All told, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES: nirvanA Initiative is a worthy sequel to the 2019 original. While some elements of the story don't always fit with the cast of characters, the core of the narrative keeps players invested throughout. The new somniums are very well designed in both pace and aesthetic, making them each feel unique. The additional hints and difficulty options are welcome, too, for those who want them. Virtual Reality sequences do well to add to the gameplay outside of somniums themselves, providing some great variety. This science fiction mystery thriller is certainly worth a look for fans of Zero Escape and visual novels in general.
All told, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is more of the same core experience, complete with the best gameplay the series has ever seen. While it cuts out one of the base game's unique modes and features, follower quests are a fantastic addition for offline play. The story could use some better pacing, but the mission structure continues to be spread out very well with new and returning monsters becoming available at a relatively decent pace - aside from the post-game grind to the final monster. Regardless, Sunbreak is an astounding expansion and a must-have for any hunter for both Offline and Online play.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp brings back two classic tactics games with mixed results. While the various COs and their animations are exceptional, accompanied with welcomed voice acting, the 3D artwork for the environments, troops and vehicles clashes with the 2D drawings. The missions themselves hold up incredibly well twenty years later with vast unit variety and choice for most battles. Bare bones online modes don't offer quite enough opportunity for replayability, but the package still stands tall with a map editor and missions with additional maps.
A Gummy's Life is a simple game with a hook that fails to reel in the player base it needs. Still, the element of cross-play shouldn't be overlooked. Gummy diversity is lacking in terms of stats for each and the physics systems support that fact. The variety of stages is decent, but the vibrancy is overblown. However, with a group of friends either online or at home, there might be a quick laugh to be had from this silly little title.
With a vast world to explore with varied stories and secrets to discover, Baldur's Gate 3 definitely shines. The cast is largely appealing and voice acting is top notch all-around, even if the storytelling and line delivery is varied in its pace. Character progression is somewhat weak in the opening levels but has a strong foundation for a great buildcraft experience, even if it lacks some on the fly experimentation seen in Larian's past efforts. Despite some performance woes in the later parts of the game and controller hangups, this is a journey worth taking for fans of Dungeons & Dragons or those new to the role playing field.
Persona 3 Reload does much to bring it up to modern sensibilities with a well optimized PC port in most cases, but more could have be done to shake off more of the baggage from the original release. The new menu systems and battle features carried over from more recent titles elevates the game the most and the new voice cast does an admirable job with largely the same script. The pacing still feels held back by the original story design and the main concept of Tartarus, but as a remake of what many consider a PlayStation 2 classic, it is a recommendation for JRPG fans.