Ghost of Yōtei isn’t a full blown sequel, but I would consider it more of an “evolution” of Ghost of Tsushima’s foundation. It improves on a good bit of Tsushima’s framework to make it more engaging and even more fun, which is an impressive achievement. It’s not a huge improvement, because it’s hard to improve on something that was already so solid the first time, but it is exactly what you’d ask for as a successor.
Despite subpar performance, a strange lack of identity, and the PR disaster Borderlands 4 has been garnering online, it really is a fun game with an engaging story full of fun and interesting characters. The negatives around the game really do weigh on it, of course, but when you can really sink your teeth into the meat and potatoes, Borderlands 4 is genuinely one of the most fun, if not the most fun, entry in the series so far.
I really don’t have complaints about Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut. It’s exactly what it claims to be: a new, recut version of Yakuza 0 on the Nintendo Switch 2 with enhanced visuals and smooth performance. It takes advantage of everything very well, and being able to play it on the go is a massive bonus.
If you’re expecting a 1:1 remake of both games, you’re effectively there when it comes to levels, but it’s not perfect. If you’re not concerned with the faithfulness to Pro Skater 3 and 4, these games are bigger and better than 1+2 and well worth it.
If you are a fan of turn-based JRPGs, games with a lot of customization, or a simple story done really well Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a great game that has a lot of great gameplay, a fun combat system, and a lot of different ways to be able to create your party if you want to replay the game.
Elden Ring Nightreign does offer a new and interesting step in a different direction for FromSoftware and Bandai Namco, but I’m not exactly confident that this is the best choice. I think it’ll be an enjoyable title to mess about in with your friends, lending itself more to games like Risk of Rain with the roguelike/roguelite aspects, but as a FromSoftware game boasting the Elden Ring title, I think it’s missing the mark from what we expect from the studio.
Everything about the remaster and playing Croc: Legend of the Gobbos again brings back some old nostalgia and memories, and boy does this include the music. The music is just as stellar as everywhere, even seemingly more touched up and clear. It all culminates into fantastic nostalgic packages.
If you’re a fan of JRPGs or looking to dip your feet in, Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Definitive release on the Switch is an excellent start and comes back boasting new features, new content, and updated quality of life to truly make it worth your while. It is an absolute gem and is a game to keep on your radar, even if the story leaves a little to be desired.
I don’t think Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a bad game, but I don’t think it’s a great one either. With patches I think it could seriously become a great game, but as it stands with what I was playing, I’m not impressed with the systems/gameplay. I really, really want to like Shadows more because of how much the total package feels, but those few issues are enough to really hamper that.
All in all, Monster Hunter Wilds is nothing short of perfection, all wrapped up in one truly stellar package.
Other than the camera still being quite whack, it’s a genuine must-play, especially if you’ve never had the chance before now.
Featuring a new story, new mechanics, and more, I had quite the fun time with Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Koei Tecmo truly has taken the next big step in Warriors gameplay and fun to the next level.
With a plethora of routines and motions to do, music to keep you engaged, and an easy and simple way to track your progress, I genuinely think that Fitness Boxing 3 is a great way to work on yourself and have a bunch of fun doing so.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is genuinely a genre-defining release. Atlus has once again proven that they are kings in the genre (get it?), showcasing decades of effort and development history culminating in what I think is a deserving Game of the Year contender.
As a Switch title, Yakuza Kiwami is perfect and feels right at home on this hardware.
Unknown 9: Awakening feels like it wants to be greater than it is, which is a big shame given how much effort was seemingly put into it.
I cannot recommend this enough to fans of the series and anybody new curious about jumping into Silent Hill as a series for the first time with this remake of Silent Hill 2. This is an absolute must play for 2024.
Overall I’d reckon that Final Fantasy XVI’s PC port IS a good one, albeit with the caveats that it has some beefy requirements to run at higher frame rates and resolutions. It’s a phenomenal game that is now available to a wider audience, so I’d highly recommend checking it out if you’ve got the hardware.
I don’t necessarily think Enotria: The Last Song is a bad game, because it’s not. It has issues for sure, but they seem more attributable to the developers not having a ton of experience with the genre than anything else. There’s definitely good bones here with some solid ideas, but it definitely could benefit from a sequel that improves upon the issues within the current release.
Gundam Breaker 4 is a fantastic game for fans of Gundam as a whole, whether you are or are not acquainted with previous entries of the series or even the anime. If you’re just a fan of the mecha genre in general and customizing your own mech, I don’t think I could recommend Breaker 4 enough.