review

Blade Strangers Review

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Even before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate hit the scene, the fighting game market was getting pretty crowded on the Nintendo Switch. From the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, ARMS, Dragon Ball FighterZ, to the slew of classic Neo Geo fighters in the eShop, getting your pugilistic fix wasn’t much of an issue.

One of those pre-Smash titles that jockeyed for position was Blade Strangers by Nicalis. With a roster comprised of indie game characters from different franchises, it aimed to carve a niche for itself with a unique roster and a streamlined combat system. Does this fighter have the chops to stand as a worthy challenger?

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Hori D-Pad Controller (L) (Zelda) Review

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D-Pad Left Joycon

As soon as the Nintendo Switch was revealed, the lack of a d-pad on the left Joy-Con struck me as an immediate issue. While I understand the appeal of having buttons in that space instead so that it could act as a quasi-second controller, the lack of a d-pad has greatly impacted the games I play portably. From fighting games, to puzzle games, to the myriad of indie games that the Switch has been blessed with, a sizable portion of my library were played with less-than-ideal controls.

Many DIY mods exist to solve this problem, but Hori and Nintendo have an official solution as well. The D-Pad Controller (L) replaces the four face buttons with a proper d-pad and is sold at a fairly reasonable price. The two different versions of this controller in North America include one that’s The Legend of Zelda themed, and another that’s Super Mario themed. But does it lose more than it gains in the process?

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Gris Review

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Gris was a game that was not on my radar. Due to my past negative experiences with games cut from a similar cloth such as Journey, I wasn’t planning on picking up Gris. However, the game received some strong buzz close to home. Kris and Rachel from Double Jump loved it, with Rachel going so far as naming it her game of the year. As a nod to my friends while also taking the opportunity to expand my horizons, I found myself falling into the world of Gris.

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Anthem Demo Impressions

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Best known for making meaty single-player RPGs with a heavy emphasis on storytelling, BioWare is trying something different with Anthem. They don’t completely leave the RPG genre behind, but this is an action game to the core. So much so, that it’s heavily recommended you play the experience online with friends or strangers through matchmaking. Does BioWare have the chops to create a game this far out of their comfort zone? And for fans of their previous works, does Anthem provide enough reasons for you to join them on this journey? The full game isn’t out yet, but I tried out the demo to get a taste of what’s to come.

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Disney Villainous Board Game Review

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The villain never wins in a Disney film, but one of them will finally get to achieve their dastardly goal in the Villainous board game. With each player taking control of a Disney villain within their respective realms, the race is on to see who can complete their vile objective first. Are you a bad enough evildoer to defeat the heroes that stand in your way while also overcoming the interference from other villains trying to finish their schemes?

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Starlink: Battle for Atlas Review

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Years after the Toys-to-Life bubble burst, Ubisoft took the bold step into the deserted space with Starlink: Battle for Atlas. Unlike Skylanders or Amiibo figures, Starlink takes a modular approach with its toys. As such, you can customize your loadouts by strapping a unique pilot, ship, and weapons to your controller before entering warp speed. It doesn’t hurt that the Nintendo Switch version gets access to console-exclusive Star Fox content, including a sweet-looking Arwing toy. Is the game worth the trouble of slapping all of this extra plastic onto your Joy-Con controllers?

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Fight of Gods Review

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On the third day he rose again…to fight? Jesus stars in Fight of Gods, where he and other religious figures partake in immortal combat for reasons that are never fully explained. The core concept behind the game was intriguing enough for me to give it a try. Does Fight of Gods provide an otherworldly fighting game experience?

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Jackbox Party Pack 5 Review

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Jackbox Games caught lightning in a bottle with the Party Pack concept. Bundling a set of party games that are played with smartphones has livened up countless get-togethers the world over, including a few parties I’ve attended or hosted. The latest edition of the series marks the return of its flagship game You Don’t Know Jack, as well as four new titles to enjoy. Is this a worthy addition to the series or your next party?

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider Review

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Modern Tomb Raider has been one of my favourite franchises of the past few years, but there are aspects of its first two games that prevented them from being universally celebrated. The first was a commercial hit and a game I enjoyed a lot, but it also leaned a bit too heavily on the Uncharted playbook. I felt that the sequel took the right steps towards bringing the game back towards its roots, but it was still a bit too heavy on the gun play and the game was largely overlooked due to it being a timed Xbox One exclusive. Third time’s a charm? Shadow of the Tomb Raider closes out this era of Lara Croft with an adventure that is as high stakes as it gets.

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These Aren’t My Game of the Year, But These 2018 Titles Are Worth Celebrating

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Once again, congratulations to Celeste for taking home the prestigious In Third Person Game of the Year award! Though there can only be one winner, there were a number of fantastic games that were “thisclose” from taking the crown. Let’s take a moment to tip our hats to some of my favourite games of 2018!

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