Review keys provided by the publisher(s)
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: We here at GameTyrant have been absolutely bombarded with so many games this year. We will be rolling out select quick reviews to let our audience know about games and DLC that may have slipped under their radar. We appreciate the amazing support from all publishers and developers out there!
Star Wars: Battlefront Classics Collection
Something I’ve been waiting for what feels like decades is a Star Wars: Battlefront remaster. And while I may still have to wait for an actual remaster, Aspyr’s new Star Wars: Battlefront Classics Collection brings players back into the iconic battles we love from a galaxy, far, far away. This time though, there’s a plethora of new content for players to engage with. Whether it’s playing certain levels between both games or even the newly added heroes of fan favorites Ventress and Kit-Fisto, this is a celebration of the best Star Wars games ever made.
I’m going to be honest; I didn’t expect these games to look and play as smoothly as they do. While there’s a big issue with servers at launch, this is the best way to play the classic Battlefront games. My singular complaint that these games have is the fact that you can’t swap controller mapping. I wish I could use the controls of BF2 while playing BF, but it just isn’t in the cards. And again, I would’ve actually appreciated a graphical upgrade. if you’re going to re-release these games with new features, you might as well go all out.
Outcast: A New Beginning
A while back, I had played the beta for Outcast: A New Beginning, and while I had good things to say about it I wasn’t blown away. Having played its full release now, I finally understand the appeal of a game like this. Outcast: A New Beginning is just the kind of open-world game players need these days. It’s one that, while flashes newer-looking visuals, stays true to its old-school roots. This is a game that’s focus is all about adventure. Whether you’re gliding through the skies, diving beneath temples, or just aimlessly taking in the world on the ground, there’s an exceptional sense of this being a fantastical sci-fi world to explore, with various mini-games and collectibles littered throughout.
The world in Outcast: A New Beginning feels fully realized, with characters to discover all over the place that brings life to the world around you. It’s also a game that makes players feel like badasses, allowing them (as Cutter Slade) to dash around enemies, take aim from the skies, or just outgun enemies head-on. The best way to describe how playing this game feels is if you took Indiana Jones and sent him into a space adventure instead. It’s a completely charming and heartfelt project which you can tell that the developers at Appeal Studios take great pride in.
Rebel Transmute
A simple yet very intriguing title, Rebel Transmute is an adorable little Metroidvania title that manages to add elements of the Souls-like into its gameplay to offer players a bit more to enjoy. Combat is simple, smooth, and pretty easy to become comfortable with but is deepened a bit thanks to augmentations and additional additions that you can to your character; Moon Mikono.
One of my favorite aspects of Rebel Transmute is its retro-inspired audio and visuals. While I can appreciate the modern 2D platformer, what with its enhanced visual experience, I typically love a good retro 2D platforming experience. The thing that Rebel Transmute does to push past the archaic lens of its audio and visuals though, is by implementing a personal story that takes Moon onto a life-changing adventure worth experiencing for yourself.
