Gaming Nexus
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Overall, the evolution is positive, but the single year development cycle is really hard to ignore with all the little issues and frustrations that the game shipped with. The menus are bad and there are far too many bugs in this year's iteration of EA Sports FC 25. The slower gameplay and move to deeper tactics are features I actually really enjoy, but I can totally understand how many fans might be disappointed at this move away arcade style play to a more methodical approach. There's no reason not to pick it up, but wait on the frequent sales and discounts the game will see.
Making my VR wishes come true, Square Enix has delivered a stellar port of Triangle Strategy to Meta Quest. With the interface fully reimagined to take advantage of VR's 3D capabilities, the battle sequences play out like a gorgeous living board game. Yes, there is a lot of story here, but it is rich and engaging, and the 3D mixed reality implementation soars. I would encourage every VR fan to support this game, as I will not be satisfied until we have many more like it.
Far more than just an Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Empire of the Ants is a brilliant RTS game. Smart, confident gameplay design keeps things simple while challenging your tactical abilities at a near-perfect pace. It's one of the best surprises of 2024.
Call of Duty is so back. A campaign that returns to form, the best multiplayer suite of the current console generation of COD's, and a chaotically fun Zombies mode. Black Ops 6 delivers in every way.
A worthy upgrade that brings it closer to the fidelity of its sequel, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the best version of a great sci-fi RPG. Guerrilla Games and Nixxes Software have turned this remaster skeptic into a true believer.
Retrorealms pays homage to two of the biggest horror franchises, and their respective fan bases here. I suppose if you're a hardcore fan, and you like video games, this is kind of cool. If you meet one of these criteria, maybe play a demo first. Great pixel art, great music, but definitely comparing it to the Halloween with Busta Rhymes.
As warm, deep, and emotionally engaging as it ever was, Life is Strange: Double Exposure delivers another great adventure for beloved hero Max Caulfield. With a great new cast of interesting characters, a banger of a mystery, and enough ethical dilemmas to fry your brain, Double Exposure continues putting players through the wringer in the best possible way. A few minor technical issues cannot distract from the great story and beautiful visuals.
Wildermyth is one of the best turn-based RPGs I've ever played. Immersive storytelling, brilliant pacing, and simple yet complex gameplay makes this one addictive game. It's so good that not even a save file bug could turn me away from it. Don't miss this one.
It has been some time since I've come into contact with a game that seems loved by the masses that I don't understand, but that's Phasmophobia. I don't understand why it's ok that you have to have a team of four people in order to find mild success. I don't understand why I need to spend time looking up a cheat sheet to help understand why a haunt is fun. I hate that I need to do so much outside the game, or to play round after round, just to have a better understanding of what is going on. I'm not opposed to playing Phasmophobia again, but it would take some convincing from at least three friends who are in need of a fourth played to have a full party. I also think each session is very dependent on having a good group of people around you in order to enjoy Phasmophobia, or at least a funny group of people to laugh at the misery of playing.
Fear the Spotlight is a short but fantastic classic Survival Horror experience. Filled with an intriguing story, great characters, fun puzzles, this game delivers lots of tension and a lot of love, care, and passion for the games that we grew up with as kids. I cannot recommend this enough if you are a fan of the genre.
At times, Arkham Shadow is the coolest VR game ever made. But a bevy of game-stopping bugs and some of the sharpest difficulty spikes I've ever encountered keep this bat from immediately soaring. An incredible - and incredibly gorgeous - VR translation of core Arkham mechanics, but still too rough around the edges for such a prestige franchise. Give it a couple of weeks and it will be a nigh-perfect experience, but it's a shame it's releasing in this condition.
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is a bit of a rough outing for those who didn't play it back on the Super NES and Genesis, but the port makes it a lot more accessible. The extra features menu looks a bit plain and could have been done better (especially the instruction manual), and if you plan to play without utilizing save states or the rewind feature you'll be in for a rough time. If you're looking for a good challenge and don't want to shell out a bunch of money for a physical copy of the originals, six dollars makes it more than worth it to pick this one up.
Not a remake, not an action RPG, but definitely a very refined MMO experienced tailored to be inclusive to solo and console players, New World has received a major shot of accessibility with the release of Aeternum. With a welcoming community, a refined story, and some very fun crafting mechanics, there is a lot of material here to dig into and enjoy. If you are looking for a new title to sink 1000 hours into, you could do far worse than this one.
Starship Troopers: Extermination on console puts the rough in Roughnecks. Technical issues, poor crossplay implementation, and frustratingly chaotic gameplay design leave much to be desired.
Maestro puts the hand tracking of the Meta Quest 3 to the test, and nails it. With song familiarity, unlocks galore, and a simple, yet fun and challenging interface, this is a game you don't want to pass up. Even if you're not a musician, you'll be pleased with the hand tracking by itself, and that's going to get Maestro a lot of roses. Bravo.
If you haven't played Until Dawn before, then sure, go ahead and pick this up. But for those who have played this before I see no reason to pay full price when it's pretty much the same game. While some of the updates to graphics are nice, there really isn't any thing new here that is worth the price of this remake.
The team behind Exploding Kittens VR has certainly built a fun and unique way to experience the popular card game. It is an absolute blast in multiplayer with friends. But in the end, your enjoyment of this application will entirely depend on your enjoyment of the game it is based on. There are a few bells and whistles - and the bot-based practice mode is a nice way to learn the game - but unless you are actively playing with humans, you are going to run out of steam pretty quickly.
A fabulous port of a fabulous game, God of War Ragnarok combines great story telling, great action, and great graphics to deliver a top notch experience.
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a fun little game based on the classic Nicktoon, but unfortunately it's a little too short and too easy for the price. The ability to swap between the four main babies and each having their own strengths and weaknesses is nice, plus the graphics and audio are pretty spot on from what Klasky Csupó gave us over three decades ago. However, the high price point for a rather easy game that can be completed in under ninety minutes will likely be a bit of a turnoff for a lot of people. If you're able to wait for it to go on sale, it's definitely worth checking out.
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a sandbox collect-a-thon that pays homage to the earliest eras of Disney creations. This no risk/no reward game looks good from the opening, but just seems like an animated feature that went on for 12 hours too long. With too much chatter, not enough fun, and literal pocket thinner, Epic is not the word I would paint here.