In a year full of unexpected delights, LEGO Horizon Adventures stands out as a pleasant surprise. I didn’t anticipate enjoying this game as much as I did, but it has certainly earned its place among some of the titles this year. It goes above the typical family action-adventure genre, delivering an experience that is both engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. While I may not be inclined to explore other LEGO games, LEGO Horizon Adventures offers a fun, humorous, and robust adventure with solid gameplay mechanics. It’s enjoyable both solo and with friends, and the cooperative play enhances the experience as you navigate the game with iconic characters from the Horizon series.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake successfully balances the preservation of the original game while making it accessible to modern players. With features like autosave, a recall function, and difficulty selection, players can enjoy the classic game on their terms. The graphical overhaul and fully orchestrated soundtrack enhance the visual and auditory experience, allowing players to appreciate the game as it was originally intended. However, there are minor issues such as the extremely slow pace of combat and uneven difficulty settings, which can easily turn off certain players.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure incorporates many elements that made the original Life Is Strange a modern classic. On paper, it promises a winning formula with the return of Max Caulfield, an interconnected universe, and engaging cliffhangers. However, the execution falls short of elevating the overall experience. Like Life Is Strange: True Colors, I had high hopes for this game. The setup is excellent, featuring likable characters, an intriguing premise, and a fantastic soundtrack. The journey is quite enjoyable up to the midpoint, but it seems Deck Nine struggles to deliver a satisfying conclusion for Double Exposure, unlike True Colors.
Sonic x Shadow Generations is a delight for Sonic fans of all kinds. Whether you’re a newcomer inspired by the films or a long-time fan from the series’ early days, this game offers a wealth of content that is sure to win you over. While completing the main story of both titles can take around 10-11 hours, countless additional hours of replayability can be had with its numerous unlockables. Sonic x Shadow Generations combines two sides of the same coin into one accessible package, promising hours of enjoyment. If you’re looking for a standout Sonic game among the many released in recent years, this is definitely the one to choose. Having not played a Sonic title in 15 years, I found this to be the perfect reintroduction to the series, and the future of the franchise is looking exciting after experiencing this outing from our beloved Hedgehogs.
Fear The Spotlight is an impressive debut title from Blumhouse Games, and I commend them for taking a chance on Cozy Game Pals’ unique premise. This game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for 90s survival horror, and beyond that, it delivers a compelling story that kept me engaged from start to finish. While I wished it were longer, the developers told the story they wanted to tell and executed it exceptionally well.
Until Dawn Remake retains the elements that made the original a must-play narrative horror experience. However, justifying its full price is challenging when it closely mirrors the 2015 release. Despite some subtle improvements, such as enhanced control inputs, there are few new additions. Compounding this issue are the numerous performance problems and poor lighting, which detract from the immersion enjoyed in the original. While future patches may address these issues, the current state of the game does not warrant its steep price. It feels like we need to wait a bit longer to experience the game fully.
Metaphor: ReFantazio demonstrates that the Persona system remains vibrant and versatile, extending beyond an urban high school setting. Its high fantasy environment significantly transforms the gameplay, and Studio Zero delivers a refreshing take on the popular formula. This new approach offers a breath of fresh air for Persona players seeking something different yet familiar and addictive. You could say it’s basically fantasy Persona, but that doesn’t even encompass half of what Metaphor really is. Metaphor: ReFantazio stands out as one of the best RPGs of the year, thanks to its unique concept and addictive gameplay, and something that cannot be missed if you love RPGs and fantastical settings. Let Studio Zero guide you into a world of conspiracies, mysteries, and wonder as you journey through this fantastic realm with new protagonists and a new story, all wrapped in the same quality trappings of an Atlus title.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a delightful surprise this year, offering a concise yet engaging and explosive shooter experience. The game features an immersive plot that respects your time, providing 10-12 hours of captivating dark sci-fi fantasy, perfect for a weekend binge. The game excels with its frenetic gunplay, intense action, and mysterious world, reminiscent of classic corridor shooters like Gears of War. It introduces enough variety and novelty, such as verticality and base defense objectives, to keep players constantly engaged. While the interface may initially seem basic, the relentless action ensures an appreciation for its straightforward gameplay.
Gundam Breaker 4 is a treasure for Gundam enthusiasts, offering hours of entertainment as you assemble unique Gunplas without the expense of physical kits. Despite its basic combat and story, the game provides ample content through multiplayer and side missions to complete your collection. If you’re seeking a more involved mech action simulator, this game might not meet your expectations due to its arcade-like combat, which can become repetitive over time, but still offers playability due to the creativity and possibilities the system brings along.
SteamWorld Heist 2 is a solid strategy RPG to add to your library and a solid addition to the Steamworld series of games. If you don't mind a brush with challenging levels and the tight roguelite requirements, you're in for a charming submarine ride with your motley crew of loveable rogues.
Kunitsu-Gami is more than just a visually appealing game; its unique gameplay style offers a dynamic action-strategy experience that is truly worth your time. The mechanics are intuitive and easy to implement, allowing you to focus on the overall strategy without overthinking. Its user-friendly customization is remarkable, enabling you to play at your own pace while consistently challenging you with its well-designed game mechanics. The presentation of Kunitsu-Gami is exceptional. From the music and aesthetics to the simple yet engaging storytelling, the game’s world is beautifully crafted. You can take the time to appreciate its originality and cultural elements through its many extras. It is a fully realized world, with every element contributing to its charm, providing something to marvel at during your downtimes.
Hauntii is a short and sweet unique indie experience that provides a decent outing with its presentation, creepy cute visual style, and heartfelt story. It provides a decent enough challenge to explore and traverse its ethereal world. While collecting its stars to form constellations to tell the protagonist's visual tale is enticing, I wish it was done a little bit more organically. Overall, its brief original experience really is something to be experienced to be believed. I enjoyed solving puzzles and interacting with the creepy cute world, and it's a decent indie to pick up in between the larger titles this year to spend the time.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau, as a narrative-driven adventure, is a must-play due to its unique lore, world, and memorable characters that keep you engaged until the end. However, as a Metroidvania, it doesn't offer too many innovations but rather more of the already established foundations of the genre, such as moderately challenging platforming, basic combat, and little else in the way of new skills and exploration. It is a short and sweet indie game that respects your time, and, with a friendly price point, it's definitely a great meditative weekend adventure to get into that gives you some exhilarating 2D action while exploring some aspects of grief and identity that only Tales of Kenzera: Zau can offer in its unique presentation.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes pays homage to the beloved Suikoden series, which left an indelible mark as one of the most memorable JRPGs during the PlayStation 1 era. The game’s expansive design and nostalgic elements evoke fond memories for fans. However, nostalgia can be selective, often glossing over past flaws. The revival of dated mechanics, including random encounters, fixed savepoints, and lengthy world map treks, hampers the overall pacing. Additionally, new features like gimmicks, war games, and forgettable characters miss the mark. The resulting package falls short of the (unreasonable) highs set by its inspirational source material.
The Thaumaturge emerges as a breath of fresh air in the realm of narrative RPGs. Its implementation of fantastical elements sets it apart, making it a standout title to play, whether on PC or its eventual console release. Within this vibrant and unfamiliar world, characters like the formidable protagonist, Wiktor Szulski, shine bright. Despite imperfections, The Thaumaturge is a gem worth experiencing, warts and all.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth rises to the challenge set by its predecessor, by bringing to life every facet of the imagined open world we’ve cherished for decades and executing the vision to near perfection by marrying it with today's technology. Square Enix’s meticulous attention to detail, no matter how minute, resonates with awe-inspiring clarity, no longer feeling the need to imagine because the world is finally alive and it is here. While not flawless, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth navigates its journey with grace and offers a fascinating experience that makes it easy to overlook the minor issues. I found myself deeply impressed by the expansive overworld, the iconic set pieces, and the thoughtful expansions that honor the beloved title’s essence, making it a strong contender for Game of the Year nods and a definite reason to finally get a PS5 if you haven't yet.
Suicide Squad starts super fun, as its visual presentation and plot set-up work as its strongest points to draw us into Rocksteady’s interpretation of Justice League. However, once the novelty ends, we’re left with a chaotic mess that gets tedious the more you play. Due to its repetitive gameplay loop and messy combat system, playing the game can get tiring pretty quickly once you complete its brief campaign. Fans will be divided, and given its rushed resolution, lack of nuance, and gratuitous display of how it handled DC’s beloved characters, the game can easily be misunderstood.
Persona 3 Reload is a triumph, considering the degree of difficulty that Atlus was challenged with when they decided to remake such a classic. Through a combination of thoughtful upgrades and leaving behind dated mechanics, this title is ready to satisfy the evolving taste of franchise fans while catering to newcomers and introducing them to the world of Persona. Persona 3 Reload proves that you can have both a challenging and accessible JRPG without losing Persona 3’s core identity, as it refines the dated designs and systems of the original by bringing it in line with Persona 5, offering a modern take that stands tall among its peers.
While it does scratch a certain niche, I wouldn't dismiss Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising as just another anime-inspired fighting game. It's a fun offering to get started with, and as you get better skill-wise, you're left with a moderately sufficient technical fighter with a large roster of characters to choose from. There's something for everybody in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and don't let its "fighting game genre" think that there are only versus modes available. The story mode allows you to enjoy a single-player experience where you can progress a character through the lore while learning the fundamentals of the game. Even if you don't embark on a fighting game career, there's enough content here to keep you interested and engaged, which is a very good deal for its price!
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a gift for fans of the series in more ways than one. It's a refreshing return for long-time hero Kazuma Kiryu as well as the well-loved Dragon Engine. It's great to get back into the shoes of Kiryu, whether it is through combat, exploration, or playing the many mini-games. It may be the last time we're graced with his presence in this type of format, so enjoy it! That being said, it may be a stretch for newcomers and casual fans to go deep into the Like A Dragon lore with this title. I mentioned earlier that there were some quirks that I'm willing to forgive, but many newcomers will probably be confused. I recommend starting out with an earlier title and coming back to this title when ready, but it definitely is supplementary reading to get a better grasp of the overall lore.