Comprehensive Game Reviews
Comprehensive Game Reviews
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Once Upon A Katamari Review - I Love Mess!
Once Upon A Katamari Review - I Love Mess!I once had a friend describe Katamari Damacy to me as a "cool uncle game"--a statement I found hilarious considering the person who introduced me to the series was, in fact, my cool uncle. What he meant by this, though, was that while the Katamari series has never quite reached a point of true, mainstream popularity, it's certainly managed to foster a cult following of fans who adore its peculiarity--fans who revel in absurd concepts like "rolling up the world," and seemingly always have some niche-yet-utterly-engrossing New Thing to show you. A fanbase of "cool uncles," if you will. Though I can't claim to be an uncle and certainly won't claim to be cool, after playing Once Upon a Katamari, I am eager and ready to join their ranks. The newest entry in Bandai Namco's nonsensical action-puzzle series has converted me from a Katamari appreciator to a Katamari fan. Once Upon a Katamari is a joyous return for the long-stagnant series, bringing with it small tweaks that make moment-to-moment gameplay more fun and lead to a number of clever levels. A tighter narrative, more engaging overworld, customization features, and updated visuals help set the game apart from its predecessors, while its playful writing and whimsical nature retain that distinctly Katamari feel. While Once Upon a Katamari might stumble a bit when it comes to innovating, the end result is a highly polished (and fun) new entry in the Katamari series. Once Upon a Katamari kicks off the way these things so often do: with our beloved King of the Cosmos doing something tremendously stupid. During one of the royal family's much-needed cleaning days, the King of the Cosmos stumbles upon a peculiar scroll. What ensues is an embarrassingly relatable sequence of events, as the king grows distracted by the scroll, decides he'd rather be doing literally anything other than cleaning, and ultimately ends up hurling the object into space after using it as a baton. Naturally, this action winds up destroying the entirety of the cosmos, prompting the king to recruit you, The Prince, to help fix this even larger mess. Continue Reading at GameSpot
GameSpot - Game ReviewsOct 22
Dispatch Review in Progress
Dispatch Review in ProgressThis superhero successor to Telltale's legacy is off to a great start.
IGN PC ReviewsOct 22
Review: Once Upon a Katamari Embraces What Makes the Series Great
Review: Once Upon a Katamari Embraces What Makes the Series Great I love Katamari Damacy and adore most everything about the series, but must admit some of the more recent entries ended up being disappointing in certain ways. With entries like Katamari Forever and Touch My Katamari reusing so much and titles like Katamari Damacy Rolling Live going mobile, it got a bit exhausting. Once Upon a Katamari feels like the first true return to what makes a Katamari game not only entertaining, but memorable. The All Cosmos royal family is cleaning out the castle as Once Upon a Katamari begins, though it is really The Queen and The Prince doing all of the work. In fact, the tutorial involves The King “supervising” as The Prince rolls up junk in one of the palace’s bedrooms. As part of this process, The King of All Cosmos discovers a sealed scroll and decides to start twirling and tossing it. In his gusto, it goes through the roof and knocks out every star and planet in the sky. Even his beloved Earth is gone! What’s to be done? Send The Prince off in the SS Prince time machine to different eras in human history to roll up elements to restore the universe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQpojKTAvPY Now, one thing I want to highlight before we move on to why Once Upon a Katamari feels like such a fresh and notable game in the series is the script. The stories in the Katamari series are never amazing . The King of All Cosmos gets carried away in some way. The universe is trashed. The Prince saves the day. The concept here is imaginative, which I appreciate, and still features the same fun quips from The King about different eras, The Prince’s performance, and certain topics. He’s as charming as ever with his asides. However, a notable point is that I don’t feel he’s as cruel or critical of The Prince. Yes, he will make a few biting remarks. But he seems more considerate (for him) than in past games, which feels like a sense of character development from the past installments. Since this is a time travel game, progress in Once Upon a Katamari feels a bit different. We’ll go to different eras, needing to complete a certain amount of stages to gain enough energy to power the SS Prince for another jump through time. When we are at a certain point in the timeline, The Prince will wander around the location to see the next stage spots.  Images via Bandai Namco As for the stages themselves, things progress much like in past Katamari Damacy games in Once Upon a Katamari . The King of All Cosmos will tell you the task, which can involve things like reaching a certain size within a certain amount of time or getting a certain objective completed like rolling up all items or getting a certain number of a certain type of items. Three crowns will also be hidden in each level as something of an additional optional item to collect, with that bonus being shown from the main map in place of the three star completion indicator in other kinds of games. You roll the Katamari forward and back. As usual, there are the traditional fast leaps to swap positions on either side of it for quicker turns, you can strafe around it, and there are camera options for a The Prince or Katamari-eye view. Power-ups can also be acquired for a temporary buff, such as a magnet to suck up things around you or a means to briefly pause the clock. The only fault here has to do with one of the control schemes. The traditional one works perfectly. It’s fantastic. The simplified one, which only uses the left analog stick, feels subpar. There isn’t the same degree of control over the Katamari. It isn’t as comfortable. I tried it for the sake of being able to say that I did, and it felt less comfortable than the traditional dual analog stick option. The stages in Once Upon a Katamari are great and feel unique for a number of reasons. All of them are historical, so we’re seeing period appropriate items and spaces. It means we see models and items that didn’t show up in past games, which is a plus. The level design also feels pretty great and like there are some deliberate “paths” constructed in some spots to help leads you to certain ramps or hint at locations where you might find crowns. There’s a good sense of progression, and I did feel like they scaled in difficulty and complexity upon heading to new eras.  Images via Bandai Namco I’m not as enthusiastic about KatamariBall, though I didn’t play it under ideal conditions. This involves up to four people with Katamaris rolling around a space at once competing to get the largest one. It is possible to play with CPU opponents, but I really didn’t get much out of it. Yes, it is possible. But I feel part of the fun of a Katamari game is making thoughtful choices in the moment to maximize your performance, and I didn’t find it as much fun when pitted against other people.  But on to better things. The ambiance in Once Upon a Katamari is fantastic. The soundtrack? It’s great. There’s an amazing selection of songs here. Even better is that it accomplishes that with originality and not just copying the kinds of tracks we heard in Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari . I especially adored Etsuko Yakushimaru’s “Diver,” Chelmico’s “Katamari Time,” Daoko’s “YangYang,” and Kenji Ninuma’s “Chill Prince.” All of them are so appropriate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns6wGXBFkYc The character customization is also something I adored! Yes, there are cousins in Once Upon a Katamari to use as avatars instead of The Prince. However, you can also adjust different parts of each character to make a custom character. This means things like facial expressions and color schemes too. On top of that, there are additional accessories, like an extra buddy on the antenna or a mask, so you can really be your own person. It’s a fun bonus. Though some of the new cousin designs are great too, so it ends up being a lot even if you don’t want to make adjustments. Once Upon a Katamari feels like it is as strong of an entry as a game like We Love Katamari. The time traveling element really suits the series. The character customization is a lot of fun. I’m not a KatamariBall fan and think the Simple control scheme option is far from it. But overall Once Upon a Katamari is a great installment that captures the essence of the series. Once Upon a Katamari will come to the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on October 24, 2025.  The post Review: Once Upon a Katamari Embraces What Makes the Series Great appeared first on Siliconera .
Reviews Articles and News - SiliconeraOct 22
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Review
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted ReviewThis remaster of a classic stumbles while trying to bring the original into a new light.
IGN PC ReviewsOct 22
Once Upon A Katamari Review
Once Upon A Katamari ReviewThe best the series has been since the PlayStation 2 era.
IGN PC ReviewsOct 22
PowerWash Simulator 2 review – The superior simulator
PowerWash Simulator 2 review – The superior simulator Destructoid. I am incredibly excited to be talking to you today about a game I have been dying to play, and now I can finally review it. And if you have seen the title, you know I'm about to talk about PowerWash Simulator 2! With 38 story levels, an actual plot, local co-op and online multiplayer up to four people, a new homebase for you to decorate with things you buy and find, more variety, improved visuals, and dozens of QOL improvements, this game is peak. So I'm going to gush about it for a brief moment. Such an improvement Image via FuturLab Image via FuturLab Image via FuturLab I can't understate how much of an improvement this game is over the first one in so many areas, from the updated controls to the game's feel. For starters, each level is now more varied and less massive than the first game. It won't take you an entire day to clean individual bars or a whole house; instead, you'll be bouncing from cards to interactive toilets and even a blimp or two to mix things up. The washing is also more forgiving now, as you'll find yourself getting far more dings without having to search for a single blip you missed. Instead of an area highlighting when you are close to the finish or trying to focus on a specific area, an actual cursor now appears, pointing directly to the area you want to clean. It makes finding the last places you need to clean far easier than the original. Stars are also gone, and you can buy whatever you want from the start without having to complete areas. You can also refund previously purchased items for the same amount you originally paid, so there's no need to grind to get the best gear anymore. You can quickly obtain items with ease. Cosmetics also have their own form of currency now, along with base items you can buy to decorate your home, meaning you can achieve a nice aesthetic without it cutting into your budget for new equipment. Oh, and cleaning fluid has been removed entirely and is now an infinite nozzle on all your devices, so you no longer need to buy a dedicated wood cleaner. It works on everything now! Still not a game for everyone Image via FuturLab Image via FuturLab Image via FuturLab Despite all the improvements, I'm aware that this game may not be for everyone. While it's a good sit-down game that you can play with friends and take your time with, a lot of players might not have the patience to really sit through and tediously clean every aspect of a certain level. Although outside of that, I'm struggling to identify what makes this game inherently bad to discuss. I'm a big fan of these games and love reading through the achievement list to find out what I need to do on a level first or last, so that I can then enjoy the cleaning process. As mentioned earlier, the game has improved significantly, making it feel more streamlined and enjoyable. However, I realize that my enjoyment comes with a bit of bias towards this type of game as well. There are a few tedious levels, though. Cleaning them feels like a slog and a pain, which slows down the pacing a bit. Some I just didn't enjoy playing, perhaps because they were either boring to look at or felt too overwhelming. I also don't think the game does anything significantly different from the previous one, apart from tweaking and improving controls. Additionally, there is no way to play the old DLC from the first game. Can you tell I'm having a hard time discussing negatives? All the new tools and items simply improve on the base experience, but that is all they are. An improvement on what already existed, so if you didn't enjoy the first game or have already had your fill of this type of game, maybe it's something for you to sit out. Final task Image via FuturLab Image via FuturLab I really enjoyed this game, and it feels like the developers took everything a bit tedious and off-putting in the first one and improved upon it tenfold. It's really a case of playing the original and then playing this one to see what the night-and-day differences are. All the new stuff also really does help to the overall gameplay experience and doesn't feel tact on, and the addition of a story (we won't be talking about because I don't want to spoil it) feels natural rather then a bonus and helps you feel immersed in the world, even if youll be locking in to clean up most of it. Look forward to a chill time ahead, and prepare to jump in and out as you see fit to enjoy everything the game has to offer. The post PowerWash Simulator 2 review – The superior simulator appeared first on Destructoid .
Reviews Archive – DestructoidOct 22
PowerWash Simulator 2 Review - Working Overtime
PowerWash Simulator 2 Review - Working OvertimeZen Buddhist monk and personal hero of mine, Thich Nhat Hanh, spent much of his life writing about mindfulness. He stressed that when we do anything, we should commit to it fully, giving it our undivided attention and allowing ourselves to become immersed in it, be it simply eating, walking, or anything else. "Drink your tea slowly and reverently," he said, "as if it is the axis on which the earth revolves--slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future." Like its predecessor, PowerWash Simulator 2 is a stage on which one can play out Thich Nhat Hanh's message. The simple pleasures of washing away the grime from dozens of walls, floors, cars, and couches act like an on-ramp to a flow state. For a while, I let the sequel wash over me, giving it my entire being and enjoying it thoroughly. But long before I sprayed away the last patch of mildew, I was back to my old ways, multitasking my way through a game that asks of me more patience and attention than I was willing to give it. PowerWash Simulator 2 is exactly what it sounds like, though if you haven't played the first game, its title alone may not make it apparent why it can be so much fun. In this first-person job sim from FuturLab, you'll live out a career as a powerwasher, taking on nearly 40 jobs in solo play, split-screen, or online multiplayer with other soapy experts. You'll begin with a few simple tools--hoses with different nozzles that provide a range of spraying intensities and patterns, almost like an arsenal of guns in a traditional shooter. In essence, this is a shooter, but rather than zombies or Nazis, your targets are buildings, furnishings, and vehicles absolutely blanketed in filth, with each mission ending when you've completely cleansed the area of its grime. Continue Reading at GameSpot
GameSpot - Game ReviewsOct 22
PowerWash Simulator 2 Review
PowerWash Simulator 2 ReviewAlways wet, never wild, just the way we like it.
IGN PC ReviewsOct 22
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Review - A Nostalgic Garden Stroll
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Review - A Nostalgic Garden Stroll Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: PopCap Games When Plants vs. Zombies released in 2009, it was a continuation of what PopCap had proven itself to be so good at with games like Bejeweled and Peggle: mechanically simple games with inviting visuals that appealed to everyone. Plants vs. Zombies was arguably its biggest swing by exploring tower defense, a niche genre typically played by strategy fans. The gamble paid off, however, and Plants vs. Zombies was successfully ported to many platforms and remains the developer’s most popular franchise. It may be known as a multiplayer shooter by younger fans today, but the original strategy game has always (easily) been my favorite use of the Plants and Zombie characters. And the remake is faithful to that original game, sometimes to a fault.   If you only know the shooter, the original Plants vs. Zombies is a simplified tower defense game where the player defends against encroaching zombies on the right side of the screen by placing a series of offensive and defensive plants on the left. The grid is small, the choices are limited but impactful, and the tone is comedic. For Replanted, the game hasn't been radically redesigned, and I appreciate that. The original game has always been smart, simple, and well-balanced, and that remains true here. In fact, the biggest and most welcome gameplay change is the ability to hasten the action up to 2.5x speed with the press of a button at any time. I love this option and now can’t imagine playing Plants vs. Zombies without it. It makes the waiting in the early part of each match move much faster, and when you hit the late-game of each level, where you have a dozen or more plants firing off at full power, it is incredibly satisfying to sit back and watch the action ramp up at high speed. I also appreciate how the speed can be adjusted with ease. I would usually start at a high pace, slow things down to normal in the middle, and then bump it back up near the end. It makes an already smooth game even smoother. Replanted's deference to the original, however, occasionally reminds us that it is based on a game that is more than 15 years old and was originally designed for mobile devices. Many elements of the UI are outdated and look a little cheap. Selecting units doesn’t feel great, and sometimes I would lose sight of what I was selecting. I also hit some visual bugs, like my wallet not being displayed when shopping in Dave’s store or misaligned layers during gameplay. They’re the kind of bugs that do not ultimately interfere with action, but they are distracting.   I had fun playing through the core campaign again, but there is also an impressive number of new, very challenging modes available for those who have mastered the game. Lots of the minigames and puzzle modes from the various versions of the game through the years are also present here, leading to a full suite of offerings if you make it through the main game quickly (which you probably will because it’s good and hard to put down). Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is a great and faithful remake of an excellent, simple, and now classic game. The new animations and character designs are also wonderful, without changing what made them so memorable to begin with. It’s all a pleasant reminder of a different era for PopCap Games and mobile games in general, where monetization rarely extended beyond the premium price of purchasing a game, which allowed the creators to focus on the core experience while keeping it light and simple. Replanted makes me pine for that era, but also grateful that this revisitation of the original game has been handled with such reverence and care. The Switch 2 Edge Playing Plants vs. Zombies with a controller works just fine (though I highly recommend turning up the cursor speed), but it’s hard not to recognize that the game was originally built with mouse or touch controls in mind. Along with the game finally being available on a Switch platform, the Switch 2 version offers you all three control options without ever having to enter a menu. You can play with a controller, use the touch-screen in handheld mode, or use a Joy-Con 2 as a mouse. And it looks and runs great, making the Switch 2 version, arguably, the definitive version of the game. Score: 8 About Game Informer's review system
Game Informer ReviewsOct 22
PowerWash Simulator 2 Review - Good Clean Fun
PowerWash Simulator 2 Review - Good Clean Fun Reviewed on: PC Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC Publisher: Futurlab Developer: Futurlab Rating: Everyone When I was a child, I rushed to get my chores done so I could fire up my favorite video games. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would devote so much time to a game about doing chores. PowerWash Simulator 2 expands on the gameplay and map design of FuturLab’s surprising 2022 hit, creating an experience that is at once arduous, time-consuming, and repetitive. But as I watched the dirt and grime melt away from the various surfaces over tens of hours, I had a constant feeling of satisfaction. Like its predecessor, PowerWash Simulator 2 places you in absurdly filthy environments and tasks you with using your high-powered hose to make the area look as good as new. The career mode spans 38 levels, each focused on jobs of varying scopes, with some featuring multiple stages. Over the course of more than 20 hours of gameplay, I cleaned scooters, bathrooms, playgrounds, gas stations, mansions, airships, and a lot more. Thanks to the improved visual fidelity, I relished the transformation of the environment, though I would have enjoyed more realistic water physics; when you spray dirt at the top of the wall, it doesn’t run down the surface, it just vanishes.   Though I played solo for the majority of my time with PowerWash Simulator 2, these missions are made more manageable through co-op with up to four players. Thankfully, this iteration adds shared progression, meaning players who go into another cleaner’s session receive credit for jobs they complete, allowing them to skip that job in their career mode save file. This goes a long way towards reducing repetitiveness as you progress through the career. The gameplay is consistent as you work through the levels, but the jobs are varied and, at times, daunting. I sometimes didn’t realize what I was getting myself into when I said “just one more,” like when I took a job that required me to clean a target-rich carnival shooting gallery. The larger jobs took me upwards of an hour and a half when playing solo, which caused tedium to set in. That sense of tedium, when combined with how laser-focused you need to be, often led me to feel more exhausted than I have with other games when I emerged from a marathon session. This entry adds a ton of new tools at your disposal, including an improved soap sprayer that loosens dirt, a wide area-of-effect surface cleaner, new lifts to help reach higher areas, and additional upgradeable washers and nozzles. I enjoyed choosing the correct nozzle for the range and dirt depth and methodically going from segment to segment until every piece of the larger puzzle was spotless. As you finish an area, it blinks with a dopamine-producing ding, and I appreciate that the threshold for what constitutes 100-percent clean has been tuned; you are much less likely to get stuck trying to find a tiny remaining speck of dirt to finish a job in the sequel. However, on the few occasions when I couldn’t find the final section to clean before wrapping up a job, I could easily pull up the checklist and set a waypoint.   PowerWash Simulator 2’s career mode features a narrative told through texts and environmental storytelling. While I was often amused by the exchanges that popped up in the corner of the screen, they were entirely inconsequential to my experience. I was mildly intrigued by the mysteries that unfolded throughout the loose narrative, but I was so focused on the job at hand that I typically would forget there was a story at all until the next beat hit. PowerWash Simulator 2 is a perfect game to play while you listen to music, an audiobook, or a podcast, as the sound effects amount to little more than white noise over the course of any given job. PowerWash Simulator 2 is a very specific kind of game that will appeal to a very specific kind of audience. If you’re the kind of person who spends your evenings watching videos of things being cleaned or organized, you’ll likely enjoy an interactive version of that. However, if you prefer your action heavy or your systems robust, you might find yourself bored or restless. Though I fall more into that latter category, I felt an undeniable satisfaction each time I completed a job, which serves as a highlight to the overall package. Score: 7.5 About Game Informer's review system
Game Informer ReviewsOct 22