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As it stands, Salt and Sacrifice continues to nail down all of the moving parts and elements that go into creating an impressive Souls-like game. For most players –especially those just discovering the genre for the first time– this is an easy recommendation. But for the rest of us, it’s not quite enough anymore.
Trek to Yomi feels like a victim of its own cinematic inspirations and artistic ambitions. While satisfying at times, the combat is ultimately pretty one-note and begins to outstay its welcome by the time you’ve reached the end of Hiroki’s journey. I’m a sucker for artistically driven indie experiences, but there’s got to be some strong gameplay forming a foundation for it, and I can’t say I overly enjoyed my time accompanying Hiroki on his quest for vengeance.
In light of Loot River’s shortcomings, it’s still a worthwhile title to play. Flicking Tetris blocks through an astonishingly fluid river is so satisfying. And while I have issues with the combat, the weapons and spells are fun to use when they work. If Loot River gained a roadmap of good changes and content to add to the pile, it could stand toe-to-toe with some heavy-hitters leading the genre.
Nintendo Switch Sports is not a bad game, but it definitely doesn’t offer anything radically new or revolutionary, and it doesn’t provide much to keep me playing for more than a couple of hours on occasion. I think there’s a lot of potential here, though, so I hope that Nintendo plans to update it with additional content regularly in order to keep players coming back for more.
All that is just to say basically, it’s situational. If you can only choose one, you should probably just go ahead and get the PS5 or Xbox Series X version. But, if you have the luxury of being able to afford a Switch and current-gen version of MLB The Show 22 and can see yourself playing on the go, then go ahead and grab ’em both, you probably won’t regret it.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to say whether Serious Sam: Tormental deserves your time and attention. As a twin-stick shooter, it’s designed well and works to provide enjoyable gameplay for anyone looking for something simple. But when compared to its peers, it’s just not that special or unique that would warrant an extended amount of time spent on it, even if you happened to be a big Serious Sam fan.
The potential was certainly there, with the unique Mesoamerican inspirations, beautiful art, and top-notch animations, so it’s unfortunate that I’m left feeling like this was somewhat of a missed opportunity.
Overall, MLB The Show 22 is a fantastic baseball simulator that fans of the sport will enjoy. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough notable changes to the game that make it a must-have. There are some little tweaks here and there that dedicated players will notice, but the total package isn’t too different. That said, it’s still worth picking up if baseball is your game.
At the end of the day, The House of the Dead: Remake is a modern version of the arcade classic that is serviceable enough for fans looking to play at home. It brings added replayability with its difficulty, the scoring systems, and the new Horde mode, but is held back by poor performance, frustrating controls, and a lack of new content. Unless you are a big fan, The House of the Dead: Remake is not the best way to experience this classic for the first time, and it would have probably been better off dead than revived in this form.
Even with a weaker fighting system, though, The Kaito Files is more than worth the purchase for any fan of the series. Fantastic writing, enjoyable characters, and a gripping narrative make this experience another highlight in the series, more than proving that Kaito is worthy of being a protagonist.
Chrono Cross stands the test of time, and I implore anyone who enjoyed Chrono Trigger or other 90s JRPGs to give Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition a shot.
Hardware limitations and frustrations aside, Moss: Book II is another resounding success for Polyarc, despite a few strange missteps in finnicky weapon switching and minor quality of life tweaks that could come as part of a future update. The collectibles provide ample reason to keep playing after you’ve finished the story, and the puzzle-based environments are just as beautiful to look at as they are a satisfying enigma to crack.
The game feels like it’s meant for those who miss the GBA-era glory days, and it may just satisfy if these particular limiting factors can be overlooked. And, with all that said, it’s certainly a step in the right direction when looking toward the future of a genre that’s more or less being monopolized by Pokemon.
Overall, while LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is more of an evolution of the franchise than a full on revolution, it’s still quite possibly the definitive Star Wars video game collection right now, not only from a content perspective, but from an authenticity and a fun factor perspective as well. Equally charming as it is nostalgic, it’s a wonderful experience, especially for those with a soft spot for that galaxy far, far away.
In essence, In Nightmare is a narrative heavy puzzle game where all too often you must engage in more action heavy scenes in order to progress. That, coupled with frequent sections where you must navigate a room of either a single monster or multiple and avoid detection, caused the game to wear out its welcome sooner than it should have. When it’s just puzzles where you have have all the time in the world to reason out is when the game works best, and I found myself wishing for more of that as the game went on.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an important step forward for the franchise, even if it may still be a bit too linear. The Mouthful ability and the full transition to 3D are two features that should be here to stay, as they open up the gameplay possibilities considerably.
This is one game that is certainly worth checking out, if only for the setting and story premise, and if you could find some way to look beyond the less than ideal conditions of the gameplay segments, then perhaps you already possess the necessary steel and nerve to make it in the Weird West.
While the gameplay felt familiar, Tiny Tina and the rest of the main cast carry this one on their backs through witty, fun dialogue that stayed consistently entertaining throughout the campaign.
Long-time fans of the series might be disappointed, but it is at least check the same boxes that all of the other titles in this niche genre do. More casual players will probably just want to pass on this entirely, as the pros won’t outweigh the cons.
If, however, you enjoy your anime, mecha, turn-based tactics, and a deep and interesting story with a rich cast of attractive characters, it’s easy to recommend Relayer. It’s really as close to a playable sci-fi anime as it gets, and I’m all for it.