Front Mission 2 Remake delivers on both the gameplay and writing fronts. While it has some pacing issues in its story, the gameplay remains consistently fun and engaging.
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai offers frenetic and surprisingly action RPG gameplay that is weighed down by mobile-style progression and a pointless story format.
Assassin's Creed Mirage digs deep to return to its roots, but loses what made it so great in the process with messy climbing and an unnecessary story.
Eternights relies a bit too much on taking inspiration from other games like Persona 5 to carve out its own identity.
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is a charming package of two remastered musical PS1 JRPGs.
WrestleQuest is a surprising blend of WWE-style wrestling and a JRPG, making for an impressively charming game.
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie is a fascinating culmination of most main characters' stories while paving the way for the future.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War brings the series back to the start in a much-needed way. Treyarch proves yet again that it is the king of multiplayer, providing exceptional, genre-defining gameplay along with a decent mix of new maps and modes that help with the lack of Zombies content. And Raven Software takes the single player campaign in a different direction that stumbles a bit in execution but lays the foundation for games to come.
If Assassin's Creed Valhalla is an indication of the direction the series is going in from here, I'm all in. Valhalla sheds light on the Viking era in a distinctly hopeful way with fantastically written characters and story arcs that feel like you're bingeing an excellent show. The gameplay is at its finest, too, brilliantly balancing stealth and combat in equal measure. If it weren't for an overwhelming number of frustrating bugs and the lack of quality side content, this could have been the best Assassin's Creed yet.
Hades is a shining example of what the roguelike genre can be. The combat is fast and frenetic with an unbelievable number of options to tailor Zagreus' fighting style to your liking. Though the story isn't remarkable, everything else is in this gorgeous must-play indie title on Nintendo Switch.
Longtime players won't find much to enjoy in this barely changed version of last year's entry.
I couldn't help but find myself feeling like a kid again while playing Ni no Kuni 2. The switch from turn-based to real-time action is a smart move, keeping gameplay consistently fresh and exciting.
While it is certainly one of the most accessible RTS games I've ever played, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition does feel too outdated for newcomers. Unintelligent AI, monotony, and unbalanced gameplay hold it back from competing with modern strategy games out right now. That isn't to say there isn't fun to be had for fans, as the extensive map editors and online multiplayer are its saving graces.
With the new timeline and improvements, this is the best way to experience this unforgettable game. It will have you laughing, crying, and thinking about it long after you complete Stocke's journey. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology isn't just the true successor to Chrono Trigger; it's one of the greatest JRPG's ever made.
Here's hoping that Tokyo RPG Factory's next project takes that gameplay design and applies it to a heartfelt story that doesn't feel like it was assembled on a conveyor belt.
More skills, a new battle mode, and the addition of 80 new Digimon make Hacker's Memory worth the investment for anyone that's a fan of the series. It appreciates your love for the show, offering the most complete and enjoyable Digimon game to date.
Underneath a relatively simplistic JRPG design lies a unique and smart game that was far ahead of its time when it first released in 1993. Romancing SaGa 2 eschews the typical story of a hero saving the world in order to tell the tale of an entire empire across several generations.
Resident Evil Revelations Collection brings two survival horror games to Switch with a host of problems, including some absolutely terrifying loading times. It's a shame because both games work so well in handheld mode. Whether it's running for your life on a desolated cruise ship or island, this Collection offers some of the best moments from the entire Resident Evil series if you're willing to sacrifice the technical quality.
For those that have never tried this fourth Ace Attorney game, there is no reason not to pick up Apollo Justice. The riveting story is much more serious and emotional, the cases will shock and surprise you, and the soundtrack and cast of characters new and old are absolutely unforgettable.