If you have any love for Mortal Kombat, the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a must-buy. It’s arguably the best retro game collection of all-time.
The Jackbox Party Pack 11 is another fantastic set. One of its strengths is that it has three games that are variations of classic Jackbox Games. But that could also be a deterrent for people who own some Jackbox Party Packs already.
I loved Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit. I was worried the gameplay might be a bit simple at first, but the level choice and non-stop gags kept things fresh.
Once Upon a Katamari has an excellent concept, and excellent gameplay. The problem is that there are lots of Katamari games with the same excellent concept and gameplay. The new online modes and customization options are great ideas, but are very shallow in execution. There just isn’t enough evolution in any of the series’ core ideas.
It’s amazing that Nihon Falcom has released Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga for their fans. But longtime Trails and Ys fans will find a lot of their favorite characters missing. Hopefully Nihon Falcom will make a proper Ys Seven modern console port soon.
It would be a dream come true for me if Yooka Re-Playlee offered an in-game choice between an original version and a Replay version. Although flawed, Yooka Re-Playlee is the best version of an excellent N64-style 3D platformer.
I really wanted to love Hotel Barcelona. It has such an interesting presentation and game world. But its gameplay is just plain awful. It has a generic roguelite structure, and controlling Justine feels abysmal. The UI is also an overcluttered eyesore. I hope fans of SWERY and SUDA51 find something to love in Hotel Barcelona. But as it is, I just can’t recommend a game that plays this horribly.
Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is a must-play for JRPG fans. Bring on the 2nd Chapter, because I can’t wait to see where this story goes!
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a loving remaster of the most beloved strategy JRPG of all time. If you have any love for the genre, it’s a must-play.
But Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection is an incredibly loving and complete package of everything Bubsy. Anyone with nostalgic love for this series will be over the moon. I just don’t think Bubsy’s gonna make any new fans any time soon.
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.