Master Detective Archives: Rain Code improves after a slow start with some truly fascinating mysteries in later chapters. However, a central pairing that never quite works and long mystery labyrinths that are almost entirely uninteresting stop it from being all it can be. Fans of the Danganronpa series will still want to check it out, but most others should find another mystery to dig into.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a complete triumph and an instant contender for Game of the Year. While no game is truly perfect, it follows up a title that many of us would consider one of the very best ever made and manages to improve on it in nearly every way. Believe the hype. If you have any way to play Tears of the Kingdom, you owe it to yourself to do so as soon as possible.
I’ve really enjoyed some of DON’T NOD’s games and found a lot to love in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. Beautiful art, a fantastic soundtrack, two interesting worlds, and an intricately designed system designed to really make your choices matter are all worth exploring. Ultimately though, thinly drawn characters and too often feeling like I was being forced down a specific path instead of getting to enjoy the choices the game is designed around kept me from falling in love with Harmony.
Despite those issues though, Humanity is never less than an engaging puzzle game. Wrapping my brain around these levels was a joy, and the fact that players can make their own levels means I’ll be checking back in periodically to see what new ways players have found to twist my mind into pretzels. Humanity might be a second-tier game from Enhance, but that still puts it far ahead of most of the puzzle genre.
Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX is ultimately a good if unspectacular rerelease of a nearly 20-year-old game, but it’s really only for die-hard fans of the genre. At the end of the day, this was only ever a solid entry in the series, and nothing here has changed that. The new music is nice, but not enough to justify the game’s cost. This is the sort of game that would be best reissued as part of a Raiden collection instead of being released on its own.
System Shock is unapologetically old-school, keeping the core of a nearly thirty-year-old game while mainly focusing on visual and presentation upgrades with a few quality-of-life additions around the edges. While combat may not be the most exciting, exploring the maze of Citadel Station is still a fascinating time, and it’s nice to have a game get out of the way and let me put things together for myself. Some modern players may bounce off of System Shock due to its design, but those who stick with it will appreciate why it’s been so influential over the last few decades.
Super Mega Baseball 4 is mostly more of the same, but when we’re talking about such a strong series, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The excellent core gameplay here is as great as ever, and the fantastic new Shuffle Draft mode combined with a ton of baseball legends to take on the field should grab the attention of both new players and existing fans of the series. If you’re happy with one of the past games in the series, Super Mega Baseball 4 may not be a must-have upgrade, but it’s definitely the best baseball game on the market.
There are beautiful moments in After Us worth seeing, but they’re buried in poorly directed levels featuring merely adequate gameplay. There’s not enough to consistently grab onto here to really hook most players. After Us has a lot in common with Piccolo Studios’ last narrative platformer but ultimately doesn’t offer the charm or consistently moving story that made that game so memorable.
Capcom may have made significant mistakes in the development of Street Fighter V, but it’s clear they were determined not to repeat them with Street Fighter 6. I can’t remember the last time a fighting game offered such a complete package, with something for every type of player. Combine that with best-in-class mechanics and a visual identity that truly sets it apart, and Street Fighter 6 is everything fighting game fans have been dreaming of. There’s no need to put your quarter on the machine to save your spot anymore. With Street Fighter 6, we can all have next.
That’s actually a frequent issue with Darkest Dungeon II. I admire that the team at Red Hook Studios took a real swing here, trying new paths forward for the series instead of just tinkering around the edges and making an iterative sequel. The issue is that most of the game’s strengths are still the parts that came from the first game, with most of what’s new feeling fine but also like downgrades to what they’ve replaced. It leaves Darkest Dungeon II in a strange place where, on its own merits, it’s an interesting and well-made game that doesn’t quite live up to the example set by its predecessor.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores may be more Horizon, but if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’ll be very happy with this new content. With an excellent story, interesting new characters, awesome new weapons, and enemies, as well as some of the most exciting sequences in the entire game, Burning Shores makes Forbidden West an even stronger experience than it already was.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp offers two excellent strategy titles which will keep players busy for a ton of hours. Whether you’re an old fan happy to be back in command or someone enlisting for the first time, there’s a lot to recommend here. A bit more work updating things, particularly the balance of the latter half of the first game and the multiplayer experience, would have been welcome but that shouldn’t stop those wanting an excellent strategy experience from picking this one up.
While Square Enix didn’t nail every element of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, they got enough right that I can’t imagine revisiting any other version of any of these games. Some of the greatest RPGs of all time are once again available to players on modern platforms, and that’s a cause for celebration. Whether you’re yearning to reexperience epic journeys from your youth or are just curious about what all the hype is about when it comes to Final Fantasy, this is a collection well worth your time.
Out of the Park Baseball 24 is one of the most compelling sports simulations I’ve ever played. It offers enough guidance to help players get past the initial hurdle of complexity and really engage with the absurd number of systems and options on offer here. If you’re the sort of person whose favorite part of sports is often the numbers behind it, welcome to your new obsession.
There are a ton of games in the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, but because the six titles have so little to differentiate them from each other, it’s hard to see anyone but the most hardcore of fans wanting to run through the entire series. I enjoyed revisiting these games from my youth but came away ready to leave them in the past. For those who just want to dip their toes in, Capcom has provided the option to purchase only the first or second half of the series separately instead of buying the entire larger collection. While it’s not quite as good of a deal on a per-game basis, for those who just want a quick nostalgia hit, that may be the way to go.
EA Sports PGA Tour lays the foundation for what could be a really strong golf game, with a lot of content, deep mechanics, and excellent presentation. Its UI issues, though, are a significant problem that shouldn’t have made it into the final release, and its swing mechanics, while easy to pick up, never feel particularly comfortable. In future years there’s definitely potential to win the tour, but for the moment, I still think the competition offers a more compelling experience.
These are minor critiques, however, when we’re talking about an excellent remake of one of the best games ever made. Resident Evil 4 remains a must-play title in 2023, and while it may not be better in every possible way, this is overall the best way to experience it. Those who have enjoyed it in the past will find enough updates to keep things fresh, while new players won’t miss the few changes I might have skipped. So don’t make a horrific mistake and miss out on this one.
Storyteller is filled with charm and offers interesting mechanics, which really do make it feel like you’re telling a story. Unfortunately, it just takes too long to get going for a game that ends so soon. I completed every level in the game, including the alternate challenges, in about two hours. For the right price, this is definitely a story worth telling, though, and those in need of a new take on the puzzle genre should have a good time.
Looking back on my time with Tchia, there’s no one game-changing element that I can point to and say this is why you need to play it. The animal possession is the closest thing, but even then, what stands out about the mechanic is how solidly it works in so many different ways rather than any one of those ways being amazing. Yet despite this, I think many players will have a fantastic time exploring these islands. With a ton of personality, solid mechanics, and a unique vibe helping to keep the whole experience compelling, players should absolutely check Tchia out.
There are times when I really did start to feel like I was getting Akka Arrh, that I was so close to slipping into that state of bliss the best arcade games can provide. Inevitably though, some new mechanic would show up and knock me right out of it. That’s not to say I didn’t have fun with Akka Arrh, it’s an incredibly interesting game worth a look from fans of classic arcade games and fans of Jeff Minter, but the same issues that kept that original prototype from the 80s from seeing the light of day are still present and stop it from being a must-play.