I don’t usually go in for rhythm games, but Final Bar Line proved the exception. While it’s a well-crafted experience, it’s the Final Fantasy connection that really sold me. The quests, the customization, and the heavy dose of nostalgia are all wonderful. Conversely, the art isn’t great, some of the inputs are confusing, and the intended audience is pretty granular. In other words, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is mostly for Final Fantasy fans. If you fall into that category though, you won’t want to miss this game. It’s a terrific way to revisit your favorite titles in the series.
Whether or not you’ve played the first one, Gravity Rush 2 is a game you can’t afford to miss.
You will do things that make you feel like a genius just for thinking of them.
Antihero is a charming aesthetic package wrapped around a solid tactical core.
Battle Chasers' presentation carves a space in your head with plans to establish a permanent residence.
Controls aside, this might be one of the first collections I've acquired in a long time where I'm almost compelled to finish every game. If you've no experience with the X series, or if you missed out on a lot of these titles, the Mega Man X Legacy Collections are a terrific investment.
Whether you’ve never played before or you’ve put in over a thousand hours, this game will pull you right in without a second’s hesitation.
Putting aside the gorgeous graphics, the obtuse level design, and the various modern touches, Link’s Awakening is still an exceptional Zelda game.
If you can absorb the narrative, and see past the strange battle sections, you’ll be left with a rich, beautiful, compelling game you can scarcely put down.
For me, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity succeeds on two separate fronts. This is a prequel with the narrative heft required for a game in the Zelda franchise. But, this is also a Musou/Warriors game that twists that formula into something unique and engaging. What emerges from this strange union is an experience unlike either set of source material.
Maybe there’s no healthy way to insulate yourself from heartbreak, but there’s still beauty in the retrospective. Maquette casts a rosy lens on a love story softened by time’s eventual passage. It’s an important lesson, that the sorrow of love lost can be soothed and sanded down by the steady movement of the clock. The story’s frequent puzzle breaks mean that you’re eased into the worst of it. You’re given a long runway before the inevitable climax, which might be a blessing in itself. Even if a reflective journey through a complex relationship doesn’t appeal to you, the intricate world and it’s fascinating puzzles will surely have you hooked.
Rather than just coast off the ingenuity of the first game, Sparks of Hope reaches beyond its predecessor. The Sparks give an extra layer of agency and choice to the player, while handing those same deadly tools to your enemies. The battles are fast-paced, clever, and compelling. So much so that the sections outside of battle feel like an exhausting slog by comparison. The dialogue is at turns both witty and insufferable, while the actual plot exists only to justify the action. Don’t let my bizarre set of blinders deter you, though. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an excellent follow-up to the remarkable original game.
Whether or not you enjoy this game is dependent on what you’re expecting from it. In the world of hypersexual, campy, insane action games, this sets a new standard. Every successive boss fight raises the bar, the action is always intense, and it oozes charm. There’s more move variety, the characters are beautiful, and the tone is impossibly over the top. If you’ve bounced off of Bayonetta games before, I can’t promise this time will be different. The pacing and core gameplay loop remain largely intact. But for fans of the franchise, Bayonetta 3 is easily as good as it gets. If you loved the first two games, you’ve got to check out this one.
There’s something rewarding about this game. You’re working to restore a dead world, with tangible results to keep you engaged. The mechanics get pretty complex after a while, true. And it can feel like your mistakes are indelible, even as you’re restarting a stage. But the labor feels worth it. Better still, developer Free Lives is putting a portion of pre-order and post-launch sales towards the Endangered Wildlife Trust. In that sense, playing this game actually does some good for the environment. If you’re looking for a peaceful, yet sometimes stressful, gaming experience, consider Terra Nil. You might even reconsider our actual planet as a result.
I also recognize that these games are crazy old. I through III are a tough sell for a newcomer. V is a weird outlier with a solid mechanical base. Yet, even with reservations in tow, Final Fantasy IV and VI are highly recommended. In summation, this is a fantastic collection of RPGs. Every game looks, sounds, and plays better than ever before. Some of the edges are still rather rough, but that’s normal for games this old. On balance, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters collection represents an essential slice of gaming history. You won’t want to miss a single one.
I also recognize that these games are crazy old. I through III are a tough sell for a newcomer. V is a weird outlier with a solid mechanical base. Yet, even with reservations in tow, Final Fantasy IV and VI are highly recommended. In summation, this is a fantastic collection of RPGs. Every game looks, sounds, and plays better than ever before. Some of the edges are still rather rough, but that’s normal for games this old. On balance, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters collection represents an essential slice of gaming history. You won’t want to miss a single one.
I also recognize that these games are crazy old. I through III are a tough sell for a newcomer. V is a weird outlier with a solid mechanical base. Yet, even with reservations in tow, Final Fantasy IV and VI are highly recommended. In summation, this is a fantastic collection of RPGs. Every game looks, sounds, and plays better than ever before. Some of the edges are still rather rough, but that’s normal for games this old. On balance, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters collection represents an essential slice of gaming history. You won’t want to miss a single one.
I also recognize that these games are crazy old. I through III are a tough sell for a newcomer. V is a weird outlier with a solid mechanical base. Yet, even with reservations in tow, Final Fantasy IV and VI are highly recommended. In summation, this is a fantastic collection of RPGs. Every game looks, sounds, and plays better than ever before. Some of the edges are still rather rough, but that’s normal for games this old. On balance, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters collection represents an essential slice of gaming history. You won’t want to miss a single one.
I also recognize that these games are crazy old. I through III are a tough sell for a newcomer. V is a weird outlier with a solid mechanical base. Yet, even with reservations in tow, Final Fantasy IV and VI are highly recommended. In summation, this is a fantastic collection of RPGs. Every game looks, sounds, and plays better than ever before. Some of the edges are still rather rough, but that’s normal for games this old. On balance, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters collection represents an essential slice of gaming history. You won’t want to miss a single one.
I also recognize that these games are crazy old. I through III are a tough sell for a newcomer. V is a weird outlier with a solid mechanical base. Yet, even with reservations in tow, Final Fantasy IV and VI are highly recommended. In summation, this is a fantastic collection of RPGs. Every game looks, sounds, and plays better than ever before. Some of the edges are still rather rough, but that’s normal for games this old. On balance, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters collection represents an essential slice of gaming history. You won’t want to miss a single one.