Welcome to This Is Not A Review. In these articles we discuss general impressions, ideas and thoughts on any given game, but as the title implies, it’s not a review. Instead, it’s an exercise in offering a quick recommendation (or dismissal) after spending enough time to grasp the ideas and gameplay of a thing without necessarily playing it from A to Z.
The subject of this installment: Ride 4, developed and published by Milestone.
HIGH A perfect return to form for one of gaming’s best mascots.
LOW Oh boy, am I bad at this game.
WTF Does falling in love with an alternate-reality version of yourself count as incest?
HIGH An addicting and ambitious space combat and trading sim.
LOW It could be friendlier to newcomers.
WTF This is probably the closest we’ll get to a Cowboy Bebop game.
HIGH Enjoyable racing and lovable characters.
LOW Barebones package, disappointing online. And no voice-acting?
WTF All these references and the devs couldn’t fit a Kablam nod in?
HIGH A delightful platformer that’s accessible for all ages.
LOW Too easy for platforming veterans.
WTF Is there any Lucky merch? If so, where can I buy it?
HIGH The art style and soundtrack are wonderful.
LOW The gunplay and platforming feel stiff.
WTF The ridiculous image of a monkey being given a gun.
HIGH The quiet scenes when Tommy talks to Sarah.
LOW Noticeable glitches. Also, I suck at driving.
WTF This game had me craving whiskey.
HIGH Kenshiro!
LOW Bland fighting, bland visuals, bland storytelling.
WTF The Linkin Park and Naruto mashup videos on YouTube back in 2007 are more interesting than this.
HIGH A colorful, hilarious roguelike parody of startup culture.
LOW The framerate can be rough, especially in later dungeons.
WTF I really need a job.
HIGH Great writing and animation in an imaginative setting.
LOW Point-and-click controls don’t feel good on Switch.
WTF Yikes, some of these jokes are a bit too dark.