Simply put, Persona 5 Royal isn’t just one of the best JRPGs of this generation. It’s one of the best games released in recent memory.
Despite delivering on nostalgia, Predator Hunting Grounds lacks the punch to make it stand out.
Much like the zombies that threaten the world, Daymare 1998 is a sluggish and ugly take on the Resident Evil formula that's best avoided.
While certain elements haven’t aged as gracefully such as it’s bland quest design and sparse open world, quality of life improvements set to make the adventure as fluid and accessible as possible. If you’ve ever been interested in the series, this is the perfect entry point for a sweet and engaging adventure. Veteran players will no doubt find much to love in the expanded story with Future Connected.
Maneater is like a joke that had a great punchline, but is milked for all its worth afterwards.
Battle for Bikini Bottom is like comfort food. It’s easy to indulge and uplifting in all the right ways. Like a childhood blast from the blast, it’s quickly easy to see why this licensed platformer became a cult-classic.
Carrion is a beautifully orchestrated symphony of blood, guts, and dismembered limbs.
For a time, the beats of nostalgia carry this remake, but eventually, the goggles fall off and its dated gameplay is laid bare.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout works because it maintains that “one more game” mentality and encourages players to overcome its challenges.
For fans of point-and-click adventure titles, this is simply a must play and one of the best iterations in years. Everyone else will no doubt find a satisfying and emotionally resonating story that will stick with players for years to come.
Battletoads returns after 26 years, and it's a love letter to gaming past and present.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time occasionally stumbles, but it often manages to be a strong showcase for the TV series.
Wasteland 3 invokes feelings of classic RPGs such as Fallout and manages to nail the feel and tone perfectly in a modernized setting.
For better or for worse, Surgeon Simulator 2 is something entirely different and a game that builds a solid foundation for a strong future.
Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition makes one of the most joyous and downright wonderful gaming experiences of all time even better.
At three hours long, it passes by at a breeze, and is packed with some truly spectacular set-pieces. One particularly notable scene takes place halfway through, and fans of the recent Hobbit trilogy will see a striking resemblance between the two. It all feels as though its building to a dramatic, explosive conclusion, but ends with one of the most anticlimactic boss fights in the series' history. It pales in comparison to intense encounters with General Raam and Queen Myrrah, and blends in with the majority of the expansions' combat encounters.
While its early difficulty may deter some people, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game's complexity and how it opens up makes for a highly enjoyable experience. It's felt like an eternity since we've seen this title on our Xbox systems, and having a Complete Edition with touched up visuals and all previously released content is an absolute treat. Whether you're a fan of the series or a newcomer to the genre, there's something here to enjoy, and it's a reminder of why so many fell in love with the original game all those years ago.
As a narrative focused experience, The Medium generally impresses. In terms of gameplay, it often just feels too easy and lacking in depth. But even with criticisms towards the latter, if you're looking to embrace a horror game for one dark night or two, The Medium is a worthy choice. It's clearly the vision of a team who loved the concept and wanted to take players on a narrative driven adventure, filled with dark themes and systems such as the dual-reality mechanic that feel integral to the story. If you can accept The Medium for the experience that it is, you're in for a good time, but dial back your expectations for the actual gameplay.
Little Nightmares II is bigger and bolder, which builds upon the foundations from the first game. The game is host to a disgusting, decaying world that opens up as you progress through each chapter. Its inhabitants will haunt your dreams for days and the emotional connection it draws between Mono and Six with absolutely no dialogue is powerful. It is worth noting that certain combat encounters and high stakes moments can become troublesome and do provide occasional road blocks which prevent the game from reaching its full potential. As it stands though, Little Nightmares II is a thrill ride filled with visually striking moments of pure nightmare fuel, which may invite you to leave your lamp on for the foreseeable future.
With a price point of $60, it's hard to recommend Balan Wonderworld, especially when other platformers (and even collections such as Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which contain multiple games) are a lot cheaper and are much better. The ingredients are all there for a great game, but everything has gone off and rotten. What's been cooked up is a bland, uninspired trip into a world that should have been anything but. Balan Wonderworld feels like bargain bin material that should be avoided at all costs... at any discount.