As my first foray into the Xenoblade series, I see how the nostalgia hit would be great for fans, but there’s still room for improvement as a remaster.
I rarely spend numerous hours honing my craft in blacksmithing, building a strong reputation with the locals, and engaging in swordplay. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II let me do all of the above, and then some, without needing to leave the house.
Fitness Boxing 3: My Personal Trainer is a great at-home exercise alternative. While it’s not necessarily a long-term sustainable solution, it’s an entertaining, sweat-inducing way to mix up your routine.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is a charming, refreshing, fun spin on the Horizon series. While not a faithful retelling, it brings a cheerful take on Aloy’s journey, turning her into a curious, lighthearted soul.
Darkest Dungeon II is a gloomy tale of survival amidst loss. While its subject matter is grim, the overall game is an exciting take on the roguelike genre.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is a strong contender for a high-quality remake. For newcomers to the series and veterans, the graphical, performance, and quality-of-life changes make the adventure to the new world worth visiting and the best way to experience Aloy’s journey.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Stunt Mayhem is a family-friendly foray into vehicle-based destruction. While the gameplay is simplistic, it’s a challenging enough experience for younger gamers, and they may get a kick out of the chaos.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom finds its place amongst some of the best of the Zelda saga.
“Books aren’t video games,” and you’d normally be right, but in the case of this title, developed by All Possible Futures and published by Devolver Digital, all the naysayers are proven wrong. This vibrant, heartwarming jaunt is unlike any other, and just like the book, this game is called The Plucky Squire.
Addictive, engaging and immersive, being stuck in the Demon’s Mirror is a realm I didn’t mind getting trapped in for a while.
It’s a loving tribute to a long legacy of PlayStation All-Stars and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face or bring a tear to your eye.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Into the Pit perfectly captures the essence of the FNaF series. It takes the creepy lore and finds a way to turn it into a scary yet scintillating tale of a son trying to save his father wrapped up in a retro package.
The Sims 4 Lovestruck expansion is perfect for anyone looking to dip their toes back into the dating game without leaving the house or talking to people, and that’s the dream.
The gameplay is where Agatha Christie: The A.B.C. Murders begins to reveal itself as a worthy, faithful contender to recreate the iconic Poirot story.
Fast-paced, fun and funky, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble captures the arcade-like charm of the originals and turns it up a few notches.
For long-term Smurf fans and younger audiences, The Smurfs – Village Party might tick several boxes on your party must-haves. With a nostalgic feel and loving tribute to The Smurfs, there’s plenty to entertain. Still, it all depends on whether you’re keen to attend despite the party’s little problems.
The soundtrack is rooted in traditional Japanese instrumentation, including taiko drums and shakuhachi flute, like the one Jin carries with him. From serene compositions during exploration, emotional pieces and more intense battle music, which in some encounters has Mongolian influence when fighting the big bad.
There are moments where the narrator delivers some zany one-liners that do land and there’s surprisingly dark, profound, and confronting moments, especially in flashbacks, but mostly these moments fall flat. The most beautiful moments in the game for me were through the music by the talented team of composers, fantastical orchestral music with some Asian instrumental influence tied to its martial arts inspirations.
The most beautiful part of the game is the soundtrack, which makes the experience much more serene. When I enjoyed the game, I had the music turned up during a dive. The ambient score was stunning and made the journey relaxing.
There are roughly 64 enemy types, unique attacks and appearances, all as grotesque as each other. One of the spookiest things I came across was a headcrab-type scenario involving a parasitic Naytiba and any corpse it could find lying around. With a vast arsenal of skills, including Beta skills, sweeping combos, ranged attacks and an ultimate that can turn the tides of battle, combat is immensely satisfying.