Demonschool from developer Necrosoft Games is a wonderful tactical turn-based fighting game that will entertain players thanks to a strong story, good strategy-led map designs, and enough characters to create multiple paths to approach fights. While it needed to be a bit less linear and more user-controlled on the story side of the tracks, it’s a fantastic experience from beginning to end.
News Tower, from developer Sparrow Night and publisher Twin Sails Interactive, is a marvelous newspaper sim that goes above and beyond the typical simulator formula.
Jackbox Party Pack 11 is a good release that features some fresh games and plenty of good times. It returns the series to a better form, although it’s not perfect by any means, nor will it rival the best of the best in the Jackbox series. But it’s far better than what has been recently released over the last three years and gives hope that more fun is to be had with future Jackbox releases.
Spindle from developer Let’s GameDev and publisher Deck 13 is a marvelous action-RPG adventure that hits all the right notes when it comes to action, puzzles, and payoff. It’s incredibly balanced with all three, which makes it feel like you don’t waste a minute playing it.
Two Point Museum, from developer Two Point Studios and publisher Sega, brings a fun and wickedly addictive museum simulator that runs deep with its gameplay. While it’s certainly not as complicated as most simulators of its type, it’s still well thought-through and executed in nearly every aspect of its gameplay.
Bounty Star from developer DINOGOD and publisher Annapurna Interactive is a lot of different things. It’s a narrative-driven game that features a heavy amount of customization and crafting. All of which goes through mech fighting, which might be the weakest part of the entire package.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake brings gorgeous graphics, wonderful RPG gameplay, and a fantastically retooled front and back-end system. It captures the majesty of the original releases, while putting its own stamp of modern gaming on every aspect of each adventure.
Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection from developer and publisher Digital Eclipse exceeds expectations. While the collection doesn’t bring all gaming gems to the surface, it brings enough good arcade and console translations with new features and improved controls that make it an easy sell. To boot, the documentary about the series’ history is well done and also worth the price of admission.
Plants vs Zombies Replanted, from developer PopCap and publisher Electronic Arts, is still fun as hell to run through, and doubly so with co-op, mini-games, puzzles, and a new game+ built into it. It’s the complete package. My biggest issue is price point, as the main game from 2009 is a hard sell for me at $20.
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PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC from developer Now Production Co. and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment is a nice revision of an old 3D platformer. It maintains the essence of early 3D platforming that made it stand out back in the day, while adding and improving modern amenities that make it feel more present than ever. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s fun to play.
Silent Hill f from developer NeoBards Entertainment and publisher Konami is a fresh take on the series. It features an unsettling story that honors the Silent Hill franchise, while bringing a fair amount of deep gameplay and fun fighting that will keep the experience fresh.
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, from developer Brownies, is a fabulous roguelike action game that brings more to the table than not. It features solid presentation and story, a great backend system that brings a heavy amount of strategy and fun, while hiccupping only with its enemy repetition.
Bubsy In: The Purrfect Collection from Limited Run Games and Atari is a solid trip down memory lane that features good add-ons and a worthy refurbished 3D version of Bubsy 3D. Now, that said, the collection might be tough for modern gamers to get into because of its difficulty and stiff controls, as the titles certainly belong in the ‘90s from whence they came. Ultimately, it’s a good collection for Bubsy fans and video game history enthusiasts.
Dragon Ball Genkishin Squadra, from developer Ganbarion and Bandai Namco Games, is a surprisingly solid MOBA game. It takes the Dragon Ball universe and merges it beautifully within the MOBA genre without losing the essence of the IP
Cronos: The New Dawn, from developer Bloober Team, is representative and respectful of the traditional survival horror genre. It brings gameplay elements that any gamer should expect from a survival horror experience, while testing out minor methods to improve an old formula. At the end of the day, the game is beautifully unsettling, gorgeous to take in, and does enough to make it worth your time. Is it reinventing the genre? Not really, but it’s still quite fun.
Lost Soul Aside, from developer UltiZeroGames, lacks a good, cohesive narrative that should be driving the solid gameplay and action. As it stands, the game does a great job with its action gameplay design, features interesting and compelling enemies, and contains a solid backend progression system.
Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots, from developer Hyde, brings together a strong essence that makes the series so much fun. A good set of modes, overdramatic characters, and easy-to-use mechanics make this experience entertaining and accessible, even for the non-golf fan. While it’s not perfect, it’s a solid release in the series.
Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening is a fun action platformer that brings an entertaining story, familiar characters, and good gameplay to the table. It does have some faults, but it’s a cool and stylish Cobra adventure.
Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids brings a wonderful combination of action and real-time strategy with its gameplay. The difficulty can be a bit much at times, but the challenge will more than likely keep gamers coming back for more.