DeVuego ES_COR

Summum Aeterna takes a difficult Metroidvania and converts the basic ideas and characters to a roguelike. The result is a lot of fun, somehow managing to capture the best parts of the original game in a more digestible chunk. It isn't necessarily going to win you over if you dislike roguelike titles, but if you were a fan of Noctis, you must try Summum, which has all the makings of a perfect gateway drug to roguelikes.

Blind Fate is a game with great ideas but doesn't live up to them. The combat system is a lot of fun, but the title does everything it can to not let it shine. Outside of the combat, you're left with a predictable story, dull levels, and a boatload of QTEs. I can see a sequel that polishes up some of the mechanics that feel half-baked, but at the end of the day, Blind Fate doesn't really do anything that stands out.

A lot of what I write sounds negative, and that's the difficult part of discussing Aeterna Noctis. It does a lot of things that I genuinely like: It has excellent boss fights, some creative levels, an absurdly huge amount of content, and the platforming mostly works well. That level of heartfelt dedication makes it all the more frustrating when you get caught up on the areas where it still needs polish. I enjoyed a lot of the game, but I remember the annoyances more than the enjoyment. If you're willing to work past that, there's a lot to play in Aeterna Noctis, but it's easy to imagine someone reaching a particularly annoying bit of platforming and moving on to something else, especially because the game's long length can make it feel more exhausting than exhilarating. Metroidvania fans should absolutely give it a shot, but don't expect something as easy to pick-up-and-play as some of the genre greats.

Metroid Dread is a fantastic return to form for the 2D Metroid titles. Building upon the lessons of Samus Returns, it captures the feel of Metroid nearly perfectly. It's incredibly fun to play, balances the story and gameplay in the way a Metroid game should, and in general, it's just excellent. Its few flaws stood out more in retrospect than while I was playing the game. It's easily one of the best 2D Metroid titles, and it's a fantastic way to close out the ongoing storyline.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is about as much of a step backward as a direct sequel can be. It takes a step forward in some areas but several strides back in others. The improved combat mechanics are hindered by poor level design, incoherent plot, badly implemented set pieces, and awkward new features. When you add the problems inherited from the original Lords of Shadow, not even the well-made boss battles can salvage the rest of the game. Despite the long development cycle, Lords of Shadow 2 feels unfinished and unpolished, like a game rushed out the door to meet a quota. Even die-hard Castlevania fans will have a tough time finding much to like. The long-running plot limps along to the finale, and anyone expecting an apocalyptic battle between Dracula and Satan will be very disappointed.

Jericho is a title with great ideas. The squad-switching mechanic works very well, the various magic abilities are mostly sound and the plot is potentially very interesting. However, great ideas don't make up for shoddy execution, and Jericho just isn't a $60 game. It's far too short and easy, and the complete lack of any post-game content is almost unforgivable. The much-hyped Clive Barker storyline does little to save the game, devolving into cliché and unsatisfying incoherence so quickly that your head will spin. There's simply not enough content here when compared to similar titles on the market, especially in the wake of the content-filled Halo 3, which is selling at the same price. Unless you're desperate for an FPS fix, Jericho's secrets may be some that are just better left buried.