While I honestly enjoyed the concept, Jessika is quite a difficult one to recommend without many caveats. There are many ways the game is totally innovative, but also it has some issues with accessibility, especially if you’re playing it on the Nintendo Switch. The biggest issue Jessika has is that the content is not for everybody, especially if you’re the type of player who’s easily disturbed as they don’t pull any punches with how the character delivers some of her speech.
There is an audience for The Long Gate and unfortunately, I’m not it, and unless you have an engineering background or enjoy this specific type of puzzle game, it’s a hard sell for the mainstream audience. It’s not a bad game and there’s a lot to appreciate in this puzzler, but appreciation doesn’t necessarily lead to enjoyment.
Foreclosed has many great ideas such as the comic book aesthetic, the film noir mood, and the great use of cyberpunk thematic elements. Yet, when put into practice, it’s a mess. The broken gunplay mechanics, unfriendly checkpoints, and yet another developer jumping on the Dualsense hype train without making it actually work ruins the intriguing premise.
I really liked this game from the get-go, but I slowly became confused with the puzzle-solving aspect and hoped that there was more to it than what was presented. The soundtrack is great and having a fully visual story that could tug at the heartstrings really made the game shine. Sadly, some backstory and some context could’ve been provided with some text and would not completely take away from the emotional experience.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown keeps the legacy of the past by maintaining its core values and keeping the game as intact as possible. The game is easy enough to get into for newcomers, but the updates and polish make it also something that long-time fans will enjoy. However, I feel that if you’re not a competitive online player, it’s best to grab it on your PS Plus or PS Now (if applicable) subscription.
It is clear that Legend of Mana Remaster has been released for fans of retro JRPGs that would not mind what condition it came out in. The good news is that the game is preserved as best as it is, sprites and all, however everything that also was frustrating about this type of game also carried over including some control delay, dated gameplay, and unengaging story.
The Falconeer suffers from a lopsided tug of war between creative elements and frustrating game mechanics. While I enjoyed the nuanced politics between the settlements especially as the game gets more difficult, the tedious side missions and radiant quests rob it of its sparkle. For every combat instance that you engage in, so many of them involve really frustrating delivery quests that can be easily failed and you have to repeat to progress.
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.
Dave the Diver is a really fun experience with two disparate but complementary mechanics. With its quirky characters and a ridiculous main story that investigates the mystery behind the Blue Hole, it is a great indie game that will keep you engaged through its many mechanics and almost never-ending content until you're finished with the story or when you're ready to move on from catching fish and serving sushi. Dave the Diver is a breath of fresh air for the indie scene, especially for the highly saturated genre of roguelites. By adding the restaurant management mechanic to an enjoyable and addictive story loop, Mintrocket Games has a winner in their hands.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a fantastic expansion pack and update that vindicates the series and proves that it is the open-world sci-fi title that it is advertised to be, albeit after a lot of patches and work done years after post-launch. The world of Night City has come to life both conceptually and with its re-balanced gameplay.
Insomniac Games requested that we let them cook, and they did so in tremendous fashion, improving previous entries in almost every way imaginable and resulting in a stellar outing that reinforces the notion that quality is always better than quantity. This is a bona fide system-seller and will go on to be one of the best games in an already impressively stacked year. Two Spider-Men are indeed better than one, and Spider-Man 2 proves that an ensemble cast can shine at equal levels thanks to a fine balancing act that weaves seamless and intuitive gameplay with a tight and cohesive narrative that's emotionally gripping and relatable. Spider-Man 2 succeeds where many superhero adaptations miss the mark, which is to deliver a spectacular piece of immersive entertainment that gives us, the players, an exhilarating experience without compromising the DNA of its established pedigree.
Immortals of Aveum is a fun time despite its inconsistent story and dialogue. Personal feelings about the story may vary, but it doesn’t change the fact that Ascendant Studios delivered a well-crafted shooter that sidesteps the norm and provides us with something new and exciting thanks to its magic systems and well-implemented shooting. If you’re able to forgive the story bits, Immortals of Aveum can provide a frenetic next-gen experience that showcases fantastic visuals and engaging combat systems that end with a satisfying conclusion.
Blasphemous 2 is a satisfying and meaty action platformer well worth its Metroidvania pedigree. Though I wished the difficulty of Blasphemous 2 would've been sustained throughout the experience, it progressively got easier the more you got powerful. I wouldn't say it's a bad thing because it allows for a wider audience, especially those not partial to crushingly difficult games like its predecessor. It follows up a fantastic premise fantastically and delivers from start to finish with its solid adherence to its themes and visual playbook. Blasphemous 2's story and visual panache hooks you and doesn't let go. It also doesn't hurt that the non-linear world is so vast and there's so much to explore. So many varied enemies to fight and, though easy, bosses to vanquish.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a solid follow-up to the original, albeit having lost some of its original charm along the way. It further explores the mysterious world set up by the original, while getting you to empathize with the protagonist and its supporting characters. It is enjoyable for the most part, especially for fans of narrative adventures. At the heart of the game is a personal story of the characters finding their identity and recovering from past trauma, however, I felt that the original Oxenfree had more heft in their interpersonal interactions and replay playthroughs. Though I enjoyed seeing the rules of the world expanded as well as the addition of fresh set pieces that push the subgenre to its limit.
Planet of Lana is a game of resounding balance between light and dark, gameplay and story, beauty and simplicity. It is an organically unified piece that uses the sum of its parts to fully synergize an experience to elicit a myriad of emotions from the player as they traverse the planet with a variety of landscapes, encounters, and ultimately, a simple story of reunion and friendship.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a monumental balancing act that improves upon its predecessor while standing on its own as a satisfying and emotional story. From its dynamic gameplay to an improvement in its movement and verticality to the delicate balance of its story, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor gets a lot of things right, showing us the way how to make a true Star Wars video game. Just like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order before it, I highly recommend this game not only to fans of Star Wars but to everyone else simply because of the experience. The game offers players a story of epic proportions, characters that they can emotionally relate to, and an experience that doesn't overstay its welcome or overwhelm you with too much content. It finds the right balance that ends up feeling fulfilling on all fronts.
Dredge is a fishing RPG, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security thinking that it is a cozy game. It is a slowly creeping horror title that lets its mystery engage you until it has caught you in its slimy tendrils and doesn’t let go. While it might be a little slow starting out, once the momentum kicks in, it takes you for a ride. It is a triumph in atmospheric and immersive storytelling. The addictive fishing elements lure you into an addictive game loop, and you stick around for its mystery. You can also just keep fishing and ignore all the strangeness if the fishing loop is what you’re in for, but heed the call of the deep, as its creeping chaos is definitely worth exploring.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a celebration of the storied history of Final Fantasy’s music in more ways than one. It could easily just be a basic rhythm game, but it innovated the genre by allowing for the RPG elements to best suit the game with its source material. Once you think the novelty has waned, Theatrhythm continues to surprise you by adding new addictive activities to keep you interested in its quests, extras, and even with other like-minded fans. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a gift from Square Enix and indieszero, allowing us to relive our original Final Fantasy through its music and also allowing us to experience new ones to broaden our scope. Many crossover Final Fantasy titles seem to waver at this opportunity when the novelty ends, but if there’s one thing that’s completely timeless, it’s how the music of Final Fantasy has evolved through the years.