In a stellar year of top-tier releases, sequels, and new IPs, I didn’t expect Alan Wake II to rank as highly on my personal top game list as it does now, and while we’ve still got a couple months to go, I’m fairly confident that Alan Wake II is going to be my personal game of the year.
I’ve absolutely loved playing through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and I’m happy to say that Square Enix once again delivered with this release. It’s a fantastic follow-up to Remake that expands the world of Final Fantasy VII even more, and it’s a sequel that shouldn’t be missed. Whether you’re a hardcore Final Fantasy VII fan, or someone that came on board via the Remake, you won’t be disappointed.
I would absolutely recommend checking out Voidwrought when you get a chance. It’s a fantastic Metroidvania with some inventive abilities, and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at a fairly tight 10 hours or so depending on how thorough you are with finding everything. I was really happy with the game overall, and if you have any affinity for these types of games, then I think you will be too.
Bionic Bay is easily one of the best games I’ve played this year. It’s a fantastic platforming experience with a super unique visual style that’s constantly throwing new puzzles and ideas at you throughout the campaign.
Basically, if you own a Vita, you should own Tearaway. For me, it's the best piece of software the handheld has seen to date, and it's the best Sony release since The Last of Us. It's a remarkably interesting, charming and emotional platformer from Media Molecule, and it shows that this studio is capable of more than just Little Big Planet. While this is certainly one of the busiest video game seasons in recent years, you should take a little time out of your next-gen schedule to experience a modern-day classic.
If you’re like me, and were initially a little lukewarm on Cyberpunk 2077, then definitely give Phantom Liberty and the new 2.0 patch a shot. It makes for a much better experience overall, and the Phantom Liberty storyline is a blast to playthrough. This gives me a lot of hope for what the next entry in this series will end up being, and has reignited my interest in a possible follow-up in a way that I didn’t think was possible.
It’s a fantastic first-person (or third-person if you prefer) puzzler with a really compelling narrative hook to push it all along.
While there’s no shortage of 2D platformers in a variety of forms nowadays, few manage to catch the whimsical, animated look that Promenade does so well. It’s a beautiful looking game, and as an added plus it’s actually fun to play, making it a platforming adventure you absolutely should not miss.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend checking out Dragon’s Dogma 2, whether it’s a game you’ve been anticipating for the past 12 years, or you’re just curious as to what all the hype is about. It’s an extremely fun RPG in a year that’s already seen a number of excellent RPG’s, which is really saying something when you look back at what’s come out since January. Definitely give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s surprising that it took this long to see a sequel, but I think fans will agree this is a follow-up that was worth the wait.
It’s a wild ride that I think any action fan will enjoy, whether you’re in love with the world of Warhamer 40,000 or just looking for a fun time that involves blowing lots of stuff up. Definitely check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
All three of the original DS games hold up extremely well, and M2’s track record with excellent classic ports remains intact here. Absolutely pick this up when you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
Ara: History Untold is definitely attempting to create some new space in the 4X strategy genre, and overall I’ve really enjoyed my time with it. It certainly has the whole “just one more turn!” thing going for it that most Civ games have, and once you get started you’ll likely have a pretty tough time putting it down.
I’ve really enjoyed my time with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, outside of the somewhat slow start early on. Once the game opens up, there’s a lot of things to discover, and I greatly enjoyed the characters, voice acting, and just the overall presentation of the game throughout. It’s a huge step forward for BioWare at this point, and shows some promise for whatever they have in store for us next. Definitely check it out when you get the chance, you won’t be disappointed.
If you’ve been wanting to see more real-life Williams tables represented in Pinball FX, this is another really great pack of games that’s well worth checking out. If you’ve never played Banzai Run or Earthshaker! before, then you’re certainly in for a treat.
My overall impression of Cookie Cutter is that it’s an excellent Metroidvania and certainly one of the best to be released in recent years. The Overkill Edition on Nintendo Switch looks and runs great, and while I have little doubt that more powerful systems make Cookie Cutter even more visually appealing, the Switch is no slouch at maintaining the 60 FPS you want for this style of game, and in handheld mode you’ll be pretty impressed with how great the game looks. I’d highly suggest checking Cookie Cutter: Overkill Edition out whenever you have the chance, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s an absolute blast to play through, with impressive visuals, an appropriately metal soundtrack, and some really wild set-pieces that deserve to be seen. Absolutely pick this one up when you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s an amazing adventure that feels more like Indiana Jones than the film series has in quite some time, which is definitely an accomplishment. Absolutely pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed.
I absolutely recommend checking out Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. It’s a great RPG with a lot of elements that come together really well, allowing you to focus on various professions that are sure to cater towards a variety of gaming tastes.
I really enjoyed my time with Tropico 5. As a total package, it's a great starting point for new players. Gameplay mechanics like diplomacy have been simplified, so it's pretty easy to understand for newcomers. It'll help to have some working knowledge of similar sim titles, but even without that background, the campaign does a great job of easing you into the basic functions of city-building. The simplification isn't always in the best interest of the game, as I found when attempting to stave off exports of much-needed resources. While trade routes are a great addition, not being able to have direct control over which goods I export and import was often problematic. Issues like this are few and far between with Tropico 5, making it an overall positive and very fun experience.