Octopath Traveler 2 is a JRPG unlike anything I have played in recent years. Its combat system feels so fresh compared to the original considering the latest powers and EX abilities. The focus on character interactions, as well as their respective voice cast, allowed me to fall in love with every character from the main cast. As well as leaving me stunned by the calculated risks taken in the finale of the game that deliver emotionally impactful moments. The sites of Solistia and the freedom I had to explore with the soundtrack accompanying me left a lasting impact on me. Octopath Traveler 2 is an absolutely fantastic time from start to finish even when reaching the 70-hour mark. You do not want to miss it. As I believe it is the best in the class of Square Enix’s 2D-HD games so far.
Persona 3 Reload more than exceeded my expectations. Its original emotionally charged story, themes, and setting were followed to a T with new moments throughout that fleshed out its villains and various members of SEES was a welcomed surprise. Its renewed combat system was refreshing and Tartarus felt more alive and enjoyable to explore. There is a ton of replay value with its new game plus and an emotional ending I can never forget. There is not a single thing I would change about this game in the slightest and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
The experience provided in Triangle Strategy is one you should not miss. Its grand story with excellent writing that changes the spelling of words like “jail” to “gaol” and domain to “demesne” left me wanting to replay it immediately after experiencing the ending I got. The brutal yet satisfying combat with so many unique characters fundamentally changes how an encounter plays out. As well as the gorgeous sights and sounds of the game with wonderful voice acting that suck me in and keep me in the realm of Norzelia. This game is worth every penny and the thirty hours and more of its wonderful experience.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is a very satisfying experience. It does not drag on too long, nor does it wrap up too quickly. The combat feels uniquely presented and flows well. With tons of enemy and boss variety, alongside the beautiful locales and fleshed-out characters that accompany Momo throughout. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is very worth your time and money. I am already excited about playing through it again to see how much faster I can get through it. I very rarely feel attracted to replaying anything, but this game's journey is worth seeing through multiple times, and I can guarantee you will feel the same.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as a new IP from a brand new studio, feels like a miracle. The game’s storytelling, character performances, visual fidelity, and art direction either match or exceed most AAA games in the space. While the combat, exploration, and customization are all deep and layered that harken to the JRPG genre titans in their heyday of yesteryear. Sandfall Interactive created a rare and stunning achievement that is worth every single penny of its price tag. It will be a legendary classic that you owe it to yourself to play, even if you are not a fan of turn-based games, its combat system and story will grab you and not let you go until you finish it.
Chorus is an absolutely excellent experience. Its story never felt dull. I loved watching Nara and Forsa mend their broken relationship and breathe in the excellently built zones and its deep lore. Despite not playing many games like it, the gameplay was accessible and enjoyable. The game is visually stunning with a soundtrack that meshes excellently with the setting of the game. If it were not for the one imbalanced boss, and the minor bugs I experienced, this would have been a perfect experience. Still, these are minor quibbles. Chorus is a game that should be on everyone’s radar heading into Game of the Year discussions. As only in Chorus will you be surprised and amazed by what the developers crafted.
Planet of Lana is a game I had no idea what to expect from it. Just when I thought it would be a simple side-scroller, it subverted my expectations and turned into a highly engaging puzzler with emotional story moments. The sheer scale of the game and what it achieves is nothing short of incredible. Despite never knowing much of Lana, Elo, or Mui. The journey was one that I could never have expected and is an easy recommendation.
As the PlayStation pack-in title for the PlayStation 5, Astro's Playroom is a short and masterful experience. While it was originally just a tech demo for the DualSense, it offers a colorful and expertly crafted platforming game to tie in all of that controller's features. While the two suits I did not like are minor problems, the rest of the game has more good than bad. It felt like a fun and creative new platforming endeavor that lets Astro shine as a new mascot for PlayStation. This tech demo is more than worth your time!
Lost in Random is another example of genuine uniqueness coming from the “EA Originals” program which brought us It Takes Two earlier this year. It excels in creating a nightmarish setting filled with charming characters and dry humor to indulge in its wonderous writing. From a gripping narrative and lovable protagonist to the friends found in the twisted streets. With engaging enemy encounters, intricate combat, and interesting but disappointing bosses. Zoink Games excellently delivers a fun experience that will leave you wanting to dive back in after the credits roll. It will be hard to not want to get lost in Random again.
Soul Hackers 2 was an absolute treat. The style on display from every character, location, and demon was fantastic. The story, despite having a basic plot, had incredible characters to back it up. It also knocked several emotional moments out of the park. The deep and engaging combat system with the staggering demon collecting aspect was fun and rewarding. All of this coupled with one of the most unique areas I’ve seen in a game like the Soul Matrix. Which gave me so much to enjoy in my playthrough, despite its annoying design at times, leaving me eager to start again. Soul Hackers 2 is an easy recommendation, even if you have not played a game from Atlus.
8 Bit Adventures 2 is a very great game albeit with some balancing issues with bosses. The characters were very memorable and had lovingly written dialogue with distinct styles for everyone. As well as the Glitch being a very fleshed-out Villain. The game shines the brightest in its combat, and exploration of the varied and unique locales. As well as the challenging bosses with their contributions to the tale. It is an easy recommendation due to its classical yet thrilling journey.
Minecraft Legends campaign was genuinely fantastic in the 15-hour playthrough I had. Between the story and the excellent usage of cutscenes that never got in the way. The very intricate yet satisfying combat and the consistently frustrating world bosses all kept me engaged. As well as having a varied open world to explore with a lot to find that felt rewarding. Minecraft Legends is definitely not going to be for everyone, but this game will solidify itself as a mainstay in the genre with how it handled all these aspects to create a memorable experience
Reject modernism, embrace Hypercharge: Unboxed, as it is the definition of fun. The campaign doesn't take itself seriously and has free roam and difficulty options to offer you an experience you can customize. With so much enemy variety and a collection of great bosses that spice things up. Every level is filled to the brim with so much detail and extra stuff to do. As well as a ludicrous amount of customization you take advantage of for your character. Despite some of the menu clunkiness and the reusing of bosses, and the default controller scheme being weird. It is an experience I cannot recommend enough, especially at its very generous price tag on each platform. You owe it to yourself, as you can feel like a kid and just have fun, and in the end, that is what games should be.
Metaphor ReFantazio feels like a home run for Atlus. Especially considering the fact this is their first new IP that does not rely on already existing stories or brand association in a very long time. To me, they were able to take risks and execute new ideas without forgetting what they excel at and brought people together for a new and beautiful fantasy tale that I cannot recommend enough, even with some shortcomings. This game and its tale filled with grandiose surprises and a satisfying finale will be something that will stick with me for years to come.
Persona 5 Tactica is an excellent strategy game. The combat feels fast and fluid despite its turn-based nature in varied and interesting stages throughout. There’s also plenty of variety in the character roster and customization via the personas and skill trees. The story felt like its own thing while never overstaying its welcome with awesome new characters. As well as having condensed and easy-to-navigate menus to not bog down the game. It is a very easy recommendation to those who have completed Persona 5 Royal and want a very streamlined introduction to the strategy genre. Considering the game even on normal or hard feels manageable, due to mastery of its amazing combat system that is just as enjoyable as the rest of the game
Exoprimal is a strong title, despite what you might see on the surface. The story is good but never reaches any heights of other Capcom titles. But considering how the story is delivered and how interwoven it is with the gameplay and game modes. I thought it served its purpose while offering some pretty unique twists. The game mode and dinosaur variety are very excellent, and the exosuits all felt awesome to play. I just wished there were more options to experience the ten-player activities or scripted missions when I felt like it. But as the game stands, I do heavily recommend Exoprimal. It is gorgeous, it is fun, and delivered a multiplayer experience I was not expecting to love.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is in a lot of ways a massive improvement over Innocence. But the lack of a few alchemical compounds and the changes in the upgrade system felt like steps backward. Especially in comparison to the leaps in quality made in the game’s graphical fidelity. As well as the game’s story is more intense and meaningful than the original. However, none of the cons including the game’s rough performance can prevent me from recommending its incredible journey. Especially for fans of Innocence.
Despite a lot of missed opportunities, Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is more than worth every penny. I highly recommend picking the game up, because no matter what difficulty you can take on, it will keep you busy for 100s of hundreds.
Despite the warning about the gambling mechanics, I still very much enjoy playing it every day and do recommend playing the game. The combat is some of the best I have experienced in years and think the more mellow moments between the very engaging story is worth your time. It currently has over 50 million downloads, and that success is very much earned from the game’s sheer quality, and breadth of content. To the finer details, like the stellar voice acting from the entire English voice cast, amazingly expressive animation, and top-notch soundtrack. It is free-to-play, so if you can restrain from falling prey to the gambling mechanics, you have nothing to lose.
I do recommend this experience however, as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is almost everything I wanted in a sequel to Hellblade. The original game’s graphical fidelity for its time in 2017 matched the AAA space 1:1. With the level of graphical fidelity in this game to set a benchmark that will be very hard to top in terms of realism across the board. However, the combat, while having a better presentation, did feel mechanically stripped down in places that feel questionable. While the puzzles are mostly similar but still very enjoyable at times. This game will still feel niche, yet unique, which I feel is not a bad thing. Considering it feels designed to be the next evolution for the experience that only Hellblade can offer.