Returnal may not beat out other more anticipated titles for Game of the Year honors at the end of the year, but it won't by any means be forgotten as the potential of next-gen hardware is explored. It's a shame the game isn't available on the PlayStation 4 or even other platforms so that more players could experience it, but if that compromise means we get more games like Returnal, that's a convincing argument. Other games may employ similar mechanics in the future, but Returnal should always be remembered as one of the ones that did it first, and, as of now, did it best.
And then there's the twisty narrative of the Little Nightmares universe, a subject the first game's players were already deeply engrossed in. I'd hopped into forums about fan theories, explanations, and implications of different messages from the first game before the sequel's credits had even finished rolling, and I suspect many others will do the same. Though my time playing Little Nightmares II may have come to an end, consider me hooked and eager to see what Tarsier Studios and the Little Nightmares detectives have to say about the franchise in the future.
With how much there is to do in Judgment, this is a game that looks like it could easily turn into a 60- or 70-hour experience even if you don't see yourself as a completionist. It's a crime drama for people who don't just want to smash square and triangle for endless combos and it's an adventure-driven brawler for people who don't just want to spend all day cracking cases. Judgment might have ridden on Yakuza's success to get people's attention, but with everything this game accomplishes, here's hoping we get another game in order to see more of Judgment and Tak in the future.
The Demon's Souls remake may flip perspectives on the Souls series once you've finished it. Instead of being a game that's tough to go back to, its polish and refinement will make it hard to return to Lordran or Drangleic even if another game still ranks higher than Demon's Souls. Completing the first playthrough is really just the start of Demon's Souls, and with more replayability than ever before, it's going to keep people dancing between the Archstones for a long time.
But clunky actions and broken quests aside, it's still nearly impossible to not get hooked on Cyberpunk 2077 and, more specifically, on Night City. I've completed quests that made me physically uncomfortable and yearn for justice or vengeance alongside the affected characters, and I've crafted my version of V into exactly the kind of character I'd want with the reassuring knowledge that there will always be an option that fits my preferences. The plentiful possibilities and outcomes beg for multiple playthroughs, and I'm happy to oblige later after a break from Night City and after things have been cleaned up a bit.
Regardless of how satisfying the combat may be, it's only somewhat of a redeeming component to prevent the game from being a total letdown. Godfall has looting and it has slashing, to be sure, but you end up wading through so much to enjoy those parts. Perhaps loot fiends will get hooked on the endgame loop enough to stick around for a while, but what waits at the end is hardly worth the time it takes to get there.
You did your best, and now it’s time to see what else you can do. Make the worst decisions possible to condemn everyone to an eternity in Little Hope, try and game the system so only your favorites live, or go for a perfect score to see your protagonists peak. Little Hope offers what feels like a dizzying number of choices and storylines, and the brief nature of the game frees you up to pursue those grim and gratifying outcomes as often as you’d like.
It's hard to say if the DLC wouldn't have been as satisfying if it'd come out later than it did, but releasing a few months after the base game isn't a bad timeframe at all. There's no telling when Part Two will release, but The Ancient Gods – Part One has shown that the conclusion of this chapter is one worth looking forward to.
Simplicity and challenges are key components of the game, and they're executed almost perfectly here in an accessible and skillful way. Spelunky 2 certainly won't be for everyone, but for those who stick with it to see what it has to offer, the payoff is worth the investment.
Carrion is not a particularly long game, but it does a lot with the time you'll spend with it. It's more involved than it initially appears, and its blank slate approach coupled with the confidence to begin and end as abruptly as it does is something others can learn from. A succinct and sometimes challenging diversion from the norm, it's worth the experience to live it up as an amorphous, crafty monster.
But that solution is an easy one given the depth of exploration and combat mastery offered. Whether you want to just fight to grow your legend, see your companions' tales through to their emotional conclusions, or just see what's over the next hill, there's no wrong answer when you're asking yourself what you should be doing in Ghost of Tsushima.
Even though The Last of Us Part II relishes in making players uncomfortable and reminding them characters can lose everything at a moment's notice, those bleak traits are part of the game's appeal even if the charm's a morbid one. It's a monumental effort in storytelling and a model for tales of vengeance and repercussions pushed forward by gratifying gameplay, and while not everything you do will sit right with you, the game never leads players to believe the result would be anything different.
Minecraft Dungeons may not fully satisfy the hardcore looters coming from other games where they grind for gear and min-max their builds, but if you approach it with its purpose in mind, you'll likely get a lot out of it. The unlikely direction for the Minecraft formula works well in the first major departure for the franchise, and with how vast the source material is in terms of biomes and content to explore, there's a lot of room for this sort of thing to grow. It's a success from the start, and it feels like it'll only get better with age.
Multiplayer experiments aside, Resident Evil 3 itself should delight anyone who's playing it for the first time or those who already know its story inside and out. It's easier than ever to become immersed in Raccoon City and Resident Evil mechanics have never felt as fluid as they do in this game. Resident Evil 3 proves that Resident Evil 2 wasn't just a one-off success of a remake and shows that Capcom has a winning formula on its hands.
Dreams seems like a niche game from a first glance, but it's impossible to truly appreciate what it has to offer until you see what it has to offer yourself. It feels like an arcade with unlimited plays for everyone and a museum encompassing every interest all wrapped into one game. Whether you're there to build or just to look around, Dreams isn't a game to miss.
Does that mean Kakarot is worth playing all the way through if you already know Dragon Ball Z? It's impossible personally to speak from the perspective of someone who's new to the material, but as someone who holds the series in high regard, Kakarot is worth the experience, even if it's tedious at times. It's best broken up into multiple play sessions, just as the game provides intermissions as opposed to barreling through the story to avoid getting burnt out. Even if it doesn't get everything right, it's a tremendous effort and will hopefully pave the way for more innovative Dragon Ball Z experiences.
With the skillful, dynamic gameplay and the lukewarm story in the Star Wars timeline taken into consideration, the question of how this game holds up becomes a two-part query: is it a good game, and is it a good Star Wars game? The answer to the first question is an easy one. Heavy on adventure and cinematic style, Fallen Order is absolutely a game worth anyone's time if you've got even an inkling of interest in Star Wars. You won't feel left behind, thanks to the new characters, if you're less familiar with Star Wars, and those who know the fandom inside and out will pick up on clever nods and filled-in blanks. You could remove the Star Wars wrappings and it'd still be a fantastic experience which could be construed as both a positive and a negative. So many Star Wars experiences are based off prior exposure now that it'd be nearly impossible for one person to have the same experience with this story as another, but even if you knock the story, everything else about the game is solid and worth your time.
It's easy to pick apart these components when isolated, but where does Modern Warfare stand among other Call of Duty games as a whole? It's certainly the best Call of Duty game we've received in years, but exactly where it falls will depend on how favorably you view the older games and how influenced you are by nostalgia. Its campaign is exemplary, and even if people have inevitable complaints and suggestions about the multiplayer mode, it feels like the culmination of what people have been asking for since the days of wall-running and questionable gadgets. One thing is clear though: Modern Warfare definitely has the potential to be people's favorite Call of Duty game, but the games-as-a-service model will mean its up to Infinity Ward and Activision to make sure that potential is realized in the coming months.
That's essentially what Disney Classic Games boils down to: nostalgia over the features. The same is true for the multiple versions of the game which, while appreciated, are almost overkill. It'd be a hard sell to have someone play the black-and-white Game Boy version right after they beat a console edition. The bells and whistles are attractive for anyone who's already planning on picking up the game, but if you didn't relish the originals, don't expect to suddenly become hooked on retro Aladdin or The Lion King.
Code Vein falls short of being a must have, but that doesn't at all mean it's a game you should pass on. It's simplified enough to attract those who felt like Dark Souls and its ilk were too punishing and has enough style to show that not every game like this has to be so grungy and bleak even if the stories have to be serious. Code Vein has its rough patches, but it absolutely accomplishes its mission.