GamesNight's Reviews
Capcom has another solid title on its hands. Onimusha: Way of the Sword sounds at odds on paper. A goofy rice bun eating samurai amidst a sea of dead villagers and ferocious Genma sounds like tonal whiplash but Capcom nails this balance. Musashi is now one of my favourite protagonists in the action genre and the moment to moment combat, despite a slow start, builds into some of the best boss battles I’ve seen in some time. There is some run of the mill padding that detracts from the spectacle and visuals that don’t hold up outside of cutscenes. But these issues don’t get in the way of what Onimusha does best: a goofy character that I’ll continue to follow into hell, with my own rice bun in hand.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters’ biggest problem is what it chooses to do with the Captain Tsubasa license. It delivers enjoyable football on an arcade-style plate with satisfying 1v1 battles, and interactive goalkeepers, but wastes its enormous roster and license on a padded visual-novel campaign. Its shallow custom character integration, weak post-story content, and lack of dramatic decision-making that defined the older classic titles makes it a disappointing Captain Tsubasa adaptation despite the solid gameplay.
From the anime-inspired character models, stages, down to the special attacks, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls embodies the vibe of reading a comic while playing a next-gen game. The story mode, while not topnotch and limited in roster, offers enough to flesh out different characters’ motivation and background. In a world where Street Fighter 6 and Tekken cater to its loyal fanbase, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls approach is both admirable and welcoming to both new and competitive fighters.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is an easy recommendation whether you come from The Witcher 3 or any other RPG from the modern era. It delivers on many of its promises, offering excellent combat, a dense open world with a lot to seek, and an interesting story that presents a likeable protagonist. However, it’s underdeveloped villains, 30-day mechanic, and glaring technical issues prevent it from hitting the mark.
Beast of Reincarnation is an uneven attempt from Game Freak at a new IP. A solid combat system with a unique visual setting had real potential, but it is suffocated by a number of rough edges, from repetitive enemy design and a confusing sidekick to a bloated story and an absent quality of life that makes it a struggle to enjoy.
If there is ever one word to describe Denshattack, it would be creative. Despite Undercoders’ evidently limited budget, their creative juice seems to be abundant and overflowing. Denshattack is solid, well executed and a very unique video game.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok reimagines the game’s endgame with a roguelike mode, six excellent new characters, deeper progression, and challenging encounters that reward strategy over raw damage. Its grind-heavy structure, visual clutter, and modest story hold it back, but mechanically it’s an exceptional expansion for dedicated players.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a decent attempt at modernizing a precursor in the shooter genre with high-definition visuals, built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5. It respects and preserves the original vision Bungie had 25 years ago with Halo: Combat Evolved, offering engaging sci-fi storytelling and satisfying gunplay. However, it might have relied a bit too much on nostalgia, leaving out some necessary quality-of-life features required by modern players. The new content also fails to justify itself, making me wonder if its audience, whether old or new, would be completely satisfied with what’s in here.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a remake worth your time and money. It takes an excellent Assassin’s Creed title and brings it to the modern era, without sacrificing the true magic of the original. It adds enhanced graphics, a new combat system, and story moments that make this version the definitive Black Flag experience for old and newcomers.
Gothic 1 Remake is a game of two halves. It’s got an interesting world that I wanted to explore, and the story and writing are well done. But there are a lot of systems that are consistently pushing up against you, stopping me from enjoying the finer points of the game. If you have nostalgia for the original, this may be easier to push through, but this remake blends well-done visuals and a great setting with a lot of mechanics and design that have aged poorly. There is a good game in Gothic 1 Remake; it’s just a lot harder to reach than it should be, and by the time you reach it, that frustration damages the overall experience.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a wonderful action-adventure that successfully evolves beyond its Zelda inspirations through rewarding exploration, smart customization, and memorable puzzle design. Its pacing and underused time-travel mechanics hold it back from becoming a true classic, but the sense of discovery and emotional impact it provides make it an easy recommendation for players who crave a slice of the good past.
007 First Light is recommended, especially if you are a long-time fan of the Bond franchise. It offers a well-written narrative, with excellent voice-acting and gorgeous models that complement its cinematic feel. It also truly shines with its fluid and smooth melee combat. While the villain remains its weakest point, and it can get a bit clunky when fist-fighting against multiple enemies, it still offers a ride worthy of your time if you are also a fan of the linear action-adventure genre.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight takes two opposite ends of the spectrum, Lego comedy and accessible gameplay with Batman’s darker tone and stealth-oriented sections, and meshes them together to great effect with only a few outliers. Visually stunning, inventive mission structure and an impressive open-world Gotham full of hilarious comedic writing. Some aspects that are made more accessible for a younger audience, such as combat, don’t hit as well, but if you adjust to this lighter, comedy-first Batman, then there’s something for both newcomers and veterans to enjoy.
Hollowbody does an excellent job in bringing back a bygone era of survival horrors, appealing to its core audience. However, to modern audiences, who are more accustomed to high-quality experiences, I say this might not be for you.
Rose and Locket is a work of art, producing some of the most distinct visual artistry I have seen in recent years. Paired with solid combat that is challenging and rewarding, despite the artistry clashing with player experience at times. This is an adventure full of heart and climactic sequences, equally an awe-inspiring visual piece and a well-tuned action platformer.
Saros is a tactical roguelike shooter that emphasizes aggressive, skill-based combat and satisfying DualSense feedback. Its bullet-drain mechanics and flexible progression systems create an engaging run-to-run variety. The narrative and character scenes feel uneven and sometimes stiff, but the moment-to-moment gameplay remains highly immersive, rewarding, and instinctively enjoyable throughout
For a studio as small as Fumi Games, they did well for a debut game. I am someone who prefers the feel and vibe of a game over next gen graphics. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire’s game mechanics isn’t revolutionary and can be at times repetitive, and the story could be improved. However, considering its a new IP, they could only improve in its second entry if ever they decide to make a sequel. If you’re curious, I would recommend players to give this a try for a unique, charming experience.
Replaced is an ambitious 2.5D side scroller that deservedly takes pride in its visuals and doesn’t shy away from showing this in every detail. Its Arkham-inspired combat also makes the rare fighting encounters enjoyable. However, it still struggles to deliver full satisfaction because of the slow-burn storytelling, generic characters, input lag, and underwhelming exploration that doesn’t serve the gameplay.
Pragmata blends inventive hack-and-shoot combat with a reflective story about humanity and purpose. The dynamic gameplay and Diana’s curiosity leave a lasting impression. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but its confidence and emotional resonance make it a memorable and worthwhile sci-fi experience.
Crimson Desert is a once-in-a-generation video game. Its expansive open world is breathtaking and one I can get lost in for days thanks to its beautiful visuals, enchanting music and in-depth, meaningful gameplay systems. It’s not perfect, with some obtuse design choices, an underwhelming story and a very slow opening. But the more you peel back each layer of Crimson Desert, it all begins to click, and you realize this is truly a fantastic achievement in video game design.