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By building on the original and adapting some of the best arcs from the manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is pretty much a must for fans. As far as arena brawler goes, this is one of the better ones, although we still think combat can be a bit flat and woolly at times. But, with a wealth of single player content and so many characters to choose from, this is a worthy sequel to an already solid game.
The game will probably only last you a couple of hours or so, but that time is filled with lots of fun moments and amusing gags. It's not something that'll stand up to many replays, but it's an entertaining curiosity while it lasts.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound brings the series back to its roots with incredible style. The core gameplay feels fantastic, with satisfying, fast-paced combat and platforming that'll put your skills to the test. With a wealth of challenges to meet and things to find, there's a real richness to each level that gives it plenty of replay value. The wonderful art style is the icing on the cake, and aside from one or two small nitpicks, fans should be very pleased with this throwback adventure.
Tales of the Shire has a great premise, but will unfortunately leave most players wanting more. Its charms will potentially appeal to Hobbit fanatics, but with there being much better cosy games on the market, it's relying heavily on its Tolkienian license to distinguish itself.
Ready or Not is a unique cooperative shooter. It's not casual fun in the way Helldivers 2 can be. That means it certainly won't be for everyone, and the solo experience doesn't hold a light to playing with friends for us. However, those elements mixed in with a harrowing and outright disturbing tone make Ready or Not one of the most immersive co-op experiences available on PS5 right now.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is enjoyable enough without its performance troubles, but with them, they’re a major drag on the overall game. Wait for them to be ironed out in post-launch patches and you’ll find a decent, if formulaic experience.
Wheel World is a delightfully tactile indie title, and a real celebration of cycling. It feels fantastic to play and it's lovely to look at, but it's held back by a finicky finale and poor performance on PS5. We're hoping that a couple of meaningful post-release patches will address our complaints, because at its core, Wheel World is joyous.
But we still like having these games readily available on contemporary hardware. The CRT filters included are outstanding, and this being a Digital Extremes joint, you get tons of bonus materials, like the original arcade flyers to flick through in their entirety.
Some of this would be forgivable if the game was being flogged at a budget price, but it’s pretty expensive for what you get.
With beautiful Studio Ghibli-esque aesthetics, The Wandering Village is a city building sim with real soul. Beneath it all, there is a really beautiful metaphor at play with a wider message regarding the relationship between a civilisation and its environment.
You can't really go wrong with Unfinished Business if you enjoyed its underrated predecessor, but expectations need to be kept in check. This standalone follow-up is disappointingly rough around the edges, and although its comically violent combat remains satisfying, it's not varied enough to elevate the entire action-heavy campaign.Still, we're never going to say no to more Rogue City. Teyon still manages to capture the campy 80s spirit of RoboCop here, and that'll drive most players to the top of OmniTower.
Shadow Labyrinth is an admirable big swing that places Pac-Man in a strange new space. Unfortunately, while there are some fun elements taken from the arcade classic and a few neat ideas sprinkled in, the majority of the game is a by-the-numbers Metroidvania that doesn't quite come together. It feels like a game built to please Pac-fans and hardcore players that lap up the likes of Hollow Knight, but the end result is something that underserves both. It's not bad, but with so many incredible 2D Metroidvanias these days, this one doesn't quite do enough to measure up.
But it’s hard to knock the games too hard for retaining original experience intact in this respect, as the remasters improve pretty much everything else. This collection leaves you with what is now the definitive way to experience Patapon and Patapon 2.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is another fantastic skateboarding title that revives some all-time classics, albeit with some caveats. It's a shame that 4 couldn't be more faithfully restored, but what is included still makes for a fun arcade skating experience that fans of the series shouldn't skip - especially considering the brand new levels and other neat secrets. It may not be the greatest remake, but it's further proof that there's life yet in this timeless series.
It may sound a bit all over the place, but in practice this is a nicely paced and thoughtfully done game that manages to draw a lot from an old school Atari classic.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a fantastic way to revisit one of the most influential games ever made.
All in all, Anger Foot is a bold indie that leaves a clear impression. It feels fantastic to play when you're in the zone, and the game's relentless aesthetic helps set it apart from the action crowd.
Into the Restless Ruins is doing a lot of things right, then, but the auto-combat doesn't have the exponential growth of Vampire Survivors to keep it interesting, and whatever story is present is easy to forget. However, again, the game's interesting structure is more than enough to make it well worth a look for roguelike fans.
Ultimately, Ruffy and the Riverside is a game we wanted to like, but despite its attractive visual style and unique ideas, it never really comes together in a satisfying way. While there's some fun to be had running around in the semi-open world, it never evolves beyond that.
In what will prove to be one of the defining games of the PS5 generation, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a profound achievement of design, gameplay, narrative, and visuals. As all four meet in the middle, Kojima Productions has crafted a cinematic spectacle that flawlessly transitions between action and traversal, all wrapped up in the most absorbing of narratives. An immense upgrade on the first game, Death Stranding 2 is an unequivocal masterpiece.