Another Crab's Treasure sets out to try and create a Soulslike that trims down the complicated foundation into a new approachable format and succeeds in every regard. A variety of accessibility options mean that anybody can dive in and experience the journey of Kril and have a part to play in the hunt for his shell. While inviting newcomers, Another Crab's Treasure manages to offer an exceptionally unique approach to combat that manages to stand out among the crowd. Technical hiccups throughout sour the experience very slightly, but the game on show here is ambitious and a strong candidate for anybody's first foray into this well-beloved genre. All managing to come together under an appealing and consistently entertaining journey and cast, Another Crab's Treasure is a great time.
Managing to step out of the shadow of its inspirations, Freedom Planet 2 is a brilliant 2D action-platformer that balances all of its elements in a near-perfect harmony while trying plenty of new things. Painstakingly detailed visuals, an entertaining cast and toe-tapping soundtrack help to set this game out as a game that any platformer enthusiast should seek out, despite some small hiccups.
Far more than a one trick pony, What the Golf? is a brilliant party sports game that manages to entertain in every way that it sets out to do. From beginning to end I found myself surprised and entertained by what new twists were thrown my way and I look forward to seeing what the team has in store next. Some technical hiccups here and there led to some small frustrations but none were enough to get me to hang up the club. Well worth a look for all who are interested!
Marrying the very best of the action-combat genre with the satisfaction of a rhythm game, Hi-Fi Rush is a titanic achievement that offers plenty of both style and substance. Luscious animations, appealing character designs and a hilarious cast help to elevate this title beyond the level of enjoying for the gameplay alone, I was here for the story too. Learning curves and a few too many dry spells in the main campaign do very little to dampen this rocking good time, a must play for action fans.
Unicorn Overlord is yet another standout game from a revered developer that sets out to innovate on classic strategy conventions. It achieves these goals with style and substance, resulting in a game that strategy afficionados should absolutely consider jumping into. While I don't think this title is a particularly good entry point for newcomers to the genre, this game is clearly aware of its audience and it plays to those strengths. Spectacular.
With layered yet totally approachable gameplay mechanics and a fully-realised world to put those mechanics in, Penny's Big Breakaway is a breakout success that should be experienced by absolutely everyone with a passing interest in 3D platformers. Every moment I spent with this game was utter bliss and learning the intricacies of movement and learning my way around imaginative levels was a treat. Genuinely phenomenal.
King Arthur: Knight's Tale succeeds in achieving the goals that it sets for itself but I rarely felt it go above and beyond the standards that I have become accustomed to over years of tactical game experience.
A Little to the Left is a satisfyingly methodical puzzler that had me feeling relaxed from the minute I started shifting items around. Every part of the game feels intricately crafted to feel as relaxing as possible and each puzzles offers a real sense of satisfaction that I don't often get from other games.
While Foamstars has a strong foundation in terms of core gameplay, I found myself quickly growing weary of the small annoyances that kept rearing their heads. Awkward navigation, ho-hum singleplayer offerings and egregious monetisation and design choices bring down an experience that is really fun if you can ignore those things, which is something that shouldn't have to be done. I hope updates are able to address some of these issues in the coming months, but for now this party has left me feeling exceptionally mixed overall.
Persona 3 Reload is a flawless reimagining of one of the most impactful RPGs of the PS2 generation and manages to carefully preserve just about everything I loved about the original game in a stylish bombastic package. The approach to modernising the gameplay is a masterclass and should be the gold standard going forward for RPGs of this ilk. For players who have only experienced modern Persona through Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal, you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping this title. An equally wonderful cast and effective story lift this into one of the most impactful games that I have ever played and this new version means it can be enjoyed by a completely new generation.
Despite changing the name of the franchise for us in the West, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is more of the same that we've come to love. A huge variety of content to dive into and an ambitious, heartening story help to bring this package into one that fans of the series will absolutely adore. RGG Studios have polished the foundations of the new RPG battle system to a shine in this new entry and the result is a game full of personality and refreshing spirit that is a joy to experience from beginning to end. This game is an ambitious jump into a new frontier for the Like A Dragon franchise and is all the better for it. For those who have experienced the story of Like A Dragon up until now, you be doing yourself a disservice to miss this.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy sets the gold standard for game compilations going forward as it brings all three of these well-loved titles under a single banner. Both newcomers and veterans have every reason to keep their eyes on this trilogy; with a bounty of extra features to dive into, this is far more than just a port of three visual novel adventures. This is a love-letter to the Ace Attorney community that should be enjoyed by all.
While I enjoyed my time with Hammerwatch 2 in short bursts, I never felt like it was going above and beyond to give me something that hadn't been done before. Some clunky design here and there only draws attention to these frustrations. Despite this, the core gameplay of Hammerwatch 2 is enjoyable enough to go through with friends for a dungeon or two, with a healthy amount of customisation to be found.
Sonic Superstars is clearly a game made with a lot of love and passion for the Sonic community as a whole. New additions to the formula help to really set this entry apart from its predecessors and blaze new ground for a hopefully promising future. Co-op play is included in a way that's both intuitive and approachable for players who may have never encountered a Sonic game before, making Superstars a fantastic jumping on point. But in maintaining the core of classic Sonic gameplay, it also brings the common flaws of those very first games from years ago and stumbles in some key areas that will frustrate rather than engage with boss battles that slow the pace down to a crawl at times. While it may not reach the heights of previous Sonic games, this is a solid new entry for the series that fans will certainly enjoy, as well as their friends.
Long Gone Days is a game that is clearly more interested in telling a story rather than lighting the turn-based genre on fire. A mechanically solid RPG frames the story of Rourke and his allies. In that regard, the story that is delivered is a phenomenal exploration of the genuine costs of war on those who are forced to survive. It's a deeply resonant story that will likely connect with a great many people. Pixel-art and character portraits help to avoid the typical drab and dreariness that almost defines this genre of story. Extreme effort has gone into making sure the main party and those around them are characterised in a very human way, despite the art-style being rooted in a clear anime influence. There are some moments that may break the illusion of this weighty narrative and these moments did take me out of some of the action. In spite of this, I still enjoyed my time with the game, with a story that will sit with me for a long time.
Pizza Possum is a wonderful game that can be picked up by almost anyone and enjoyed. An offbeat and amusing premise lead into a mechanically sound game that works on pretty much every level. And is all wrapped in a presentation that is clear and absolutely adorable. My only complaints come from just how quickly the game runs its course; a bit more variety in the later parts of the game would have been the cherry ontop of the (possibly stolen) cake. But for the time that the game does keep you guessing, it was a fantastic ride. I can't wait to go back and see what other options I can find in the future, either by myself or dragging my friends along for another heist.
Enchanted Portals takes the foundations of a familiar game in both style and substance, yet fails to provide a compelling experience in either regard. There's clear effort being put into this game in terms of the art and animation, yet the gameplay feels far more unpolished than appearances would have you believe. Random level designs and frustrating enemy placement leads to a game that irritated far more than I would have hoped, with a good amount of my losses not feeling close to my fault.
There's a solid foundation to build upon here but far too many decisions feel contrived and confused for a strong recommendation to anyone other than the most diehard Touhou fan. Far too many mechanics can be borderline ignored, and the game hardly evolves throughout, leading to a game that struggled to keep my attention throughout its runtime with some nice visuals only doing so much to alleviate this tedium.
With some stand-out moments peppered throughout, Virgo Versus The Zodiac was an engrossing play from start to end. Some basic and convoluted combat mechanics hold this game back from being a true homerun but the charm of Virgo's journey carries it through these rough moments.
Despite some small hiccups with the general presentation of the game, Marble It Up! Ultra offers a fully featured package of over 100 intricately designed obstacle courses for players to learn and overcome.