Trails in the Sky is truly fantastic, paving the way to the moments I adore across the series. This remake is easily one of the best in years, as while it brings new mechanics and systems to help modernize a now 20-year-old game, it maintains its essence almost perfectly. If you were holding out on the series due to the history and baggage that is found in the later games, this is hands down the way to do it. With a teaser trailer of its next entry to view once the credits roll, I am beyond pumped to continue this adventure with Estelle and Joshua, and everyone else I adore.
I wish I could say that the general combat and experience here is sound, but with how the levels are constructed, and the reuse of almost entire environments to fill out four levels per location, it’s hard to really see much value here in what the studio has put together. I like the cutscenes and the teaming up of these characters, even hinting they have joined forces before, but are not sure where, but the gameplay around all of this is the same ten minutes over and over again to make up a roughly six-hour adventure. With a lack of variety to shake things up and a fairly disappointing roster of characters, it simply rolls low and takes the damage.
Borderlands 4 nails everything that a Borderlands sequel should. The story is excellent with a lot to look forward to via DLC, and the cast of characters, including your Vault Hunter, contribute to much of that story, in really engaging ways. With some great writing, solid humor, without going overboard, it causes the rest of the package to really shine. Combat is constantly engaging, the unique biomes offer a ton to explore, and with the endgame systems in place, there is a good amount to tackle while additional content is rolled out.
While this is a whole entry in the series, it is very much self-contained, as Rias and Slade are new to the series. While this is a good jumping-on point, I still recommend the other games, especially the Ryza titles, as those are just vastly better experiences with more interesting characters, better visuals, and a far more engaging story. As it is, this title is a poor attempt at pushing the series forward and a hard game to recommend.
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree does a lot of things right with its story, character moments, and the time hijinks of the village itself. While the roguelite systems are what we’ve come to expect, with the studio rarely coloring outside the lines, the combat can often feel underbaked and a chaotic mess of trying to find your character in the chaos, especially in co-op, where a tether can result in some unfortunate hits. I don’t think Towa is a bad experience, but it needs some refinement to be something I want to keep coming back to.
Deep Rock Galactic has a great, simplistic look, and it carries over here in spades. The game is full of fun enemy designs, and a ton of color and variety in its biomes to really push past much of the game’s repetitive nature. It offers some truly engaging progression, while not really pushing past the boundaries of what the genre offers.
Bloober Team found their confidence in the Silent Hill 2 remake, and this has shown a side of the studio that could be a force to be reckoned with. Cronos: The New Dawn is easily their best work, and I say that as someone who found the Silent Hill 2 remake to be absolutely jaw-dropping. There is potential for a sequel here, and with some smart choices on improving the aspect around combat, there could be a contender here to the genre that we really haven’t seen since Dead Space.
Sword of Sea, like previous Giant Squid releases, is more of an experience than a game, and for the reasons that allow the studio to flex its creative muscle. With some gorgeous spectacles that are punctuated by a flawless score by Austin Wintory, Sword of the Sea is a wild ride that, while brief, is a sight to behold.
With some solid golfing mechanics and a content-rich offering, Hot Shots is a great addition to the Everybody’s Golf series, despite the grindy nature of how to unlock its cast and its courses. Regardless, there is a ton to do here, both in single player and with friends, both on the couch or around the world. With Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots breaking free of the PlayStation exclusivity, it allows this game to finally go head to head with Mario Golf and hopefully drive innovation to the hole, hopefully under par.
Killing Floor 3 can be a great time under the right circumstances, but it lacks the content to really make it part of the conversation. Progression does have its moments, but eventually does start to feel like a grind as you slowly work down their skill tree and tinker around with the battlepass, which does feature some paid elements. Still, while Killing Floor 2 is the better game at the moment, Killing Floor 3 does still entertain for what it's trying to do.
For $20, Order of the Giants is more Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but with less spectacle and more of exploring forgotten ruins and swinging around with your whip. While there are some locations that flavor that whip swinging, the DLC only teases us with what was so great about the main campaign. Personally, I think it is a fine enough adventure, but one that just didn’t wow me or remind me what I loved about the base game. Baker is back with his impeccable Harrison Ford impression, but I just wish he had more to chew on this time.
Jotunnslayer excels at creating a solid gameplay loop with considerable replay value in regard to progression. Each class has its own abilities that truly feel unique, even if they still rely on the varied Norse Gods' powers in the same way. Fans of the genre may be burnt out by the wave of copycats within the genre, but with the impressive visuals, addictive God powers, it certainly helps it stand out from the pack, and its time to refine itself in Early Access has paid off significantly.
Metal Eden represents everything I love about videogames. It also helps that it has likely the best gunplay of a shooter in the past several years. While its story may not grab most players, its focus on constant action and creative platforming certainly will. Reikon has crafted a stunningly brilliant cyberpunk shooter here that is a testament to their creative vision and an absolute pleasure to experience.
Knightling has some great ideas and its story is certainly the game's best element. But, the unresponsive combat is the game's biggest failing, and makes encounters more about survival than achieving victory. Twirlbound could convert this into a fantastic series with some improved combat and a more unique visual approach to give the game a stronger identity.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is truly fantastic, and the type of game I had wished Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound had been. It hits all the right beats for the genre, and its combat progression keeps Joe Musashi powerful without feeling unstoppable, due to some fantastic work with its roster of enemies and bosses. As Shinobi is the first step in Sega’s big ‘Power Surge Program’, it hopefully stands as a testament of the quality to come.
Echoes of the End was an extremely fun game that, while flawed in several ways, reminded me of why I love third-person adventure games. It joins the ranks of some of my favorite in the genre with some smart choices around its cast and the ways it attempts to keep combat and exploration fresh. Myrkur Games has a great concept here that does require some fine-tuning, but ultimately, I was very impressed by what was accomplished here.
9 Years of Shadows has some great ideas, but the health system is one that, while original, is flawed and can damage the momentum and pacing needed to keep you engaged. The initial wave of combat is impressive, but the game runs out of ideas to flesh out its combat systems to feel like you are progressing in your capabilities. That said, its strong visuals and boss designs are impressive, and do a lot of heavy lifting to a game that would otherwise be forgettable.
Fallen City Brawl has its moments, and much of what is here is sound. It does lack some presentation issues and its identity is simply not there. When the final boss fell, I frankly didn't even realize that was it, making its story and resolution to largely fall flat. I think a sequel with a bigger emphasis on its story, characters, and world would provide something to really make it stand apart.
I had a lot of high hopes going into Ashes of Elrant, given I adored Chained Echoes. However, I simply didn't find much here to satiate my desire for a new adventure with this cast. The roster is wildly underused and the threat had zero stakes, given it takes place before the final battle. It's implementation via the main menu was also a sign it wasn't going to be impactful to the overall adventure. It's more Chained Echoes, so I can't be too disappointed, but I simply wanted much more for a self-touted “massive” DLC that didn't amount to much at all.
With some strong visuals and a fantastic soundtrack, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a title that has a lot going for it despite some very glaring shortcomings. A lack of combat depth, and even the ability to attack upward or downward, could have really elevated this to be a top-tier experience. While the dynamic between the two protagonists is extremely fun, it is unfortunately overshadowed by Kumori being incredibly sidelined. Ragebound is fun, even great at times, but it lacks the depth needed for replayability, as you’ll see everything the game offers far too early.