Fingal Belmont
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.
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.
Dreams can be wonderful places to be in. Most people never want to wake from their drams. Little Nightmares II is a rare example of a horrible nightmare that draws you in deeper; and even though it is a terribly hostile place, you want stay because it is so fascinating.
The dream is realized, and is unbelievably polished and tight. Capcom made not only an incredible entry with Monster Hunter: Rise, they made one of the most must-own Nintendo Switch games ever produced. This is not the kind of game played for the story, it is played for the experience and immersion of the world.
Kenji Ito’s brain melting music certainly elevates the experience, and the brevity of each scenario prevents SaGa Frontier Remastered from ever overstaying its welcome. This is one of the most replayable and addictive JRPGs ever made, and it was overlooked for not embracing new technology. There is still nothing like SaGa Frontier, and there likely will never be.
Coming back to the reaper’s game with this scope and grand vision has proven to be a risk for Square Enix that sadly has not paid off. Sales may not have met expectations for the venerable publisher and this would mean that Neo: The World Ends with You could be the last reaper’s game ever. It is a shame because this bold title has proven to be one of the best action RPGs that Square Enix has ever made and is highly recommended.
Most gamers will come for the balls to the wall, bone breaking, violent kung-fu action and adventure. Some may come for the mini-games and retro video games. No matter who plays Lost Judgment; everyone will stay for the dramatic, thrilling story and characters.
Death’s Door is a very polished and lovingly crafted action adventure game. It is seemingly a very personal game from the developers and it is steeped with creative ideas in regards to characters and designs. The gameplay is somewhat vanilla, but the ambiance and style elevate the material.
Part X Files and part Yu Yu Hakusho, GhostWire: Tokyo offers a completely fresh take on the sandbox RPG formula. It has action when it needs to and it never inundates the player with constant noise or obnoxious tasks to fool them into thinking that they are engaged.
Even with its bleak undertones, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an exceptional platformer that is wholesome and unbelievably polished. The local co-op feature is merely icing on the cake to further sweeten this all-you-can-eat desert buffet. It is highly replayable and varied with Kirby’s copy abilities that change the gameplay in a profound way.
Live A Live is one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Fans of Chrono Trigger will definitely want to check this out and even if you played the original, this remake offers some new additions and adjustments that make it more enjoyable than ever. It is too bad that the localization was bungled in some areas, but this will only affect those who are intimately familiar with the original intent.
Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is a highly enjoyable and entertaining JRPG that is stuffed with ideas that mostly work, even if some come at the cost of logic. The story and characters lack presence and it is due to the after thought presentation. The protagonist is borderline mute, and it is jarring when he suddenly speaks and everyone acts normal.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 may not have the same spirit of invention that the first game had which made it such a huge success, but it is still an RPG masterpiece. Anyone who loved the first Xenoblade but had misgivings over some of questionable aspects of the second game (like the gacha mechanics), will find that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is perfectly balanced and delivers on almost every aspect imaginable.
If you loved Monster Hunter Rise and wanted more of it, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is going to be exactly what you want. The dazzling cutscenes for the story and new music are a bonus surprise that add to the scope of the scenario and add a lot of polish to the presentation. The attention to detail is staggering and it will be interesting to see how Capcom will top this in the inevitable sequel.
Fans of classic survival-horror must not miss White Day: A Labyrinth Named School. It may not look like much, but it uses its limitations to enhance the uncanny ambiance. The chilling scares make it the ultimate Halloween game.
Anyone who enjoyed games like Blasphemous, Dark Devotion or thought that Symphony of the Night was bloated with extraneous RPG elements, will adore Moonscars. The core combat mechanics are deep enough to carry a determined player and the multitude of systems give less skilled gamers just enough wiggle room to tip the scales in their favor without it ever becoming an easy game.
Ubisoft is understandably unpopular with a lot of gamers for their yearly approach to making games. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an example of them proving they can make something wonderful if they take their time and to miss out on it would be a great tragedy for everyone. Just make sure to never go into the settings menu.
Signalis barely has any weaknesses as far as being a complete experience. At worst, some impatient gamers might struggle with some of the puzzles in the game. For its price, with Signalis gamers will get a highly immersive, substantial horror game that lasts roughly eight hours or more depending on player skill.
Tinykin is a humble little game with modest aspirations for a target audience that is often neglected. Children can enjoy it, but so can children-at-heart too. Tinykin’s imaginative and creative visuals that overcome its limitations make it stand out. Most importantly, it feels really good to play because of its tight controls and its kinesthetic feedback.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a perfect strategy RPG. It mostly improves upon the original, though it is sad that there isn’t an original mode so players can experience how the game used to be. The sprites won’t impress, but after dumping over a 100 hours into pouring so much attention into building these characters, you will hardly care.