Jake Valentine
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DualShockers Latest Reviews
One step forward, one step back; that's the Madden NFL 27 way. There's clearly a lot of work that went into this year's version of Madden, especially compared to how lazy Madden NFL 26 felt. For the most part, it works out quite well, and I appreciate a lot of the new features. Unfortunately, they often fall short of what I'd expect. I don't know what it says about the current state of the franchise that I'm impressed with a game that's, ultimately, average at best. Maybe I'm just an NFL psycho who lives for seven hours of commercial-free football every day. Maybe that's why I'll keep playing this completely average-at-best game for far longer than I should. The best metaphor for Madden NFL 27 is that it features all the hype around one of those older Thursday Night Football games, only you realize that it's the Titans and Jaguars in a Color Rush game. You're excited that it's time for football, but are you really going to watch all 60 minutes of Charlie Whitehurst versus Blake Bortles in 2014?
I wasn't sure what to expect from Bubsy 4D, and I'm someone who was excited to play it. The platformer genre is arguably in a golden age, with Nintendo firing on all cylinders following Super Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong Bananza. Sony's been in on the action with the 2024 Game of the Year winner, Astro Bot. To see Bubsy finally overcome its infamous legacy and deliver a fun, albeit flawed, experience has me hopeful that Atari will build on what's a solid foundation in place and give a possible Bubsy sequel the polish and investment that could truly (I can't believe I'm saying this), make it great. For now, though, despite its flaws, you can't go wrong with Bubsy 4D, especially at that discounted price.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
While Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream isn't the full-blown life simulator some people may have been hoping for, fans of the original will feel right at home. Despite lacking any concrete depth, I'm still impressed by the wacky scenarios, conversations, and relationships that blossom. It's been a smash hit in the Valentine household, and that won't change for quite some time. I never thought we'd see another Tomodachi Life game, and I'm so happy that we did.
For all the good World of Warcraft: Midnight does, there are decisions being made that hold it back from being an all-time great expansion. I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it: the add-on changes feel like they were done with no real plan in place. Preys are a great feature, but I want to see a long-term vision here, especially because Delves are now delivering that vision. I'm excited to play through Midnight's seasons and experience everything the game offers heading into The Last Titan, but I also hope that Blizzard lets the dev team fully cook. It feels like they didn't with Midnight, and it's a shame.
MLB The Show 26 is still one of the best sports games in town, but it's starting to show its flaws. Despite all the advancements and positive additions, it's getting harder to ignore some of its issues. For the first time in recent years, I'm not sure if MLB The Show is worth the money. For all the good the game does, I can't keep ignoring all of the mounting issues.