Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 had a leg up from the start of the project. It’s simple: Puyo Puyo Tetris was already very fun. What do you add? What do you change? There are things that can go wrong along the way, but ultimately there’s still Puyo Puyo Tetris in there.
If there’s one thing Harmonix always gets right, it’s the vibe. Whether it’s Rock Band or Dance Central, Super Beat Sports or DropMix, the studio’s games feel distinct and cool from the jump. Fuser, Harmonix’s latest work, is no exception.
Much like Kasuga’s dragonfish tattoo feels like a quirky but faithful successor to Kiryu’s dragon, Yakuza: Like a Dragon rebuilds the franchise by leaving a lot of it in place. The new protagonist doesn’t feel like he has seven games of story in him, but his eagerness to join the fray could carry the next few entries.
It’s hard to imagine someone who would play Carto and have a bad time. It’s that committed to low-stress, just-engaging-enough fun and a world you’ll like traipsing about for a couple of hours.
Never has the world needed Jackbox Games’ library more than it has in 2020. Sure, it’s been fun to play in the same room and through streaming for the past six years! But with so many needing more social interaction with friends and family and only being able to do that remotely, now is a great time for a fresh Jackbox Party Pack.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a magical, transformative experience under ideal conditions that works way better than you’d think. When you stray from those conditions even a little, though, it deteriorates rapidly.
So why would you play Kirby Fighters 2 over Super Smash Bros.? It’s small and focused. It’s clearly on the same page with an all-fun play session. Gooey is in it. HAL and Vanpool clearly hope at least one of those will resonate with you. And if all else fails, they hope you like the smoochin’.
So rather than looking at what this collection could have been, it’s easier and simpler to see what’s here and decide if that’s enough for you. If one of these games is an all-time favorite, that even these marginal adjustments make them the best and most convenient versions could make a sale for you. There’s nothing here to “fix” them if you didn’t like them the first time.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is a gimmick game without the gimmick.
...Nexomon: Extinction puts its best foot forward, delivering the most polished version of itself it can offer.
Can a game show significant improvement over its predecessors while further entrenching itself along the wrong path? Origami King certainly tries, making a game that’s a blast to read and gorgeous in screenshots but just not that fun to play.
The Switch is a great platform for games to dip into for a bit when you have a few minutes, but Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia isn’t one of them. It’s a commitment.
If you engage with the modes 2K seems to want to push most, you’ll have to deal with baggage that weighs down the experience.
However it got here, it’s a distilled, slightly faster game that focuses on ironing out its rough spots rather than introducing anything that could cause new ones.