The Last of Us Part II is a bold and successful return to this post-apocalyptic world, masterfully owning and working with decisions made with the first game. By refining the already great gameplay and moving it forward, we are before some of the most solid mechanics of this generation. The story will not please everyone, but there is no denying it is impacting, exciting and emotional, albeit being a bit too long in some sections. All this is partnered with phenomenal performances from the whole cast, and irreproachable when it comes to visuals, sound, and technical aspects. The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece, Naughty Dog’s best work so far, and in contention for the game of the generation.
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Cyber Shadow isn’t merely a nostalgia inducing adventure, but a triumph of modern game design. It’s demanding, it’s challenging, and despite a few exaggerated difficulty spikes, it grabs us with its rewarding easy to understand but hard to master gameplay. It’s a visual and auditory delight from beginning until end, and a game to which we will keep coming back in the future. Cyber Shadow is a game of undeniable quality, and one of this year’s first mandatory experiences.
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Ghost of Tsushima is a true homage to Japanese history and culture, and another excellent game from a PlayStation first-party studio. With the most beautiful open world of the generation, and a rigorous, precise, and rewarding combat system, this game presents several refreshing and ingenious ideas that make it a very immersive experience. It is a game that does almost everything right, and one which will give fans of action games and samurai-based entertainment everything they could wish for. Ghost of Tsushima is a perfect example of the overwhelming quality of PlayStation 4’s exclusives and an amazing curtain call of an excellent generational cycle.
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Cuphead is much more than its brilliantly nostalgic art direction. Whether solo or with a partner, facing and defeating one of its challenging bosses is always exciting and exhilarating. Cuphead’s controls are precise, the whole world and character design is phenomenal, and the music masterfully walks hand in hand with the whole experience. Above all else, it is extremely fun and rewarding, like few other games in the industry are, affirming itself as one of the best independent games of the current generation.
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Manifold Garden offers an experience both challenging and stunning, in equal measures. With absolutely beautiful visuals and a set of simple mechanics it cleverly takes to its limits, it is not an exaggeration to affirm we are before one of this genre’s best and most creative games. Above all, Manifold Garden is memorable and easily recommendable, even to those less used to puzzle games.
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When it comes to original entries, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a triumphant return for the beloved marsupial. Using the remade trilogy’s excellent framework, this title offers a more varied, gratifying, and challenging gameplay. With an absurd number of challenges to overcome and a new shining art direction, we risk affirming this is Crash Bandicoot’s best entry yet. Before us is an excellent experience, one which is mandatory for fans of platforming games.
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Demon’s Souls is everything I hoped, and a bit more. Combat is still precise, challenging and rewarding, and the world is as beautiful as it is bleak. With its new coat of paint and notable improvements to the game’s quality of life, this is without a doubt an ultimate Souls experience. It is mandatory for players who went through the original experience, as well as for those who passed it by. It’s a true next gen game, and a phenomenal start for the PlayStation 5!
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There’s no way around it, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is an absolutely brilliant RPG. The vast amount of content to explore and all the character development systems guarantee a robust experience and all but assure no two campaigns are the same. Add to the mix a phenomenal story, with one of the best scripts we have seen, and we have before us one of the most memorable experiences this industry has to offer. Sure, the mostly slow pace won’t be to everyone’s taste, buy we simply have to recommend this game to any and all RPG fans.
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With an original premise and relatively simple game mechanics, Superliminal presents itself as a very competent and rewarding puzzle game. We are constantly faced with new ways to interact with this bizarre world, and therefore challenged to face each new room with new eyes and an open mind. It only lasts for a short while, and we get the feeling there is a lot of unexplored potential. On the other hand, it does not overstay its welcome or last longer than it needs to deliver a significant and important final message. At the end of the day, Superliminal is a special game that adds something new to its genre, and one which puzzle fans will surely enjoy.
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The Pedestrian is a very accomplished puzzle game. With a very creative premise, a genuine surprise of a twist and a unique atmosphere, the whole experience is pure pleasure. Its levels are very well designed and presents a unique and captivating take on 2.5D environments. I just wish it challenged me more and it had more replay value. All in all, The Pedestrian ends up being a contained and relaxing experience, which may be ideal for this troubled start of the year.
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Control Ultimate Edition on the PlayStation 5 is a great example of what the new generation of consoles is capable of when compared to the previous. Graphics and performance are noticeably improved and bring some justice to this adventure’s very fun gameplay. Although some fundamental problems persist, before us is a much more consistent experience which is hard not to recommend to any fan of action games.
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Returnal intends to present itself as the first big new original PlayStation 5 exclusive, and it certainly does not disappoint. With its enveloping narrative, well thought out mechanics and great implementation of the PS5’s distinctive features, we won’t be surprised if many players end up getting dozens (or hundreds) of hours of enjoyment out of Returnal. Despite one or two bizarre design choices, lacklustre boss encounters and some persisting technical issues, this is a very recommendable experience, and the first big affirmation of arrival from this new generation.
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New Pokémon Snap is nearly everything fans have been clamouring for during the last couple of decades. The Pokémon are more alive than ever, and it’s a true splendour watching their behaviours and interactions. Gameplay is still simple and appealing, adding a few well thought features. Despite some questionable design choices, and some notable performance issues, this is a game every Pokémon fan will want to play, even those who never even touched the original Snap
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Flatland Vol. 2 is a surprisingly captivating and competent 2D platformer. Its controls are always precise and intuitive, and its challenging nature creates moments when a sense of accomplishment is genuinely felt, and the action is non-stop due to the speedy return to the game after every failure. Some camera zooming problems and a few pesky bugs stop it from attaining excellency, but this is still an easily recommendable experience to any fan of this genre.
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Everhood: Eternity Edition is a very successful rhythm adventure game, but it fails to reach the level of stardom of the game from which it is inspired. It's a very fun adventure, with a different combat style, a well-built world and a soundtrack that makes me tap my foot. But it tries too hard and without success to be a new Undertale, ending up leaving something to be desired in some moments of the story (especially in the ending) and in the characters it presents. It's a great, great indie, which I'll want to return to more often, but it falls a little short in some aspects, which prevents it from being a title for the ages.
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Tales of Kenzara: Zau is a touching and emotional metroidvania that very literally and metaphorically portrays the pain of loss and the subsequent grieving process. The narrative is very strong and its world is a delight to discover and explore, just missing a more robust combat system and the resolution of some problems to be an experience that takes us to heaven. Still, I have no doubt that fans of this genre will find an absolutely captivating and memorable experience here.
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Mario Vs. Donkey Kong marks a competent and, above all, fun return to one of the most underrated subseries by the famous plumber. Most levels are simple and short, but very well designed, offering a wide variety of challenges. The game's new paint job is also appealing, the new levels add several new elements and the single player mode (along with the cooperative mode) can be the perfect gateway to show a younger person how fascinating the world of video games can be. It suffers a little from some inconsistency regarding the quality of the Plus levels and some problems in detecting collisions and contact with enemies. But overall, it's a quality experience, which will please new players as well as those nostalgic for this type of monkey business.
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Penny’s Big Breakaway is a game in which the idiomatic expression “first you find it strange, then you understand it” is perfectly applied. The first impact causes some strangeness and confusion to more modern gaming sensibilities, but as we progress and master the mechanics better, we find a real pearl in this experience. It will not yet be a milestone within the 3D platform genre, mainly due to some inconsistencies and some technical problems that disturb the experience, but it is a game that leaves us with our mouths watering, and praying that Penny ends up leaving in more adventures in the future.
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Deadly Premonition: Origins is a bizarre game, one which you either deeply despise or love with all you have got. There are a lot of problems which can be pointed out and many of the design options should lead to it not working at all. But the truth is it not only works, as it is one of this industry’s more fascinating experiences. If you can get by with the poor visual resolution and get used to its gameplay, Deadly Premonition: Origins offers an interesting story, appealing characters, and a lot of entertainment value. Its whole is more than the sum of its parts, and those who step into this world with an open mind will find it is full of charm.
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Nexomon: Extinction assumedly presents itself as a Pokémon clone. Even though it does not deviate enough from the formula set by Game Freak, this title ends up offering some fresh ideas that make it memorable. The narrative is more mature and has a delicious sense of humor, and the variety of well-designed creatures gives it a sense of wonder until the end. Some technical issues and unpolished aspects somewhat limit the overall enjoyment, but before us is an excellent base on which something special can be built within the genre.
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