Though it’s not as good as the classics, Forza Motorsport is still the best entry in the series since the beginning of the Xbox One era. The massive strides made on track and creative RPG leveling mechanics let it appeal to both racing game veterans and newbies alike. It’s just a shame that the bizarre AI behavior and frustrating FPS restrictions in multiplayer hurt what is an otherwise superb racing experience.
A high-quality translation and port that builds on the wonderful work done by a passionate community. Trails to Azure's story is impactful, but issues with its pacing can make it feel longer than it needs to be. Even so, this is still a great JRPG that fans of the genre would be silly to pass on.
Octopath Traveler 2 is one of the best JRPGs ever made. It continues to deliver on what made the original so good while improving on its weaknesses. Its only true flaw is that the new Crossed Paths stories are treated as a side act rather than the main selling point. Despite this shortcoming, when all is said and done Octopath Traveler 2 will be remembered as an all-time great.
An ambitious and mostly fun shooter that delivers a satisfying BioShock-inspired story, but Atomic Heart falls short of greatness due to evident feature creep, frustrating platforming segments, and silly oversights in terms of its accessibility.
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is nothing more than a decent but unspectacular JRPG. However, for Neptunia fans, it's a blessing. Idea Factory has finally gotten back to continuing the main story and has delivered a product worth talking about. It isn't the mainline entry that fans really want, but it's still leagues ahead of the other Neptunia spin-off games that it succeeds.
Trails From Zero is a wonderful game that offers the very best story telling and world building that gaming has to offer. Its presentation and dialogue heavy gameplay won't be for everyone, but if you love a good story and are looking to get immersed in a brilliant world, look no further.
Two Point Campus is a fantastic management game that picks up right where Two Point Hospital left off. It isn't the most innovative successor, but it doesn't have to be. Two Point Campus offers more than enough to keep you entertained right up to graduation.
Intuitive controls and great presentation provide some promise, but Matchpoint - Tennis Championships fails to deliver beyond that point. It's too easy to master, and there's just not enough in the game to keep players entertained beyond the first few hours of gameplay.
F1 22 is a flawed entry that has been tainted by its desperation to seemingly appeal to casual players. Even so, the driving mechanics carry the game, and it still manages to be a fun racing experience. Against all of the odds, F1 22 pulled through and is something worth playing.
This new entry into the Disgaea series makes some good changes with the 3D models and auto battler being particular highlights. Plus, the move to PC has fixed the various performance issues that were present on the Switch and having all of the DLC bundled together is a nice bonus. Even so, the overall package offers less value than its predecessors with it having fewer classes, weaker characters, and a general lack of gameplay innovation. Disgaea 6 Complete is still a decent entry, but it's also a step back when compared to both Disgaea 4 and Disgaea 5.
Redout 2 is a niche product that won't be for everyone. However, if you happen to fall into its target audience, then it'll offer enough to keep you entertained for some time. Just be prepared to fail over and over before things start getting fun.
It may just be an arcade-inspired rhythm game, but it's a damn good one at that. Mega Mix+ never tries to be more than it promises. The lack of any real sense of progression isn't ideal, but that can mostly be overlooked thanks to the immense tracklist and consistently fun gameplay.
Rogue Legacy 2 does everything a sequel should. It builds on what was already well done in its predecessor while reworking any ideas that weren't executed as well. Cellar Door Games has made something both franchise fans and newcomers should be extremely excited to play.
Following the disaster that was Borderlands 3's writing, there was some serious pressure on Gearbox to deliver this time around. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands isn't a spectacular game and doesn't live up to Borderlands 2, but I doubt most people will care about that. The simple fact is that we got a Borderlands game that is fun with a story that isn't painful to experience. That's a win in my book.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is the best installment in the franchise yet. The vast innovations made to the alchemy gameplay loop make sure that the franchise's main selling point is the best it has ever been. Not only will Atelier fans love this, but just about any JRPG fan will have a great time playing it.
OlliOlli World is a wonderful skateboarding game that delivers everything I could have ever wanted. Its gorgeous pastel color art, flawless optimization, and slick controls combine to create a premier indie game.
Battlefield 2042 has a lot of problems. From its optimization, questionable design, and various bugs, it is clear that this game was not completely ready to be released. Yet despite all of that, I have still found myself having a good time bathing in the chaotic fun that is Battlefield. It needs some patches for sure, but Battlefield 2042 is by no means a lost cause.
As a huge multiplayer fan Call of Duty: Vanguard ticks all of the right boxes for me. It's chaotic and fast paced and besides some bugs that will surely be patched out, there's little to complain about. Unfortunately, the accompanying Zombies and Campaign modes are lacklustre and it is simply not worth buying the game for them alone.
Reflection: Second Light is a perfect example of what a sequel should be. It takes the ideas put forward by the original and improves all of them. There's better exploration, better visuals, and, most importantly, much better character writing. The original was an average and forgettable JRPG. In contrast, Second Light is one of the best JRPGs released in recent memory.
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a wonderfully crafted 2.5D adventure game that features well-made puzzles and engaging platforming sequences. Its surprisingly intricate confrontation mechanic coupled with the underlying messages about complex social issues ensure that this is a game for all ages, not just kids. It does a fantastic job of encouraging exploration and is overall a game well worth playing regardless of if you fit in with its core target audience or not.