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A stunning visual feast for the eyes that managed to create a fun and challenging set of gameplay rules that carried me through to the end in a few days.
All in all, Berserk Boy turned out to be exactly what I had hoped it would be when I saw the previews of early development. It is hot-blooded, high-octane action platforming excellence that the layman will enjoy the run, but enthusiasts of the genre will find a thrilling test of their skills and innovation as you try to keep that combo up and get the highest score possible. A great price point, an awesome developer, and a TON of talent on display make this a must-have for any fans of the genre.
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a completely fine platformer with plenty of fun ideas seeded between some pretty standard platforming levels. The presentation and different classes for Peach make the game stand out, though the technical performance and slightly repetitive nature of the game make it more of a neat experiment than a must-play title.
It wasn’t a gripping experience, I wasn’t enthralled playing Open Roads, but it succeeded in what it attempted narratively and gave me a pretty satisfying conclusion and truly, that’s all I could ask for. Open Roads may not be an exciting experience for all but it was for me and I’m pretty satisfied with it.
So if that kind of management and absurdity sounds appealing–and I did enjoy frowning at my goblin roster and trying to min-max stats in my goblin eugenics program–then hiding beneath the cutesy storybook exterior is the fiendish heart of a pretty good roguelike.
Hot off of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, I was hoping for something a little more narratively deep but even with the story’s simplicity, I really enjoyed my time. More importantly, there’s a new strategy RPG on the market, and one that’s approachable enough to bring in new fans to the genre to hopefully bolster it. Unicorn Overlord does so much right, I feel grateful for having experienced it.
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is a solid option if you want to relive some single-player nostalgia but outside of console availability, you can do this for less money already on PC.
In a lot of ways, there’s a great game buried under the surface of Dragon’s Dogma 2. All of the components should work together. I’ve never played a game I was so frustrated with, but equally wanted to keep playing. For someone out there, I can guarantee this will be their favorite game ever. I’m sure it checks a lot of boxes for a lot of people looking for something different. I was looking for something different too, but I just feel like there was too much in the way for me to truly enjoy it. I’m still going to give it more time, I’m willing to be wrong, but for now I can’t help but feel disappointed.
Hi-Fi Rush is a blast from beginning to end. The writing may be cheesy, but the game leans into it, making it enjoyable. When you get the rhythm flowing, it makes you feel like nothing can stop you.
Finally, a good action RPG.
Nightdive Studios did a fantastic job at bringing Star Wars: Dark Forces back from the grave. With older games becoming less and less playable, it’s nice to see Dark Forces get a proper port to modern platforms, and I can’t wait to see what the studio does next.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden surprised me with its combat and gameplay but kept me interested throughout with its compelling narrative of love, loss, and sacrifice.
Though Penny’s Big Breakaway wears a bit thin by its end, the 3D platformer is a lot of fun in bursts and features lots of fun ideas that I hope to see refined in future titles. The colorful style and plethora of play styles make it worth the time of platformer fans, and I look forward to the next game from Evening Star.
Crawl through the ditches and hide in the bushes and stab a Nazi in his throat-u-la!
With fun turn-based combat, enough strategy development and random elements outside of combat, and a decent primary objective, Dicefolk refines an existing genre to make something both unique and recognizable. Dicefolk isn’t just for genre fans, it’s a very enjoyable game all around, especially if you dig turn-based combat.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a remarkable sequel and one of the best RPGs of the generation. This new installment both respects and expands upon the original game’s story and legacy in a way that will please old-school fans while sowing some intriguing new narrative seeds for the final installment in this trilogy. I can’t wait to get my hands on whatever comes next – even if it takes another four years.
Persona 3 Reload is already another contender for game of the year. It’s an almost perfect remake of an already exceptional game, and I wanted to play it nearly every moment that I wasn’t. Whether or not you’ve played Persona 3 before, Reload deserves your attention, as it’s one of the most fun, styling, and enthralling RPGs around.
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash is an overall disappointing fighter that doesn’t quite live up to the franchise it’s adapting. There are kernels of exciting ideas scattered throughout, but there are a few too many problems to raise it above a pretty average experience – even for Jujutsu Kaisen megafans.
Another Code: Recollection is a beautiful remake that I can hardly believe exists, bringing two niche games back when they could easily have been forgotten. In many ways, it’s a fantastic remake – enough that I wish it had all the puzzles and story details of the original so I could feel fully satisfied. Instead, the changes left me with some mixed feelings, but this remake is a solid narrative adventure game in its own right.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink does stumble when it comes to being newcomer-friendly, but it does make up for it as the story goes on. Although the combat can feel repetitive, the power moves and boss fights offer enough to spice things up.