It really goes without saying that Street Fighter 6 launch edition is a million times better than Street Fighter 5's, but that's way too low a bar to surpass. [Y]ou're looking at the best version of the 2D fighting series that made the genre exist in the first place that's also going to keep you busy whether you're offline or online.
Final Fantasy 16 is a stellar and noteworthy entry in the series that's just as impactful as Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7's debut back in their respective heydays. And that is not a statement I make lightly.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons' roguelike structure might take a while to get used to, and the game can get absurdly tough in Mission 3 and onward. And it'll take you a while to get used to each character's recovery animations as it's purposely made like this to make you think twice before you button mash. Still, you won't find a worthy remake and beat-em-up revitalization project like this "side story" filled with so many deep cuts that will make beat-em-up fans of the Technos era smile.
Dlala Studios aims to recapture that [90s 2D platforming] magic with its new Nintendo Switch-exclusive title, and succeeds on all fronts. Disney's Illusion Island is a feel-good all-ages search action fare that four people (or less) can really enjoy. From its pleasing aesthetics and whimsical music to its fun-if-familiar platforming and lovely controls, along with some post-game replayability and challenges, it's safe to say that this title might start a possible return of 90s Disney game platforming and action.
Batterystaple Games took up the responsibility to create a loving tribute to the Mega Man X series and adds a new spin on things to make the game challenging and highly replayable for hardcore fans of the genre. Fans of the archetype 2D run-and-gun power-up filled charged Mega Buster action title can stop praying for a Mega Man X follow-up. 30XX is essentially that and a bag of Nuts.
Blasphemous 2 is a lovely search action game made for anyone who wants a challenge, an R-rated experience, and a good mix of combat and exploration. For veterans, this sequel fixes a few of the problems from the first game so that it seems less cheap and buggy.
After many years of fixing, it's great to see the trials of V and his/her adventure in Night City -seediness & all- now in its final Super Saiyan God form. The Phantom Liberty expansion is a helluva adventure as well featuring the best talent for its narrative, lovely structure and levels, and all-around captivating spy motif and cloak-and-dagger who-can-we-trust package.
Dredge is a great mix of moody atmospheric horror storytelling mixed in with fishing and sailing. The DLC that just came out, The Pale Reach, adds a ton more to an already-packed 10-hour base game, adding 11 new fishes/crabs to catch, a new ice-floe-filled landscape, and new dangers. So really, now's a good time as any to go fish.
Void Stranger is unapproachable at first glance, even after an hour or so of playing it. [...] But if you stick with it long enough, 20 to 30 hours give or take, Void Stranger will deliver an immaculate experience unlike anything on tap this year. You need to play by its rules and also bend/break them in the process. The going is tough, but the tough gets going. Void Stranger will make you as hardy as they come.
Trust me when I say that Pizza Tower fills in that 2D platforming niche that can be enjoyed by casual fans and hardcore connoisseurs who long for Nintendo to make a new non-minigame Wario title that isn’t simplified garbage. With developer Tour De Pizza around keeping the dream alive, we don’t need it. Pizza Tower is a superior substitute that takes what its developers learn from past Wario Land platformers and makes it fresh again.
I never thought 2024 would start with a banger of a 2D title, especially from a company like Ubisoft that's known for copy-pasta open-world games, yet here we are. While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has elements from other 2D search action titles, it adds a few more innovations and uses its platforming and level design talent to create a remarkable and memorable platforming and sword-slinging experience, polish and all. Give this Metroidvania a whirl; you'll be pleased to know that it keeps the Prince of Persia platforming legacy alive and very well, thanks to its new search action trappings.
With great controls, a decent learning curve, and fun levels and lovely aesthetics, Pepper Grinder fills in the short-but-sweet arcade gaming niche that we love out of a twitch-based indie offering. Drill out!
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes perfectly captures the zeitgeist period of Japanese role-playing games of the late 90s, faults and all. [...] Players who yearn for the days of an epic fantasy story with solid turn-based combat & dungeon puzzle shenanigans most immersive will find a lot to love in this heartfelt tribute from the late Yoshitaka Murayama and his team Rabbit & Bear Studios.
This Mr. Driller entry is a must-buy for anyone who injects puzzle gaming juice in their veins, especially for anyone who hasn't played a Mr. Driller game before. Come for the catchy music and remastered artwork, stay for the drilling.
Gears Tactics is a fun and cerebral-challenging addition to the turn-based strategy line of games that go beyond what is expected. While it’s not wholly original, it presents a lot of time-tested mechanics in a streamlined and intuitive way while also not being afraid of challenging its audience.
Part RPG, part open-world quest-a-thon, but mostly an action game with a pretty neat tag-team mechanic that takes a while to master, Astral Chain is anything but a slog. In essence, Takahisa is clearly taking the diversity and open-ended nature of his past game and putting it all here in this Nintendo Switch title. Next to Splatoon, this is definitely one of Nintendo's best new IPs in a long, long while.
I am impressed with 2020’s first fighting game offering. Not only will veterans enjoy the best of both a Street Fighter and an anime fighter title, but newbies will have fun getting into an accessible fighting game that gets deeper over time.
Is Devil May Cry 5 better than Bayonetta & Bayonetta 2? Of course not, but nothing is. What we have here instead is a pretty damn good action hack-and-slash title featuring three awesome-to -play-as power fantasies that oozes style and substance; something that’s rare in this day and age.
No Straight Roads is a culmination of great ideas and good intentions that mostly succeeds. I’ll be up-front: it ain’t perfect and it’s got a little bit of that 3rd party jank. However, its earnest charm & plot, brilliantly unique aesthetics, and innovative music-slash-combat hybrid are too hard to put down and ignore.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a 30-to-60 hour RPG with a lot of meat & teeth in its gameplay & story for just US$40.