While Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess may not be the best action game or the best tower defense game around, Yoshiro and Soh's journey is undeniably compelling. Thanks to great map, scenario, and enemy design, along with plenty of viable tactical options and a wide arsenal of abilities, this new IP from CAPCOM stands out as one of the most surprising titles of the year, held back only by minor issues, such as a shallow narrative and a low challenge level.
With its three entertaining scenarios showcasing Remedy Entertainment's narrative and visual design prowess, the Alan Wake 2: Night Springs expansion is a more than worthy DLC for all fans of the base game and the Finnish developer, provided they can keep their expectations in check. The expansion's short length, a little over two and a half hours, and its stripped-down gameplay will inevitably disappoint those looking for something more substantial.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expands the base game by offering more of what made it one of the best open-world games ever. It features a well-sized map dense with secrets to discover, new masterfully designed dungeons, and introduces new, fun tools to help the Tarnished tackle some of the most challenging enemies in the game's dark and brutal world. While the lack of new gameplay mechanics may disappoint some, don't let this deter you. Shadow of the Erdtree is every bit as good as the base game, and it is an essential purchase for all those who loved FromSoftware's amazing action role-playing game.
Given how MultiVersus has only just been released, and things will obviously get tweaked in the future, it is difficult to score the game in its current state. While the free-to-play trappings are unlikely to change, tweaks and additional content could deeply improve the experience in the long term, making it a worthy rival to Super Smash Bros. and other popular platform fighting games. As of now, however, I feel much of the potential of MultiVersus is still untapped, and it will be up to Player First Game to let the seed they have planted bloom.
Even in its early state, The Rogue Prince of Persia masterfully blends the best of Prince of Persia and Dead Cells in a solid package offering a more involved narrative, excellent platforming, dynamic combat and a lot of death, as is tradition for a proper roguelite. While there's still a lot of work to be done, regarding content and balance, the game's strong core mechanics have the potential to make it one of the best Metroidvania roguelites ever made.
Solid core mechanics are not enough to make Die by the Blade the compelling spiritual sequel of the Bushido Blade series fans have been waiting for a long time. Bland character design, clunky animations, horrendously slow progression system, extreme lack of content and mediocre visuals are only some of the issues that mar an experience that is very difficult to recommend to anyone in its current state.
V Rising may not have the deepest survival game mechanics around, but that is hardly a problem. The experience crafted by Stunlock Studios manages to masterfully weave together mechanics from very different genres to provide an experience like any other on the market. While solo players may find the experience becoming a little stale over time, everyone else will find plenty of reasons to remain in this world, whether it's to perfect their characters or build the most haunting vampire castle ever seen.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU proves that innovation isn't always necessary to craft a compelling experience. With its heartfelt story, compelling protagonist, and solid metroidvania gameplay featuring excellent pacing, Zau's journey is one that resonates, especially for those grappling with similar grief to the young shaman.
While its premise, story beats and main characters echo Suikoden II a little bit too much, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes manages to stand on its own with a compelling tale, excellent characterization, classic JRPG gameplay and great presentation, which make it easy to look past some of its shortcomings, such as balancing and minor gameplay issues. The world of Allraan may never get into the spotlight again due to the unfortunate departure of its creator, but it is undeniable that it couldn't have been introduced to JRPG fans in a better way.
Outcast - A New Beginning is a missed opportunity, abandoning the unique elements of its predecessor for a conventional open-world design that doesn't work well. With uninspired open-world exploration, clunky movement, lackluster combat, and mediocre quest design, it's a hard sell for everyone but Cutter Slade's biggest fans who wish to know how the character's story continues, as there are far superior titles on the market that have executed similar concepts much more effectively.
With its excellent level design, challenging gameplay, and twists on the classic formula, Contra: Operation Galuga offers a compelling reimagining of one of the most beloved arcade games ever made. However, despite its strengths, the game's short campaign length, limited amount of content and lack of online multiplayer may deter some players, especially considering its price. While the inclusion of extra characters and a Challenge Mode adds some variety, they fail to provide a good reason to continue playing the game after having gone through the eight stages multiple times.
With a unique twist that gives it a puzzle-game feel, Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a solid title that definitely stands out in the hack-and-slash genre. The emphasis on combat, the absence of RPG-like mechanics, and reliance on trial-and-error impact the experience slightly, making the game a worthwhile purchase only for die-hard fans of the genre who are tired of the constant grind for better loot.
Featuring cutting-edge visuals for fighting games and exceptional learning tools, Tekken 8 stands out as one of the best releases in the fighting game genre over the last few years.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered is, without a doubt, the best way to enjoy Naughty Dog's excellent survival horror game, thanks to addition of the surprisingly fun No Return roguelike mode, the cut Lost Levels, developer commentary and two display modes for a proper 4K resolution experience. The main campaign's bleak story remains as controversial as it was when the original game launched on PlayStation 4, but underneath it is one of the finest survival horror games ever made.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown couldn't have brought back the series after its more than a decade-long hiatus in a better way. With an engaging story, well-crafted Metroidvania mechanics, and a touch of character-action games features in its combat system, Sargon's adventure will be remembered by fans for a long time, even with its minor issues.
With its roguelite take on the base game's formula, engaging story, decent amount of new content and excellent accessibility, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is a great expansion that is worthy of any God of War's fans time. The focus on combat may turn some players off, but it's only a minor issue in an expansion that could have been easily sold as paid DLC.
With the great amount of love for the setting that was poured into the game evident from every line of dialogue and every little detail, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is one of the best games based on the universe created by Games Workshop, and a solid tactical turn-based role-playing game that can provide hundreds of hours of fun.
The narrative remains compelling, the characters charming, the presentation slick and the solid tactical rounds the package well, making the game an engaging experience from beginning to end. The game's low challenge level, however, and the established status of the Phantom Thieves limits its appeal to die-hard fans of the series.
The Dead Island 2 Haus DLC is a very small expansion that doesn't bring anything substantially new to the experience. Its brevity prevents it from overstaying its welcome, but the additionl of a cool crossbow weapon is not enough to get most players to return to Hell-A so soon.
Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn feels like a missed opportunity. While the story held some potential, it doesn't go beyond passable at best, its uneven pacing and the lack of meaningful gameplay additions making the whole experience feel dull at times. As such, only die hard fans of the base game will find some value in what is, essentially, an extended prologue with limited appeal.