It's not a flawless photograph, but Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is memorable, terrifying, and artistically stunning.
Scott Pilgrim EX is the latest in a long line of retro revivals from Tribute Games, and like all of its previous works, the developer has done an admirable job of producing a beat ‘em up that builds on its predecessor while adding much appreciated gameplay depth and plenty of replayability.
Reanimal is a horror story, a journey through hell made up of the simple, elegant gameplay that Tarsier has honed to a feather's edge over the last decade.
Like its Fractured Universe, Romeo is a Dead Man is a whole lot of disparate parts that don’t always add up to a coherent whole – but I’ll be damned if I can't stop thinking about it, and I respect how it tells its story through its gameplay.
Code Vein II reminds me of a PS2 game, and I say that as the highest praise. It doesn’t always get what’s going for, but man is it trying. It’s the kind of game you’d rent for a weekend and think about for years afterward, not because it’s the prettiest or the most polished or the best in its genre, but because it’s unique and trying hard and succeeding in cool, memorable ways.
Cairn would mean nothing without the journey, and like both the mountain you are challenging and the climb itself, it is an incredible one.
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Rhythm Doctor is a super challenging one-button rhythm game with great music and a moving story.
The stages and enemies aren’t going to blow you away, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion’s tag team action still has the juice.
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Painkiller is a game about nothing for no one, a mediocre resurrection of a classic trying to put a new cover on an old book and hoping it still has some relevance 21 years later
Bounty Star’s combination of mech combat and farming is equal parts compelling and tranquil, and Clem’s story is riveting. Sometimes, you have to get back in the robot and hope there’s a life on the other side.
Absolum is an excellent beat ‘em up let down by a roguelite structure that doesn’t serve it.
There’s always room for improvement, but it’s hard to overstate what a leap Madden NFL 26 feels like both on and off the field.
Its low-fi, contained horror isn’t going to scare the pants off of you, but it is unsettling, and it will keep you guessing until the end. Just… do yourself a favor: when the night rolls in, stay in the light.
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a bigger, better version of its predecessor, even if it’s not exactly out here discovering new forms of demon slaying.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound looks and sounds incredible, and the fast but thoughtful combat is so satisfying it's hard to put down.
College Football 26 is better than last year, but it's a sophomore season that's more focused on steady improvement rather than breakout success.
It told me a story made up of stories, restored my belief in the idea that the things we do, even when we are directionless and alone and afraid and all seems lost, can have profound impacts on other people.
Mecha Break's 15 flavors of mech all feel great to pilot, and its strategic, twitchy gameplay has the juice to last for the long haul if it plays it smart.