Alan Wen
The long overdue samurai spin-off is classic Yakuza under its period dressing but also underwhelming as a current-gen remake.
Despite the joys offered, Sonic Frontiers is a hot mess of a reinvention that can't commit to its new direction.
That said, the logic of progression or goals is a moot point when the actual traversal does feel good - certainly a damn sight better than Sonic's lowest points in history - and the grind almost disappears as minutes go by and I realise I'm just enjoying running for the pure sake of running. It's probably the most polished experience to have graced Roblox so far, an easy gateway drug to tempt newcomers to the platform. For Sonic fans, it's a glimpse at what could be possible with the hedgehog's future, if this is what Sonic Team's 'open zone' design is going for, albeit with more structure and actual challenges. And besides, it's free - surely it can't hurt to give it a spin?
Baffling writing aside, default story difficulty makes this the breeziest Soulslike ever, while combat still carries depth.
Team Ninja evolves Nioh's formula in a Three Kingdoms-era action RPG where allies, flags, and stealth make its brutal challenges more manageable than ever.
It can still look visually striking when viewed from a distance while its audio design, with a brooding electronic score, can also be wonderfully atmospheric. Sadly, it's not enough to salvage a wholly disappointing experience that never reaches the lofty heights it begins with.
An over-the-top arcade football title that's more frustrating and complicated than it ought to be. While it's clearly faithful to its source material, that's unlikely to convert newcomers to Captain Tsubasa.
Adorable they may be, but having a virtual dog or cat was an already old idea that somehow has even less features and charm on newer hardware. Proof that not everything needs to come to Switch.
The fighting itself can still be a fun and mad scramble that’s easily accessible for anyone looking to fast-track to Super Saiyan levels, and there’s definitely an appeal to creating your own avatar to join those ranks. Yet, if you want a faithful anime fighter that both beginners and experts can get stuck into, Dragon Ball FighterZ already delivered that last year. With all the potential here for celebrating 50 years of Shonen Jump, sadly at this point it seems that fans pining for a truly great anime crossover fighting game may just have to cross their fingers that Goku comes to Smash.
Nier Replicant is at once an improvement over the original while still retaining its dated design frustrations that’s not quite at the bar of modern remasters. Yet for all its flaws, the story, bolstered by its grand otherworldly score, has the same deep emotional depths that first won over new fans, and if nothing else, you won’t find a more mismatched bunch of outcasts worth caring about.
At best, Disaster Report 4 recalls the mundane and absurd human dramas seen in Yakuza and Deadly Premonition, though shares more of the latter's rough low-budget execution. Ultimately, it's an acquired taste but might just scrape through on its peculiar charms to be a cult favourite.
While it's welcome to see one of Sega's most original IPs return to modern consoles, Banana Blitz HD is far from the series at its best and one that purists will find wanting.
Onimusha: Warlords was an intriguing and successful spin-off of the Resi formula in a Japanese setting. But despite being enjoyable, this is still only a polished remaster of a nearly two decades-old game.
Ultimately, our time in Erdrea makes us realise why Dragon Quest is Japan’s national game. It’s not necessarily because it’s the best or the most innovative, but for its generation-spanning fans, familiarity breeds comfort.
The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a small-scale affair, both in terms of technical scope and dramatic themes, when compared to its award-winning inspirations. It's not especially memorable but it has just enough warmth and wit to get you through a spare Sunday afternoon.
A delightful albeit brief return for Ulala in VR, which while hardly game-changing for the tech, brings back the simple joy of dance for space cats everywhere.
Faultlessly stylish but also frustrating in its execution, River City Girls is nonetheless a refreshingly vibrant brawler but best played with a friend.
Metal Wolf Chaos XD isn't big or clever, but if you want to get your kicks as a mech shooting and blowing things up while being an all-American patriot, then there's only one choice - believe in your own justice!
My Friend Pedro can be an absurdly stylish action game when everything aligns but you'll just as likely find yourself slipping over its unwieldy controls.
Despite being available to buy as a separate stand-alone experience and packing content that could easily fill an entirely new RPG, Xenoblade’s idiosyncrasies make The Golden Country an experience you’re only going get the most out of if you’ve already played the base game.