Keith Mitchell's Reviews
Gears of War: Reloaded breathes new life into a classic, delivering upgraded visuals, smoother performance, and all the brutal cover-shooting action that made the original legendary. From the chilling horror elements and iconic boss encounters to the witty squad banter, it proves just how well Gears of War has aged nearly 20 years later. With 4K, HDR, high frame rates, and full cross-play multiplayer, this is the best way for veterans and newcomers alike to experience the start of the saga.
After waiting for decades, Shinobi and Joe Musashi have not just made a proper return, but are a shining example of what SEGA can do with its older titles, should it want to. It’s simply flawless, full of enjoyable combat, tricky sections, and plenty to keep ninja gaming fans happy from start to finish. Welcome back, Joe. We’ve missed you.
Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is a fun, action-packed homage to the classic series that blends retro charm with a few modern twists. While it doesn’t reinvent the formula, it delivers a solid experience that longtime fans will appreciate and newcomers can still enjoy; punishing difficulty, with a bit of cheapness and all.
Despite its flaws, WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is an impressive first effort from a studio with no previous experience in the Soulslike genre. It reminds me of what happened with Lies of P and Black Myth: Wukong; surprise hits coming from developers who never worked on an Action RPG before, that show up and make everyone take notice. I love seeing more studios bring a unique cultural flavor to this space. I have no doubt Leenzee Games will continue improving the game post-launch. With a few updates, this could become a must-play title not just for hardcore Soulslike fans, but for anyone craving a challenging and visually stunning action RPG.
Elden Ring Nightreign is the "greatest hits" album of FromSoftware games. With bosses from Dark Souls, builds inspired by Bloodborne and Sekiro, and the world of Elden Ring, it has something for every Soulslike fan. And it's multiplayer. It throws a lot into one pot and ends up as more of a cracked pot. But patches may fix it over time. No, not that Patches.
Dark Deity 2 builds on its predecessor with deeper strategic battles and richer character-driven storytelling. Assemble your team, forge unbreakable bonds, and lead powerful heroes through an epic struggle where every choice shapes the journey. But does it surpass the original? Watch the review to find out!
With each battle, you’ll face legions of hostile automations, smashing your way through intricate clockwork defenses in a relentless pursuit of liberation.
Knights in Tight Spaces takes everything that made Fights in Tight Spaces so enjoyable, tosses in a few new mechanics without touching the fundamental nature, and comes out with yet another enjoyable deck-builder game.
Monster Hunter Wilds stands as Capcom’s crowning achievement in the Monster Hunter series, showcasing years of refinement and passion. The combat is seamless, the environments are breathtaking, and the attention to detail is truly remarkable.
Eternal Strands shines in its innovation and creativity, but it stumbles in execution at times. For fans of action RPGs who value experimentation and unique gameplay systems, this is a journey worth taking—even if it’s not without its rough patches. Eternal Strands is a strong First Effort from Yellow Brick Games.
I was never the biggest fan of Path of Exile—its overly complex systems always scared me off. But with Path of Exile 2, Grinding Gear Games has done the unthinkable. The changes to systems that bothered me from the first game. They’ve crafted an ARPG that’s not only more accessible but also improves on everything from the first game. It dials the experience up to 11, making it nearly impossible to put down. This is an enjoyable and approachable ARPG that practically begs to be played.
Metal Slug Tactics takes SNK's iconic 2D side-scrolling run-and-gun shooter and transforms it into a 3D tactical RPG with roguelite elements that work better than expected. The game shows plenty of love for the Metal Slug series, featuring fantastic artwork, fluid animations, and engaging gameplay mechanics.
New World: Aeternum is a reboot of the original game on the PC, and with it comes several interesting additions, and updates, which are sure to entice current PC players who always wanted to play New World on a console. It's a solid experience playing solo, but the meat is the MMO experience, which is going to carry the game well past the single-player experience.
Well, here we are. Remnant 2 - The Dark Horizon might be the final DLC for Remnant 2, but it isn’t going out without a bang. The new area of N'Erud, while smaller, is quite different from the base game and much more interesting. The combat mechanics remain as engaging as ever, making gameplay a blast. The update to the Fragments system and the addition of Prisms provide even more customization options. Plus, the Boss Rush mode is a lot of fun when playing with others.
Deathsprint 66 combines the elements from racing games such as Wipeout and Super Mario Kart while tossing in some gory elements that might have been done for the shock value but end up coming up as hilarious. The racing is fast and fun, and the tracks, which I think are the highlight of the game, are some of the best track designs I've seen in an arcade circuit racing game. It's all fun, even if the AI seems to be a bit overtuned at times.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II was a blast from start to finish. Only held back by a limited accessibility offering and some technical issues.
A beloved classic from the SNES era makes a triumphant return, complete with updated visuals and gameplay tweaks that make it even more enjoyable than it was decades ago. If you’re a fan of arcade games, it’s hard not to love Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn. Unless, of course, you’re not a fan of arcade games or fun!
Cygni: All Guns Blazing, developed by KeelWorks and released by Konami, is a visually stunning vertical shmup with twin-stick shooter mechanics. While it offers full freedom of movement and innovative power management between shields and missiles, it has a few drawbacks such as lengthy stages and inconsistent difficulty spikes. Despite some frustrating elements, its cinematic presentation and engaging gameplay mechanics make it a noteworthy addition to Konami’s Shmup catalog. If you’re a fan of shmups looking for something fresh, Cygni: All Guns Blazing is worth checking out.
If you’ve been looking to take the plunge and play a Soulslike game but were afraid of the dying or “get good” nonsense, then Another Crab’s Treasure should be first on your list. The simplified systems, while still processing the same great Soulslike gameplay, and even the assist mode that lets you play at your own pace. Come on in, the water is fine!
Remnant II: The Forgotten Kingdom, is a solid expansion of Remnant II, albeit a short adventure that adds more lore to the series and will beckon players back. I wish it was longer and I'm still looking for some closure that followed the end of the base game.