Granblue Fantasy Relink is an exceptional action-RPG with a strong license that can flourish in many genres. With excellent combat and cinematography, Granblue Fantasy Relink provides strong character development and epic encounters throughout its 20-hour campaign and many more hours after that.
An excellent return to the Prince of Persia franchise. The Lost Crown takes the classic Metroidvania-style and builds on it with excellent puzzles, platforming and combat. The Lost Crown is easily the first must have title of the year and shouldn't be missed.
Forest Grove has a good concept but doesn't take advantage of its unique aspects. The future setting is just a gimmick to see how scenes play out. Though I enjoyed looking for the evidence and making the connections to find out what happened to Zooey, the game constantly held my hand but let it go right at the end when I needed its help the most. It's short, it's simple, and it's predictable.
There is a lot to love about Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising. From its excellent story mode, simple yet complex combat that's made accessible to every type of player. But what steels the show is the extremely fun Grand Brute mode. There is a lot to love about Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, and it's easily the sleeper-hit fighting game this year.
Gangs of Sherwood is a fun sleeper title that features great combat and characters. I enjoyed playing through each hero and seeing their unique abilities at play. With great level design, plenty of secrets, and replay value, especially when playing with friends, Gangs of Sherwood may be the co-op title you're looking for this holiday season.
I enjoyed exploring Regis III and uncovering the various mysteries that it holds. However, while the gameplay is simple and basic, The Invincible excels in its fantastic writing and performances from main characters, Yasna and Novick. As I played through the game, I was driven deeper and deeper into its narrative until the big reveals were finally unleashed.
This Bed We Made is a great game that kept me returning for more. I loved the narrative experience and the human element of its story. Though it was a short experience, the various paths to take to the ending had me trying repeatedly to see every scene and ending. Sophie is a unique character that I grew to love and was driven to protect no matter what. This Bed We Made is a game I highly recommend.
Gargoyles Remastered is a good addition to the growing library of classic remasters. It's faithful to a fault to its original release. Though I praise the developer for keeping the game as true to the original as possible, that doesn't mean it couldn't have used some extra updates. The visual upgrade is tremendous in recreating the animated series visuals, and the rewind function is excellent. Still, that doesn't keep the combat and platforming from being incredibly frustrating at times.
Lords of the Fallen does a lot of things right. Its exploration is its strongest point, and jumping from the human and Umbra realms provides unique enemy encounters and secrets. However, while its combat could have been great, it's ultimately marred by poor hitbox detection and a lock-on camera that will get you killed more than it will save you. There is just something about the world that kept me coming back for more. Whether it was the exploration, the great monster and character designs, or the world itself. Lords of the Fallen is a great return to the dark gothic style of these highly difficult titles.
Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST: The Adventures of Dia is a great adaptation of The Adventures of Dia anime, but it's a disappointment when it comes to being a spin-off in the Dragon Quest franchise. Simple combat and a bad mission structure will have you watching screengrabs from the anime more than playing the game. It tires hard to be an epic adventure, but it feels like it was designed for the mobile market before being moved to a console release.
The Holy Grail War kicks off what I hope to be a continuing run for the Fate franchise. Fate/Samurai Remnant tells a good story with plenty of well-written characters and twists and turns. Its combat is simplistic but manages to keep you going for a fairly long duration. I hope this is the first step of great things to come for this unique franchise.
Baldur's Gate III is a generational game that manages to amaze at every corner. When you think you've done everything you can do, you find more and more ways to be imaginative in combat and exploration. Baldur's Gate III features some of the best writing and character development you'll experience in an RPG and the true freedom of playing just how you want to. Nothing is impossible in Baldur's Gate III; you are only limited by your imagination.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge: Dimensional Shellshock is an interesting addition that provides a new Survival Mode to the core game. However, it provides you with fun access to play with your bosses of the game and a fun upgrade system utilizing crystals. Its difficulty holds it back, and it feels like it was designed specifically with the most hardcore audience in mind. Adding two new characters doesn't add enough to the core game to warrant a purchase.
Daymare 1994: Sandcastle is a fun title that improves on almost all the issues from the original. It provides an excellent atmosphere and fun combat situations where you can use cryo abilities. It's not a perfect game, though, with some bad voice acting, really dark lighting, and being unable to dodge attacks leaves you open to strikes. Invader Studios will hopefully build on these qualities for the promised third instalment in the series.
An original IP is always a good thing. An original IP that's also fun to play is even better. Immortals of Aveum is a fun magic shooter that takes the great arcade shooting of DOOM and combines it with fun exploration and puzzle solving. Its great animations and voice work help move a slightly sluggish story forward as best it can. But none of these issues kept me from enjoying my time as an Immortal.
It's always great to see a sequel improve on the original while keeping the spirit of the original alive. I loved my time in the crazy world of Blasphemous 2, with plenty of secrets to find and great combat that keeps you on your toes. Though its story could be a little more cohesive, it doesn't take much away from the overall product. Blasphemous 2 is easily one of the best indie titles of the year.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a nice Remke that allows you to experience where the franchise began. Though the game is constant timing you on everything you do the time to prepare for whatever tasks ahead can lead to some great discoveries. With great visuals and entertain and simple combat there should be plenty for fans to enjoy and for new comers to discover.
Trails Into Reverie should have been the best sendoff one could ask for in this great franchise. Unfortunately, it's the complete opposite. The duality of its story takes away from the narrative, and the introduction of every gotcha mechanic present in most mobile RPGs hurts more than it should. Though its combat and writing remain stellar, the rest of the game fails to capture the greatness of the titles that came before it.
Loop8: Summer of Gods tries many ideas but doesn't execute any of them well. Most of the game involves you building your relationship with people who don't even want to help you save the world. Its combat is unrewarding and doesn't even feel like its necessary. Its only saving grace is its great art design and, on most occasions, its voice acting.
I had a great time with Miasma Chronicles, and I legitimately didn't want it to end. The accessible tactical combat had me coming back for more, and I loved the environments and the visually pleasing destruction the Miasma has wrought. Though its story is pretty wonky, I still enjoyed what I experienced and hope that a sequel will fully flesh out what is happening in this world.