Aside from a handful of “eh” songs and the seemingly frivolous Arcade mode, I’d almost go so far as to call this the perfect rhythm game for home console.
Overall, Hitman 2 is an incredible game marred by the inclusion of a confusing and hollow story. However, the story is definitely not necessary to get enjoyment out of this title. The way the game is built allows practically anyone to have a great time executing stages and targets in their own way.
The game is budget priced at $14.99 at the time of writing, which may still be a bit steep for such a short game. Despite that complaint, Gunvolt Chronicles is just simply a fun game to play, and is very much worth your time. I would recommend playing the baseline Azure Striker Gunvolt games first if you care at all about the world and lore that’s expanded on here, though.
Between the integration of RPG and platforming mechanics and the downright beautiful presentation, I can easily say that this game is one of the best that I’ve had the pleasure to play this year. The only thing keeping it from being perfect is that its battle design can become repetitive and boring if you let it.
As someone who’s long figured that the Atelier franchise just isn’t for me, Atelier Ryza comes as a huge surprise. It seemed like Gust had been resting on its laurals for so long, pumping out these feel-good low-stakes cute girl games year after year that just didn’t interest me. Ryza, though, shows that they’re willing to change things up and do something new.
Overall, I can see why this game continues to receive updates and ports even eight years after its original release. Jamestown+ is an incredibly well-polished and engaging experience, offering up both a great entry point to the bullet hell genre and a satisfying challenge to veterans.
Despite some weird framerate issues during cutscenes in both games, Bayonetta and Vanquish are both well worth your time (although I’d personally lean toward Bayonetta more if I was forced to pick between the two). If you don’t mind the occasional difficulty spike, and especially if you’ve never played either title before, this dual-pack release is definitely worth picking up.
Overall I feel it was worth the experience, and I’m looking forward to replaying the game in the near future. If you’re down with often crass humor and underground music, Freedom Finger is a game that should be on your radar.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII Remake is a stunning game and absolutely worth your time, so long as you go into it with an open mind and don’t expect it to stubbornly adhere to a nearly 25-year-old tale. I, for one, am rabidly excited to see where future entries will take this story.
Overall, Necrobarista is just a plain wonderful experience. The story is entertaining with powerful moments, the characters feel fleshed out and realistic (or as realistic as the plot allows for), and the presentation is stunning (although the character design may not be attractive to some).
Even with these issues, though, 13 Sentinels is an absolute must play, especially for those seeking a good narrative in gaming. This is the kind of story that’s going to stick in my mind for weeks to come, and easily stands up with some of the best stories I’ve experienced in any medium.
For SRPG fans clamoring for games of a more “classic” style, this title comes highly recommended, especially with the replayability afforded to it through its custom campaign options. I know for sure I’ll be loading this up on the regular for a long time to come.
Inscryption is an amazingly well-put-together piece of work. The atmosphere presented…well, I’ve already doted on it multiple times. And I’ll do so again: it’s unsettling, occasionally oppressive, and always keeps the player on their toes. It could easily carry the work on its own, but luckily the card game mechanics are solid and sound as well. It’s easy to pick up, but with a ton of variables to allow customization and multiple viable approaches to the challenges provided.
Stellar and surprisingly customizable combat, a masterfully written and engaging storyline, and a beautiful audio visual presentation. It's nearly a complete package, but with a few annoyances that keep it from being a perfect game. That said, even with those frustrations in mind, Final Fantasy XVI is an absolute return to form for the mainline franchise, and easily a reason to get yourself a PlayStation 5 if you've yet to.
If you can deal with the game's difficulty, which isn't off putting but not exactly new player friendly, Abyss Odyssey is definitely a game worth a shot.
If you are looking for a heartwarming and occasionally tragic story, Clannad couldn't come any more highly recommended. I would say to be prepared for a bit of a slow burn, though…this is quite a long game with a strong focus on slice-of-life antics.
The game has been around for a few years now, but if you haven’t had the chance to pick it up, this Switch port is definitely an opportunity you don’t want to pass up.
While I can't speak for the fighting game specialists or professionals out there, for the general gaming public, Nitroplus Blasterz is definitely a title that's worth a look.
If you’re a fan of the series, or have ever had a passing interest, Estival Versus is definitely a title to check out. If you’re not, the game still provides enough mindless beat-em-up fun that makes it worth a second glance. If you’re averse to blatant fanservice, though, you may want to stay far away.
Etrian Mystery Dungeon is not a game that I would recommend to everyone due to its occasionally high difficulty and style of gameplay.