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It is not hyperbole when I say that every single level introduced a new creative idea to keep things fresh. Telling a cautionary tale of climate change and ruthless corporations juxtaposed with human ingenuity, it is imbued with an undeniable charisma. I cannot underestimate how much love is put into Denshattack! With deep reverence to classics like Sonic Adventure and Jet Set Radio, it built on those foundations to create one of the most endlessly fun games of the year.
Moss: The Forgotten Relic takes players on a magical journey carried by its endearing protagonist Quill. Evoking children’s fairy tale books in the best of ways, it feels like the definitive way for kids and adults to experience such a rich story.
Everything added elevates the experience, while everything left in feels purposeful. Returning to the Caribbean has never felt better, and Ubisoft has not felt this in control in a long time.
This is as fun a twist on cozy sims as you can find, and well worth sinking your fangs into.
Devil May Cry V: Devil Hunter Edition is a wild ride, and one that rewards effort and practice. Is this the best port I have ever played? No. Ironically, Capcom’s recent Pragmata release was an extremely solid day-one release for the platform that I might use as an example for the issues here. Dante and friends are still in top form on the Nintendo Switch 2, so if this is your first time, or 100th, slaying demons with the fate of the world at stake, you should be just fine.
This is especially bothersome because deep down in there, the game is still just as fun as I remember. Great combat, a great roster of characters, a system that is easy to pick up, and tutorials that actually encourage you to learn the mechanics. It just struggles to make a case for why you, the fighting fan, not playing Dead or Alive, should be playing this one.
What a joy to discover when a game goes places you did not expect. From the outset, I thought this game would be an unassuming, cozy adventure about a young kid learning about nature. Oh, how I am glad to be wrong.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is slightly dated, but it manages to age quite well. There is an enjoyable story in here with plenty of action sequences to keep the player engaged, regardless of where they are in the world. Arguably, there are probably better places to play Lara’s second journey of the Survival trilogy, but there is nothing inherently wrong with choosing the Nintendo Switch 2 as the place to do it.
I say this as somebody who loves Square Enix, sometimes way more than I should. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a new gold standard in their catalogue. For starters, this is the HD-2D game that breaks from the mold. Not a remake, not a spiritual successor; this is something new and fresh that makes you do a double-take. It evokes everything I love about Square Enix, or more so, both Square and Enix when they were putting out banger after banger, unafraid to take risks.
They say that WWI exotic dancer and spy Mata Hari blew a kiss to her firing squad at her execution. That defiant energy runs through Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. Protagonist Hershel Wilk knows she is not up to the task, yet a sense of remorse pushes her forward. What she finds is a web of deceit that it alone warrants the price of entry. This is no Disco Elysium, but a thrilling beast of its own.
Spirit of the North 2, is, at its heart, an indie title, which is where ideas and uninhibited ambition can live and thrive. Where creativity can bring about ideas, and bend worlds and experiences into something profound.
OPUS: Prism Peak is a powerful journey that unflinchingly tells us to embrace change. Its surreal setting only serves to portray that none of our lives are that different. Through photography, memories, and community, its universal message of hope is one that lasts forever.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanius II might have been more enjoyable; nothing in it is inherently bad, if it weren’t also a boring experience. There are so many franchises in the Warhammer universe to stack it against where it falls considerably short, but even more turn-based tactical games that it just fails to live up to
IO Interactive successfully adapts an action film franchise into a game that puts you in the driver’s seat. It also helps that this isn’t just Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan rehashing one of their films but a unique experience that is worth undertaking. Some parts never gelled with me, some parts probably never will, but all that is worth it to experience this definitive take on 007.
Don’t let frustration throw you off. Mina the Hollower delivers everything it sets out to in spades. The combat is basic enough, but mix in quick traversal and a world that never stays stagnant, and it is equally frustrating and addictive.
I have played a few LEGO games, but the franchise has never clicked with me quite as much as LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Maybe it’s the fact that the title used Batman: Arkham as a base for its combat, or the well-designed open world. I don’t think so, though. So much of the experience feels like a more compelling version of what LEGO does. I remember playing LEGO Horizon with characters being random in every scene, an extension of the LEGO formula.
Have I been waiting for Forza Horizon 6 to bring us to a country I watched far too many NHK documentaries about? Yes, yes, I was. Was it everything I hoped it would be? For the most part, also yes. Forza Horizon still has some of the highest quality open-world racing around, blended into a chock world full of things to do and a pretty robust end game once you are the cream of the crop.
If we are being fair, Coffee Talk Tokyo doesn’t really try anything new. It’s the classic experiences of listening to conversations and fixing the occasional drink, basking in the praise you get when you get those drinks right. Do… Do you want them to try something new, though? The characters, the narrative, the coffee crafting, and the endgame all do what they are supposed to.
The further you progress into Blue Prince, the more it sinks its hooks into you. Even when the exploration of a day lasts what feels like an eternity, it is still over in the blink of an eye, and I was ready to go again. I imagine that the worst possible outcome of a game like this is to actually reach the end, the fabled room 46. When you finally achieve this, the mystery is over, the experience is done.
When all is said and done, WILL: Follow The Light shines in its particular moments of calmness while sailing through the icy waters of the north. Its pitch-perfect soundtrack, evoking Max Richter’s On The Nature of Daylight, leaves a tinge of melancholy. The story itself does not shy away from the inevitability of death.