Playing through NieR Replicant felt like a fever dream at times, in the same way that NieR: Automata’s reveal at the very first E3 I’d attended felt like a fever dream. It’s a testament to how special NieR is for it to have endured solely in the hearts and minds of its most dedicated fans for a decade, only to explode into a phenomenon that has kept the video game community talking and debating over it long after the credits have rolled. The rough edges of the original release are still present in NieR Replicant, but it’s clear that this game and the series as a whole will no longer just be another faded memory.
If you’re looking for a very simple, very low-key game you can dabble in for a few minutes each day, then sure, Cozy Grove might be up your alley. Just don’t expect much depth or nuance in the way of gameplay here.
I can’t recommend Monster Hunter Rise enough. The new gameplay additions are few, but very impactful and have pretty much changed the way I look at the series now. While World really brought the series to the next level in terms of graphical capability and level detail, Rise takes a solid step forward in evolving Monster Hunter’s gameplay. It’s still a tricky game to play with a high skill floor and ceiling, but the series has truly never been more accessible than it is now.
Loop Hero is yet another stunning gem that fans of the rogue-lite genre will enjoy. It’s a blend of so many different types of games that it becomes a completely unique entity on its own, and it’s hard to think of anything else that offers an experience quite like this one. It’s a game that forces you to trust in your own decisions, commit to them, and either reap the rewards or face the consequences. There’s no control, and that’s the beauty of this game.
Bravely Default II can get frustrating at times, but it more than makes up for that by being endlessly charming and endearing, and remains a joy to play through from start to finish.
After slogging through the rest of Godfall’s campaign, you’ll reach the end-game content, consisting mostly of Dreamstone missions, which do continue the story a little bit. Past that, you’ll be grinding through the game’s toughest missions repeatedly in search of greater loot.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a lot to take in. There are so many systems in play here, but somehow they all come together to form a solid, cohesive experience that makes this game so damn hard to put down. Throw in a cast of extremely likeable characters, and set it in the rich world of Breath of the Wild, and you get one of the best musou-style games that Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have ever put out.
Ultimately, Watch Dogs: Legion’s main mechanic feels like an incredibly ambitious move that almost pays off for Ubisoft, but not quite. In favor of cramming as many playable NPCs into the game as possible, Legion ends up sacrificing story and character investment. Ubisoft’s vision of near-future London is a beautifully realized sandbox world that I loved spending time in, but it’s also forgettable and not one that I see myself returning to anytime soon.
Hades feels like a small, but masterful step forward for the roguelite genre as a whole. Maybe there really is no escape from the Underworld, but that’s just fine by me; this is a cycle I don’t want to end.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim isn’t going to blow your mind with a smart story that pushes the tired boundaries of the science fiction genre. What it does offer instead is a jawdroppingly beautiful visual novel experience, intercut with satisfyingly fun gameplay sections where you get to rip apart a bunch of monsters with huge mechs.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is a game that I hoped to love, but with all of its shortcomings in the Remastered Edition, maybe some things are just better left in the past.
Persona 4 Golden is comforting, it’s warm, and so lovingly inviting. With its bright color palette and relentless optimism and hope, it’s summer incarnate and a beautiful reminder of the rose-colored past. Summer has begun.
Fans will love everything that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has to offer; Future Connected is a solid epilogue, and the quality-of-life improvements in the main game help make it a more palatable experience. But for the newer players, unless a good, solid combat system is all you need for your JRPG experience, this might be a tough one to recommend.
The additions introduced in Royal allow Persona 5 to become the excellent JRPG it was always truly meant to be, and it’s a wonderful effort that will surely be appreciated by fans.
Ultimately, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore still isn’t a game that will stick with you after you’ve beaten it, but it’s a groovy time while it lasts.
Disco Elysium is gritty and unapologetic, witty and bleak, and forces you to deal with your darkest demons and self-doubt. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you’re looking to play the purest modern video game about fetch quests and filling up bars, yes. If you’re looking for a unique gameplay experience and great acting, also yes.
Little Town Hero is a classic case of “has potential, but woefully executed,” and that really sucks to say when it seems to have so much going for it on the surface.
If you were hoping for a worthy successor to the excellent Zero Escape series, this ain’t it chief.
If you can look past that, though, there are new story elements here that help to enhance and develop its existing characters to make them feel more relatable. If not, well, at least the puzzles are awesome.