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There are definite issues with gameplay and overall presentation, but between how much it refines the work of its predecessors and every stellar new addition to the gameplay, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an excellent addition to the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise that more than justifies the long wait for its release. Whether someone grew up with the older games or is jumping into the style for the first time, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will be plenty of fun to play, and it’s bound to go down as one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time.
It'll never replace the original, but the Silent Hill 2 remake has enough new to offer that it deserves its place in the series canon. In faithfully recreating the original game while providing new surprises for returning players, it justifies not only its own existence, but also the viability of a large-scale Silent Hill revival. If this is the start of a longer collaboration between Bloober and Konami, I look forward to what comes out of it next. For now, you can find me starting my second playthrough of Silent Hill 2.
Though the controls could be difficult for young children due to the physics involved, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is designed to be fun for everyone, and it would certainly be hard to be depressed while in this bright world.
Ultimately, however, Vessel of Hatred adds so much to the quality of the game. The story is deep and engaging, and offers many satisfying twists and emotional growth of characters; the Spiritborn class is my new favorite. I am eager to try out other combinations of skills with the Spiritborn and see what else Diablo 4 has to offer in the future.
Throne and Liberty doesn't do that, at least not yet. The introduction of multiplayer will certainly force me to reevaluate my experience, but for now, I prefer to look at Throne and Liberty as a fledgling MMO that’s laid a lot of good groundwork, but still has a long way to go.
Zelda's actual legend is amazing.
The cash cow of Ultimate Team will always override everything else with FC 25, sadly. In an ideal world, EA Sports would develop Clubs into a major eSport, which would do extremely well. Real world soccer clubs around the world could have their own teams, and most importantly, the gameplay would then take priority with Ultimate Team being in the background generating income. Plainly, the game would be much better for it.
Still, the essential excitement of turning the page to discover what's next is so powerfully represented in The Plucky Squire, and the game retains this energy into its final chapters, even while otherwise lacking notable tension or danger. It’s an entertainingly busy book to play through, but it's a pity that many of The Plucky Squire’s best ideas are ultimately underexplored. Perhaps these are just being held back for any plucky printed new worlds to come.
Frostpunk 2 is an innovative take on management.
Dead Rising has never looked better.
Expectations for annual releases are often low, so NBA 2K25 is a pleasant surprise in that regard. The game feels like a notable improvement on NBA 2K24. It’s hard to say players absolutely have to buy it if they already have last year’s game, but players who buy the NBA 2K games annually regardless will be pleased with this year’s offering.
Most importantly, if you believe you wouldn’t like this simply because you’re not much of a person for sports games, this is not like any other sports game out there. As someone who fails miserably at any sports game I’ve ever picked up, this was not only incredibly fun but easy to get the hang of with a little practice. Perhaps the only thing notably missing from Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is the beloved sassy commentary of Lee Jordan while you carry out your match, under the close supervision of Professor McGonagall, of course.
It's a good game that never quite reaches greatness. It's not a perfect RPG by any means - and it still feels outdated in a lot of ways. However, it's a game that leaves me feeling hopeful about the series' future. It feels like, at long last, the Mana series is back on track.
Team Asobi has teased that tools will eventually be added to Astro Bot that should appeal to speedrunners. With that tool and a bit of post-launch content updates, Astro Bot's fun could last a lot longer than it does, and that would be a welcome inclusion for a game with a short run time. Still, any frustration with the game ultimately stems from wanting more of what Astro Bot provides, which at its core is a top-tier platformer with innovation, charm, and enjoyment to spare.
That said, anyone looking for a solid narrative will likely be disappointed with The Casting of Frank Stone. It lacks the type of meaning that could make the story compelling, and also the type of over-the-top action that could make it pulpy fun. Instead, players are treated to a middling experience exploring largely homogenous areas of two stale environments with little to care about.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is enjoyable front to back, and is sure to find a lot of admirers who stick around for the co-op and PvP progression. In particular, fans of the universe and of the first game will likely be pleased that this long-awaited sequel is in no way a misstep, executing its vision soundly without becoming overly ambitious.
While Star Wars Outlaws does have its pacing issues and there are moments where it feels restrictive, for the most part, it is still an enjoyable open-world experience to dive into. It's definitely one of the more in-depth insights into and excellent explorations of the scoundrel side. How Kay Vess' story plays into the wider franchise is yet to be seen, but with some major revelations in the final part of the game, there are bound to be some exciting consequences going forward from this excellent first adventure.
Madden NFL 25 truly does make some improvements over Madden NFL 24. That said, it is hard to give the game a glowing review when it isn’t even the best football game EA Sports has released this Summer. Anyone loyal enough to the Madden franchise to pick up the new version each year will definitely be pleased with Madden NFL 25, but the game isn’t a must-have by any metric.
Although Concord is solid and polished on a basic level, it's faced with an uphill battle that it already seems to be losing. A shotgun blast approach that attempts to hit the basic notes of every hero shooter prerogative makes it harder for it to do one thing in a truly fresh way, and the casual modes would be more exciting with bigger abilities and maps with more interesting pressure points. The game's systems click in Rivalry and get the job done across the other game modes, but Concord lacks the spark necessary to light much of a flame.
While it has some exceptional features, including its visuals, combat design, and many extraordinarily exhilarating boss fights, as well as a compelling plot line, it is not enough to warrant a better score. Given that most of its shortcomings lie in performance, diversity, and wasted environmental factors that would have transformed it into something great, these are integral features that, at a fundamental level, all RPGs, especially soulslike ones, should encompass in their content.