Gears 5 Review

Gears 5
Developed By: The Coalition
Published By: Microsoft Game Studios
Date of Release: September 6, 2019
Price: $59.99

Back in November of 2006 (wow, has it truly been 13 years already?) veteran developer Epic Games released their first game for Microsoft's Xbox 360, titled Gears of War. Powered by the impressive Unreal Engine 3, it was a third-person cover-based shooter and single-handedly cemented the distinctive gameplay style that would be used in the series from then on. Highlighting humanities struggle against an underground-dwelling race of creatures known as the Locust, the original trilogy followed a rather erm.. Epic storyline indeed. Having wrapped up the main plot in the finale of the third game, the fourth entry (developed by The Coalition) introduced a new plot starring the son of the main character, JD Fenix. And now here we are with the latest title in the series, which drops the "of War" moniker, Gears 5.



Gears 5 picks up right where the fourth installment left off, following JD and co as they continue to fight the new antagonists introduced in Gears of War 4, The Swarm. To give too much away about the story would spoil the previous game for anyone who hasn't played it, so I won't go that far. The writing and pacing are FAR better than the previous game, which suffered from feeling a bit rushed which may have been due to the development changing hands from Epic Games to The Coalition partway. Story aside the gameplay is the same tried and true gears formula that we all know and love, and as usual it brings a wealth of upgrades to graphical fidelity and just better production values all around. The graphics are great, the sound is fantastic, and the controls are tight and responsive. It just feels like slipping on a familiar pair of comfy shorts before kicking back and kicking ass.



And then there's the multiplayer. The Gears series has always been known for it's amazing multiplayer modes, and as amazing as the campaign is, the multiplayer is just a little bit better. Featuring most of the modes from previous games that you would expect it also throws in some new goodies like a Left 4 Dead style "Escape" mode. Also making its debut is an Overwatch-tinged Arcade mode, which just makes things feel really fleshed out. With the lag-free smoothness of the server connections I never felt like things were getting choppy, despite using a wireless connection for the whole time I played. Add to the mix constant promotional tie-ins such as cameos from Terminator Dark Fate and pro wrestling, and it's hard not to feel satisfied by the meaty offerings in this package. So all in all if you have an Xbox One or Windows 10 PC, you seriously need to pick up Gears 5. There's just way too much good stuff to miss out on here.

River City Girls Review

River City Girls
Developed By: WayForward
Published By: Arc System Works
Date of Release: Septmeber 5, 2019
Price: $29.99

Back in the good old NES days, there was one game that always had me coming back for more, it was the famous River City Ransom. A sidescrolling beat-em-up with mild RPG elements, it was an amazing experience and it blew my young mind. You'd beat the crap out of your foes, take their lunch money, and use it to level up in shops and spas. The gameplay was tight, and the graphics were awesome for the time. Later on I found out that River City Ransom is actually part of a larger series from japan known as Kunio-Kun, and I had a blast playing the other entries in the series whether they had been localized or not. There have been a lot of games in the series over the years covering a wide range of genres, and I loved them all. But that's all in the past though, now here in modern day 2019 Arc System Works has teamed up with WayForward to make a new entry in the series: River City Girls.



River City Girls star Kunio and Riki's girlfriends Kyoko and Misako as they set off on an ass-kicking adventure to rescue the kidnapped duo. And kick ass they do, with style and flair! The spritework in RCG is absolutely amazing, with fluid animation and amusingly exaggerated expressions on your foes as they receive their beatdown. The fighting system feels just as good as in the original games, and has some decent upgrades as well with EXP earned for knockouts, and the ability to recruit defeated foes. The music and voices are amazing, with an awesome assortment of vocal tracks backing some stages. The controls are tight, and fighting your foes feels great with awesomely destructive combos and special moves you can pull off. The bosses are also incredibly punishing, until you figure out their attack patterns and grind a couple levels. When you finally beat them it feels like a real accomplishment.



The only complaint I really have with River City Girls is that the multiplayer is local couch co-op only. I'd have liked to play online with my friends but it just doesn't have that feature, and I suppose the timing would have been a nightmare to get going over the internets. But other than the lack of online, this is an amazingly solid experience. The story is extremely entertaining, overflowing with anime cutscenes and awesomely voiced manga panels. River City Girls is every bit in the spirit of the rest of the Kunio-Kun series, and WayForward should be proud of what they accomplished. Here's hoping for a sequel in the future!