Bayonetta exudes confidence in its design. Hideki Kamiya and his team knew exactly what kind of game they wanted to make, and the quality shines brightly thanks to being responsible with their priorities. Bayonetta has kept gamers playing it for a decade, and they are likely to continue to keep playing it for more decades to come.
When Cyberpunk 2077 works right, you can manage to have a fair bit of fun with it. Unfortunately, even on PC, the game is in a truly embarrassing state right now. The bait and switch CDPR has pulled on us is comparable to No Man’s Sky in many ways, and they absolutely should be held accountable for releasing a game in such a buggy and broken state.
Fans of Breath of the Wild who are patiently waiting for the sequel might find Immortals Fenyx Rising worth a look. It lacks Zelda‘s spirit of invention and creativity, but it is a densely packed open world action game that manages to refine some aspects that Nintendo overlooked.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon proves you can make a masterpiece by experimenting with the formula. It is more than just being the best Yakuza game yet, but also one of the best RPGs ever made. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio did their homework, understand what makes a great JRPG, and combined it with their honed craftsmanship of decades of making some of the best crime dramas in video games.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is a dying breed of turn-based JRPG. One day it may follow Final Fantasy and become another action game series. Commanding a party in this manner means strategically directing them at your own pace. Refusing to change is one of the last and great freedoms we can enjoy as a species and this is what Dragon Quest XI aspires for.
Hades is Supergiant Games’ magnum opus. The team finally crafted a brilliant gameplay system that can meet Jen Zee’s magnificent art. The constant flow of features and content keeps the game from ever getting stale or complacent. There is never a dull moment, and there is always something new to see.
Fans of No More Heroes will be disappointed by this elusive sequel. It was a game made out of obligation because people wanted more No More Heroes, and lacked the inspiration that fueled the first game. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle often feels like a bargain bin action game, and the only parts that save it from being utterly repugnant is its soundtrack and amusing mini-games.
If you are wowed by grimy and disgusting but beautifully realized cyberpunk aesthetics, then Observer: System Redux is worth your time since that is all it has to offer. This is a horror game for tourists, since there are no actual stakes, and if you die there is almost no progress lost. It is made to make you feel smart; you don’t have to actually be smart to solve the mystery or the puzzles.
No More Heroes still stands tall as one of the great cult games of its day. It has aged very well in an era where experimental indie games are more common, and players are more open to unconventional design. It never has a dull moment, and has so much variety packed into a game that has such simple combat.
Earth Defense Force 5 is an immensely generous package that is bursting at the seams with content. Fans of the series will be undoubtedly satisfied with the all-you-can-eat-buffet approach to the range of options and playability. Newcomers will also find this latest entry the best place to start, as it is the best representation of what the series has to offer.
The first game is borderline generic, but the second game does improve on many things like level design and pacing. It is worth a play for Assimilimation if you do not enjoy the first game. If Angry Video Game Nerd 1 & 2 Deluxe does teach us anything, is that there is an angry nerd inside all of us; and this game will bring it out of you, screaming and cursing all the way through.
Pumpkin Jack is ultimately a shallow game that fails to live up to the kind of 3D action platformers it was influenced by. It may be impressive for a one-man effort, but it still feels like it was made by one man. Games are complicated to make, and having more people involved can spark creativity where ideas can bounce off each other.
OneeChanbara Origin‘s gameplay is very enjoyable, but if it was longer than five hours, it would have worn out its welcome. It is highly replayable, and has a variation of the “Bloody Palace” survival mode and a secret third playable character to make things interesting long after beating the story.
Upon first glance, it could be easy to mistake Ghost of a Tale as a mid-level developed game from a small company. It isn’t until the closing moments of the game where SeithCG’s limitations reveal themselves. It may not be best played on Nintendo Switch, but Ghost of a Tale is definitely worth a look on other platforms.
Undead Darlings ~no cure for love~ is not the pretty, zombified sweetheart one would hope for. She is a plain Jane, who wears sloppily applied Hot-Topic make-up and masquerades as a zombie. Spending a lot of time with her yields boring conversation, unfunny jokes, and tired movie references.
Romancing SaGa 3 is still best played on original hardware. This new version’s updates are not worth the outrageous asking price from Square Enix. Despite the shortcomings of this “enhanced port,” this is still a highly recommended JRPG; so long as you are willing to take the time to understand how it works.
Alan Wake is not the most scary horror game, but it is highly entertaining and engrossing. The ambiance and attention to detail make it an impressive production, over ten years later. The surreal and metaphysical narrative makes it an unconventional, yet fitting game to play during the fall and Halloween season.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 has the most minor shortcomings for an incredibly generous and enjoyable package. The core game is an incredible rush, and the density of modes and unlockables constantly beckons for replaying. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is highly recommended and is a perfect example of doing a definitive remake that replaces the original.
Replay value is high if you have the guts and stamina to earn almost 30 skins, and to acquire all the relics. It’s About Time might run a bit steep for what is effectively a meaty PlayStation 1 game with Pixar graphics, but this is the core ethos of Crash Bandicoot. If you enjoyed the N. Sane Trilogy, you will adore this.
This was the chance for these three titles to get definitive versions, but instead these are mostly alternatives to the originals. In spite of Nintendo’s low-efforts, the quality of the games themselves are high enough that make them worth your time. Super Mario Sunshine especially is noteworthy since used copies are usually cost-prohibitive and Gamecube controllers are getting harder to find.