World of Final Fantasy’s cute character moments can only offset its various frustrations for so long.
Alas, just like Hercule in the series, Dragon Ball Fusions postures and promises more than it actually delivers.
An enhanced remake of a cult classic, Wild Guns Reloaded offers up a rare breed of white-knuckle arcade-shooting action.
A handful of interface-related annoyances can’t fully drag down the cheerful spirit of this farming-themed social simulation.
A new kind of Devil Crush.
Short but sweet, this superb remake reintroduces an overlooked classic in style.
Dragon Quest Heroes 2 feels like a step forward in some ways, but a step back in others. The new additions to combat are nice, but the attempts to bring more RPG elements to the story missions don't always work out for the best – at worst, they wind up transforming an enjoyable action game into a boring slog. At least it shows that Omega Force is willing to try new things with their long-established formula. Let's hope that their experiments go a little better next time.
Fire Emblem Echoes' combat and exploration work so well that you won't lament the absence of the series' recent dating-sim whims.
The ambitious-but-flawed Birthdays the Beginning is packed with charm, but suffers from a clunky interface and confusing systems.
Tekken 7 is a fantastic fighting game when taken on its sheer fundamentals. People who are already well-versed in the genre will find a lot to chew on here: nuanced gameplay mechanics to learn, lots of characters to try out, and lots of neat cosmetic upgrades and historical extras to unlock. But if you're coming at this game fresh-faced -- or even as a 2D fighting game player making the jump to a 3D game -- you won't find a lot of in-game aid to explore its complex mechanics, and you're not likely to learn anything beyond button-smashing to get through the game's short and thoroughly underwhelming story mode, either.
While satisfying at times, poor story presentation and an abundance of superfluous elements make Valkyria Revolution less than the sum of its parts.
Final Fantasy XII's relatable roleplaying adventure has aged remarkably well, and The Zodiac Age remaster improves it further in meaningful ways. The storytelling, visual design, and gameplay feel just as fresh and interesting as they did over a decade ago, and the various new enhancements and adjustments will give new players a chance to experience the magic for the first time and fans of the original something enticing to return for.
Hey! Pikmin has its moments. The stages have some neat but simple puzzles, the visuals and music are solid, the inherent cute charm of Pikmin's weird alien worlds is on full display, and discovering treasures based on common household items – and seeing Olimar's confused interpretations of them – is always good for a smile. However, the lax difficulty, slow pace, and repetitive structure drag it down quite a bit. There's not a lot of meat to Hey! Pikmin, which is disappointing when compared to the required skill and replayability of the console Pikmin games. It's good for a playthrough, but this is a voyage I can't see myself taking again.
Once the silliness of Miitopia wears off, you're left with a cute and repetitive RPG.
Sonic Mania is the classic throwback longtime series fans have been clamoring for.
Yakuza Kiwami makes great strides in updating the classic original Yakuza game to modern standards. But while it adds better combat, bizarrely charming side quests, and a gorgeous graphical revamp, it also ignores some of the original's biggest problems in pacing and storytelling. And because of its relatively short length, Yakuza Kiwami's fun trip through the tangled web of Japan's criminal underground feels like a prelude to something bigger and better to come.
The latest entry in the Ys series delivers a fast-paced and very satisfying action-RPG experience.
Ultimately, Danganronpa V3 doesn't add too much new to the series. But that's okay – it doesn't need to reinvent the wheel when the wheel we already have still rolls out eclectic characters and shocking moments so reliably. It's a great rollercoaster of hope and despair with a climax that made me sit back and think about everything that just happened. The road to the end of Danganronpa V3 is long and twisted, but the ride is well worth it.
A stunning visual overhaul and subtle gameplay enhancements make this already charming, funny RPG even better.
Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is an extremely short and completely forgettable platformer based on nothing but irony and nostalgic notoriety. I'd honestly rather replay the original Bubsy than this - for all of its serious flaws, at least that game was memorable. The Woolies Strike Back isn't even that.