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Featuring a great value of three games in the package, the Persona Dancing Endless Night Collection is the best way to experience Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. While a bit grindy later on, some killer tracks, entertaining gameplay, and a refreshing aesthetic, the games in this collection are chart-toppers.
Cattails is a cute, light-hearted RPG that revolves around hunting, foraging, and trying to restore the Forest Guardian. The gameplay is easy to pick up and play at any time, but can become a bit monotonous after awhile. The game isn't very exciting, and is meant more for relaxing gaming.
With a more heavy focus on action, Darksiders III is a return to the roots of the franchise, and away from the RPG elements of its predecessor. Whether that appeals to you or not, there's more than enough fantastic story elements to bring any fan back to see how Fury's story ties to her Four Horseman brethren. Let's just hope Gunfire Games can apply one last coat of polish over the controls and checkpoint system to elevate this game to where it belongs.
Pokémon Let's Go is a curious game which bucks the established trends of mainline Pokémon titles. The series' signature, turn-based combat takes a backseat to the experience of simply existing in the world of Pokémon, capturing Kanto's ‘mons with brand-new, well-executed capturing mechanics. This game lacks many of the “hardcore” features that scores of fans, myself included, have come to expect from a new title. However, in the wake of these features is a Pokémon experience that engaged me in a manner unlike any title in the series' past.
It's a strange thing to find yourself smiling so much while playing a game that has you carrying out a series of grisly murders, but that's exactly what Hitman 2 does. Whether you're disguising yourself as a cupcake salesman to get close to a target, or spending an hour to make someone's death look like an accident, Hitman 2 is the best stealth action game of the year.
Fallout 76 is sure to be a divisive game. I'm confident that most people won't be able to forgive its many flaws, especially those going into it expecting a solo experience similar to Fallout 4, but I also think that those looking for a multiplayer Fallout experience will get a kick out of Fallout 76, particularly once Bethesda patches some of the game's most glaring bugs. As much as I'd like to be able to tell you that this title is terrible or amazing, the truth is that it's just okay.
Bendy and the Ink Machine takes players down a corrupted nostalgia trip, full of old school cartoon characters mixed with twisted horror. Exploration, puzzle solving, and the occasional fight are the name of the game, even if the save system could be better. If you don't enter Joey Drew Studios for the gameplay, you'll be enthralled by the story.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker sets up an epic story, expansive world, difficult combat, and lively characters, but all these elements eventually become tiresome. Its unforgiving difficulty and strict adherence to Pathfinder tabletop rules will likely turn away more players than it attracts, and while its kingdom management sim sets it apart from similar RPGs, no part of the game ever feels wholly original. Despite boldly putting players in the role of a king or queen, it never engages enough with the consequences of your decisions, or whether you have the right to make them at all.
'Turf Wars' shows promise in its two hour story, but mostly sets up a more interesting third act with (hopefully) more interesting boss fights. At some points, it’s far too hard and the last fight is almost unfair. But the core of what made the main game so compelling is all still intact and is more than enough reason to pick up the DLC.
The Forge is a disappointingly brief and underwhelming add-on to an excellent game. What is there is technically good, but hard to recommend as content that Square Enix is asking you to pay for. I'd recommend holding off to see if the rest of the season pass is worthwhile or if you should pass on it entirely.
With three titles of great quality being redesigned to be beautiful even by today's standards, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy burns bright. Little touches such as a unique design for every Elder Dragon, an attention to detail in the aesthetics of the levels, and a dynamic music system breathe life into what was already a lively collection. Spyro is back, and his games are exactly as good as you remember.
Steel Rats is an awesome 2.5D platformer that makes great use of motorcycle based combat. The team of four bikers are badass and unique, prompting you to try them all out, and being able to switch between them on the fly keeps gameplay fresh.
Instead of simply running you through various battles of World War I, Valiant Hearts: The Great War uses the story of a French family to build a better understanding of the broader historical importance. This personal story serves as the perfect framing device for the game's documentary-style presentation. While there are a few missteps and areas where it could have been stronger, it is a beautiful and well-executed game that offers a unique glimpse into one of the deadliest wars in human history.
Moonlighter's original conceit blends shopkeeping with monster-slaying in a way that's satisfying for most of its length. While both its combat and trading eventually get repetitive, the gorgeous graphics and pixel art make it a pleasant journey while it lasts. Unfortunately, your character's quest comes to feel as shallow as the merchant's life he wants to escape with its uninteresting goal and uninspired conclusion.
Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior is a difficult, often frustrating retro action platformer that values its old-school aesthetic over all else. Everything from its graphics and sound to its difficulty and controls recall an earlier era of gaming, but it does nothing to expand on that legacy. Players looking for a challenge may take some pride in conquering Cybarian, but its short playtime and mostly empty levels leave very little to sink your teeth into.
After spending quite a while with the game, I'm blown away that there's still so much to discover. With dozens of collectibles to find in the single player campaign, a seemingly-unlimited number of weekly challenges, and the Tides of War looming large on the horizon, Battlefield V is the best this series has ever been, and easily the best FPS of the season.
Warriors Orochi 4 is a celebration of Koei Tecmo's Warriors series, and it's a great game to pick up for those interested in some good old hack-and-slash goodness. With its record-breaking roster of characters and some new gameplay mechanics, this is one adventure that is divinely entertaining.
Honestly, the nicest thing I can say about Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is that it's over in two hours. It is at least technically playable with some interesting mechanics. But even if you are specifically looking for a wave-based, arcade-style turret game, I'd still stay away. This game offers little of value and is fun only if I stretch that word beyond its absolute limit.
Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood does the bare minimum, but it's still well worth playing. While there are no extras included in this anthology, the two games it contains are some of the best ever made, and one of them has been pretty difficult to come by until now. Aside from the replacement of Symphony of the Night's wonderfully campy voice acting, both games are delivered in perfect shape and are still as worth playing today as they've ever been.
Call of Cthulhu is a thrilling experience from start to end. The monsters may be a little lackluster, but the writing, puzzles, and characters are all interesting enough to keep you going until the very end. While the graphics are disappointing, the art style, vocal work, and atmosphere do enough to make up for it. Fans of horror or mystery will find plenty to love here.