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Antonblast is chaotic to a fault. Its explosive personality makes for an entertaining spectacle, but it left me wanting for a more controlled detonation.
Death of the Reprobate is a delightfully devilish narrative experience that has you gasping with laughter at every interaction. The game forgoes challenge in order to provide the player with a seamless experience which is to its merit, but could do with a little less hand holding. Despite this, you really do want to stop and smell the roses when you play this game as its artstyle is a wonder to behold, and a bit yucky in other places. Its quirky characters and its use of the renaissance is unique and accessible to any player that doesn't have a degree in art as it prizes itself in how fun of a time you'll have with it.
Fairy Tail 2 arrives at the finale of our favorite wizards' adventure with highlights and shortcomings alike. I recommend it to dedicated fans of the manga and anime, but this simply isn't a welcoming entry for potential new fans.
While its gacha mechanics feel predatory, Infinity Nikki is a blast in most other aspects. Finding and dressing up in various outfits is fun, and the open world has a ton of variety. The story is surprisingly interesting too, even if it has a few too many lulls. Infinity Nikki feels like the ultimate dress up game, and it's only going to get bigger from here.
With a handful of bugs to iron out, Alien: Rogue Incursion isn't quite a "perfect organism", but it is a creepy good time with compelling performances and a great use of virtual reality.
The move to a cloud-focused game has caused some turbulence on takeoff, and it would be good to be able to decouple from that decision with an "install-all" option, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 elevates the game in just about every other way. It'd just be nice if it did it more cleanly. That said, if you have even a passing interest in flight, this simulator is still the best out there.
The trappings of greatness exist in the current form of Warzone. Area 99 can be a bit bland, but the intensity of it can be fun. The balance Raven has discovered in the Black Ops 6 armory is fantastic, a surprising beginning for a new integration. Holding back the package is the menagerie of fixes necessary and slower pace, meaning we'll need to wait for a few improvements before the game truly explodes.
Caught in a struggle between being a definitive casual game while also being a hardcore competitive experience, Sparking! Zero makes the best of its numerous limitations. The core game is fun enough, it looks great, and it contains an impressive collection of Dragon Ball fan service. Sparking! Zero pushes limits in all of the ways a Dragon Ball game should. Unfortunately, various limitations push back just as much, resulting in a game that still has plenty of training to do in order to reach its full potential.
Trombone Champ: Unflattened is one of the funniest VR experiences I've ever had, and I don't think my wife has ever enjoyed watching me play a game as much as she enjoyed me performing with a screeching cat as a trombone. This is the perfect game to hop into with a group of friends and take turns trying to earn the most toots, or just laugh at each other as you put on ridiculous performances. If you're a fan of rhythm games, definitely do yourself a favor and pick up Unflattened.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is a fun, albeit relatively bare bones, experience which gets by more on its nostalgic charm and great presentation, than it does on being anything more than a competent beat 'em up. The addition of on-rails levels and first-person fights are welcomed, and the variety of levels and the added time disrupter elements keep the game fresh for its short run time, but lack of combat moves and frustrating Megazord boss fights keep Rita's Rewind from ever reaching the lofty heights it aims for.
Fighting hordes of monsters, saving allies, and eventually confronting the Demon Queen herself: all of this and more awaits in Spirit Mancer. With a charming art style and cool mechanic of sealing away demons, you would think the game would be a winner. However, its flaws hold the game back from being anything special.
Soul Reaver and its sequel are both perfect storms of story, voice work, soundtracks, and now they have the final pieces they needed to become classics for a new generation with revamped controls and now gorgeous graphics. While I'd like to see the execution be a touch cleaner, the sum of its parts is so damned strong that it lets you experience this incredible game all over again. I know you, Raziel. You are worthy.
Yes, the core gameplay of building rides, adjusting prices, etc is all Roller Coaster Tycoon is. But I think this is a game you can get dozens of hours of enjoyment from if you enjoy something that rewards experimentation and trying new things. There are a few issues like the pathfinding for staff can be somewhat finicky, the game does chug quite a bit when you zoom out, the controls could definitely use some work, but I think Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic is a great game that I hope leads to something more in the future.
Dark and Deep is a horror game that lives up to its name, covering some pretty macabre themes and allowing the player to dive deep into the investigation. There are layers upon layers to the game's art, sound, and gameplay, and they all tie into each other in brilliant ways.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle perfectly translates the fun of the films into video game form. It's a globetrotting adventure that'll have you brawling through deserts, sneaking across a German boat in the Himelayas, and trying not to get bitten by snakes in long forgotten temples. The story is phenomenal, but the real highlight is the gameplay. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is absolute bliss from start to finish, and would make Dr. Jones proud.
Mario & Luigi Brothership is definitely ambitious, but the structure of the game is not well suited to the sluggish feeling everything has. Despite being about half the length of some other modern RPGs, it doesn't have the depth to match. A few good gags and some touching character moments doesn't make the entire experience fulfilling. What's here is solid enough but it's death by a thousand cuts. Every cool or fascinating thing has some kind of asterisk to go with it. Battles are fun but they take forever to finish, characters are unique but dialogue is often belabored, Battle Plugs are interesting but take way too long to recharge. There's a lot to like here, but just as many things if not more to dislike, leaving the game okay but frustrating.
This is simply the best streaming microphone options on the market. Elgato has been a gold standard here, and the Wave:3 is a fantastic buy. Not only is it plug and play, but the microphone itself is S-tier, with clear comms lent to gaming and streaming alike. Between that and easy to use software, this is the Wave to ride.
If you enjoy puzzle solving at a high level, Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 is the game to play. It takes everything you learned from the first game and amps up the fun with new creative ways to solve puzzles, new abilities to master, and a fun story that connects seamlessly with the first game. The second installment of the Dreadrock Trilogy is a must play for any puzzle-maniac.
The Foundations Starter Collection is a good starting point for anyone new or returning to Magic: The Gathering. This is a unique box where you know (excluding the three Play Boosters) exactly what you're getting. Inside is good value for anyone looking to expand their collection especially if you intend to play Standard anytime soon. While I would have liked to see more full sets of cards included I do understand that this is the -> Starter <- Collection. If you're interested in expanding your Magic horizons, new and old, I can recommend the Starter Collection.
The Foundations Beginner Box succeeds at being the best way into Magic: The Gathering in 2024. For its price, you get ten half-decks that demonstrate the five colors of Magic. These ten decks let players explore Magic easily and help them determine what playstyle is for them. This, combined with the best rulebook tutorial I have seen yet, makes this a great way to jump into the game. If you've ever been curious about Magic or looking to return, the Beginner Box helps alleviate a lot of the difficulty of getting into the game.