Marc Kaliroff's Reviews
Even in the face of a lack of innovation, Horizon Forbidden West properly articulates a fantastic open-world sequel that accommodates the response of its predecessor.
Inspired by Nintendo’s Game Boy and Game Boy Advance era of platformers, Grapple Dog spends its time keen on swinging its way to victory as it never strays from properly exploring one leading mechanic.
Even though it may present an immensely overwhelming difficulty curve, Sifu constantly keeps its ground and gets players to rise again no matter how many times they are beaten down.
Mario Party Superstars may be just a nostalgic banger for its celebrations of the past, but it is still the best game the franchise has had to offer since its final Nintendo GameCube days.
After so many iterations in the two-dimensional space, it was only a matter of time before HAL Laboratory’s mainline Kirby series jumped onto the next axis and finally revitalized the pink puff’s platforming style. Since the early Nintendo DS era, Kirby games have seen their mediums and highs as HAL Laboratory attempted to take the franchise to greater heights with more versatile locations and atmospheres. While every Kirby game features something distinct, the restrictions presented by a 2D format have kept the developers stuck in a noticeable repetition. At its core, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is your average Kirby game developed in a 3D space–and while that may not sound as profound as it should, the game masterfully utilizes every one of its new elements to create one of the friend-shaped hero’s most immersive experiences yet.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe really does live up to the high pedestal it has always shined upon. There is no better time to play or revisit this relevant social commentary of games, media, and decision-making now, more than ever before. With Ultra Deluxe, Crows Crows Crows and the masterminds behind The Stanley Parable’s original release have only added more to appreciate about the harsh reality of the titular employee’s mind-bending debacle.
Since its announcement, Donut County creator Ben Esposito has been claiming that if Neon White “is for you, it’s your favorite game.” While that may sound like typical self-promoting high praise from a game creator, his sentiment does not fall short of its intentions. Neon White is a glorious gift from Esposito and his new developer team, Angel Matrix. Once a player steps into heaven and pulls their first trigger, they will be locked tightly into Neon White’s premise of exterminating every demon in its stylistic bloodbath.
As I watched a melancholy hero play a beautiful melody to clean a war-torn battlefield of its fallen soldiers, I found it evident what Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would be. This is Monolith Soft’s final symphony for their acclaimed trilogy of loosely connected stories and a curtain call for the developer’s history up until this very point in time. After 15 years of creating entries in this franchise and 22 years of forging some of the industry’s finest RPGs, Monolith Soft brings their first grand era of gods and titans to a close by culminating all of their lessons thus far. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is yet another work of art from Nintendo’s all-star developer, deserving of its high praise.
Apparently, it’s a great year to be the third entry in a Nintendo series. After five years since the mega-successful sequel to Splatoon began taking turf on the Nintendo Switch’s modest catalog of shooters and online multiplayer games, the funky fresh post-apocalyptic marine life is back to cover more ground across the world. Splatoon 3 adds more than just another coat of graphical paint to its beloved formula as Inklings and Octolings come together for yet another wonderfully competitive and creative outing of fast-footed ink wars.
Legends: Arceus is a fascinating culmination of decisions that will either steer the mainline Pokémon series into a new beginning or permanently disrupt its time and space in the gaming industry.
Brain vs. Brain is without a doubt the best scholarly battle the Big Brain Academy series has ever had to offer.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy rocks its way through the cosmos for one charismatic and sincere adventure that will forever be marked as Square Enix’s first true jump into the comic book monolith’s catalog.
In a welcoming turn of events, Rainbow Six Extraction surpasses all expectations as it shockingly manages to be an entry of the Tom Clancy franchise that recuts and refreshes its roots.
As Mr. Holmes comes to the handheld market through Nintendo’s ecosystem, Crimes and Punishments reopens its closed cases to flourishing and withering effects.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is still one of Persona’s oddest endeavors into territories outside the role-playing genre it continually elevates. In a way, Arena Ultimax is a brilliant two-way door into the strengths of its creative partners.
Mario Golf: Super Rush comes in swinging with entertainment, however, it inevitably manages to be one of the weakest of its sport as it inches close to rolling into a sand bunker.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for Nintendo Switch is a perfectly fine rerelease of an already great game. However, there is no doubt that the title’s strange legacy will cause this iteration to come with some unfortunate discourse. Understanding why the Nintendo Switch version of The Force Unleashed is the way it is will be important to any Star Wars fan interested in picking up the game.
Bugsnax on Nintendo Switch was always bound to lack the smooth framerate and cleaner visuals of its competing consoles, yet the grumpus adventure is still worth salivating over with its hybrid release. The Nintendo Switch iteration of Bugsnax is a competent port of a zany and heart-wrenching journey, albeit one with a few noticeable (and once again expected) technical shortcomings.
It may not be the most refined Namco compilation title there is, but Pac-Man Museum+ is a worthwhile palooza featuring some of the character’s greatest outings. It’s a messy yet enjoyable party hindered by limitations and technical issues.
The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS have been no strangers to Kirby spin-off games. Since Kirby: Triple Deluxe, HAL Laboratory has been releasing small digital supplements shortly after each major release in the franchise. Kirby’s Dream Buffet continues to roll with Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s inventive new direction for the series as Dream Land’s beloved mascot succeeds at throwing a multiplayer competition sizable enough for his insatiable appetite.