Z-Warp isn’t exactly breaking new ground, but it offers enough of a unique feel to pull in SHMUP fans looking for something new. Once you figure out how its mechanics work, they’re a lot of fun and kept my attention much longer than I initially expected. It’s the sort of game that makes you say “one more run” so often that you’ll think you’ve traveled through time.
There was so much room for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim to just not work. So many threads are weaved together in a way where, by far, the most likely outcome of the whole thing should have been an interesting failure. That it instead sticks the landing, weaving together a plot that has no business being this moving and satisfying, is astonishing. If you’re at all interested in visual novels, or adventure games, or science fiction, and you don’t play 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, you must be suffering from brain overload.
Syberia: The World Before is a very mixed bag. With wonderful characters, terrific sights, and a beautiful story, there’s a lot to recommend about it. Unfortunately, that story relies far too much on happenstance, and the more you think about it, the less it makes sense, but if you can suspend your disbelief and just go with it, you’ll find a game that will please long term fans of the series and create some new fans as well.
Expedition Zero does a solid enough job of creating atmosphere and making the player nervous, but playing it just isn’t fun. The seed of a solid idea is here in the game’s various printers, but they don’t do enough to help overcome the slow and awkward movement. Horror fans may find a few hours of scares, but anyone else should steer well clear of this expedition.
I never considered stopping this ride until I’d saved Uncle Marcus. The core mystery here is fascinating and had its hooks in me until the end, while the entertaining cast made me want to go back and see every alternate ending. Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? doesn’t reinvent much, but its a well-executed FMV title that should satisfy anyone who’s a fan of the genre.
For me, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pack has been a wonderful reminder of how much I love this game. That on its own makes it well worth the price of admission, especially when it promises to keep giving me reasons to come back for most of the next two years. Hopefully, I’ll see you on the track.
While its difficulty spikes could use a bit more balancing, it does nothing to diminish my love for Tunic. This is a masterfully designed game that challenges you to take elements of classics that have become familiar and apply them in all-new ways. Its triumphant in-game manual gave me more moments of stunning realization than every other game I’ve played in 2022. If you’re a fan of any of the titles that stand as major influences to Tunic, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
There’s still room for a big snowboarding game in today’s video game landscape, but Shredders isn’t able to fill it. While it looks nice when you’re not moving, issues with performance, controls, mission design, voice acting, story, nearly every aspect of this game is flawed. So value your time and wait for the next title in the genre.
Ghostwire: Tokyo ends up being a satisfying experience. With a wonderful world to explore, excellent combat that gets quite deep over time, and an interesting story, there’s a lot to recommend about it. Somehow it also ends up feeling a bit incomplete, though. There was room here for more gameplay variety and to really explore more with some of these characters, and doing so might have turned a good game into a great one. As is, the ending feels like it comes a bit out of nowhere, leaving me to wonder if the team’s original vision was a bit larger. Still, if you’re looking for a creepy game where you strike fear into the creatures that go bump in the night, check out Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Triangle Strategy does almost everything well. It looks great, sounds good, plays great, features an excellent story, and offers enough variance in its multiple paths to provide significant replay value. There’s no one element it gets wrong. Its biggest issue comes in how it puts these various elements together. If you’re okay with long story sequences with the combat taking a bit of a back seat, you’ll love Triangle Strategy. Despite the balance of these various elements feeling a bit off, each element is so well executed that this is still a must-play for fans of the genre.
Gran Turismo 7 provides an excellent entry point to the series for players who are new to it. If the 7 in the title feels intimidating, you can let that go. Once you do, you’ll find a game that plays as well as any racing title on the market. Some strange choices along the way hold it back from racing perfection, but this is still a game that should keep PS5 racing fans busy for a long time.
Offering fast and furious combat, with a well-balanced character switching mechanic that helps it stand out, players should make sure Young Souls doesn’t slip under the radar for a second time. Goblins may be rising up, but I’m confident anyone who likes a good beat ‘em up will have a great job putting them back down.
The Life is Strange Remastered Collection offers you an excellent game and another, which is a lot of fun if you’re invested in its characters. They’re well worth playing. The question is more about whether this collection is the way you want to do so. Despite the improved visuals and animations not quite making this the definitive version in every way, things are solid enough that if given any way to do so, I’d probably choose these versions. Despite that, this is a great example of titles that simply didn’t need to be remastered. For fans of the series, it offers nothing that makes them worth revisiting, or even upgrading from the versions that are already out there. If you have another way to check out Max and Chloe’s stories, just play those instead.
While its core gameplay loop is strong, Gunborg: Dark Matters doesn’t do a lot to set itself apart in a crowded field. You can definitely have fun for a few hours, but before you know it, you’ll be getting off this ship with your cargo in tow. Still, while it lasts, Gunborg provides a great looking, excellent sounding, adventure that plays pretty well to boot.
Horizon Forbidden West improves on its predecessor in nearly every way, offering a stunning follow-up to an already excellent title which shows just how much a game can improve through refinement. Fans of the original will feel immediately comfortable, but they’ll find a far better adventure waiting for them. If you disliked the original game, Forbidden West won’t change your mind, but this is a must-own for everyone else.
These are nitpicks though. Far: Changing Tides manages to take players on an emotionally engaging journey without a word, with a ship and the seas as your only companions. From beautiful isolation comes an unforgettable experience. If this sounds remotely like something that’s for you, definitely check it out.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus nails the core of what could easily become the core of the series moving forward. Its world doesn’t look great, but it’s a ton of fun to explore and play around in. There’s definitely room for improvement in a next installment. A core quest for players to really sink their teeth into, improved graphics at least around the edges, and slightly rebalanced battles would be a great start. Still, for players who have spent the last twenty six years waiting for Pokémon to try something new, you’ll definitely want to take a trip to Hisui.
While I might have liked slightly more memorable levels or stronger personality from the supporting cast, OlliOlli World provides hours of skating bliss with rock-solid controls and a great sense of progression. Once you’re in the zone, it’s easy to lose hours as your quest for Gnarvana provides a sense of gaming nirvana. This one’s definitely worth a look.
KungFu Kickball has some strong ideas. They don’t really work, though, and the game never quite manages to live up to its namesake. There’s just so little here, and so much of what is here doesn’t quite feel right. I wish I’d been able to have more fun with it, but as is, I would have a hard time recommending it even if you’re in the target audience.
Despite some frustrating design choices around progression and a camera which isn’t as consistent as I’d like, I had more fun with Sifu than the vast majority of action games on the market. At the end of the day, it just feels too good to play for me to deny. Even as I replayed levels dozens of times when I really wanted to see what was ahead, I couldn’t put the controller down. That’s the sign of a master right there.