Hayes Madsen's Reviews
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is the game's most ambitious expansion yet and feels like both a fitting ending and a new beginning all at once.
Two Point Campus is an A+ management sim that lets you build the wacky school of your dreams, then watch it run in all its glory.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a superb sequel that fixes or improves nearly everything from the original while telling one of the most emotionally harrowing stories of the year.
As someone that thoroughly enjoyed my 200 hours with Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I never expected Three Hopes to meet, let alone surpass that experience — but it does. Three Hopes’ systems all coalesce into something truly special, and the war-driven story allows the world and characters to shine their brightest. Though it could do with less padding, Three Hopes represents Koei Tecmo firing on all cylinders, and it’s easily another title to add to the growing list of essential Switch games.
When Xenoblade Chronicles 3 wasn’t bringing a smile to my face, it was breaking my heart over and over again.
Splatoon 3 oozes charm and style at every level, and the level of polish here makes it better than ever. If Nintendo provides good post-launch support, it’s easy to see a time in the near-future when Splatoon 3 is the single best multiplayer experience on the Switch. Considering Splatoon 2 received support for nearly two years, and Nintendo has already revealed a roadmap for Splatoon 3, it seems likely that we’ll all be covered in paint for quite a few years to come.
Trails From Zero is an exceptional JRPG that feels like it’s cut from the same cloth as the golden era of the genre when games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII were released. Its deep and complex narrative has a strong sense of mystery and isn’t afraid to dive into tough topics, all of which make the setting of Crossbell feel that much more realistic. An integral part of this experience is the translation work from the fan group The Geofront, and it’s easy to see how the success story of Trails From Zero could serve as a blueprint for bringing even more forgotten JRPGs to the West.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is an incredibly strong RPG with phenomenal pacing, characters, and combat, but it also relies so much on the player’s connection to the previous game. I can’t in good conscience say anyone should play Trails to Azure without first playing Trails From Zero, but that’s exactly what makes the experience so special. The duology of Zero and Azure revels in sequential storytelling, building a convincing world filled to the brim with personality and political intrigue.
Paranormasight is brilliant and subversive, toying with expectations and tropes across genres. The final product is entrancing — and it doesn’t loosen its death grip until the very last second.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp leans into the toybox aesthetic of the series, giving the first two games a gorgeous new coat of paint, along with several welcome gameplay updates. If you’re a fan of strategic, turn-based gameplay, don’t sleep on this one.
With 'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor', Respawn has crafted one of the most memorable Star Wars experiences of the last decade. If you’re a fan of a galaxy far, far away, you can’t miss this one. In the five years since 'Fallen Order', Cal has become more competent and confident, and that’s directly represented in all aspects of 'Survivor’s gameplay. The sequel doesn't take away any of Cal’s abilities from the previous game, instead building upon them in meaningful and gratifying ways.
It's been four years since the original release of Captain Toad, and yet, the game still feels as wonderfully unique as it did then. There's nothing else quite like it, and the Switch version looks and plays wonderfully. The overall experience is a short one, but there's plenty of replayability, and it's an experience that any Switch owner should jump on.
In terms of a console RTS, Halo Wars 2 stands just about at the top. It’s easy for newcomers of the genre to pick up and play, but still has a enough meat and complexity for veterans to be satisfied. Because of how the campaign wraps things up, I truly hope it gets a sequel. But until then, Halo Wars 2 is definitely a quality exclusive to add to your Xbox One lineup.
For Honor tries something new, and ultimately succeeds much more than it fails. With its surprisingly fun campaign, intense and challenging gameplay, and varied multiplayer, there’s plenty to keep you busy. There are balancing issues I sincerely hope get worked on, but for now, For Honor is a unique experience well worth your time, and could be the start of a daring new franchise.
With everything from combat to story Tales of Berseria feels fresh, fast paced, and exciting.The darker tone for the story is a welcome change and works wonders, while the cast manages to be as memorable as any others you’d find in a Tales game.
If you absolutely couldn't stand the gameplay of Final Fantasy XII, The Zodiac Age's improvements may not ultimately be enough to sway you to the other side. However, the remaster makes some truly important quality of life changes to its design that results in The Zodiac Age being much more approachable.
There's no doubt that Valkyria Revolution won't be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you're not interested in a story-heavy RPG. There's a lot of repetition for battles, and lengthy sequences of cutscenes can certainly slow things down, but Revolution tells an engaging story with characters that grow on you over the hours of gameplay. Similarly, the combat system and customization grow, providing a much more engaging action experience in the latter half of the game.
The thing that surprised me most about Knack 2 was how the experience got better as I kept going. The first few missions can be slow, but once the story and combat got their hooks in I found myself having a blast with the game.
Star Wars Battlefront II offers a sizable improvement over the first game in almost every way. The campaign is short but well-paced and enjoyable, and multiplayer provides a robust offering with smooth and frenetic battles.
Kiwami holds a ton of appeal for anyone coming hot off of Yakuza Zero, but there's ample reason for longtime fans to jump in, and it's even a fine starting point for new players as well. Despite the slow starting hours, once Kiwami and Kazuma Kiryu grab hold of your attention, they don't easily let go.