STACK #222 April 2023

GAMING REVIEWS

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KIRBY’S RETURN TO DREAM LAND DELUXE

ACTION PLATFORMER MULTIPLAYER

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If anybody ever tries on the old “Video games are nasty” line, sit them down with a Kirby game. The plucky pink glob is a beacon of niceness, without sending the meter into cloying. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe , aWii revisiting, is no exception. As far as games go, this one’s quite

a complete package, when considered as the sum of its many, many parts rather than just by partaking in the main five- or six-hour campaign. Alien-type Magolor has stacked

for younger players, while it still offers enough challenge to keep experienced players dedicated to the tasks at hand. The original experience has been bolstered quite a bit. The main campaign sees new abilities added to Kirby’s arsenal, including a sandy one and a very cool mech one. Extra experiences bulge at every turn, including chances to add to the Kirbster’s abilities on Magolor’s ship. The bigger bonus draw, however, is Merry Magoland, an amusement park that’s packed full of ten subgames. Then there’s the Arena mode, which pits Kirby against boss after boss, requiring extra care and strategy in order to keep enough globular oomph to survive until the next challenge. Bright, colourful, sweet, cool, lovable… If you’re after a Nintendo Switch platforming experience that offers some challenge without being punitive, plus brilliant local multiplayer support, then you’ll have trouble finding better than this. AF

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! If all of the new content just isn’t enough, there’s also now a very fun, more puzzle-skewed playable epilogue starring an enervated Magolor who must consume fruit in order to regain his usual level of vitality.

his funky spaceship smack bang into Planet Popstar. Oops! Thankfully this is where Kirby and his many friends reside, and they’re quick to offer their assistance in finding five missing parts of said funky spaceship in order for their new alien buddy to get back to doing whatever it is that aliens do. This main quest is classic platforming 101, and as is the Kirby way there’s a gentle learning curve that makes it perfect

LIKE A DRAGON: ISHIN!

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

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A remake of 2014’s Ry ū ga Gotoku Ishin! , a Japanese PS4 launch title, this is the first real chance that most western audiences will get to play this wild game. Like a Dragon: Ishin! is set in the late Edo period of Japan, a time of seismic shifts in Japanese culture. Western civilisations were

visiting frequently, and the age of the Samurai was fast approaching its end. You play as Sakamoto Ryoma, as he returns to his hometown of Tosa, which is a hotbed of upheaval. From the moment you arrive, you embark upon a journey of loss, revenge, and justice which is a far deeper story than the level of violence would initially suggest. Unlike some Yakuza/Like a Dragon games, where the story is almost as silly as anything that the Saints Row crew have produced, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a more grounded, moving experience – right up until the combat kicks off… Ryoma is a swordsman with attitude,

flair, and a funky firearm, which becomes a potent mix once the weapons start flying. Each encounter culminates in a score based on your performance. You’re graded on attack, defence, and style, where your creativity and ability also add to the final score. Once engaged in a fight, you can swap between various options for attack that suit your personal fighting style and allow for new approaches for more challenging enemy types. Each offers their own unique advantages and ridiculous moves. When fighting with a gun, Ryoma waves his six-shooter around like a rhythmic gymnast breaking in a new ribbon. There’s a strong inference of gun kata here, immortalised in 2002 movie Equilibrium , and heavily cribbed by the excellent John Wick series. Topping it off are outrageous finishing moves, all equal parts side splitting hilarity and squeamish brutality. It really brilliantly represents the whole experience of Like a Dragon: Ishin! in a few seconds. DN

THE NAME OF THE GAME Ry ū ga Gotoku Ishin! literally translates to Like a Dragon: Ishin! , and was developed by the SEGA team named after the series - Ry ū ga Gotoku Studio. Yakuza series branding was created for western audiences, but it has now been replaced worldwide by Like a Dragon.

12 APRIL 2023

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