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What likely started out as an Xbox and/or Bethesda executive thinking "Hey, wouldn't it be neat if we kept this game a secret and launched it during a special event?" has led to what could easily wind up as one of this year's GOTY contenders exploding onto the scene in spectacular fashion.
Motive Studio has done the unthinkable with Dead Space. It has turned this iconic, incredibly memorable survival horror game from fifteen years ago into an even more immersive and engaging experience.
If you can get past its more grind-y elements, Power Chord can still be a fun deckbuilding roguelike game thanks to its impressive blend of influence that makes great use of its "Battle of the Bands" setup. It's something for every headbanger to check out, as well as fans of the genre who don't minds banging their heads against walls as they gradually chip down each tough demon in their path. Not exactly worthy of a Platinum record, but it can still be an enjoyable listen.
Where Forspoken should've been a striking and appealing fresh start for Luminous Productions, the end result sadly is a game not only bland and unpolished, but deprived of a reason to care for its unfolding mystery.
As far as the two mainline Fire Emblem titles go on Switch, Engage knocks it out of the park when it comes to general flow of gameplay and combat itself.
One Piece Odyssey delivers a great One Piece adventure, but without regard to the source material, is simply a good but unremarkable RPG. Hardcore One Piece fans will eat this up like a smorgasbord of Sanji's cooking, but even with the Memoria sections, it's a lot for newcomers to take in.
It's hard to believe that it has taken Persona 4 over a decade to branch outside of its PlayStation shackles.
Persona 3 Portable was a gem when it came to the PlayStation Portable nearly thirteen years ago, but it was very much meant for the hardware of its time.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider conjures the spirit of the golden age of 16-bit gaming.
Sequels that don't quite match the lightning-in-a-bottle status of its originator are nothing new.
The Knight Witch is excellent in a lot of ways despite its forbidding difficulty, the kind of game you'll be glad to have beaten even if the journey to completion is sometimes a bit much.
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator is a thoughtful, intelligent crafting title that offers deeply-robust gameplay that's well worth the time.
Coming at arguably a fitting time of the year, The Block - simple and small in scale it may be - makes for an adequate palette-cleanser of a release.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition takes a nearly-perfect game and makes it better.
Despite a slow start, Witch on the Holy Night does earn its reading time. It takes well-established character paradigms and works them in fun ways. The limited animations punctuate and accent the words, creating vivid action scenes with color choices that pop. This is a title for kicking back and relaxing, as there isn’t anything happening on the gameplay front.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion walks a tightrope between a remake and remaster.
With Wavetale, Thunderful have managed to put a unique spin on post-apocalyptic worlds through its joyful tone, characters, style and more, making one want to spend as much time in it as possible and discover every sight to see.
Cleverly-orchestrated, if sadly a little on the abrupt side due to its short run-time, Melatonin's way with visuals is matched only by its delightful and genuine sense of challenge across its myriad of rhythm encounters.
Despite having an original story and setting, many elements of Samurai Maiden bring about a feeling a deja vu.
Dragon Quest Treasures offers a glimpse into the early years of two intriguing Dragon Quest XI characters.