Dalton Cooper's Reviews
It's a good thing that Braid's puzzles are hard enough for players to get stuck on, because otherwise, the game would be an even shorter experience than it already is. Back in 2008, some critics singled out Braid's short length as one of its flaws, and that rings true in 2024 as well. Even with the added content, Braid: Anniversary Edition is very short, to the point where most players will be able to finish it in about three hours. A consequence of its short length is that the time-manipulation gimmicks feel like they don't really reach their full potential. There are only a handful of puzzles for each gimmick, and then players move on to the next world and the next gimmick. It would have been great to see a bit more meat on the bones for the Anniversary Edition.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes can sometimes feel like the Dark Souls of puzzle games, but no one will regret challenging themselves to solve its many mysteries. Players who enjoy analyzing complex stories will have a blast taking apart the many layers to Lorelei and the Laser Eye's bizarre tale, while those looking for an addicting puzzle game will find it to be an incredibly satisfying adventure. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a must-play puzzle game and one of the genre's best.
Fans of classic survival horror games don't need to think twice about picking up Crow Country. The game is a love letter to old-school horror titles from the 90s, and is one of the better attempts at recreating the feel of PS1 horror on modern platforms. It's a short, but sweet adventure with solid replay value and fun puzzles that perfectly captures the feeling of playing an old horror game on a PS1. The optional Exploration mode, which does away with combat to let players focus entirely on puzzle-solving, means that even horror fans who don't like 90s-era survival horror combat and ammo management can safely pick up Crow Country and have a great time.
There's a difficulty spike with the last couple of boss fights, but for the most part, Stellar Blade is like a breezier, sci-fi Sekiro. The near-naked main character is unsurprisingly stealing a lot of attention, but remove that element from the equation and what's left is an absolutely incredible action game that provides a satisfying challenge and rewarding melee combat. Simply put, Stellar Blade is the next great action game and one of the PS5's best exclusives.
Princess Peach: Showtime has a lot going for it, but it sometimes comes across as a concept demo for a larger game that will be much better. Peach shouldn't have to wait another 19 years for her next solo outing, but hopefully her next game takes the time to give the Mushroom Kingdom's princess a proper, full-scale adventure.
Horizon Forbidden West on PC is another incredible port from Nixxes. It successfully brings the Horizon Forbidden West experience to PC with a ton of content and tremendous performance. It's a must-buy for anyone that enjoyed the original, and it should leave fans excited to see what the studio is able to pull off with its upcoming Ghost of Tsushima PC port.
The 2024 Alone in the Dark is a deeply flawed game, but at least it's never boring. The first playthrough is fun despite its issues, mostly thanks to the campy story, and exploring Derceto is rewarding, even with the simplistic puzzles. The second playthrough is where it becomes apparent that there isn't much to the game. At best, it's an incredibly basic and generic survival-horror game that's stuck in the past, and at worst, it's buggy and doesn't justify its $60 price tag.
WWE 2K24 is a gorgeous wrestling game with hard-hitting fights that will keep players plugged in for hours on end. The series seems to be settling in to the annual release trap of small steps forward over major improvements, but hopefully next year's entry can provide the big leaps that modes like MyGM need to help the WWE 2K series reach the next level and finish the comeback story that started with WWE 2K22.
Despite the pacing issues in its final chapters, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is still bigger and better than Final Fantasy 7 Remake. If the third game can keep everything that's great about these remake projects so far and trim the fat a bit, we will have a spectacular trilogy on our hands.
There is some hope that Bulletstorm VR will improve in time. People Can Fly and Incuvo have already indicated that updates are on the way, but the game will need some massive overhauls to even come close to being as good as the original. For now, anyone itching to replay Bulletstorm should stick with Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a more fully-featured and overall superior version of an already-incredible game. No Return makes it worth the $10 upgrade by itself, and the game is an absolute must-buy for anyone who has never played the PS4 original. The Lost Levels are a bit of a letdown and the graphics haven't gotten as much of an upgrade as some may have hoped, but this is still the definitive way to experience Naughty Dog's masterpiece.
Both those new to the genre and hardcore Metroidvania fans are going to fall in love with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It's too early to say if it will be remembered with the same fondness as Super Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic Metroidvania and one of the best games in the entire Prince of Persia franchise.
Arizona Sunshine 2 has its flaws, but it's still a competent VR shooter game that gives players a great deal of freedom when it comes to interacting with the game world. Killing zombies is perfectly functional, and the combat can be fun, though it's best experienced in short bursts. That being said, it's head and shoulders above the first Arizona Sunshine game, and an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a new VR shooter to play despite its shortcomings.
That's really the story for Modern Warfare 3 across the board. The campaign is made up of Warzone content, the multiplayer is comprised of maps that are 14 years old, and the Zombies mode uses a map that will be recycled for the battle royale. $70 is a high asking price for what's here, but those that do decide to take the plunge will find the best Call of Duty multiplayer experience in years and an intriguing open world Zombies mode that, while not quite as fun as the classic round-based Zombies maps, can still dish out memorable moments with friends.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 offers a genuinely fun multiplayer experience, so it's a shame that its single-player features are so weak. We were unable to test the game's online functionality, but if the online multiplayer is reliable and as fun as its local offerings, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 will be a solid option for Smash fans who are hungry for something fresh. The game isn't going to blow anyone away, but it mostly accomplishes what it has set out to do and delivers a platform fighting game experience that outdoes the original.
Alan Wake 2 has incredible graphics and some memorable moments, but it's dragged down by technical issues and tedious gameplay.
The Jackbox Party Pack 10 has three excellent party games in Hypnotorious, Time Jinx, and Dodo Re Mi, with Tee K.O. 2's only drawbacks being its familiarity and the occasional technical issue. Mileage with Fixytext will vary, but it will likely be the least-played out of the new batch of party games. This puts Jackbox Party Pack 10 on par with the other games in the series, which means it's a great party game experience that will become a fan favorite at game nights.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the best entry in Insomniac's Spider-Man series to date, with epic boss fights and an amazing open world to explore.
Hardcore Hot Wheels fans will get the most out of Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, but even casual racing game fans will have a lot of fun with the game. Not everything clicks, and the game could have benefited greatly by having more variety with its track environments, but Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is an exciting racer with a great set of creation tools that should keep fans busy for quite some time.
Nitpicks aside, Separate Ways is a mostly tremendous addition to the Resident Evil 4 remake and, along with The Mercenaries mode updates that were released for free, goes a long way in making the RE4 remake experience truly complete. Some may still not be happy that Separate Ways is a $9.99 DLC instead of being packed-in with the game like it was in the post-GameCube versions of the original Resident Evil 4, but this version of Separate Ways is a fundamentally different experience and one that surpasses its predecessor in every possible way.