Taito Milestones 2 doesn’t do a lot to justify its existence. I usually don’t overly factor price into my thoughts on a game, but when you can purchase almost every game in the collection separately with the exact same features, it’s hard not to. This collection gives you ten Arcade Archives games for the price of five. That’s a good deal if you want all of these titles, but it’s hard to see most players wanting all ten of these games. There are five I would particularly recommend, and one of those has another version in a different collection, which is a better fit for the Switch. When two of the three exclusives to this collection aren’t very good, it gets even harder to recommend. Ultimately, those who do pick up Taito Milestones 2 will find some fun games included, but the best of these titles deserve more than such a barebones release.
There’s still a lot of good basketball in NBA 2K24 but it mostly feels buried in modes the developers are trying hard to keep new players from discovering. The series’ formerly rock-solid gameplay foundation feels like it’s slowly slipping away as well. Minor improvements around the edges don’t offset this slippage and the series’ continued descent into being nearly unplayable without spending a fortune on microtransactions. If you’re a series veteran who is willing to spend the vast amounts of money needed to compete online, you already know you’re buying this. The same is true of long-time series veterans who know where to find the best parts of the game even when they’re hidden away. With all its issues, though, it’s hard to recommend NBA 2K24 to anyone else.
Gunbrella offers tight and thrilling action, a moving story of revenge, and a fascinating world well worth exploring. I’m not sure what more I could ask for in an action platformer. While it’s a relatively short journey, lasting me only about six hours, I had a blast during my time with Gunbrella and I think most players will as well.
It’s A Wrap! is a clever puzzle game that will tie your mind in knots as you figure out just what is needed to pull off each stunt. While the third set of levels here doesn’t work as well for me as the first two, I still had a fun time going on this journey with Johnny, his director, and the rest of their crew. If you’re looking for a fun new take on the puzzle genre It’s A Wrap! is well worth a look.
Still, The Making of Karateka is perhaps the most impressive rerelease of a retro game I’ve ever played. It’s a collection but one dedicated to a single release. This is the sort of release that movie fans get when they buy a Criterion Collection release only for a video game. The new versions of Deathbounce and Karateka alone are worth the price of admission, but with everything else included, this is an easy purchase for anyone remotely interested in classic games. I can’t wait to see what Digital Eclipse and their Gold Master Series have coming next.
There are times Hammerwatch II can be a lot of fun. Exploring massive dungeons and taking down hordes of enemies is usually a good time, and Hammerwatch II captures that, at least if you pick one of the right classes. I can see a group of friends with a well-balanced party having an excellent time with it, and that’s really who these games are for, first and foremost. Ultimately though, Hammerwatch II makes too many poor design choices for me to recommend it to most players. There’s a good game in here somewhere, but it’s buried under too many flaws.
Red Dead Redemption on Switch is a mostly fine port of a great game. If you’ve been dying to replay it or haven’t checked it out before, you should absolutely do so, but those who have already fully explored the old west won’t find anything new here or much reason to buy it again outside of the handheld factor. For some, though, that will be all the incentive they need.
While only one of the games in Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is a classic, Rhapsody II alone is reason enough to check this collection out. For those who enjoy the first two games in the series, Rhapsody III serves as a nice enough conclusion to the saga, but it’s really only for the truly hardcore fans of the series. Anyone who enjoys RPGs of its era, though, will find something to like in Rhapsody II which is a true classic that’s now available to a wider audience.
Starfield isn’t a perfect game. No game is. That said, for a game to have this much ambition and actually pull off almost everything it set out to accomplish is a remarkable achievement. I haven’t even talked about some of the game’s most interesting elements, such as how it approaches New Game+, which I can’t wait for more players to see. Starfield is a triumph that I’m confident players will be exploring for years to come, not only because it will remain incredibly compelling but because it will take that long to see anywhere near everything it has to offer.
As is, En Garde! doesn’t overstay its welcome, and its strong combat will carry players through its rather short playtime. While the rest of the game isn’t as compelling, and the characters and story, while fine, feel like a missed opportunity, I still enjoyed my time with it. A more fleshed-out sequel, however, could be something truly special.
Hellfire is an incredibly engaging SHMUP with a unique weapon system, exciting environments to traverse, and plenty of challenge. Its fantastic soundtrack and interesting look make it a memorable experience that I would encourage any fan of the genre to check out. Just be prepared to die. A lot.
Fire Shark is still a ton of fun, and when you’re fully powered up with your weapon of choice and blasting through some of the game’s difficult bosses, it can feel like a fantastic example of the genre. The highs here are indeed high. However, certain design choices don’t work for me, and I came away from Fire Shark actually preferring its predecessor. While it may not be able to match Fire Shark’s best moments, it offers a more consistently fun experience from start to finish. That said, if you want a truly great challenge then make sure to check Fire Shark out.
Flying Shark may not be a classic that stands the test of time as a must-play, but it’s still a lot of fun in 2023. Genre fans will find a simple but well-designed SHMUP, which is still a lot of fun to play, while those who are newer to the genre will find an excellent starting point that does a good job of representing what the genre has to offer while not overwhelming them right out of the gate. This balance makes it worth checking out.
Slap Fight has some interesting ideas with its ship, which gets bigger as you grow stronger, and it’s more complex than average for the time power-up system, which gives you an extra layer to manage. It also has a great look, which stands out from other games in the genre. I just wish that the actual gameplay felt better. With a rather slow pace and a soundtrack that did little to engage me, Slap Fight’s interesting ideas never fully come together into a satisfying package.
Baldur’s Gate 3 may not be the most welcoming game to those not well-versed in the CRPG genre, but once you get past any initial hurdles, you’ll find one of the most profound and engrossing releases the genre has seen in the last decade. It allows so much freedom and so many options that it can be rather overwhelming, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is the sort of game I know I’ll be replaying to see more paths and more options for years to come.
Quake II is the new King of remasters. Proving that with a fresh coat of paint, some of the 90s’ best games can still hold up brilliantly today, Quake II is the best shooter I’ve played in years. Its visceral action is far more satisfying than the vast majority of shooters that release today, and modern improvements have helped sand away some of the rougher edges of its era. Whether you spent hours enjoying this one 25 years ago or you’ve never touched it before, you should absolutely make sure to check out the year’s best bargain.
Venba is ultimately over quite soon, but I’d rather have a beautiful but small experience that will stay with me than one that lingers too long and wears out its welcome. There are a few parts of its story that could perhaps have been explored with more depth, but its story comes together to span a generation in the blink of an eye and leave players feeling satisfied with the experience. This is a game well worth experiencing, which even the busiest players should be able to fit into a free evening.
It feels like at some point in development Nao Games decided that Ninja or Die needed more. More to do, more complexity, more than the simple gameplay which makes up its core. That’s a shame because the core of Ninja or Die is its biggest strength, at least when it works. It just needs to work more consistently. There’s definite potential in its core, and I’d be curious to check out an update or follow-up to see if that core could be refined, but the game as it exists today is hard to recommend as more than a curiosity.
A nice look and decent pacing aren’t enough for me to recommend a game to pretty much anyone, though. I came in really wanting to like Lifeless Moon, but pretty much everything I enjoyed about it I could see in the screenshots and trailer. There are too many good puzzle games out there nowadays to spend time on one which has so little going for it.
The first episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series captures what’s great about both The Expanse and Telltale games. That’s the sort of synergy behind the studios’ best games of old, and it leaves me excited that their return could end up as one of their stronger efforts. Despite some concerns about the more action-oriented gameplay late in this episode, I’m certainly excited to see where things go next.