Mario and Luigi: Brothership offers an enchanting adventure, combining exploration with captivating gameplay. The vibrant world of Concordia and its quirky characters bring fresh life to the series, despite a simplistic narrative. With intuitive mechanics and the classic charm of our favorite plumbers, it offers a delightful journey that's a must-play for fans.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake revitalizes a classic with a blend of retro charm and modern visuals. The HD-2D engine creates stunning graphics, though some aspects feel dated. Under Yuji Horii's guidance, the game balances nostalgia with modern enhancements, providing a refreshed experience. While there are instances of grinding and slow battles, it remains an engaging journey for both longtime fans and newcomers—essential for JRPG enthusiasts.
In The Rise of the Golden Idol, players dive into a web of mysteries, using sharp deductive reasoning to solve them. This sequel features a rich narrative and modern setting that makes each revelation satisfying. With engaging art and intuitive gameplay, it offers fresh challenges for point-and-click adventure fans, despite minor interface hiccups on platforms like Steam Deck. A must-play for enthusiasts of the Golden Idol series.
Despite a few minor drawbacks, Black Ops 6 successfully breathes new life into the Call of Duty series by building upon fan-favorite elements while boldly introducing omnimovement, a mechanic that is transformative to moment-to-moment gameplay.
Sonic X Shadow Generations revitalizes a classic by combining nostalgia with fresh content. With enhanced visuals and a campaign focused on Shadow the Hedgehog, it offers smooth gameplay and rich character development. While console players will appreciate the upgrades, the high price for PC users might seem steep for just the new Shadow story.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure brings back Max Caulfield as an adult who faces both personal and supernatural challenges. Although her new powers hold promise, the gameplay tends to feel overly linear, and the pacing is inconsistent. Overall, Double Exposure is an engaging yet flawed continuation of Max’s journey, but it falls short of the series' best moments.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new IP from Atlus that combines Persona mechanics with medieval fantasy elements. It features innovative systems like Archetypes and a hybrid battle approach. The narrative explores modern themes within a fantastical world. While the game offers depth and challenge in combat and exploration, it has some technical drawbacks, especially on the PC version.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero revitalizes the Tenkaichi series with nostalgic charm and complex mechanics. The game offers a dynamic experience with a vast character roster and an engaging combat system. While it has some issues with camera angles and balance, it's still a highly enjoyable entry in the franchise.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster revitalizes the beloved zombie-infested game from the 7th generation of consoles. It uses Capcom’s RE Engine for improved graphics and quality-of-life updates while maintaining the original gameplay and humor. With time-based mechanics, customizable weapons, and a visual overhaul, it's a great return for fans.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a nostalgic tribute and a well-packaged bundle of timeless arcade fighting games. It has a sleek user interface, customizable gameplay options, and appeals to both long-time fans and newcomers.
Visions of Mana masterfully captures the heart of traditional JRPGs with classic elements and stunning visual artistry. The main storyline and combat system shine with engaging characters and smooth gameplay, but the lack of meaningful side content and occasional performance issues hold it back from perfection.
Star Wars Outlaws offers a fresh take on the franchise. While it has great visuals and solid gameplay, it relies on familiar open-world tropes, which may not appeal to everyone. The protagonist, Kay Vess, and her companion, Nix, offer enjoyable interactions, but some missions and stealth elements can feel repetitive.
The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection revitalizes the beloved series with a focus on investigative prowess, updated visuals, and expanded gameplay mechanics. The shift to crime scene exploration and clue gathering breathes new life into the series, making it accessible to both long-time fans and newcomers. This collection stands as one of the strongest entries in the franchise, blending nostalgia and innovation for lovers of the detective genre.
Tomba! Special Edition brings back the beloved and quirky PS1 classic, delivering a delightful blend of nostalgic charm and thoughtful modern enhancements. While the game is primarily an emulated version, Limited Run Games has enriched the experience with behind-the-scenes content, a new OST, and widescreen support, making it more than just a simple port. Despite its age, the game’s unique art style and engaging Metroidvania mechanics hold up well, though the controls can feel dated.
SteamWorld Heist II is a grander sequel that retains the core gameplay elements while trying to offer innovations. For fans of the original, it is a worthy sequel.
SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories, a spin-off from the popular anime SPYxFamily, focuses on the charming antics of Anya, providing a lighthearted and visually appealing experience.
The 20th Anniversary Edition of Beyond Good & Evil revives a beloved classic with enhanced visuals and character models while keeping the original gameplay and level design intact. The improved graphics make it worth the higher system requirements, and new missions and quality-of-life features enrich the experience. Fans of the original will appreciate this remaster while awaiting the long-promised sequel.
Capcom has revitalized the original Monster Hunter Stories by releasing it on PC and making it compatible with the Steam Deck. While it may appear lower-budget compared to its successor, its excellent combat system and engaging RPG elements make it an enjoyable experience.
The release of Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece on Steam is a significant improvement, especially for Steam Deck users, offering better compatibility and performance without the need for extensive tweaks.
Dragon's Dogma 2 is an impressive sequel to the cult classic game. It features an ambitious open-world and a more engaging storyline that combines nostalgia with innovation. Although the game has a few design quirks and occasional performance issues, especially on PC, it compensates with a rich narrative, an expansive world, and an engaging combat system. Players who are willing to dive deep into its universe will find it a rewarding experience. While it does not redefine the action RPG genre, it successfully captures the essence of adventure and exploration, making it appealing to both veteran and newcomer players.