There are lots of bad anime tropes that are going to turn away anyone who isn’t already a visual novel fan. But if you love the genre, Shuten Order is one of my favorite new visual novels in quite a while.
The game matches the quality of Bloober Team’s pre-Silent Hill 2 efforts, but, unfortunately, they’re still going to be looking to create a masterpiece amongst their original IPs.
If you’re a fan of Space Adventure Cobra, or looking for more 2D action platform games, then Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening is worth your time. Maybe just wait until it’s on sale.
Unfortunately, the PS5 port is almost the same experience as the Switch and PC versions. It just has the expected visual upgrade that comes with a more powerful console. But it’s a treat to finally have this fantastic game on all modern consoles.
I have to try really hard to find anything to critique about Chained Echoes: Ashes of Elrant. It’s a turn-based JRPG, with an innovative combat system that hits all the right nostalgia buttons.
But if you have any nostalgic love for the original games, then please pick this collection up for yourself, and for the sake of future Nightdive remaster projects.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is very much a sequel, so anyone curious about the story should play the original game first. If you’re just in it for the combat, then the sequel is a no-brainer best choice.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact is, at its core, a phenomenal fighting game. The fighting system is near-perfect, and easily stands beside the best triple-A modern fighters.
Undoubtedly, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is the best way to play this classic open-world survival horror FPS CRPG.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is an excellent sequel. It has the smooth skateboard gameplay we all know and love, with tons of features and modes.
Front Mission 3 Remake is a fantastic strategy JRPG. It has excellent combat, and deep mech customization, led by an engrossing story. It’s easy to get sucked into the conflict of the Front Mission world. And that early choice leading to different narratives truly shocked me. I had no idea! The game does have some visual oddities and too much framerate stutter in its cutscenes, but I would still say Front Mission 3 Remake is a must-play for fans of strategy JRPGs.
I loved Chronicles of the Wolf. It’s rare to find a game inspired by proto-Metroidvania NES adventure games. It’s also rare to find a game that looks like a Sega Genesis action platformer.
Star Overdrive is a gorgeous and ambitious indie third-person adventure game. It has lofty dreams of being Breath of the Wild with SSX-style hoverboard traversal. The exploration and board riding feel great. I loved the gameplay loop of travelling to new areas and gaining powers from dungeons. But the combat is way too simple, and obviously masked by a way too forgiving difficulty. A lot of the RPG mechanics are light and work well, but the hoverboard crafting system is an unexpected, overly complicated mess. There are a lot of interesting ideas in Star Overdrive. Even though they’re not all well-executed, I urge anyone curious to give it a try.
I would recommend Gex Trilogy to fans of retro platformers, who’ve played all the classics. These games aren’t must-play, but are a great option for someone wanting more platforming titles in their library.
This would make a great game for a parent to introduce a young child how to play platformers and Metroidvanias. I can’t imagine an adult playing this and not getting bored after a couple hours though. And if young kids can figure out Minecraft, they can just play a classic Metroidvania instead. A co-op Metroidvania is an enticing idea, but this one is only for newbees.
The Fuga games have continually improved, while keeping the same core mechanics. This final game is the best of the trilogy, just don’t play it until you’ve beaten the other two.
Like its title, Blades of Fire suffers from aspects that are kind of generic. The visual design and musical score emulate Hollywood fantasy to a fault, and the gameplay is excellent. Fans of action RPGs can safely ignore the Souslike label and enjoy this very accessible game.
Despite the sometimes frustrating fixed camera angles, goofy voice acting, and rushed second half, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is one of my favorite games I’ve played this year.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is incredibly polished and option-filled. It’s a must-own collection for retro fighting game fans. Lots of these games have been trapped in arcade and Sega Dreamcast exclusivity.
As a lifelong Family Feud fan, I loved The Jackbox Survey Scramble. It was fun to play, and a treat to be a part of the surveys. I do wish that answers didn’t need to be kept at one word. And Bounce isn’t as strong as the other three games. I also wish there was a way to play online with random players. There are a lot of minor issues with The Jackbox Survey Scramble, but the core gameplay is extremely fun and simple. These problems really didn’t get in the way of the great experience I had, which is why it still scores well. And the price of The Jackbox Survey Scramble is only $12.99 CAD, so probably $9.99 USD. That’s a very low cost for a party game that’ll I’ll be playing for a long time. The Jackbox Survey Scramble is a must-own for Family Feud fans.