In turning the action RPG genre on its head, Nobody Saves the World is difficult to put down.
The Final Fantasy finale we deserve.
Nothing in Amnesia: The Bunker feels like a waste of time except a strangely out-of-place final boss encounter. And though it’s a shame Frictional Games couldn’t muster up a spookier atmosphere to elevate the experience to its zenith, this is still an A-plus horror experience that all fans should play.
Lost Judgment shows why RGG is at the top of their game. Its setbacks are hardly noticeable given its strengths.
Before I Forget is a strong, concise story tracing a woman suffering from dementia as she slowly uncovers pieces of herself as well as the story framed within this mental health journey. It doesn't waste players' time with a run-time that doesn't overstay its welcome, helped by a protagonist that doesn't divulge too much information when she speaks.
Rising Hell successfully captures the genre's addictive nature through its relative simplicity and adherence to personalization.
Stranger of Paradise is a mechanically rich and satisfying action RPG marred by poor balancing and performance issues.
Passion for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre IP meets exciting multiplayer game design.
It’s the kind of game that’s perfect to shut your brain off to and lose a couple of hours in. Its sense of place and intelligent content drip-feeding makes it addictive even in the face of its glaring flaws.
Life is Strange: True Colors is a fantastic, grounded narrative wrapped up in a video game that’s too afraid to be a video game and give players the precise agency that makes the medium limitless.
Metro Exodus is a very fine entry in Artyom’s journey. Its inconsistent AI drains some of the immersion, as does its oddly silent protagonist that has a defined personality during loading screens. These are small bumps along Artyom’s intense and evocative journey. Metro Exodus’ diegetic design and thrilling encounters will leave an impact beyond reaching the end credits.
Mundaun's lack of polish isn't undone by its startlingly unnerving atmosphere. Gamers without an appreciation for the slow moments in games will find themselves befuddled. Everyone else might find a hidden gem.
A solid spin-off that capitalizes on the studio's strengths, but ultimately relies on its formula too much. Add in half-baked detective mechanics and Judgment doesn't realize its concept's potential.
Tales of Arise lacks the grandiosity and polish befitting of the 25th anniversary. That isn’t to say it’s a bad game. Far from it in fact–but this franchise deserves better now that it’s in the mainstream spotlight.
Soul Hackers 2 is still a blast to play. It replicates many of the best Shin Megami Tensei fundamentals such as demon fusion and a combat system that heavily relies on buffs, debuffs, and elemental weaknesses.
Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is an inconsistent remaster and stealth action experience, but those slow motion executions are as satisfying as ever. Its arcade-like scoring system with short missions also encourages improving previous runs.
Scarlet Nexus' accomplished combat and world are hamstrung by a shockingly low budget that oozes nearly every corner of the experience from its cinematics to its levels to even enemy composition at times. That said, action JRPG fans should be able to latch onto enough to walk away satisfied. .
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga still has some of the Lego charm, but it's a step back for the series.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series successfully updates two solid platformers for modern audiences.
Not your grandpa's Ninja Gaiden, for better or worse.