Recent reviews by Spookatron

From the very first day, Marvel Rivals has stood out to me as an exceptional game. Its polished presentation and well-executed mechanics set it apart from others in its genre, especially considering how many games launch with significant issues.

The game’s art style is a notable highlight. While it may not appeal to everyone, I find it to be a breath of fresh air. The visuals are crisp, vibrant, and well-suited to the game.

Many players have tried to compare Marvel Rivals to Overwatch, but I believe this comparison is somewhat unfair. While the two games share some superficial similarities, they are fundamentally different in their gameplay approach. As a longtime Overwatch player, I can confidently say that Marvel Rivals delivers a unique experience—so much so that I haven’t gone back to Overwatch since picking up Rivals.

The combo team-up abilities are a standout feature. These mechanics create fresh and exciting synergies between characters, adding depth and strategy to the game. Importantly, these abilities don’t feel like mere gimmicks but instead serve as meaningful contributions to the overall gameplay experience.

While the character balance isn’t perfect—some characters clearly outperform others—this imbalance doesn't still make anyone feel particularly broken. Unlike games with heavy counter-pick meta, Rivals encourages players to commit to their chosen heroes, leading to diverse and very fun matches.

Although the map selection is currently limited, the existing maps are stunningly designed. They’re intuitive, easy to navigate, and provide opportunities for immersive environmental gameplay. The addition of destructible environments is a game-changer, allowing players to block routes, destroy cover, and even create new paths dynamically during matches. This feature brings a tactical layer to the game that feels innovative and fun. Plus, the developers have already shared a roadmap promising new maps and characters, ensuring the game will continue to evolve.

The characters themselves are brilliantly crafted. What stands out is how they aren’t heavily reliant on the movie versions of Marvel heroes. Instead, the designs pull from the original comics and other sources, giving the roster a distinct and authentic feel that both comic fans and casual players can appreciate.

That said, Marvel Rivals does have its shortcomings. The game struggles with optimisation on lower-end PCs, with reports of memory leaks and poor FPS. If you don’t have a mid-to-high-range setup, you might experience some frustrating performance issues. Hopefully, future updates will address these problems.

The battle pass is another strong point. It’s affordable, offers excellent rewards, and encourages diverse gameplay styles to progress. I appreciate how it incentivises players to try out different characters.

Competitive mode, which launched relatively early, has been enjoyable for me. However, it does require a grind, as players start at the bottom without placement matches. While this system might be challenging for some, I’ve personally found it rewarding.

Overall, I'd highly recommend picking up Rivals if you're a fan of the genre and want to try something new. For a free game, I'm blown away with it and I can't wait to see the additions coming to it soon.

After several hours with Planet Coaster 2, it’s hard not to feel like this sequel took inspiration from Cities: Skylines 2 by stripping down the original game’s strengths, resulting in a sequel that’s ultimately a downgrade for PC players. Despite some new features and improvements, Planet Coaster 2 struggles with a range of frustrating limitations and design choices that have taken the fun out of the experience for seasoned players.

The most immediate disappointment is the interface. Clearly designed with consoles in mind, the UI has become a cluttered, menu-heavy obstacle course, sacrificing PC-friendly intuitiveness. Menus that once felt smooth now require several clicks to get to basic tools

One of the most glaring issues is the hard guest cap of 6,000. For a game all about building sprawling, bustling parks, this cap is stifling. Paired with the inexplicable removal of hotels and security guards, the park management experience feels stripped-down and hollow compared to the original. These “small” omissions add up to a park environment that feels a lot less lively and complex, impacting both immersion and long-term playability.

The coaster-building system does introduce some additional options, but the process feels far more cumbersome and clunky than before. What should be an improved feature ends up being a tedious exercise in frustration, slowing down what should be one of the game’s most exciting aspects. The same goes for ride station construction, which feels unpolished and awkward to navigate. Even the little things add to the disappointment: the removal of fireworks may seem minor, but it’s a feature I genuinely miss for park atmosphere and special events.

Adding to the list of letdowns is the lack of Steam Workshop support. Frontier has opted for an in-game asset sharing platform to cater to consoles, but PC players are left with fewer options for sharing and finding custom content. The themes provided feel uninspired, and the removal of user-generated media really limits creativity.

Not everything about Planet Coaster 2 is a step back, though. The addition of water parks is a standout feature, and it’s implemented beautifully. The graphical upgrade also brings an impressive level of detail to the parks, and the new scaling tool is a lifesaver for detailed customisation. However, these positives are too often overshadowed by frustrating design choices that feel aimed at consoles rather than PC.

In the end, Planet Coaster 2 feels like a missed opportunity to build on the original game’s strengths. For PC players hoping for an upgraded experience, it’s difficult not to see this as a sequel that compromised on what made the first game great. Instead of being an exhilarating next chapter, Planet Coaster 2 feels like a stunted, watered-down version of what it could have been.

I really want to be able to change this review to a positive recommendation, but until these issues are addressed - I'd wait before pulling the trigger on this one.

EDIT - Some of these have been addressed ad future hotfixes, I will re-review when all of these eventually go live.

Only one word to describe: perfect~

such wow, many fast, very speed

Honestly the best game in the series - I used to play this for hours on the 360 back in the day