Matt Karoglou's Reviews
Gust and Koei Tecmo's Fairy Tail 2 does a great job of enveloping players in the story of the anime, even if its mechanics leave a bit to be desired.
It may not have the same narrative pull as games like Hades (despite having a compelling setup to do so), but Ravenswatch places its focus on combat. Admittedly, the moment-to-moment gameplay and impressively large pool of upgrades and run modifiers is what made Passtech's last roguelike, Curse of the Dead Gods, such a surprise hit among fans of the genre. Ravenswatch only improves on that formula while also continuing Passtech's trademark panache for beautiful cel-shaded visuals and eye-catching animations. It might still need some wrinkles ironed out in terms of its balance and difficulty, but otherwise, Ravenswatch is a strong action roguelike and a worthwhile entry into the increasingly crowded genre.
Square Enix has taken one of the most beloved Dragon Quest games and given it a heavy visual uplift along with a slew of quality-of-life improvements.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a loving homage to all eras of Sonic and a reminder of why both the character and his games continue to endure.
Metaphor: ReFantazio leverages its Persona influence along with more classic RPG inspiration to deliver an unmissable role-playing experience.
In terms of modern Metroidvania titles, Noreya: The Gold Project is a game that doesn’t stray far from the core elements of the genre. But that is in no way a knock against the title, as its emphasis on the genre’s fundamentals (and understanding of how they should work in practice) sets it apart from many of its contemporaries. Noreya‘s pacing and combat tend to struggle a bit in comparison to the game’s excellent platforming and visual style, but its manageable length and responsive controls act as a salve to any of the minor weak points the game may have. Noreya is a “meat and potatoes” experience that sets reasonable expectations and nails every one of them, and its technical performance on the Steam Deck is rock solid following a rapid slew of updates in the wake of the game’s initial release.