A simple control scheme concession elevates this new version of Skyward Sword from simple HD remaster to essential playing for anyone that dismissed the original for its love affair with waggle. Here's a top-tier 3D Zelda, freed of its shake-to-win shackles and ready to be appreciated anew for its timeless tale and awesome adventuring.
Mario Golf Super Rush is competent, and it shows flashes of creativity in its Speed Golf and Battle Golf modes, but the package ultimately loses momentum a little too quickly. Still, with friends it's a blast, so if you've got a good group of friends that're ready to don some plaid plumber's overalls you're in luck.
As part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade package or at a small cost on top of the free base game upgrade, the Yuffie-centric EPISODE INTERmission is a nice chunk of compelling new content to keep fans going in the absence of the next big title. It's not a radical departure, and it would've been nice to get a proper glimpse of some new locales, but what's here is still largely entertaining. Impressively, it manages to squeeze a nicely-paced and climactic experience out of its abridged RPG format. Plus, Yuffie is just too entertaining and likeable to not deserve a bit of the spotlight.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a fine enough remaster if you have fond memories of the original. It looks and sounds great, but stumbles in its translation and will likely do more to frustrate newcomers than convince them the Master System classic was any good.
Some minor missed opportunities aside this Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is an unforgettable, unbelievably gorgeous and downright addictive game and easily the best entry in the fan-favourite franchise. For all of its jaw-dropping visuals, industry-leading design and writing packed with heart and humour it succeeds on first and foremost being a really good time. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the most fun I've had with a DualSense in my hand and it stands as the best current reason to own a PS5.
Biomutant's weird and wonderful world is a treat to take in, even when its diverse gameplay elements don't always hit the mark. If you're looking for a fresh and furry take on open-world RPGs and don't mind a little jank, this might be just the ticket.
Judgment on the new generation of consoles might not be a must-play for anyone who already enjoyed it on the PS4, but it's absolutely the best way to play the game and still represents a fantastic jumping off point for anyone keen to dip their toes into the Yakuza franchise. Playing as Yagami feels better than ever at 60FPS, and Kamurocho and its many faces come alive with improved detail and a fantastic new lighting treatment. There's no argument here: Judgment is a winner, case closed.
It's probably not going to win over haters of the original, but for returning fans or those who jumped in at Automata this is a fantastic update to a cult classic game that also happens to bring with it some very exciting new surprises.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is a big, beautiful puzzle platformer with the spirit of Abe's adventures intact and some interesting new ideas, but it's all very quickly undone by imprecise controls, tedious level design and a shocking lack of polish. Oddworld fans will definitely want to check it out, but they may be better off waiting for a few more updates before investing their time, and even then might come away just a tad disappointed.
A fun, gorgeous platforming romp that makes great use of its split screen-only twist in both gameplay and narrative. Hazelight proves that co-op lightning can definitely strike twice.
A unique, thoughtful narrative puzzler with a mind-bending recursive twist that succeeds by focusing more on evoking its themes than unpacking them. Some minor lapses in polish aside it's a short, sharp hit of emotion and wonder that should be on every indie puzzler fan's list.
Without straying too far from the formula set by its predecessors, Bravely Default II proves there's still life left in old-school JRPG ideals with challenging and addictive combat and some beautiful sights and sounds. Its punishing nature might put some players off, but the satisfaction of mastering its systems is well worth the time and effort.
Playing Persona 5 Strikers is like being blessed with a reunion special of a beloved series that ended years ago. It feels different, perhaps through a new lens or just more timely, but the characters you grew to cherish are all back for one last, terrific adventure. Omega Force's influence is clear, but the game walks a confident line between the traditional Persona format and a musou spin-off. If you're a fan, do yourself a favour and don't sleep on this – Strikers is one hell of a road trip that deserves to be considered a proper sequel.
Little Nightmares II doesn't break the mould established by its predecessor but it improves on it in a number of small ways while introducing fans to a new cast of creepy characters to be kept up at night by
As a next-gen update then, Control does a decent job of taking advantage of both the power and unique features of the new generation of consoles, especially if you happen to be playing on a PlayStation 5. While the ray-traced effects might not make this a must-replay, it’s still a far better and (crucially) more stable experience than the game has ever been on consoles, not to mention the joy of playing with the 60fps option instead. At the end of the day Control is a game worth checking out for the first or fifth time, so now’s a better time than ever to get on that.
This sequel to an already-decent entry in the Atelier franchise makes improvements in just about every area, giving fans good reason to reunite with Ryza and pals for another alchemy-filled adventure
I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the majority of my time in Night City but for every step forward, the game takes one or two back. And then clips through the floor, and blames it on a woman. And then crashes.
Immortals is more than just a fun open-world with slick combat and massive Breath of the Wild vibes, it's also a superbly written and legitimately funny take on Greek mythology. This is one of Ubisoft's best games in years
If you never got to experience DropMix, this is an even better extension of Harmonix' incredible mixing technology, just be prepared to invest serious time and dollars to get the full experience
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is the hessian hero's best outing yet. Tighter platforming controls and a fresh perspective go a long way to reinvigorating the franchise, and it helps that the whole thing is positively stuffed with charm from beginning to end. Levels that feel lonely when played solo, and worse, levels that aren't accessible at all in single player dampen the experience, but not enough for platforming fans to dismiss it. If you've just brought home a shiny new PlayStation 5 there's also a lot here to showcase what the console is capable of in both visuals and the user experience, making it well worth considering as part of your launch library. Viva la Sackboy!