Bomb Rush Cyberfunk has a few problems, but so much soul you can't help but love it. The simple joy of movement alone is well worth writing all over New Amsterdam, but so are the music, visuals, and story. Sure, there are bumps in the road, but they won't stop you from going All City.
Bethesda Game Studios has reached new heights in Starfield. A thrilling narrative, loaded with an entire universe to explore and backed by sublimely polished systems, has ushered in the ultimate Bethesda experience. It's truly hard to summarize just what makes Starfield special, and that's because so much of it is. You'll be glued to your screen for hours, going where no explorer has gone before.
Sea of Stars shows modern RPGs how it's done in this incredible throwback to SNES classics. It's an absolute joy to play from start to finish, though the story, writing, and flat characters leave some potential untapped. Even so, this is a gorgeous adventure that you won't want to miss.
Rockstar's port of Red Dead Redemption on the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch provides an opportunity for both newcomers and fans alike to experience one of gaming's most memorable adventures once again. While there are some improvements to the visuals and performance, remnants of the game's age still bleed through. If you can look past the outrageous price tag and some cut content, then your journey back to the Wild West is definitely one worth taking.
En Garde! is a playable cartoon, with a charming heroine, hilarious gags, and colorful visuals. The combat and platforming are simple yet fun, with the former being quick yet deadly. While it is very short, it has enough replayability to keep you coming back for more.
Taken as a whole, Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate isn't the most polished game out there. The writing and voice acting are sub-par, but the overall story and puzzles are well worth wading through the flaws to see to the conclusion. This is a great finale to a work of passion, and something every VR owner should at least check out.
Baldur's Gate 3 is an impossibly good RPG made with a great deal of passion and skill. While there are some last minute issues to iron out, Larian Studios has delivered an adventure beyond our wildest imaginations.
Pikmin 4 is a triumphant return for one of Nintendo's most delightful series. The focus on dandori feels like a revelation that lets everything click together so well you'll want to sneak in just one more day. It may be a tad too easy, but the real challenge is completing the game quickly and efficiently. This is a gorgeous and engaging title that's surprisingly lengthy, and another feather in the Switch's cap.
Venba is a heartfelt tale of an immigrant mother doing her best to raise a son in Canada while passing on her Tamil culture. It's a story not often told, and it will stick with you long after the credits roll. Learning about this culture is a ton of fun and done through inventive puzzles having you cook traditional dishes. It's a gorgeous, passionate game that gives you a glimpse into another culture.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is an amazing game, looking and running even better on PC. However, this version does come with caveats and even some downgrades such as crashing and slightly different weapon functionality. PS5 is still the best way to play, but for those who adore the series like me it's well worth double dipping.
Lisa: The Painful & Lisa: The Joyful are cult classics for a reason, with masterful merging of story and gameplay to create a harrowing and hilarious adventure. You'll laugh, cry, and rage across this fascinating post-apocalypse with excellent new features and content, making it easier than ever to take in this touching tale.
Everybody 1-2-Switch! is just a very difficult game to enjoy. Most of the minigames are boring, and you have little say over how or if you can even engage with them. The game would be inoffensive if you had access to all minigames from the get go, and needing to unlock all of them individually is a baffling decision when combined with the random selection and weird preference towards UFO and Squats.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is one of the best puzzle games out there, and this remaster only improves on perfection. Its sharp and witty writing is accompanied by a gripping murder mystery plot, a beautiful art style, and an ear worm soundtrack. Ghost Trick absolutely deserves more attention than it got back on the DS, and hopefully this resurrection will change its fate.
While Sonic Origins Plus' additions feel like they should have been in the base game, Amy is a delight to play as. She'll have you playing these four excellent games in new ways, despite some odd design decisions. Unfortunately, the selection of Game Gear games have not aged well and are marred by some terrible sound emulation.
Crash Team Rumble is a pick up and play multiplayer game that is shockingly fun. It gives players freedom while encouraging teamwork, with a variety of stages and characters. It has quirks and imbalances, but you're never too far from the next match or unlockable.
Pikmin 1 and 2 on Switch are the barest of bare bones ports. The clarity added by HD resolution and 16:9 support simply isn't worth losing the improved controls of the Wii versions. In addition, these ports lose some of the original's charm and contain strange glitches. While it's great to have these games available on modern consoles, the Wii or GameCube releases are still the way to go if you can.
Final Fantasy XVI features excellent action combat and an intricate story, both with incredible depth. It combines gameplay, story, sound, and music together into one form all inextricably linked. It sets a new standard for action RPGs, and is quite possibly the pinnacle of the series.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life does lose some of the original's soul in this remake, but it gains some incredible convenience and quality of life updates to make it much more enjoyable for a modern audience. Returning to the Forgotten Valley is a nostalgic experience for veterans, and newcomers will discover why the original game is a classic.
Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust presents a cool spin on an already amazing combat system. This DLC is small in scope, but as a result is well worth the time investment. The story is nothing new, but with much sharper writing it holds a lot of promise for the teased sequel.
That said, Tears of the Kingdom is a gorgeous game with a wonderful art style that’s able to convey the beautiful, pastoral hills of Central Hyrule, the serene yet sad calm of the sky islands, and the dark, oppressive gloom of the Depths at the same time. It’s incredibly impressive that you’re able to seamlessly dive from the sky, through a canyon, and into the Depths with no loading screens. I did encounter a single loading hitch for about two seconds when sky diving at full speed into Kakariko Village, but everything else is perfectly smooth. Just remember to pull out your paraglider before you hit the ground.