Ori and the Will of the Wisps pairs a strong narrative with a larger world and an enhanced talent system to make a must-play platformer.
Blizzard attempts to breathe fresh life into an iconic classic with a fresh coat of paint and minor quality of life upgrades in Diablo 2: Resurrected.
Overall, Age of Empires definitely brings enough to the table and captures enough nostalgia to make it an easy recommendation for any fans of the franchise or the genre. For gamers new to RTS, the Story Mode and campaigns actually make it a very strong choice for diving in as well, as long as they aren’t expecting cutting-edge graphics. The fact that the game is going to be available on Game Pass Day One could potentially help expose a large new audience to the franchise and build up some new fans. It will be very interesting to see what kind of reception it receives and, if its successful, what sort of post-launch content could arrive in the coming year to keep the community hooked and engaged.
Halo Infinite is inevitably going to see a ton of play thanks to its day one inclusion on Game Pass and the campaign is well-positioned to impress. There are plenty of mechanical, enemy, weapon, and story throwbacks for longtime fans to smirk at and the game is approachable, exciting, and endearing enough to potentially win over a whole new generation of Halo fans.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin seems to prove that the Final Fantasy franchise can thrive in the action game scene with this first franchise venture from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo. The title isn't a true home run, but it is an exciting adventure that expands the franchise lore in a unique direction. The Final Fantasy Job system is as interesting and exciting as ever and adds a unique twist on the action game format as players grind through each challenging dungeon and fill in all the Job talent trees one by one.