Nier Replicant gets a new lease on life complete with a combat system and graphical overhaul resulting in a game that's actually fun to play. More importantly, it allows the emotional and amazing story-telling to shine even more. Backtracking complaints aside, this is one game you have to experience for yourself.
Persona 5 Strikers is much more of an action RPG than it is a straight Musou but it still manages to pull in the best of both worlds. The fun combat system and a fantastic cast of characters more than makes up any of the game's issues.
The First Samurai doesn't end the tale of Nioh 2 in a satisfying way but it does provide a meaningful and fun loot experience. Bbrutal new enemies and new gameplay modes makes the complete package of this game something truly special.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity falters greatly in its narrative. The time-traveling aspect felt like a cheap and easy way to rewrite history without actually adding much to the established lore. That said, this did allow Princess Zelda to shine which ended up being a pleasant surprise. The gameplay is the main hook and it's a bloody fun one at that. There is lots to love here if you can ignore the story.
As a stand-alone experience, The Tengu's Disciple is a bit on the short end and there's not much to the story at all, but it does provide some of the best boss battles to date. If the rest of the upcoming DLC provides the same level of gameplay and showdown quality as this chapter does, then Nioh 2 is going to have some incredible longevity going forward.
For better and worse, Nioh 2 feels like more of the same. Tired environmental design and rehashed gameplay elements sully what is otherwise an addictive and exhilarating loot-based hack and slash samurai adventure.
With one of the most addictive turn-based battle systems you'll find today in a JRPG, Tokyo Mirage Sessions was a blast to play. It's just unfortunate that the story and characters were about as bland as flavourless rice cakes.
Indivisible is one of the more memorable Metroidvanias that I've played in recent years with its unique and addictive combat system. Story issues aside I enjoyed every minute I spent with this game.
FromSoftware proves yet again that they're masters of their craft. Every aspect of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is just so lovingly crafted that any flaw feels like a droplet in an ocean of brilliance. Sekiro is the full package with immensely satisfying combat and an intriguing world to explore and discover.
Kingdom Hearts 3 was an unforgettable experience and as a long-time fan, it was everything I could've hoped for. Terrible story pacing aside, this is a special game and a fitting end to an over decade-old saga.
A slight downgrade in some visual effects and audio quality do little to hold back what is otherwise a great and smooth port of Dark Souls.
Dragon Quest 11 falters in the pacing of its story and features an unimpressive OST but at the end of the day, this game is like getting together with an old friend and hanging out on a cool summer's day; it's familiar and oh so comforting.
Octopath Traveler is a beautiful and modern JRPG that stays true to its roots. It can feel repetitive at times, but the amazing combat, heartfelt stories and extraordinary soundtrack counteracts its structural issues in almost every way. This is a definite must-play for Switch owners.
Onrush is the perfect game to play after a long day at work. It's fast, it's fun and somewhat cathartic as well. Unfortunately the lack of content and a cooperative multiplayer focus that's never fully realized will leave you rushing to play something else after a few sessions.
Dark Souls is an amazing and important game, but the remaster does little to spice things up, providing little reason to really go back to Lordran. Blighttown runs at 60fps though, so that might be reason enough for some.
Detroit: Become Human manages to dial back Quantic Dream's usual style of storytelling and instead focus more on the characters and their personal journey resulting in one the most compelling adventure games in recent memory.
Ni No Kuni 2 manages to showcase that even without Studio Ghibli, Level-5 can still create a truly wondrous and magical JRPG. Even though the new features and strategic elements feel undercut by its easy difficulty, this is still a fine example of what the genre has to offer.
Detective Pikachu, as a character, is really quite special - but the game itself is unfortunately just not very much fun to play.
Lost Sphear is a bit of a hard sell to people who are not fans of JRPGS and even though the writing and characters are quite stereotypical, the story has a lot of heart. The battle system and customization options make for a fun game.
Monster Hunter World is an addictive, thrilling but ultimately satisfying experience. It's the perfect starting point for newcomers, but it also has all the depth that long-time fans enjoy, making this easily the best game in the series.