System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster will certainly find its audience, but I'm unsure the dated design will cause new players to have the same appreciation for it that its established fan base already has. It's a shame Nightdive Studios didn't offer the same remake treatment of the original, considering how great the previous game’s remake played and the wealth of visual upgrades that greatly helped its trek into modern gaming. While System Shock 2 is certainly not for me, I can still respect what it did many years ago, even if it hasn’t aged particularly well.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die may not live up to what it is clearly inspired by, the game itself is a shining example of how to spin-off from a previous entry and create something enjoyable as you approach the story and its world from a new perspective. While the requirement of playing the previous game is needed to understand the story, the context of what Aleksandra is fighting for, as well as why you should care about the game’s cast, the game built around those things is ultimately well executed and has made me excited to play the previous game to understand those relationships and the context behind them.
While its SWAP mechanic can feel limited at times, it is nonetheless a charming example of a passion project come to life. The world, its characters, and the general gameplay are wildly entertaining. There is strong potential for a sequel, one that could allow more freedom in how the SWAP mechanic is used. Regardless, Ruffy and Riverside is a fantastic time, and a game that can easily satisfy those wanting a trip down the Nintendo 64 lane, or young kids who want a fun alternative to Mario.
While a bit more structure and more challenge-types in single player would have been ideal, it’s a solid foundation for what could be a potential series. It has that Tony Hawk Pro Skater appeal, but does lack the format and presentation to really stand out. The customization for your character is solid, and the locations you’ll visit have some great variety. Rooftops and Alleys: The Parkour Game had one mission to achieve, and while it may ragdoll from time to time, it nonetheless lands its initial leap, at least with friends.
What Dead Mage has crafted here has incredible promise, but the full release at launch feels half-baked and designed around being a single-player experience that just happens to allow for co-op, without the instance loot and balance to pull it off. You can easily have a solid few hours of fun here, but I don’t see many players seeing it through to become the titular Wizard of Legend.
Despite an exciting trailer, Scar-lead Salvation is a huge miss for Compile Heart, despite a good premise. You are touring the same boring levels, enemies, and the few guns and passives you pick up don't shake up the repetitive nature of what Scar-lead Salvation is. While the breakable armor could have been an outlet for some impressive fan service, much in the same way it helped Steller Blade, here, it is such a miss that it is laughable.
Date Everything is a solid debut for Sassy Chap Games and is one of the better dating simulators I’ve played, down to some sheer creativity and some wonderful choices on the voice cast. It’s pretty hilarious to think about the amount of star power that is here, but when you have some clever writing, a great premise, and some gorgeous artwork and vast replayability, Date Everything is the perfect package to cozy up to and share some quality time with.
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is a fairly by-the-numbers remaster that offers us the best version of the game, despite some opportunities to improve upon what was already there. A completely new take on the voice acting would have done wonders, a la Persona 3 Remake, as well as improved character models wouldn’t have hurt as well. Still, the game that is here is still a really enjoyable entry in the series, and a reminder of some of the best Capcom has almost left behind.
Warhammer 40K: Speed Freeks can certainly feel limited in what is available to take on, but the extremely low price does make up for some of that. Still, additional modes, and even vehicles, should be added at a somewhat regular pace if they intend to keep its player base engaged. What is here is enjoyable, with the crunchy and weighty combat you'd want, all wrapped up in an aesthetic that feels perfect for it.
Monster Train 2’s variety and content does wonders for repeated runs, even back to back to back until you've lost track of time. The upgrades, equipment cards, and the synergies between the clans make for a very entertaining game, despite the forgettable story and character moments. Still, the core of the game is fantastic and is a fantastic addition to the greats of this genre.
Regardless of my issues with Revenge of the Savage Planet, Racoon Logic survived a studio closure to reform and return to this series. While Revenge makes some improvements over Journey, I certainly wanted more from it than what is here. The third-person perspective is ideal for this series, and there is a lot of potential for a third game. All in all, Revenge of the Savage Planet can be a great time in co-op, since the story is so in the background that you could mute it and not feel like you've lost anything in the process.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 has some of the best fighting games of their era in one amazing package. Nostalgia is certainly riding high here as the 3D visuals obviously don’t hold up, but they nonetheless are oozing with charm and personality, especially Project Justice. Powerstone 2 matches online have been wildly entertaining, and jumping in to get a few rounds of Alpha 3 has been a dream. As Capcom winds down on the available games to add into a future collection, this release has been one of the best, providing the first time many games have seen a release either outside Japan or in the past twenty-some years. If you need any more proof that Capcom is the king of fighting games, this collection is Exhibit A.
Doom: The Dark Ages is often a perfect successor to the rest of the trilogy, with some fantastic weapons, a great addition with the shield, and an absolutely breathtaking aesthetic. Still, the bland soundtrack and wide-open areas zap the energy out of most encounters, resulting in a game that, while extremely well made, feels less like Doom and more like Serious Sam mixed with Painkiller, which isn’t ultimately a bad thing if you like those games. Still, The Dark Ages is wildly enjoyable and does provide some satisfying combat with the best version of the Slayer yet.
Trident's Tale is a pretty fun time. It's a fun swashbuckling adventure that plays like a Saturday morning cartoon. The characters are fairly likeable with mixed performances, but the ship combat and fights our hero, Ocean, will have are likely where people are going to get the most out of this game, even if they lack polish and features to make them stand out.
Blades of Fire likely sounded great on paper. However, its lack of direction, dated visuals, and inconsistent combat leads to far too much frustration. While the premise of forging your weapons is appealing, and does actually make the game stand out, the weapon swapping systems are cumbersome to use during combat and make this one adventure that's hard to recommend.
Much like building a road, you lay the foundation to build upon what is there. This is true with how Mudrunner and Snowrunner have shaped where this series is going. Roadcraft is the culmination of those ideas, mechanics, and gameplay sections to a degree where that complexity and depth is wildly addictive. While Roadcraft is perfectly serviceable and enjoyable as a single-player experience, this might be one of the most enjoyable co-op games I’ve ever played. Roadcraft also does a great job at balancing the realistic and the need to simply be a videogame, and the results are vastly impressive.
Expedition 33 is a masterpiece and a game that will be talked about for years. From the brilliant story, expertly delivered performances, to one of the most memorable soundtracks and casts in years. Turn-based games have had some struggle in capturing a new audience, usually lacking the action and excitement most games today offer. However, Sandfall Interactive proves that the execution is what matters, offering a turn-based system that is insanely action-packed and constantly engaging. Expedition 33 is astounding, entertaining, and wildly successful in everything it achieves.
While the presentation of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is top notch, with its REV and SPG systems being solid additions to the series to have it stand out, the limited modes and questionable additions of real-life people, can be some odd choices to accept. Still, with solid online, some fan favorites in the cast, and a fantastic soundtrack, Fatal Fury is a true competitor to Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and several others that are taking the fighting game landscape by storm. Fatal Fury is back, and better than ever.
The First Beserker: Khazan is an absolute riot. It’s brutal, punishing, and has so many systems, mechanics, and upgrades, that show their purpose immediately. The customization you have for Khazan is perfect for build-crafting, even within each weapon type. Khazan has its presentation on lock and is a gorgeous game with incredible art direction and tone. It’s action-packed, its bosses are spectacles, and with nearly 70 armor sets to craft, there is so much to this game beyond a single playthrough.
Steel Seed is a game right up my alley. I love this genre and the games that have that surface level of jank. There is just something about seeing a game built with such clear passion that sometimes doesn’t get the level of polish we see in AAA. I get that many will see a very bare-bones approach to its combat, and I totally agree with that, but there is something fun here that I had a great time with, crashes aside. It's flawed, certainly, and could have used more to make me enjoy the two leads, especially Koby, but ultimately, it's an experience I enjoyed, and eager to see what the team does next.