NieR Replicant overall is a successful remaster, with a bit of spit and polish improving many facets of the original game, but with some of the negatives unfortunately carrying over as well. The end result is an action RPG that will keep most players entertained for many hours, as the story, combat, and characters outweigh the boredom of Replicant’s sometimes repetitive gameplay.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is an ideal opportunity for gamers who may have missed the original release, but it’s also worth another playthrough for those who enjoyed the 2013 version. While the game developed by Starbreeze remains a classic and has aged decently well, Avantgarden’s remake improves upon it in nearly every way to bring the delightful, sometimes emotional odyssey to modern platforms.
There’s little doubt that gamers who liked The Talos Principle will enjoy its sequel. It offers much the same experience in a more cohesive package. The puzzles are more accessible to the layman while still presenting a satisfying challenge, and very few will have to be skipped, even for someone who doesn’t consider themselves a puzzle person. And while the philosophical meanderings can be a bit long-winded, most of them can thankfully be ignored. Overall, any complaints pale in comparison to the fully engaging adventure puzzle experience that Croteam is offering with The Talos Principle 2.
Overall, Sabotage’s retro-inspired RPG is a strong offering that is doubly impressive considering it’s only the second project from this budding indie studio. There are too many points to expound upon — be it the soundtrack, story, combat, gameplay, or graphics — but they are all skillfully implemented. Even on the technical side, there are no complaints. Sea of Stars is simply a really fun, well-rounded game that any fan of RPGs will surely enjoy.
While every Pikmin game has followed the winning formula that was established two decades ago, each has added its own tweaks here and there. Pikmin 4 seems to have taken the biggest leap in that regard, and yet everything feels like a logical and fitting next step. The core of the gameplay is the same and provides the hours of whimsical RTS challenge and fun that fans expect, while the new modes and mechanics keep it from feeling stale. Every mainline game has been an improvement on the last, and Pikmin 4 is no exception. Other than the co-op, there’s really nothing negative about the game, besides perhaps the loading times. But it’s really a testament to how great Pikmin 4 is that waiting 30 seconds to get back into it is too long.
In developing Subnautica: Below Zero, Unknown Worlds heeded the lessons learned from Subnautica and the feedback received from players about both games over the years. Below Zero has taken no steps backward and instead offers an even more polished experience than its predecessor. As for gameplay and story, it’s not necessarily a better game, but it is certainly just as good.
More than an open-world Dark Souls, FromSoftware's Elden Ring offers a new experience that will still feel familiar and satisfying to fans.