Steeped in tradition and not afraid to show it, Dragon Quest XI reflects the best qualities of the series' past.
Fighting EX Layer is a no-frills package, but the combat is top-notch.
As an upgrade to the excellent Sonic Mania, Sonic Mania Plus/Encore offers a pair of good new characters but underwhelms with new modes and content.
The fast movement and skillful action of Wizard of Legend sets it apart among a sea of indie roguelikes.
Good pacing, engaging mechanics, and an interesting setting help make The Alliance Alive a noteworthy RPG.
Fatal Bullet isn't a bad game, but it didn't hold my interest for very long. It's fun to be surrounded by familiar faces from the anime series, and I could see glimmers of depth in Fatal Bullet's combat and upgrade systems. However, the poor story pacing and the repetitive nature of exploration dragged it down. While it's a good change of pace for games based on SAO, it still lacks the polish needed to really stand out.
The Longest Five Minutes' intriguing premise and charming visual style is hampered by poor design elements.
Brawlout is a Smash Bros.-like fighting game that's equal parts admirable and frustrating.
On top of the joy of creating and playing as your own character, there's a lot of goofy charm that makes Sonic Forces hard to be too disappointed with. The graphics are colorful and engaging, and the music is a pumping backdrop for extreme team-ups, super-speed cinematics, and lots of ruminations on the power of friendship. There are some really fun levels in the mix, too, and surprisingly strong boss fights make for some unexpected highlights. But Sonic Forces doesn't build on its handful of good ideas as much as it should, and it screeches to a halt just as it seems to hit its stride.
Etrian Odyssey 5 further refines a winning dungeon-crawling formula while sticking closely to its roots.
Solo Spelunker Party is an unforgiving grind, but a strong multiplayer component makes for a fun time with retro-minded friends.
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.
A stunning visual overhaul and subtle gameplay enhancements make this already charming, funny RPG even better.
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.
The latest entry in the Ys series delivers a fast-paced and very satisfying action-RPG experience.
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.
Sonic Mania is the classic throwback longtime series fans have been clamoring for.
Once the silliness of Miitopia wears off, you're left with a cute and repetitive RPG.
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.
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.