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Go North is a cute and charming puzzle game that has its flaws. The puzzles are engaging, and the maze structure of stages is honestly pretty unique. The fact that you need to navigate forward to understand what you need to search for before going back is also, for the most part, a cool idea. That they stuff these mazes with tons to do, especially as a stage-based game, is incredibly impressive as well. The biggest issue is that the game can get in its own way with bloat and grind. Even at its worst, though, it makes an ample case for why you should go north, even if you don’t grind through it all.
Look, I’m going to just come right out and say it. Big Walk is one of the best puzzle games I have ever played. It is also one of the best social experiments I have ever participated in. From the proximity voice chat that created so many humorous moments and grounded me in this world, all the way to the moments of trust that were required to guide my friend through a blind puzzle box, or vice versa. There are moments of absolute joy and bliss that are yours for the taking in your journey and memories that will last you a lifetime.
K-POP Idol Stories: Road to Debut is no K-POP Demon Hunters, but that is obviously an unfair comparison. I was hoping this might maybe become a companion piece to the music, the movies, the TV shows, and everything else K-POP, and in that regard I don’t think it fails, just fails short.
SFB Games knows how to make a great whodunit. Combatting the usual point-and-click slog of characters sluggishly pointing out an observation, everything is wittily described. The Mermaid Mask shines as a murder mystery because of the attention to every painstaking detail. The theatrical cast, stylish art style, and impeccable structure make for one of those cases that beg to be solved.
Blue Reflection isn’t some fancy JRPG series that everybody is tripping over themselves to worship at the altar of. It’s not Persona. And maybe that is the issue. The Blue Reflection series invokes many franchises some might look at as better when compared to it. I never found this to be an issue, though. There is a deep catharsis to be found in the halls of each of these schools, and somewhere it can hold a mirror up to your own trauma and make you feel seen. Blue Reflection is imperfect, and that’s just part of the reason it is so special.
I am not the target audience of this game. Nevertheless, having a considerable amount of experience as a big fan of platformers, I can say that it lands among the lower tier of them. Looking at it from its endlessly fun premise, though, I can certainly understand the appeal of dashing and jumping as the titular Teeto. Even more so when playing in couch co-op.
The thing is, Granblue Fantasy Relink: Endless Ragnarok feels heavily geared towards hardcore players who were already there, grinding it out past the credits, and doesn't really feel like an entry point for players looking to try it.
I’m a bit disappointed in how it comes together, but there are moments that really work. The setting is cool and has a lot of potential. They have a flair that could really work with some tweaking.
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.