Recent reviews by BatChicken

Played everything that you can for free, so this is just my rating of that. I like Pirate101. It’s a great example of a really good sister game. The main core gameplay doesn’t differ much from Wizard101, you’re still running around questing. The combat is the main difference here, and I think it’s fun! It’s pretty much the exact opposite of Wiz101, so it’s a nice change of pace. There’s still not too much content here, about five hours or less for free, but I think that’s because the game is quite a bit smaller, so they have less to offer.

Does what it’s offering very well, and that’s all you can ask. It’s just repeatable MMORPG quests but single-player and with great movement. Super impressive for a solo dev as well. This game could be pretty great in the future.

Good enough Sonic game. Only about two of the zones are any good, much like Sonic 1, and the rest feel quite tedious. The boss fights, though, are really fun and I loved all of them. It only took me an hour and a half to get through, which surprised me a little.

One of the best kart racers ever made. I don't think this game has a single bad track, which is a shocking thing to say, but it’s true. I love how frequently they update it with new characters and events, but hopefully they slow down a bit in the future, I don't want to get burnt out too quickly. It’s one of the perfect pick-up-and-play-with-buddies games out there at the moment. As a Sonic fan, it’s exciting to be able to recommend a genuinely great game in the franchise.

What an incredible DLC to start off with. Three characters is very generous, and the event that came with this pack was so much fun. This DLC also added arguably the best track in the whole game.

One of the best pickup-and-play MMO RPGs out there. It constantly gets updated, and whenever they do a free membership week, it's great to jump in and try to progress your forever character because there is a lot and I mean a lot of worlds and story to get through. Put in 40 hours in a week, so it's a great time-waster.

The parkour here is incredible! Smooth, fun, and easily the best part of the game. The problem is everything wrapped around it is a buggy mess. Half the time buildings or platforms won’t load, and you’ll just die because the game decides to break. When you’re not enjoying the (slightly broken) movement, you’re thrown into some of the worst combat I’ve played. Every enemy feels like a bullet sponge (or kick sponge, I guess), even after upgrading everything. The combat encounters are way too frequent and drag on forever, which makes me miss the first game where combat didn’t get in the way as much.

The story and acting? Cringe and poorly written. On top of that, the game forces you to launch through EA, and despite online achievements being a thing, the servers have been dead for years. Performance isn’t much better. My decent PC was buzzing on “High,” which is somehow the middle graphics option.

Sure, I had some fun running around here and there, but Catalyst buries its best feature under clunky combat, bad writing, and technical issues. At the end of the day, it’s hard to recommend.

What a blast of a game! I love adventure titles like this, and Legend nails that mix of globe-trotting locations and clever puzzles. The combat is pretty brain-off, but not in that fully satisfying way, though it never got in the way of the fun. I even enjoyed the quick time events, they give it such a nostalgic Xbox 360-era vibe.

What really sold me, though, was how unabashedly fantastical and supernatural it gets. Tomb Raider always shines brightest when it leans into that pulpy, fantasy edge, and this game struck that balance perfectly. Sure, the controls and camera can be clunky, but nothing game-breaking. My only real gripe is the length. Just when it feels like you’re gearing up for a big final act, the credits roll.

Still, Legend is a tight, memorable action-adventure that reminded me exactly why I love this series.

Really solid 2D platformer. The levels are cleverly designed, with secrets that strike a nice balance. Never too tough to track down, but still satisfying to uncover. Levels also tie in nicely with the time trials too, though I’ll admit the built-in endless jump can come in handy for those, haha. And honestly, grappling hooks just make any game more fun, and this one proves it. Had a great time with it overall and even went for the full 100%.

This game is a blast. The story hits a perfect balance. Serious noir vibes but still wacky enough to keep it fun all the way through. The gameplay absolutely shines with the bullet-time and the huge variety of weapons at your disposal. The level design is fantastic too, just when things start feeling a bit samey, it mixes things up in clever ways.

It’s definitely shorter than I expected, but it makes every second count. And honestly, the ragdoll physics (like every early 2000s game) are so goofy they add another layer of enjoyment on top.

Sure, there are a couple of small gripes. Some jank that can stall mission progression until you sort it out yourself, and one sniping section that drags a little too long but those are minor bumps in an otherwise incredible ride.

Max Payne 2 is just awesome.