Overall, Metaphor plays like a dream from start to finish. There's less downtime than Persona and fewer frustrating moments than Shin Megami Tensei, with the whole game feeling like a high-stakes road trip with your best friends. The road to the throne is a tough one, but it's one well worth walking.
Street Fighter 6 takes the series to the next stage with a wildly fun fighting system that emphasizes personal choice. Each mainline Street Fighter tends to define its era of fighting games in some way, and Street Fighter 6 confidently steps forward to that next era. From its battle system to its bevvy of modes such as World Tour, it dives deep into everything that makes fighting games great.
Dragon's Dogma II is a masterfully refined take on the original game. It's easy to get lost in its massive world for hours on end and truly immerse yourself into the role of the Arisen. There are a ton of technical problems and oddities throughout the game, but somehow those didn't stop us from having a blast. In an age where the limitations of video games are a known quantity, Dragon's Dogma II transcends them to become a game that truly feels real.
Valkyrie Profile uses the conventions of a dungeon crawler to highlight an aspect of games, and really humanity itself, that often goes understated. The path to our true calling is vague, confusing, and full of trial and error. If you're willing to persevere and think beyond the immediate path before you, however, you reach your full potential. You might like Valkyrie Profile, too!
Symphonia regenerated the traditional RPG structure with smartly designed battle mechanics and well-fleshed out cast of characters. It remains a favorite of mine to this day and I'm glad to get the opportunity to experience it again, even if this re-release can never truly recapture the original effect it had on me. The remaster translates the regenerative nature of Symphonia competently, but this is the kind of game that deserves a remaster that goes the extra mile.
Humanity is vast, clever, inventive, and eclectic. It constantly proposes new ideas that redefine the basic experience into a grand design of puzzle mechanics that are just as fun to experiment with as they are to think about. While its best-laid plans have some faults, it all works out in the end. You couldn't ask for a better reflection of humanity than Humanity.
Tekken 8 blew us away with its excellent, engaging features that are fine-tuned to fit every fighting game fan's preference. It also offers a battle system that new and veteran players can enjoy...as long as you can take the Heat.
Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] does not reinvent the wheel so much as it refines it to its most effective form yet. That takes more effort than you'd expect – UNI2 is the culmination of a decade's worth of thoughtful design and carefully considered changes. Despite this, it effortlessly demonstrates why it's one of the strongest competitors on the fighting game market right now.
Astro Bot captures all of the strong points of a brand new puppy. It's cute, playful, and doggedly loyal to PlayStation's history. While it still has room to grow into its legs and sharpen its teeth, most missteps are easily forgiven. I mean, just look at it!
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn is a welcome change of plans, pushing an NES classic into fascinating new territory. With katana in hand, Reborn carves out its own niche with its meticulous, plan-based platforming. Its strong design combined with a high amount of replayability invites its science-based community of ninjas to keep experimenting long after their first playthrough.
The Oath in Felghana stands strong as one the best Ys entries to date. Its sharp and compact game design makes just as strong of an impression with this Memoire release as it did when I first played it over a decade ago. Unfortunately, this rerelease does not bring much more to the table than a great game to new consoles. Its priorities when it comes to updating the game's visuals are questionable at best, but thankfully far from fatal.
Frontiers boldly plants one foot into the future with its "open zone" structure while keeping the other stuck in the past with mechanics and level ideas that are over a decade old. This approach results in a satisfying game even if it does not push the series into as many new frontiers as it could. It still hits many of the right notes that long-time fans will appreciate and works especially hard to satisfy those who have felt like the past few Sonic games have been missing some personality.
Mario is known for surprising you with new ideas and strong game design. Super Mario Bros. Wonder contains both in spades. Although it executes on the element of surprise in a way I hesitate to call an outright innovation, it always supports the strengths of both the expected and unexpected.
Banana Rumble shows the value of adding a new spin on a tried-and-true formula. This series has wallowed in its past for a long time, so I'm glad to see the new Spin Dash mechanic propel it into new and exciting places. As far as Super Monkey Ball sequels go, this one is easily the top banana.
Sonic x Shadow Generations ties past, present, and future together for a comprehensive view of Sonic's appeal. If Sonic Generations signaled a conservative era for Sonic stuck in the past, Shadow Generation signals an exciting future of new ideas and stories that matter.
Despite some translation woes, Digimon Survive's narrative still shines brightly. As cruel and dark as its narrative can be, neither you or the characters should ever give up completely. That's the key to survival, and that message is apparent in the character relationships, the battles, and the developments of the story as a whole. Digimon Survive expresses the power that can come from your bonds with others, and how supporting each other can keep hope alive. That's a message worth sharing, and Digimon Survive is a messenger worth experiencing.
Gungrave lives by the simple principle of "kick their ass." If that premise fails to hook you, nothing G.O.R.E. does will change your mind. If anything, its minor missteps may dissuade you from sticking with it at all. For those who love Gungrave for the kind of game it is, however, G.O.R.E. offers plenty more of it while intelligently expanding the core mechanics. This is one for all the true Gungravers out there howling at the night for more things to shoot.
Breakers may not be the most original fighting game franchise around, but it is an extremely solid one that offers some fun spins on its inspirations. If you're willing to give it a break, the Breakers Collection is well worth playing.
When you return to a return, you risk drowning in sentiment to the detriment of the experience. Instead, Return to Dream Land Deluxe skillfully channels its sentiments to refresh Kirby's legacy and add something new on top of it. It is perhaps the most Kirby game to ever Kirby, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Gravity Circuit (grapple) hooked me after I threw caution to the wind. First playthroughs inherently emphasize caution, which means that truly appreciating the game will take some time. If you're willing to put in the effort, you'll find a game that twists old ideas in a fresh and fun direction.