QCF: Wanted:Dead (Playstation 5)

 

 have fond memories of not only playing but also selling what was referred to as a “B” game from my time as a game store employee during the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 era. This type of game, normally an action game would be from a smaller developer and publisher, with a limited budget but always offered entertainment and combat for a lower cost. It was an easy sell for someone looking to play something but didn’t want the larger scope and price of a triple A title. Just some fun games like Stranglehold, Shadows of the Damned and Wet, just to reference a few from the past. For better or worse, Wanted:Dead from Soleil and 110 Industries harkens back to this time in gaming, offering sword-clashing and gun-blazing combat with some corny voice acting and glaring issues in level design and difficulty that might need more than nostalgia to win over most players.

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QCF: Within The Blade

fter first loading up Within The Blade on my Switch I was not sure what I was getting myself into. The title formally known on PC as Pixel Shinobi from indie developer Ametist Studio has a reputation for being a difficult but deep stealth action platformer with RPG elements since its initial release in 2019. My initial playing brought back some memories of playing fast paced indie platformers such as Super Meat Boy and Shovel Knight, with a Souls style combat and timing all wrapped in a ninja world and story. Now with time and experience to better form an opinion, I can say this game is hard, but fun to play and even with some lack of polish dulling its blade does not take away the overall feel and accomplishments it provides.

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Versus: Dark Souls

James

Dark Souls is the spiritual successor of the love-it-or-hate-it game Demon's Souls on the PS3. And when I say “love it or hate it,” I cannot stress that enough. You either fall in love with Dark Souls, or it becomes the bane of your existence. I have pumped more than 100 hours into Dark Souls across multiple characters and different play styles, and have every intention of jumping back in again soon.  This is a game for old school players who remember how games used to be.

Andrew

When Demon’s Souls was released for the PlayStation 3 in October 2009, critics and fans alike praised the title, stating that it was “the first truly great Japanese RPG of this generation”. However, whenever I heard about Demon’s Souls, its brutal difficulty and uncompromising mechanics were mentioned in the exact same breath. At the time I didn’t own Sony’s console, so I never experienced this so-called “classic.” That changed in 2011, when Dark Souls made its multiplatform debut. After only an hour of this pixilated poison, I realize that this title is for the most hardcore gaming masochists.

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