Ghost Trick’s cohesion is why it is so special. The gameplay connects cleanly into its story, which ties together neatly and wraps up so well with an unforgettable, heartstring-pulling twist.
Yet not every game has to become a new obsession, and Crash Team Rumble is content to be just another, if comparatively brief, addition to you and your friend’s game night routine.
PGA Tour has a wonderful core that propels it past its uninteresting roster. EA Sports has created a solid base here that doesn’t feel hollow but can clearly be expanded in future updates or proper sequels. Either way, the team has given players a quality experience if they decide to grip it and rip it in the latest entry.
MLB The Show 23 is yet another triumph by San Diego Studio. The new Storylines mode should become a yearly staple as baseball has such a rich history to draw from and amazing players to spotlight.
WWE 2K23 is a decent sequel that builds off last year’s foundation in several meaningful ways. MyGM has been heavily improved, and the two new story modes feature some interesting scenarios and carve just enough of their own new and interesting paths.
Even though its gameplay is basic and the combat lacks depth, Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is propelled by its delightful presentation and wonderful voice acting.
With several significant upgrades that make its core modes more compelling, Monster Energy Supercross 6 is the sizable upgrade that this yearly franchise needed.
While it isn’t the best playing game in the Yakuza series, Ishin remains a a great title and an essential experience for fans.
With great mechanics and even better music from the Final Fantasy series, the party never has to stop in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line.
While Ten Dates loses some of the novelty of the original due to it escaping the confines of pandemic romance, it still manages to be a worthwhile exploration of dating through the lens of an FMV game.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is exactly the type of licensed game we need more of. It's loyal in tone to the show, while also being a good platformer that tells a worthwhile story within its universe.
Need for Speed Unbound is exactly what the iconic racing series needed. The expected customization options and street races that were shaped by Need for Speed Underground are here, but all of it is presented in a fresh manner and has been carefully adapted to fit the modern era.
It is difficult to put up with The Rumble Fish 2‘s shortcomings in the presence of so many other great new fighting games and worthwhile bundles of classic ones.
This is the closest that gaming has ever been to having a Criterion Collection-type release and is a blueprint that does the pioneering company justice.
While there might not be any bad students, there are definitely bad games, and Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising is a clear-cut example of that. There is potential, but it’ll take more than some Mr. Miyagi quotes to get a sequel that lives up to the charms and isn’t as bad as The Karate Kid Part III.
A well-rounded package that excels in all areas, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is sure to please fans of the series and anyone looking for a content-rich first-person shooter.
There’s no denying that Gotham Knights is a sizable disappointment even if it settles into being a decent, yet forgettable, game.
Shatter Remastered Deluxe is a total blast and a reminder of the arcade-style fun that made gaming so popular in the first place.
New Tales from the Borderlands would be easier to swallow if it wasn’t trying to follow up one of the best cinematic adventure games ever made. Instead, we get a forced episodic structure to a game that isn’t episodic, a cast of characters that are more interesting on paper than they are in execution, and a story that ultimately lacks stakes since there’s no personal investment in what happens to three bad people that aren’t all that likable.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers is a fantastic idea that is currently let down by a real need for extra polish and content. The core loop is interesting but with little variation, unsightly landscapes, and some terrible technical problems, the game’s potential is firmly capped.