What looks like a harmless return to the Bubsy franchise quickly becomes a clear lesson in laziness. Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back takes no time to show how little effort was put into a simple platformer. From the controls to the overall spirit of the game, it's hard to recommend anyone try it out, even at its “low” price.
Detective Pikachu takes several steps away from the traditional Pokémon experience, with only a handful paying off. The beautiful imagery and distinct world-building will please any Pokémon fan, but the gameplay might leave them wanting more. While the point-and-click-style experience is a novel idea for the gameplay, it never manages to fully grab the player's attention.
While the Dynasty Warriors style of gameplay appropriately sits front and center in Fire Emblem Warriors, the lack of genre melding with an RPG is disappointing. Players will enter into each battle with plenty of chances to smash buttons and oggle at Fire Emblem characters destroying one another, but the heart of the tactical RPG franchise doesn't make a proper appearance. Too bad, too, because this might have been a wasted opportunity to really experiment with the musou genre.
Pikmin fans hoping for the next evolution in the franchise will have to wait for another attempt, as Hey! Pikmin is an enjoyable, but vastly simple experience that doesn't live up to its namesake.
Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood offers two of the best experiences from the long-running Castlevania series in one convenient package. While both games still hold up extremely well, the collection as a whole doesn't introduce anything new to fans, making it feel like nothing more than a slapped together port. Still, both titles are worth the time of fans and newcomers.
Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido has all of the trademarks of an inventive Nintendo title, including its odd but bold story, memorable characters, and easy to pick up gameplay. Unfortunately, once you bite into it, the experience isn't as developed as it could have been. There's an attempt to expand on the action-puzzler format, and while some of the choices work, there are some ingredients that make the entire meal less than satisfying.
Lienzo's Mulaka is an equally engaging and frustrating experience. The action-adventure game excels in its efforts to teach players unfamiliar with the Tarahumara people about the community's culture through a beautiful narrative and exploration mechanics. However, the action aspect needs to be completely overhauled, as it offers enough issues to turn off prospective players.
Sonic Forces mashes together everything from Sonic's history, from 2D/3D mechanics to over-the-top action spectacle pieces. The new customizable hero feature breathes fresh life into the franchise, but the 3D gameplay it uses overpowers the game's attempt to combine what has made the different eras of Sonic work.
Devolver Digital and Onebitbeyond's action RPG, The Swords of Ditto, isn't a complete reinvention of the roguelike subgenre, but it has enough modern twists and artistic charm to stand out. Players new to such games might have trouble jumping in, though, as a few important mechanics of the subgenre aren't explained as well as they should have been.
Tekken 7, the latest entry in the long-running franchise, delivers what fighting genre fans love about multiplayer battles, but there isn't enough new material to make it truly stand out from the increasingly competitive options in the fighting genre.
Sabotage Studio's debut title, The Messenger, is an impressive evolution for the platforming genre. It takes risks that at times work in its favor but also create frustrating mechanics for players to look past. The melding of 8-bit and 16-bit aesthetics into a love letter for the NES era of platformers is nothing short of genius, but the style outweighs the gameplay in some areas, including the difficulty level.
While it took longer than it ever should to fix its mistakes, Bungie's new expansion for Destiny 2, Forsaken, is a massive leap forward. Guardians can finally experience a story that packs an emotional punch and several reworked features that make general gameplay epic. However, it also divides players with its endgame progression, forcing them to choose between becoming a dedicated daily player or someone that can only enjoy a small portion of what it has to offer.
A Way Out hearkens back to the days of couch co-op, placing players in the shoes of two criminals who must solve puzzles and support one another to escape. The game's emotional drama runs alongside its silly undertone, making for a game that's both moving and, at times, unintentionally hilarious.
In Ever Oasis, melding a city-builder with a hack and slash adventure has never looked more adorable. While visually and narratively enticing, the Animal Crossing meets Zelda concept is never fully satisfying, instead giving brief joy to specific types of players, and begging for a sequel to bring every genre together perfectly.
Destiny 2 is a more polished version of what Bungie created in the first game through simple tweaks and reworks, with the key word being simple. It plays well, invites new players in seamlessly, and honors the fans that have kept the series afloat. However, despite its efforts to be a triumphant propelling of the shooter/RPG genre into a new frontier, the sequel feels more like an update on mechanics that should have been there from the start.
Drinkbox Studios' Guacamelee! 2 brings back the colorful lands of the living and the dead, but this time around, there's more of a focus on challenging platforming. It's all about Juan's new Pollo powers, which provide new ways to obliterate enemies or traverse around them. It doesn't revolutionize the series or knock other recent platformers out of the water, but Gucamelee!'s sequel is a tight, well-constructed adventure that knows how to crack a joke.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is the remastered collection that longtime fans deserve and the means to get newcomers interested in the purple dragon’s adventures. Toys for Bob has captured the spirit of the original three entries in the platforming series, popped in a few helpful updates, and created a beautiful visual landscape that gives new life to Spyro’s early journeys. The long load times and past mistakes from the original developers still pop up, but there’s no denying that this remastered trilogy is Spyro’s triumphant return.
Devolver Digital's Crossing Souls isn't afraid to wear its love for the 80's on its sleeve, but thankfully, there's more to the story on top of it. While it isn't without its missteps, using interesting and unique gameplay elements, diverse locations, and well-rounded characters, the arcade adventure game will give both modern and retro gamers something to enjoy.
Mega Man fans will either love or hate returning to the later entries from the franchise found in Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, but the new Challenges will give any player a run for their money and should be worth checking out.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 are the perfect way for returning fans to revisit the entire X franchise. The classic 2D and 3D platforming games are just as addictive as ever, and the new X Challenges bring a new set of trials for seasoned players to tackle. Newcomers are also welcome with the Rookie Hunter mode, making these collections the definitive way to experience the franchise.