Comprehensive Game Reviews

4 followers

16 articles/week

From AAA titles to indie games, we cover it all. Our comprehensive reviews provide detailed insights to help you find your next favorite game.

Battlefield REDSEC Review in ProgressHow does Battlefield's free-to-play, standalone battle royale stand up?

IGN PC ReviewsOct 29

Review: Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Renews the Legend I was somewhat surprised when Square Enix announced it would give Dragon Quest III the HD-2D Remake treatment before the first two games. In a series where connections between installments are often loose at best, the first three entries have a surprisingly tightly-woven narrative. Rereleasing them out of order felt rather strange, even if it fit the in-game chronology. Aside from story concerns, the first two Dragon Quest games are significantly simpler affairs than the third. Would people really be satisfied going back to Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake after experiencing the third? Part of my assumption rested on the idea that Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake would handle things in a similar manner as the third. While that game featured a number of small additions, it mostly stuck to the proverbial script. Had Square Enix done the same with the first two, I'm not sure how I would be feeling about the whole thing. That's not what the company did, however. No, it took the word "remake" very seriously with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake . Even if you've played these games, you haven't played these versions. Screenshot by Siliconera Square Enix gave the two games a similar treatment to Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake in terms of presentation. The lovely HD-2D graphics, the sumptuous symphonic soundtracks, hefty voice acting, and easy-to-use interface with plenty of quality of life features buff the appeal of these classics. The maps have new secret spots and stashes to seek out, giving you an extra incentive to explore them fully. You can choose from a selection of difficulty settings, and there are a number of assists you can make use of should you so desire. This is more or less what you would expect from this release if you played Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake , though. When you start the game up, you can choose which of the two you want to play. I would advise starting with the first, but if you want to jump ahead you can do so. Should you begin with the original game, it doesn't take long for it to show off its differences from previous releases. There are new characters and sub-quests, and the overall progression is more linear thanks to some adjustments to the world map. It goes a lot easier on the player initially, but heats up quite a bit more in the long run. There are tons of monsters in the game that were not there originally, and you'll have to deal with groups of them despite being a party of one. Luckily, you get a lot of new gear, abilities, and magic to help even the odds. Screenshot by Siliconera The second game feels even further expanded, particularly with regards to its story. There's even an entirely new party member who largely manages to avoid feeling too shoehorned-in. Early though Dragon Quest II may have been in the history of the genre, it packs a lot more meat on its bones than the first game. This remake takes full advantage of that, and the results are impressive. It's like every bit of terse storytelling from the original work has been fully fleshed out, and all of the implied pathos is now quite explicit. I don't think anyone would confuse this remake of Dragon Quest II for a modern RPG, but you'd be hard-pressed to finger this as being based on a 1987 game if you didn't already know. On top of that, Square Enix has honored its intention to make the new release order work in a narrative sense. Dragon Quest III served as the original climax of the trilogy, with an exciting conclusion that tied the three games together. It's now Dragon Quest II 's job to see the trilogy's story off, and things have been reworked to make it the grand conclusion it needs to be. Some of the original identity of the game is lost in that process, but I think it makes sense for this project. In a lot of ways, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is an ideal outcome for a remake. The original games are still out there, but this release offers such different takes on both that it's more than worthy to stand alongside them. Screenshot by Siliconera Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is available for Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam . The post Review: Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Renews the Legend appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraOct 29

Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD Remake Review - One For AllWhen I reviewed Dragon Quest III HD last year , I talked a fair bit about what an important game it was to JRPGs as a whole and why its reissue was a big deal. One thing I didn't mention is part of why it had such a big impact: It was a massive improvement in scope, gameplay, and storytelling over the two preceding Dragon Quest titles. With DQIII HD's sales success and its chronological position as the first part of a story trilogy, Square Enix releasing a similar HD-2D remake of the first two titles made perfect sense. And here we are now, with Dragon Quest I and II HD Remake--the other chapters in the Erdrick trilogy, now gussied up with Square Enix's lavish 2D-sprites-on-3D-backgrounds style of graphical presentation. Jumping into these games for the first time in well over two decades, I was surprised to see just how much effort went into "modernizing" them--not just in terms of mechanics, but also to build upon their basic "hero(es) take up arms against an evil force" narratives with more dialogue, setpieces, and story beats. Yet even with all of the enhancements, one game in this bundle clearly comes out as the superior adventure--but still not quite up to the heights of the previous release. If you're at all familiar with Dragon Quest, you know what to expect here: classic fantasy JRPG adventures, packed with random-encounter turn-based combat, dungeon exploration, fetch quests, and vanquishing the forces of darkness with the light of heroism. Dragon Quest I is a strictly solo journey--it's just your brave little hero, going mano-a-mano with the enemy hordes--while DQII uses the series' now-traditional party system. Though the two games play similarly, having a party makes a world of difference in combat: extra meatshields and actions allow for distinct strategies to take shape, making for more dynamic and enjoyable fights. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsOct 29

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake ReviewA pair of remakes that recapture the retro magic of the originals while giving them a modern facelift.

IGN PC ReviewsOct 29

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review - Level Up And Up Reviewed on: Switch 2 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, PC Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Artdink, Team Asano If Japan's release schedule for Dragon Quest games going back to 1986 resembles a picket fence, North America's release schedule for the same series looks like a few of those pickets were knocked askew by a careless driver. Being a lifelong Western fan of Dragon Quest hasn't always been easy, but with great games like 2024's Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, it’s been substantially better. Now, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake rounds out the Erdrick Trilogy, giving this classic turn-based RPG franchise the opening chapters it deserves. Square Enix paired up the first two Dragon Quest games for this remake, as neither game takes much time to complete on the NES once you subtract for level-grinding. They're still two separate adventures (and you can start Dragon Quest II first, if you’d like), but they link up to make a full RPG experience and a cohesive story that also folds into Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which is chronologically the first game in the trilogy. I've been a Dragon Quest fan since before I was old enough to correctly spell 'dragon' with any consistency. This collection is a treat for RPG freaks, but especially fans like me, who get to relish new content, stories, and a complete UI overhaul from two games they've loved since childhood. In the NES Dragon Quest I, fights are between you (playing as a descendant of the mighty hero, Erdrick, who is introduced in Dragon Quest III) and a single enemy. In the Remake collection, multiple enemies take you on at once – while you remain a lonely warrior. How does one man take down entire hordes? It's not easy, which is one reason why this collection should please fans. Dragon Quest I HD-2D gives you an edge by equipping you with multi-target weapons and spells, but you're still one dragon slayer versus the world. Whenever I got overconfident about my strength, a monster would inevitably administer a smackdown. Dragon Quest I HD-2D also has tons of new bosses (the original has two at best), and, like most Dragon Quest bosses, they are not nice. In these gauntlets, survival means making liberal use of your hero's new buffs and debuffs. While this collection hurteth with one hand, it healeth you with the other. Robust difficulty options for both games let you swap overall difficulty and perform other nerfs that make your trip easier without lobotomizing the challenge like too many "Easy" game modes do. You'll trip over random encounters just as your ancestors did on NES, but those can be shut down with a low-cost spell. That doesn’t mean the grinding is entirely eliminated; we are still talking about RPGs from the '80s.   Interestingly, the Dragon Quest II HD-2D half of this collection almost always has you in the company of at least two other party members, making it easier than Dragon Quest I, though not easy. This is a reversal from the notoriously difficult Dragon Quest II on NES, which had dreadful balancing issues. There are fewer changes to Dragon Quest II overall, but with notable upgrades to the character writing and voice acting, it's still a complete overhaul of what's already been published. Dragon Quest II's heroes are cousins, a party make-up RPGs don't see often. Their bond strengthens as the journey goes on, and their dynamic serves up some laugh-out-loud moments. If you enjoyed last year's Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, you won't go wrong by picking up this collection. These graphics are likewise bursting with life, and the classic Dragon Quest monster designs are as charming as ever – which makes the sting of character designer Akira Toriyama’s passing that much harsher. But it's good to know his Dragon Quest legacy is in fine form. Score: 9 About Game Informer's review system

Game Informer ReviewsOct 29

Review: Cronos: The New Dawn Is the Best Switch 2 Horror Game so Far When a console includes backward compatibility, it’s really easy for it to be established shortly after launch. So the Switch 2 started off in a good position. But we also saw a number of new games announced for other consoles also suddenly get the “oh, and it’ll be on Switch 2” confirmation too. This means that Bloober Team got a little bit of extra attention with Cronos: The New Dawn on the Switch 2 and, even though it did launch with some minor issues, found a way to establish itself as one of the best horror offerings on the system so far. Earth is seriously messed up in Cronos: The New Dawn . Because of a mysterious incident called The Change, people started transforming into mutated Orphans. Members of the Collective time travel to extract certain individuals, with our avatar Traveler ND-3576 being the latest assigned to the task. However, while collecting one person named Edward, something goes awry. With the help of the Warden, our Traveler continues their mission and learns more about the situation in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgVliPuxrl8 While this is a third-person horror game, it really feels more like a survival action-adventure game that has more in common with Resident Evil than older Silent Hill games. It can be scary, but the real horror comes from the way enemy designs look, situations when you know you’re out of ammo, and instances where if you don’t react quickly, enemies can merge to become more powerful instead of dying. I’d say it feels more unsettling and like it is cultivating a horrific atmosphere than being outright terrifying. Which is probably for the best, as literally surviving some bosses might be an issue otherwise. Since there’s the danger of enemies merging, gameplay means dealing with hostile situations, managing foes and ammunition, and taking care to burn enemies of the fallen to keep them from joining up to be a more powerful opponent. In addition to a pistol, we can get guns like two types of shotguns, an automatic handgun, and two kinds of carbines, so how we like to approach situations and what kind of ammo we’ve collected comes into play with encounters. However, I did notice that not every weapon feels “equal.” The Hammer PROV-2030 shotgun and Lance REV-1411 carbine felt like the “best” weapons out there. Pair with the merge situations often being pretty manageable, since it does take foes some time to do so and you can get up in their faces, and it sometimes didn’t feel as threatening as I thought it would. The bosses can be pretty satisfying, but the only thing that made most encounters feel challenging were what felt like unreasonable inventory limits at parts. Now, you’re probably looking at this article and wondering, “Jenni, did you purposely hold off on reviewing the Switch 2 version of Cronos: The New Dawn until Halloween?” I mean, I will admit holding it back a week because of that. But mainly it is due to the fact that Bloober had been releasing updates for the game that made major improvements and I felt it’d be more fair to wait until it seemed settled . Which was a good point, as the game is in a far better position than it was at launch. There are no issues with effects or fog that make things look noticeably wrong. While it still isn’t looking as amazing as it does on the PS5 or PC, the Switch 2 version textures do look much better and you can see much further into the distance than before. The game looks much better, and that means it’s a game I’d immediately recommend rather than not. Images via Bloober Team Honestly, I think the story and premise of Cronos: The New Dawn is what most “sells” the game. It’s a generally strong action game, even with a few minor issues, but the concept of coming to understand what happened and what you’re doing is fascinating. Especially since we do have some degree of choice in certain situations. There are multiple endings as well, and the concept behind The Change and situation involving the Traveler and folks being extracted is interesting enough that I do think at some point I’ll return to get the true ending. Cronos: The New Dawn is a really respectable Switch 2 horror game and early addition to its launch library. While it leans more toward a survival title with horror elements, it’s still unnerving enough to suit someone’s needs. Plus the post-launch patches left it in a strong position. Sure, there are a few elements that aren’t quite perfect, but it’s really fascinating. Cronos: The New Dawn is available on the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The post Review: Cronos: The New Dawn Is the Best Switch 2 Horror Game so Far appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraOct 28

NASCAR 25 ReviewIf you’re after a deep multiplayer experience you may want to circle back to iRacing, but if you want some quality, single-player stock car racing against extremely solid AI, NASCAR 25 delivers.

IGN PC ReviewsOct 28

Escape The Backrooms Review - Haunting The Vibes MuseumIf you don't know what The Backrooms are, you probably don't have kids of a certain age. Born as a more specific branch of the liminal-space genre, The Backrooms is the all-encompassing name for a horror lore bible of sorts that's been handcrafted by communities online over several years. Each inhuman monster and each unnerving location becomes a chapter of a horror universe that the internet built together. It's grown so big that it's spawned dozens of related games, an upcoming horror movie from A24, and what feels like an endless stream of YouTube content to watch. But through it all, Escape The Backrooms has remained one of the most popular portrayals of the fictional world, and now plays like a labyrinthine museum to one of the internet's favorite scary stories. Escape The Backrooms is a first-person defenseless horror game for up to four players in co-op. It's been popular as a Steam Early Access title for a few years, but its 1.0 version has finally arrived. In Escape The Backrooms, you'll explore a great number of the internet-created pocket universes of the wider Backrooms lore. Each "room" of The Backrooms presents a different take on liminal horror. This includes the iconic yellow labyrinth that kicked off the entire subgenre, as well as other popular landing spots, like Level Fun, the Poolrooms, and the Grassrooms. One of the game's best feats is simply the number of locations it explores. By nature of being owned by, well, everyone in a sense, lore is played fast and loose. Escape The Backrooms does well in involving many of these different rooms, giving players a history lesson on its unsettling universe. Closely tied to analog horror, The Backrooms as a universe takes on many particular aesthetics. The gameplay loop is very simple. You'll explore each eerie, liminal space while seeking different means of exiting. Mechanically, you'll hardly do anything at all beyond waving a flashlight around and consuming found cartons of almond water to restore your ever-draining sanity meter. Sometimes, you'll need to solve environmental puzzles, like learning which playground slide you can safely head down (since most eject you in several bloody chunks). Occasionally, key items, including literal keys, must be found to progress, forcing you to repeatedly head off in search of semi-randomly placed quest items. In an early level, you'll need to rebuild a ladder to reach a key to the exit door, for example, while in another, you'll search for elevators in a darkened parking garage that would be totally empty if not for the roaming "skin-stealer" monster hidden in the shadows. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsOct 27

Review: Undusted: Letters From the Past Is a More Relaxed PowerWash Simulator Undusted: Letters from the Past is the sort of game that feels like a smaller and more contained take on the PowerWash Simulator series. We’re still cleaning things up, hoping to get every possible part looking fresh and tidy. We’re attempting to fill up a gauge and ensure we’re not missing everything. However, 5minlab’s title is offers more insight into each object we scrub, while also presenting us with tasks that probably will only take us 5-15 minutes to complete. Adora’s returned to her childhood home with a task. Following her mom Lily’s passing, her aunt asked for a missing necklace back that might be somewhere in the home. It’s in the attic. However, Adora hasn’t been back there in years. After clearing rust off the house key to even get back inside, she heads to her former home. However, it won’t be as easy as just finding the missing jewelry. So she cleans up other memorable and notable items, remembering her past with her parents as she does. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM9Qrs3i8Lw Like PowerWash Simulator, Undusted: Letters from the Past focuses on using an array of tools to clean about 99% of dirt off of specific items in order to progress. In this case, commentary comes up as you clean, and you learn more about memories tied to each object as you restore them. You start with a toothbrush, which is used on the key to get rust off. However, eventually you also get a sponge that can cover wider areas, a vacuum more efficient for dust and certain types of materials, and a rag that’s good at polishing. There is the same sort of hint system as similar titles, where you can press a button to enter something of a “dark mode” where only the remaining dirt is highlighted, but you need to reach a certain percentage of cleanliness to unlock that. What I really like about the execution is the care put into realizing different objects. When you clean the turtle-shaped ocarina, rubbing the sponge over the holes will cause it to play notes. When you turn the snowglobe around, you can hear the water inside sloshing around. It’s very atmospheric, even though we’re in very contained scenarios cleaning certain items. It’s really satisfying, in that it feels like it lends weight and realism to the items we’re cleaning. Screenshots by Siliconera Another thing I really liked about Undusted: Letters from the Past is the sense of ambiance it builds that we don’t get in games like PowerWash Simulator . Sure, in some of its scenarios we got insight into the situation or, if it was a crossover add-on, lore . But this is a full look at the family dynamics and life of Adora and her parents. We watch as she gets explanations as to why Lily behaved as she did and who she was as a person beyond “mom.” We see what things meant to Adora and how the experiences tied to them shaped her life. It’s very personal in a soothing and touching way. I’m also quite pleased to report that Undusted: Letters from the Past feels incredibly comfortable when played on a Switch. The control scheme doesn’t feel limited to mouse controls. The easy swapping between tools with the d-pad is great. It’s easy to hold and adjust the position of objects while simultaneously scrubbing them. It’s convenient, and I never once felt like I needed a mouse instead. Screenshots by Siliconera However, I also feel like sometimes I enjoyed Undusted: Letters from the Past more than I did games like PowerWash Simulator . It’s a shorter experience, to be certain. I could get through most item sessions in five to fifteen minutes. It’s easier on the eyes, since I’m not straining to find dirt or get the right perspective to reach that 100% goal. I also felt like it’s whimsical in a different way, since we are more directly interacting with the objects and maybe being pleasantly surprised by certain reactions. Some people might find it not as satisfying, since it is shorter for both each session and as a whole, but I liked the pacing a lot. Undusted: Letters from the Past combines cleaning up interesting and poignant items with stories about why each one matters. It’s an incredibly soothing and cozy kind of game, much along the lines of PowerWash Simulator. It’s definitely a little more condensed with a more contained focus, which some may or may not appreciate. Still, I loved the pacing, the attention to detail on each small item, and the way we learn about Adora and her family as we restore everything. Undusted: Letters from the Past is available for the Switch and PC. The post Review: Undusted: Letters From the Past Is a More Relaxed PowerWash Simulator appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraOct 27

Review: Twinkleby Feels Like Decorating Dollhouses Ever since Unpacking released, we’ve seen a surge in cozy games about interior decorating and arranging. This also meant branching off into titles that feel more about calmly arranging places so they look nice and like places we’d want to photograph and visit, such as MakeRoom . Might and Delight’s Twinkleby fits comfortably in that space too, given we’re basically setting up what look like dollhouses for little characters due to the art direction, though it’s a little slower and less robust at launch than other titles. The concept behind Twinkleby is rather simple. We head into a sky that is filled with an archipelago of islands hidden among the clouds. Initially, there’s not much there. We get some initial furniture from Molligan’s Antiques and are set to a small island with a tiny, one-room house on it. However, after putting that initial furniture into it, a Neighbor character flies in, docks, and makes it their home. After singing a song with no lyrics to us briefly, we end up with enough points to unlock a new area. And so we go from island to island, decorating homes to make them inviting for more neighbors so you can keep doing this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5IElqQZJ0o Twinkleby is a rather simple game without any major demands or challenges. When you come to a new island, you’ll be tasked with making homes attractive. If you do, new characters will stop by and move in. If you don’t like who showed up, you can kick them out and hope someone different shows up in a little while to take their place. You can alter the weather and seasons and see different times of day. There are no task lists. You place pieces in ways you find pleasing, then wait. Don’t like arrangements of anything, including houses? Pick them up and drop them into oblivion to make them go back into your inventory. It’s very freeing. However, it also does require quite a time investment due to how slowly things can move. You need Stellars to purchase furniture, which are acquired by getting characters to move in or by grabbing them like the Starbits that drop in Super Mario Galaxy . Sometimes chests can fall from the sky with items you can use. Items that have fallen, like the aforementioned Stellars, do seem to just hover in the sky if you don’t immediately grab them. So it isn’t like you need to constantly be on the alert. You can focus on decorating instead, then go look and see what might have fallen while you did. Images via Might and Delight There are just two downsides to it all. The first is that I would have liked a wider array of options for decorating. There’s an adequate lineup, but I did find I was reusing a lot of bed and accessory options. It would have liked more available. Especially since the prices are pretty reasonable in Molligan’s Antiques. Might and Delight did add a Halloween 2025 patch that included some event items, “twinkly” versions of neighbors that are like the equivalent of shiny Pokemon, and house options. So this is an issue that could be fixed over time. But the thing I’m not sure might be fixed is the pacing problem. Twinkleby is incredibly relaxed. But I’ve found that once I got to the latter parts of the game, I noticed it would take me less time to decorate. Which would mean I’d spend at least 10-15 minutes just waiting with the game open for someone to move in or for enough Stellars to accumulate so I could buy more items or move on to new objectives. Images via Might and Delight I will say that it It is nice that we can access parallel islands to create new variations. So if someone is really getting into Twinkleby , you don’t need to destroy what you’ve already created to do more decorating. More opportunities come up once you finish with spots. Twinkleby is a very low-stakes sort of decorating game that moves it its own leisurely pace. You set up houses. You watch the little folks wander around and use the objects inside. They sing for you when you do a good job and they’re happy. I do wish there was a little more to it, in terms of challenge and available items. It is charming enough, if you feel you need another decorating sim on your slate. Twinkleby is available on PCs. The post Review: Twinkleby Feels Like Decorating Dollhouses appeared first on Siliconera .

Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraOct 26