Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wears the Metroidvania belt with panache. The protagonist, Sargon can whip out a whole range of stylish assaults thanks to his handy teleportation maneuvers and flow through the difficult platforming hazards of Mount Qaf like an Olympic gymnast. It’s just a pity that the story isn’t anywhere near as strong. You can’t win them all, I suppose.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is surprisingly solid, believe it or not. It features an action-packed main campaign over 12 hours long with plenty of optional content to discover throughout its splendiferously sprawling landscapes.
Alan Wake II is a fantastic follow-up to the 2010 original. The combat is more intense, the survival horror is peak and the story is even wilder. Just ensure you have a beefy enough rig (or patience) to keep up with all the hi-res spectacle on PC—and checkpoint-restarting glitches too.
Tevi is one of the best Metroidvanias of the year. Not only does it bring its own superb, anime-inspired aesthetic and RPG mechanics to the forefront, but Tevi also features some of the most lovingly crafted exploration and platforming segments we’ve ever seen from this genre.
For a game that was released all the way back on the SNES in 1996, Super Mario RPG has held up exceedingly well.
WarioWare: Move It! inflicts more pain than it does joy. Arms will become tired, motion controls will frustrate, and then the experience will end well before it should. There are some fun microgames packed in here, but it’s such a shame that the execution really lets this entry down.
Sonic Superstars is a pretty decent throwback to the original 2D titles. With up to 4-player co-op, new abilities to experience and completely new stages to run through, this 5-hour adventure is generally filled with well-crafted stages and platforming gimmicks, even if some of them love to kill the momentum.
Featuring a terrific turn-based battle system, eye-popping pixel-art, a colourful cast of characters and engaging exploration mechanics to boot, this prequel to 2018's The Messenger is more than worth the 30-hour time investment.
Fort Solis is a major disappointment, missing almost all of the aspects that make for an enjoyable horror/thriller experience.
Even though I physically could not finish the game, from what I experienced, The Cosmic Wheel Sister featured a fairly compelling story and characters. However, it would often forgo the age-old show don’t tell technique, leaving the audience feeling like its biggest scenes are happening in another castle.
Atlas Fallen will get your blood pumping with fast and furious battles that will test your reflexes and strategic mettle.
Double Dragon Gaiden is a short, yet very sweaty experience. The fast and furious combos and special moves make smacking goons feel very satisfying, while the pumping music and tag-team mechanics add in several layers of excitement.
Pikmin 4 contains some fresh ideas and quality of life features, but it still feels a little too simplistic from a gameplay and story point of view.
While it does contain some satisfying combat and runs remarkably well online for PC, Exoprimal’s repetitive gameplay loop starts to lose steam quicker than green grass through a goose.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective game offers a refreshing twist on the mystery genre, blending intricate puzzles, compelling storytelling and a charming cast of characters that will keep the audience hooked from start to finish.
Final Fantasy XVI stands tall as one of the best entries in the series, encapsulating the essence of the long-standing franchise whilst delivering an experience that sets the framework for future titles to come. From the moment I embarked on this journey, I was enthralled by its captivating narrative, breathtaking visuals and addictive action RPG gameplay, leaving me with no choice but to award it a straight 10/10, minor faults and all.
If you’re in the mood for engaging and chilling survival horror that excels in ambiance and psychological intrigue, look no further than Amnesia: The Bunker.
Ask Ken and he’ll say that Street Fighter 6 is just as satisfying as a Shoryuken straight to the face.
All things considered, the System Shock Remake is a bit of a tough sell. Fans of the original will no doubt be curious to see how this version has turned out. Though for the neutral crowd, it may leave them wanting.
I must’ve been having an absolute blast with Tears of the Kingdom, as any 6 hour play session would fly by in the blink of an eye.