At this point, I can say Meet Your Maker’s raids provided decent tooth-gritting satisfaction, and building my own Outpost deathtraps was simple, devious fun. I’m just not sure if Meet Your Maker’s building tools have the necessary versatility to give the game long-term legs, particularly when combined with limiting mechanics that make more elaborate Outposts a chore to complete. I hope to be surprised, but if the game can’t attract a dedicated community of talented creators, Meet Your Maker may find itself at the pearly gates before too long.
The makers of MLB The Show 23 clearly heard the complaints about a lack of fresh features in recent entries, as this year’s game offers up the new exciting and enlightening Storylines mode as well as significant tweaks and improvements to Franchise, March to October, and Diamond Dynasty. A lack of innovation when it comes to core gameplay keeps this year’s title from being a true home run, but it’s at least a strong double.
The new Resident Evil 4 is well worth it for fans of the series, just keep your hopes slightly in check and you won’t be spin-kicked by inflated expectations.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon’s restrained tone and quirky dual-character mechanics won’t immediately connect with everyone, but you owe it to yourself to give the game a chance. Bayonetta Origins eventually comes into its own in a big way, delivering escalating action, compelling character development, and expertly-executed fan-pleasing moments en route to a satisfying finale. This tale of friendship is the perfect companion for Bayonetta 3 and may even win over those who haven’t been bewitched by the franchise in the past.
WWE 2K23 is the best entry this long-suffering franchise has put out in nearly a decade, offering mechanically-sound action, a pair of satisfying MyRise career mode storylines, and a handful of other well-executed, if limited, additions like WarGames. WWE 2K23’s gameplay and presentation could still use some further polish and not all of its modes are must plays, but for the first time in a long time it feels like this series’ star is on the rise, even if it hasn’t achieved main-event status yet.
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is one of Nintendo’s more expansive “Deluxe” Switch repackaging efforts, offering a slick visual makeover and a slate of new content. That said, all the additions don’t really raise Kirby’s Return to Dream Land above its status as a fun yet somewhat unremarkable game from one of the pink guy’s less ambitious eras. There’s plenty of charm on display here and younger players are likely to enjoy themselves, but this wisp of a game can only be puffed up so much.
Octopath Traveler II plays it safe when it comes to its core gameplay, offering a handful of small positive tweaks that don’t entirely make up for returning problems like clumsy party management and battles that take too long to wrap up. Thankfully, the game also takes a big, confident step forward in terms of writing, offering a cast of well-wrought, interesting characters and a vividly-detailed world you won’t soon forget. Octopath Traveler II may have the same old engine under the hood, but the road trip it takes you on is well worth experiencing.
The new Dead Space is a mostly-successful revival of a survival horror landmark, offering atmospheric new visuals and a series of precision updates to combat, level layouts, and the game’s scary bits that ought to surprise and excite veteran engineers. That said, there was room for Motive Studio to push ever further, as some game elements still feel a bit dated. Dead Space should satisfy long-suffering fans of the franchise, but compared to the latest, greatest AAA horror competition, it’s no longer a cut above.
Season: A letter to the future offers plenty of moments of low-key beauty and, at its best, makes you truly feel part of a unique and enigmatic world on the verge of great upheaval. Unfortunately, the game’s abrupt ending and reluctance to make meaningful statements about the subjects it brings up may leave you questioning what it all meant. While an often-pleasant slice of virtual tourism, as a complete game this one feels a bit underseasoned.
Fire Emblem Engage’s story is derivative JRPG nonsense and its social elements are skippable, but the game’s battlefield heroics largely make up for its shortcomings. Classic Fire Emblem combat mechanics make their welcome return here and are nicely elevated by the new Engage system and a slate of varied, surprisingly-challenging maps. Fire Emblem Engage won’t be everybody’s favorite entry in the series, but it should be a critical hit with many seasoned generals.
Dragon Quest Treasures offers plenty of charm, solid core mechanics, and a certain slot-machine-style appeal, but fortune favors the bold, and the game holds back in too many ways. Unremarkable visuals, simplistic combat, and the eventual repetitive feeling of treasure hunting limit the experience. Younger players and hardcore fans of the franchise may still covet Dragon Quest Treasures, but the game could have truly sparkled with a bit more polish.
Need for Speed Unbound is the franchise’s best entry in a decade, although the competition for that title wasn't particularly stiff. The game offers polished tech, good (if slightly dated) open-world design, and a varied array of events and challenges, but still lags behind the current open-world racer pack leaders. The fantasy of becoming an underground racing champ is also hampered by a restrictive, ill-considered progression system. Nostalgic fans will find plenty to like here, and more general players might want to consider a test drive once the game is marked down, but “need” may be a strong word to attach to Criterion’s latest.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet largely deliver the open-world RPG experience fans barely dared dream of for decades, with a huge, lively map and a surprisingly-engaging trio of stories nicely complementing the franchise’s rock-solid core mechanics. Yes, the game has more than its share of technical issues, but its shortcomings are largely cosmetic and the folks most excited to play probably aren’t going to be that bothered about its pixel count or performance. This Pokémon may be humble-looking, but it brings the fight where it counts.
Ship of Fools offers some spirited couch co-op fun and could be a good way to introduce the concept of roguelites to more casual players. Unfortunately, a lack of variety and depth eventually pokes holes in this boat’s hull. Don't be afraid to pick up Ship of Fools if you’re just looking for a pleasure cruise with friends, but you shouldn't expect an epic sea odyssey.
Pentiment won’t be for everyone. It’s bookish, sometimes a bit dry, and demands you take its questions about the nature of religion, art, and other heady subjects seriously if you want to get the most out of its narrative. If that sounds like your sort of thing, you can look forward to a rich, well-researched world you'll truly feel a part of and a fantastic story that serves up numerous memorable, moving twists and turns. Pentiment will leave an indelible mark on you if you just give it a chance.
The Chant offers a far-out setting, unique upgrade system, and some vintage charm, but restrictive level design, listless combat, and dingy visuals strike a sour note. While old-school survival horror fans may find The Chant appealing, wider audiences probably won’t be drinking the Kool-Aid.
Bayonetta 3 is the series’ best entry yet, offering an engaging universe-hopping story, bombastic cinematic moments, and refined action that’s both accessible and deeper than ever before.
The best thing you can say about New Tales from the Borderlands is that it makes you appreciate just how good the folks at Telltale Games were at what they did. While Gearbox’s latest is more technically impressive than Telltale’s series, stale, irritating characters, a slapdash plot, and choices that don’t feel like they matter turn the game’s brief runtime into a slog. These Tales are new, but they’re definitely not improved.
Return to Monkey Island ably delivers the charm, humor, and sharp puzzles the series is known for, while offering a few tweaks to make things less intimidating for new crew members. A reluctance to try anything too daring in terms of design or storytelling dampens the proceedings a bit, but longtime Monkey Island fans ought to enjoy the voyage even if the series’ sails are getting a bit well-worn.
NBA 2K23 builds on last year’s rock-solid entry with some well-considered on-court changes, a deeper, more satisfying career mode, and an array of accessible nostalgia-tweaking content. Most refreshingly, almost none of these additions are designed to push extra spending. If Visual Concepts stays hungry, NBA 2K23 could be the beginning of a new dynasty that would do its cover star proud.