As a brand new IP, Scarlet Nexus succeeds as a worthwhile experience for curious action RPG fans and anime diehards. Its overall package offers a compelling storyline, a visually splendid presentation, strong English voice work, and a soundtrack full of enjoyable tunes.
Sonic Mania Plus is proof that nostalgia can be done right when it comes to the gaming heroes of the past.
There's not a whole lot of franchise innovation to speak of, but Dragon Quest XI still provides a sweeping journey worth completing.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise works well as a love letter to the manga/anime and Yakuza games that inspired it.
God Eater 3 is easily the best entry in Bandai Namco’s monster hunting franchise.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s promise of a triumphant return to the era of classic Castlevania has been fulfilled. Koji Igarashi and the developers at ArtPlay have crafted an engrossing side-scrolling Metroidvania title that’s powered by fun battle mechanics, a sense of deep exploration, and a strong story.
Curious players who’ve never touched a Yakuza game now have the perfect entry point to enjoy.
As far as fighting game reboots go, Samurai Shodown does a great job of pleasing its loyal fanbase and featuring new mechanics that change it for the better.
Control is a pretty impressive third-person action romp that’s held up by a far-out story, strong visuals/audio, and a reliance on telekinetic powers that make combat and exploration all the more interesting.
The return of GRID is largely a success. The racing itself stays fun throughout thanks to a clever Nemesis System, a nice variety of car classes and events that’ll keep you busy for months on end and a revised car handling model that caters to both types of racing game fans.
A few extra quality of live improvements would have made this collection even better, but it’s still worth a pickup in its finished state.
EA Sports UFC 4 attempts to right the wrongs of past entries and succeeds in the process. This sequel’s career mode is a far more enjoyable endeavor now that the Fighter Evolution and relationship systems have been added to its proceedings.
All in all, DiRT 5 excels as an arcade racer that feels like a natural evolution of DiRT 3 and DiRT: Showdown.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon largely succeeds at moving the series forward in a bold new direction. Kasuga and his band of unlikely heroes are incredibly interesting and make it so easy to care about their crazy antics. The new main locale is massive and plays host to so many compelling things to do. Getting wrapped up in everything Like a Dragon has to offer is worth it and you’ll easily pour 30+ hours into its captivating tale. The turn-based battle system works in parts, but its annoying character placement issues and faulty summons system keep it from being a total victory. Like a Dragon is still worth hopping into if you’re looking for an amazing parody of RPG tropes, however. It’s a Yakuza sequel that signals a bright future ahead for the beloved franchise.
Nier Replicant morphs into an engrossing and deeply affecting experience that puts forth a new and improved approach to combat worth mastering.
The extra characters/party members, skits, battle abilities, and costumes do a lot to endear itself to those in the know and those who want to experience it for the very first time. The lack of quality of life improvements hamper the experience a bit for current-gen gamers, but Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition still maintains the lofty praise the original version garnered in years past.
Biomutant is a bit rough around the edges, but it largely succeeds as a fresh action RPG experience that shouldn’t be ignored.
Frank's Big Package updates Dead Rising 4 to the point where its naysayers may be forced to give it another chance. Capcom Heroes' implementation of character costumes with newfound powers makes the main campaign all the more rambunctious.
UFC 3 is proof that a championship run for the franchise is attainable.
Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] set out to make an already riveting anime fighter all the more interesting. It's good to know that French Bread accomplished that goal. The character balancing makes everything even more fair than before, the four new characters are all fun additions to the huge roster, and there's a wealthy amount of modes to busy yourself with.