TJ Denzer's Reviews
I say this without reservations: Resident Evil 4 remake improves upon a masterpiece in ways that will make it hard to go back to the original. It might very well be the most perfect horror-action game I’ve ever played.
Between the Heat System, Special Style controls, a healthy roster and more, Tekken 8 has set the stage for a glorious new era of the fighting franchise.
From its robust art to its meaningful character progression, we fail to remember a game that has ever delivered a package of goods so beautiful and complete as Owlboy has done.
Dark Souls III feels more like an extension of Dark Souls II mixed with a few fresh lessons learned from Bloodborne to create a richer and more powerful overall experience.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is no ordinary remake. It simplifies what needed to be simplified, expands what needed to be expanded, and runs in the smoothest of fashion without any hiccup whatsoever.
That Dragon, Cancer is a difficult thing to approach. It is barely meant to be fun. It is dark and occasionally deeply disturbing, but that's because it has to be. It is also full of hope and love.
Though there are a few wrinkles in the fabric of Blood and Wine, it delivers a final chapter unlike any you’ve seen before.
We’ll come out and say it: Darksiders Genesis feels a lot like some of our favorite parts of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games mixed with Darksiders tone and puzzle-solving.
Media Molecule made me feel like I opened Photoshop for the first time again, but this time I feel ready to learn all of its tricks and make something amazing, and I sincerely hope others will take the journey to do the same and make the Dreams network a vast universe of creativity.
Even though I thought I knew exactly what I was walking into, it still found ways to surprise and delight me constantly. Its challenge is unending and the ceiling for the best players will likely be raised for a good long time.
Whether you’re new to John Cooper and his bounty-hunting gang or an old hand on the quickdraw, Desperados 3 may be one of the most fleshed out mixes of challenging, accommodating, and satisfying tactical strategy experiences around, Western or otherwise.
With a grand number of game modes, maps, and interesting characters with unique abilities alongside their personalized explosives, Rocket Arena certainly has more than enough personality to set itself from the pack.
All things considered, Crusader Kings 3 is perhaps one of the most immersive and flexible strategy games ever put together.
Whether you’re looking for a challenging action game or just want to enjoy a beautifully illustrated and orchestrated story, Hades might be my preferred recommendation for romps through Hell.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a solid return to form for Frictional. It has everything I’ve come to expect from the folks behind SOMA and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but ups the horror game in meaningful ways appropriate to this particular entry.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a game no Zelda or Musou fan should pass up.
Monster Hunter Rise was beyond anything I expected. The tried and true grind of Monster Hunter's giant beast battles is alive and performing exceedingly well for the Switch’s hardware. Its formula is also thoughtfully augmented with Palamutes, Wirebugs, and Wyvern Riding, all of which I’d love to see stay in the series after this game.
Cozy Grove is a very different kind of life sim. It’s so cheerful on the surface, but underneath the bark is a process of patience and of letting go the things holding one back or keeping them tethered in a difficult spot. I think for as fast-paced, hectic, and chaotic as our lives often get, there’s something a lot of players could take away from Cozy Grove, and the daily journey with this game makes it more than worthwhile if you’ve got the time and resolve to keep coming back.
The combat is visceral and vibrant, the environments are splendid and mysterious, and the story had decent enough oomph to keep me involved throughout. I wish this was an overall scarier game, but it’s still a thrilling one nonetheless.
It’s been such an incredibly long road for Guilty Gear. I actually cried in joy when Guilty Gear Xrd was first announced, bringing proper 2D fighting back under the reins Arc System Works. With Strive, my heart still fluttered, but for more than just getting a new fighting game in this franchise I so love. I marvel at what it means for fighting games as a whole. Guilty Gear Strive is a whole new level of beast. It represents the most visually gorgeous, the most full-featured, and the most technically sound that modern 2D fighting games have to offer, and anything that hopes to compete with it has quite the work cut out for it.