Andrew Farrell
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a joy to play through. There are a few issues with the port, but it's a beautiful game that's a joy to get lost in.
Applewood has a ton of heart and great gameplay to back it up. The story, controls, and game design are all top-notch. We wholeheartedly recommend this one.
The Surge 2 isn't a bad game, but it gets some pretty big things wrong. In the end, I had some fun with it, but the broken parrying, awful enemy placement, and bland level layouts made it more of a slog.
Code Vein is pretty fun, but it's dragged down some by some rote characters and dialogue and mediocre, tedious level design. It's also probably too easy for genre fans, but it's a solid game in its own right.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a really strong platformer with good level design and excellent visuals. Certain aspects of the game don't mix well together, but it's a good time overall.
Although it has an underwhelming story and some pacing issues, Indivisible is a great game filled with memorable characters, gorgeous visuals, entertaining combat, and fun dialogue.
This is a very enjoyable game, and I'm disappointed that a bug deleted my save. But it's got most of what I look for in action-adventure titles and there's a whole lot to like here, despite how bland and familiar it can be.
Iron Rain is a good game on its own merits, but it's simply not as good as EDF5. It is a pretty different experience that's easy to recommend to series fans that are hungry for more, though.
I really wanted to like this game, but it makes it very difficult. From the bland levels to the horribly repetitious nature of the simple combat, Travis Strikes Again is a really mediocre time. And that gamebreaking bug certainly didn't do it any favors either.
I enjoyed a fair amount of what this game had to offer, but the limited, claustrophobic nature of much of the navigation, coupled with slow movement, poor story, and extremely limited enemy types, make it a harder sell.
Moons of Madness may be light on scares, but the great use of its setting and very strong storytelling make for a compelling narrative-driven experience.
Corpse Party 2 has a strong first chapter, but it's hard to really recommend since the others have been missing in action for so long. Fans will want to support the localization, but other people would be better off waiting to see if the game is ever finished.
Atelier Ryza is a great game slightly marred by a poor port, lack of enemy variety, and hard-to-find ingredients. But anyone who likes crafting games absolutely owes it to themselves to play this, as it's a huge amount of fun.
Superliminal seems like a great game at first. The perspective mechanics on display make a fantastic first impression, but the game's design falters as it goes on. The weakness of the puzzles and unevenness of the overall game drag it down in the end.
Shenmue III had to noticeably cut some corners, but is a true sequel with some new tricks up its sleeve. Newcomers will likely not really get what the fuss is about, but this is a very enjoyable game that I think will be appreciated more as time goes by.
This game fails at almost everything it sets out to do. With janky animations, embarrassing story, awful combat mechanics, and horrible enemy layouts and AI, there's just not much positive to say about it.
MechWarrior 5 is lengthy and complex but extremely tedious and often obnoxious. What could have been a very enjoyable experience is dragged down by bad movement, menus, and pacing.
It's rare to find a game that does this much right so often. With a huge amount of content, an entertaining story, and interesting, varied gameplay, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is really an unmissable title for anyone with even a passing interest in games about building.
Kakarot is mediocre as a game, but excellent as a Dragon Ball experience. The combat is just okay, the world is mostly empty, and the game has too much fluff, but as a longtime fan I enjoyed myself a lot.
Elderborn is almost a good game. It's got most of the ingredients that would require, such as strong visuals, tight gameplay, and varied enemies. But the placement of those enemies is so terrible and ill-conceived that it basically ruins the entire game. That along with a third act that feels like the game just gives up do a whole lot to damage what could have been a very compelling experience.