Miguel Moran's Reviews
Poison Control has some of my favourite art and character designs from any game this year, but that isn't anywhere near enough to carry the entire experience. The dual-character combat system is a fresh and stylish idea, but it isn't executed very well. Clunky movement and repetitive combat end up holding back this otherwise stylish and unique new game from Nippon Ichi Software.
The Ancient Gods Part 2 is an insanely fun ending to the saga of the Doom Slayer. While the narrative aspect of the DLC is a little underwhelming, what really matters is that I got to fight two high-speed buffed Marauders at once. Doom Eternal rocks.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is a great new direction for the series. It's weird and unexpected, but it's a breath of fresh-air compared to the familiar territory the last few games have been treading. There's a massive amount of love for vtuber culture in this game and it helps lift up the fun and refreshing story. It's a shame that the combat couldn't reach the same highs as the rest of the game, but while it's a major wrinkle, it doesn't ruin the entire experience. Any hardcore vtuber fan needs to play this game, and some clunky combat won't change that.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the most ambitious Ys game to date, delivering a larger focus on narrative and a much more involved and organic world to explore. The game stumbles under its ambitions a bit, with a slow opening chapter and a consistently struggling framerate. Despite those issues, though, this is easily one of the best entries in the long-running franchise, and while veteran fans will get a lot out of the callbacks sprinkled throughout the game, newcomers are still in for one of the best action RPGs of the year.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is a significant shift for the series, being the first-ever direct sequel with a returning protagonist in all of Atelier. While this isn't a perfect entry point for newcomers, Atelier Ryza 2 builds on every aspect of the previous game flawlessly. Even with some minor hiccups, the immersive exploration systems and addictive combat are top-notch. The gorgeous visuals and comfy music are just as much of a delight, but the best piece of the puzzle is the relatable narrative about growth and friendship that I won't soon forget. A highlight of the Atelier series, and an absolute must-play.
Root Double: Before Crime * After Days Xtend Edition is a stellar story full of incredible twists and well-explored themes. It's just a shame that it hits a few bumps as it gets to those moments. Mind-numbing exposition dumps, vague narrative decisions, and some inconsistent pacing sour the experience a fair bit. Even so, there's an incredibly memorable visual novel experience here as long as you've got the patience for some nagging issues.
Doom Eternal is one of my favourite games of this year, and Panic Button has outdone themselves in bringing this unforgettable FPS to the Nintendo Switch. There are some awkward nags like the clunky Joy-Con sticks and playing at 30fps that bring the experience down a bit, but I'm still beside myself over the fact that Doom Eternal manages to work on a Nintendo Switch. Is this the ultimate version of the game? Not by a long shot. But if you only have access to a Switch or you've been dying to bring this game on the go, you'll still have the time of your life.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack delivers an all-ages RPG adventure that I couldn't help but fall in love with. There are some clunky gameplay issues like awkward difficulty balancing and repetitive battle music, but at the end of the day, this is still one of the cutest and most creative music games I've ever played.
Does The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV have a great story that's a worthy capstone to a ten-year JRPG saga? No, it doesn't. As a standalone experience, it's an impenetrable mess of fizzled out character arcs and bloated cutscenes. Despite all that, Trails of Cold Steel IV has addictive gameplay, dope music, and gorgeous character designs. If you want a fun and grind-heavy JRPG with a wild amount of options and battles, but don't mind turning your brain off to ignore the story and glaze over poorly-written cutscenes, then this is one's for you.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 might be a hard sell if you already own the first game and aren't a die-hard fanatic. This release doesn't change up the entire formula but instead improves on nearly every aspect of the previous title with more characters, more modes, and a delightful new story mode. There are minor missteps like the half-baked Skill Battle mode, but the amount of addictive content on offer is still extremely impressive. If you never picked up Puyo Puyo Tetris, though, you owe it to yourself to grab this one.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory could have easily been a simple rhythm game with nothing but a huge set of Kingdom Hearts songs going for it. The fact that it goes out of its way to emulate the visuals of the series and recaps major story moments elevates it to something more. It's a shame that the new story elements of the game are held off until the very end, and that Kairi isn't even a playable character despite being on the cover of the dang game. Those issues alongside a surprising amount of missing Kingdom Hearts 3 music and a tacked-on item system add some awkward wrinkles to an otherwise magical, musical, melodic nostalgia trip for Kingdom Hearts die-hards.
Was Uppers worth the years-long wait to be able to play it in English? Probably not. Even as a fan of the titles Honey Parade Studios puts out, there's something disappointing about the way Uppers is too scared to fully commit to the gritty, hot-blooded front that it puts up. By having one foot in there and another firmly planted in the same-old T&A antics of the studio, it fails at truly capturing either aesthetic successfully. It's still a fun brawler with satisfying combat, and it looks amazing on PC, but there are plenty of areas where it could be improved on.
You owe it to yourself to play No More Heroes, and if you do, it needs to be on the Nintendo Switch.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has a lot going for it, from a fun and quirky protagonist to snappy combat and gorgeous visuals. Above all else, though, it's one of the most immersive and rewarding farming experiences in gaming. To slowly toil through each step of the process and eventually reap your rewards is a delight, and even if the combat encounters can sometimes become a frustrating chore, the slow process of cultivating the rice harvest is always a treat.
Fuser misses the mark on the sights and sounds of being a genuinely cool DJ, but it perfects the execution as a creative and experimental music game that goes as deep as your imagination will take you.
Watch Dogs Legion is a different type of sequel to Watch Dogs 2, contrasting in its approach to creating a hackable open world playground, but with no less impressive results. Playing as any citizen in London leads to some less-than-engaging story moments, but the web of relationships and activities that crop up as a result of the systemic design is mind-blowing. I rarely did the same thing twice in Watch Dogs Legion, and if I did, I wasn't doing it the same way twice. Watch Dogs Legion truly feels like a living, breathing world, and it's a world that I plan to revisit often, even though I've seen the credits on the main story roll.
Genshin Impact needs to be played to be believed. This is an addictive open-world adventure with gorgeous art and unique combat...and it's free! The character designs are sharp and beautiful, while the pastel-style world itself is full of jaw-dropping colour and natural vistas...and it's free! Sure, there's the admittedly stingy gacha system, but if you just want an immersive and peaceful world to climb and fly around in for hours, then Genshin Impact is for you.
Paradise Killer is a pure, unguided detective mystery that doesn't dare hold your hand. You, and you alone, are in charge of seeking out not only the truth of this locked room murder, but the truth of the wild and cosmically corrupt world that the game takes place in. The open ended nature of the investigation can be daunting at first, and while some clunky platforming and frequent periods of downtime can sour the experience just a bit, Paradise Killer still manages to be one of the most well put together and utterly satisfying mystery games I've ever experienced.
Despite abandoning the series' all-too-iconic red-haired hero, Ys Origin is one of the most memorable and enjoyable entries in the franchise. With multiple characters, incredibly tight controls, and rewarding unlockables and bonus modes, it's a perfect entry into the series for newcomers as well as an absolute treat for veteran Ys players. The lack of a map and the simple combat can sometimes be a bit of a frustration, but they're ultimately minor annoyances in an otherwise incredible old-school action RPG.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a must-play for fans of Japanese sci-fi adventures. Mixing the strengths of Vanillaware's art with time-travel adventures is a recipe for huge success. A story ambitious enough to have thirteen different protagonists seems bound for failure, yet the game manages to make each story not only incredibly impactful on its own, but adds up to a bigger, brighter and utterly unforgettable narrative. The addictive tactical gameplay that strings these story scenes together, despite a strange artstyle, is just icing on the already massive and delicious cake.