assume the fire one is responsible. This leads Nogard, the wind Grimoa to go to a small town and recruit the help of a man named Eil. Eil is a mild mannered guy who just wants to do the right thing. He’s not really much of a fighter but will absolutely help in order to stop these villains from having their way with the world. He suits up but this will be no easy quest. He must find two other humans to partner with the other two deities. Only then will they be strong enough to take on the Fire dragon and save the planet.
The story is pretty straight forward with a classic formula. You go to each town to find a new partner until you have a full team of 3. After that you go to different islands to find the kid deities and then you’re set for the final boss. There aren’t really any big twists or turns here beyond the usual although you do get a ton of dialogue. The game should take you between 7-10 hours to complete. There isn’t a whole lot of grinding necessary as your levels will do well for the most part but it’s also worth noting that grinding isn’t all that painful here for people who don’t like it. As I mentioned, Kemco is an old pro at this. The gameplay speed is incredibly fast. You can also put your guys on auto battle mode in order to take out the minions. Now, it’s a little less advanced than in their later games as auto mode means the can only fire off a generic strike so spells are off the table. It’s still a fair compromise for not actually having to control them. It means instead of running away from encounters you can fight through all of them in order to keep your level doing well. The EXP you can earn in the dungeon right before the final boss is insane so don’t be afraid to stay there and grind for a bit. In less than 10 minutes I got my guys from level 60 to 75 in this place and it was just enough to claim victory.
The gameplay is that of a turn based style. You have the option to use physical attacks, magic, or items. In general I recommend only having one skill equipped because then you can equip a lot of passive boosts which are far more useful in my opinion. You only ever need 1 real skill here. Perhaps 3 for Avi as the team’s medic you want her to have the main 2 healing spells as well. Fight like this and you’ll have a very balanced roster. In addition to the usual equipment you can also equip which monsters you want to have at the ready. I stayed with the default ones throughout the whole game but it’s a nice way to add more variety.
The graphics look pretty nice. I was surprised that only one of the Grimoa got a character portrait as the others talk so having one would make sense. In general you get the feeling that this game didn’t have a big budget the way some of the others had but they still did a pretty good job of getting all the fundamentals in. The animations are really smooth and the game does look quite nice. I definitely wouldn’t dock any points there. This is a game that’s aged really well. The soundtrack is also pretty solid. It’s all nice and fast paced which works pretty well with how quickly the gameplay moves. Note that you can speed up the gameplay to 3X by clicking L1.
Aside from the story you do have some post game content to work on. There will definitely still be some quests around and I think there are two dungeons. The Platinum trophy is definitely pretty achievable. I don’t expect it should take you more than an extra 2-3 hours to get the rest of the trophies. It’s something that’s worth doing if you completed the game since you’ll already be so close to doing so.
As for the main characters, Eil is decent but not great. He’s a very timid character. Throughout the game everyone mocks him quite a bit for being too nice and always talking in a worried way. It’s a fairly interesting character arc at times but I never felt like he really came into his own. A little more confidence would have gone a long way. His ally Iks is a lot more outgoing by nature and isn’t afraid to stand up for himself. If anything you’ll feel bad for him a bit when Eil sets up a trick against him. Iks is a solid companion to have. Finally you have Avi who wants to do her part to save the world but has a hard time being straight with the group. She’s used to withholding her feelings at all times. She gradually becomes close with the group though and the 3 make for a solid team. I’ll give her props for being bold enough to walk up to the other two demanding they hand over their Grimoas at the time they met even if that’s probably not how transferring ownership works.
Overall, Bonds of the Skies is definitely a pretty great game. It’s like a pocket RPG that you can quickly blast through and get a feel for the genre. I can’t state enough how seamless the gameplay is here with all of the quality of life upgrades in. Even little things like speeding up the gameplay for grinding and auto battle are things that more RPGs should add but surprisingly this is one of the only companies to do so. Playing through it just never feels like a chore and this is a very balanced game. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to check out an RPG title.
Overall 8/10
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