Though this Souls-like wears its heart on its sleeve in its love for the genre, Lies of P misses the mark on what makes these kinds of games tick. All the same, hardcore denizens seeking a challenge may find something to appreciate here.
Though Blasphemous 2 lacks the wow factor of the first game, it does smooth out its edges to the point where it feels like a tighter, more fluid experience.
While Salt and Sanctuary is among the pinnacle of souls-likes and metroidvanias, Salt and Sacrifice fails to live up to this pedigree.
When it comes to legacy JRPGs, few games in Square Enix’s catalog are as controversial as Chrono Cross. The closest comparison would likely be Final Fantasy VIII, a game with just as many detractors as ardent defenders. With that in mind, a re-release of the Chrono Trigger sequel, even one as robust and loving as Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, was bound to be divisive.
An uncompromising vision of wonder and terror, Elden Ring is the ultimate dark fantasy odyssey. It will ask much of players who tackle its challenges but the rewards of seeing your adventure through more than make up for the effort.
Any series with a dozen games in its mainline story and over 15 years of time investment will naturally have an endless pile of expectations directed at it when it comes to wrapping things up.
The ultimate culmination of classic Metroid tropes and modern design philosophy, Metroid Dread is a treat for fans of the hallowed Nintendo series and anyone who loves a challenging, old-school throwback.
Though Life is Strange: True Colors isn't as action-heavy as previous games, its relaxed atmosphere, witty writing, and visual upgrades easily put it on par with the best of the franchise.
While Greak: Memories of Azur can be occasionally frustrating, the design and world-building are effective enough to make it worthwhile and enjoyable for players of all skill-sets.
Though Intermission reuses assets from the base game, it offers enough new and exciting material to more than justify the price of admission for Final Fantasy fans.
When you look back over the course of the Resident Evil series, you come away with a lot of individual feelings and reactions. There’s the corniness of the first few games, the shift to action, tons of side stories that don’t seem to go anywhere, and the recent tonal change to hardcore horror. It’s from all of these disparate elements that Resident Evil Village draws, fusing them into a blueprint from which the series can grow into something new.
Rebirth subverts player expectations by offering intriguing new features and wonderful world design. Even if the puzzles are sometimes obtuse, Rebirth is well worth your while.
Though the gameplay can be a tad simplistic, Cake Bash succeeds through the whimsical fun and madcap silliness it brings to the party game genre.
Tamarin ultimately falls short in bringing back some of the best franchises of yesteryear. Though the effort is a valiant one, Tamarin, hampered by the flaws of the games it attempts to emulate, is just too clunky in its execution.
Though Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles was released to relatively positive reviews 17 years ago, the game has not aged well. The quest of a caravan of crystal bearers to refill their crystal’s power and protect their homes from a deadly miasma, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered fails due to problems that existed in the original title, as well as flaws in this remastered edition.
While Windbound initially instills the awe and wonder of a brave new world to explore, the game quickly grows stale once the structure of it becomes readily apparent.
Better than players could have ever hoped for, Final Fantasy VII Remake strikes a fantastic, resonant chord that will leave long time fans and newbies alike wholly satisfied.
'Spider-Man: Turf Wars' is a middle of the road expansion of one of the year's best games. Lacking in anything new or exciting to draw players back in, 'Turf Wars' skips the opportunity to either resolve plot points or do right by its characters.
Even with the ghostly pale of an unfinished game hovering over it, the second episode of The Walking Dead: The Final Season is still among Telltale's finest work. Here's hoping they get a chance to release the remaining two episodes.
The first episode of Life is Strange 2 is impressive in both the small changes it makes to the formula of the original game, and the influences it allows from our current tumultuous news cycle. Though it may not bowl you over, it is certainly an excellent start to this new episodic series.