Disney Illusion Island is a game that takes no risks, but at the same time, is exceptionally well made. There aren’t any deep criticisms to be made about its design, outside of it being the safests of bets in the overcrowded marketplace of its subgenre. As an entry level game for those without experience and/or younger players, it checks all the necessary boxes as it not only is a visual spectacle, but a lot of fun to play. And in the end, fun is what matters in a multiplayer game such as this, which it delivers in spades.
It’s absolutely great to be proven wrong by such a talented group of developers over at Night School Studio. They’re certainly cracked another amazing time with Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, a game that I wouldn’t have a hard time recommending to any sort of player out there who’s looking for something exciting and worthy of their time to play.
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes gets yet another go at capturing a whole new audience with its incredibly easy to grasp and deeply rewarding gameplay.
Ghost Trick is by far one of Capcom’s most unique and clever games, and it’s now finally widely available after spending nearly a decade and a half as a portable exclusive.
With Layers of Fear, Bloober Team reworks their previous horror releases into a single package that’s worth revisiting and getting spooked over again.
Dave the Diver offers up a delightfully fresh take in a whole bunch of gaming genres that just works.
Trails into Reverie marks the end of one of gaming’s longest running, consecutive released series, with Trails of Cold Steel, and a fresh beginning for another if NIS America has anything to say about it.
There’s a lot to keep track of within Darkest Dungeon 2, so much so that it does indeed feel like a tabletop experience wherein the one in control is doing a tremendous job in keeping those playing along enthralled in the world they conceived. That world is pitch black and absolutely dreadful, and it gives no promise of delivering any form of satisfaction, but there’s still a sense of accomplishment somehow, of faith and hope, something that only the human mind can produce while facing the worst of circumstances.
Relic’s Company of Heroes 3 makes a surprise landing on consoles with a port that makes smart use of controller shortcuts, which help make it stand toe-to-toe with its PC counterpart.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is in every way a very fun and enjoyable game to play in and of itself, which just happens to be Star Wars, and for that, it’s made even better, especially to fans like me. The fact that it is a product within that franchise doesn’t get in its way whatsoever, and that’s something that’s rare to see nowadays.
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble is a competent Puzzle Bobble product, with the expected features that offer up exactly what you’d want out of the franchise. It’s quick and easy to get into, with no fluff whatsoever. The added gameplay features are definitely neat and help add a wrinkle to the already excellent color-matching puzzling that’s worked for decades. If you have yet to play one of these on the Switch and are looking to get your fill, Puzzle Bobble Everybubble will surely get you sorted.
2023 has been an incredible year so far in gaming, and surprises like this make it even better. I couldn’t think of a better recommendation for anyone looking for a gripping game to get lost in. Dredge is an accomplishment in making such a simple starting premise turn into such an addictive experience that it evolves into the further you get in it. Just don’t eat any of those deformed fishes you pick up. You’ll thank me later!
For returning fans of Mega Man Battle Network, both volumes of the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection are sure to feed their nostalgia. On the flipside, they might be a harder sell on those who had no prior or little experience playing them due to how close they all stick to the formula and don’t do much to set themselves apart from each other. When put side-by-side with previous collections by Capcom, these sit at the lower end, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re bad. It’s just worth coming in with your expectations in check.
Teslagrad 2 is a testament to iterative design coming into play in making a sequel an even better time than what came before it. The first game was already ridiculously smart and downright a blast, and it’s (pun intended) shocking to see how well Rain Games has made this sequel an even stronger game. Teslagrad 2 isn’t to be missed and is a contender for my list of top games of 2023, no doubt.
It’s no wonder this game came out as well as it did, considering some the names behind the project, such as artist Yuki Nobuteru from Trial of Mana, and Raita Kazama of Xenoblade fame, as well as Hiroki Kikuta also from the Mana franchise. It’s quite a team and they sure pooled their talent into making an otherwise standard RPG fare into something closer to top shelf material. While I wouldn’t go out and say that Trinity Trigger is must-play, if you do end up picking it up you’ll find it to be a game that’s aimed to be pure, uncompromised entertainment, just as its inspirations from the past were, and in that regard, it surely succeeds.
MLB The Show 23 is a welcome sight for those looking to get acquainted with America’s previous favorite pastime.
It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the brightest games I’ve ever played, and the same can be said for elements in it that are not simply tied to its visuals. The whole ambiance within Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key feels extremely easygoing for as chaotic as the events that take place can get, all things considered. It’s the sort of game you play as a break from more intense ones, or something you pop into your system in between.
Resident Evil 4, the remake, exists, and thanks to the improvements that have been made, most importantly presentational ones, for as needless as it feels it is in the end, it can, in fact, be thought of as the ultimate way to enjoy RE4. Then again, it doesn’t completely replace the original, which remains a very playable and enjoyable timeless classic. If you have yet to bask in and pop an army’s worth of Ganado heads, you won’t go wrong with the remake, but if the chance presents itself, try playing both.
Users with varying configurations are reporting serious hardware issues running the game, and even though the worst of my problems happened to be tied to shaders and resources in lieu of crashes and whatnot, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. The Last of Us Part 1 is Sony’s big chance to capture an entirely new audience, and its success will serve as a measure to whether or not there’s a chance its sequel will even come out on PC. Now, if that is to happen, the responsibility now rests on Sony’s shoulders in getting this port up and running well before its disastrous reception ruins what otherwise should be a momentous occasion for PC players. Such an arrival on the platform deserves much better.
Unresponsive controls get in the way of an otherwise enjoyable callback to 16-bit platformers in Curse of the Sea Rats.