DeVuego ES_COR

Temtem isn’t just a copycat Pokémon. Incorporating MMO elements and engaging characters into fan-favourite gameplay is an overwhelming success, with an abundance of addicting endgame content. Unfortunately, Temtem suffers from optimisation issues and needs to present its most captivating features at the forefront rather than behind the MMO grind and a slow main story. I can’t deny how much fun it is to play Temtem, it just needs more time and polish to be the best there ever was.

Remakes of true classics are usually cause for some concern, particularly a game that’s almost 35 years old, but this is so much more than just an old game with a new skin. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX balances perfectly the updates an old game needs whilst still staying true to what made the original such a landmark title. The quirks of the gameplay are all still there, controlling just like the original, although with little tweaks that make the experience even better. The new levels fit so well, it’s pretty, and it sounds good to boot.

 really wanted to like HyperParasite more than I did. The campy 80’s aesthetic and gratuitous cartoony violence is right up my alley. However, even a roguelike needs to have a good sense of progression. Having it be so much of a slog to unlock forms to possess in a game all about possessing enemy forms feels counter-productive to HyperParasite’s main gameplay gimmick.

I still think I would recommend HyperParasite to a fan of roguelikes or twin-stick shooters, especially if you have a friend. With that said, be prepared for an uphill battle to make progress, and get very used to the Downtown level and its first boss. The high level of difficulty skirts the line of being frustrating more often than I would prefer. There are certainly worse roguelike shooters on the market, but HyperParasite still needs some polish.