MonsterVine
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Games should exist and designers should always make games but Gordian Quest offers nothing new and does nothing exceptionally well.
Sonic Superstars is largely a blast to play thanks to its various characters and wonderful presentation. Though a couple of segments drag on a bit, most of the game is a fast and flashy adventure that tries new things but stays true to what people love about Sonic, to begin with. If this is the future of 2D Sonic, then the horizon is very promising.
Though Gargoyles Remastered is a bit bare when compared to other remasters, the game itself is worth revisiting (or trying out for the first time) if you’re fond of the show or just looking for a brisk retro platformer. I wish I liked the new visual style more, but even just as a retro title, it’s a good time. I’m glad to see less well-known Disney games come back to modern consoles, and I hope this trend continues going forward.
Detective Pikachu Returns might not push the boundaries in terms of graphics, and it certainly won’t bend your mind with its easy and straightforward deductions. However, it’s a charming game with cute character interactions, a good sense of humor, and an interesting story. Some games just make you feel happy when you play them, and I found Detective Pikachu Returns to be one of those games.
Lords of the Fallen is a solid and enjoyable task but rarely goes beyond good, instead, it titters on the edge of being special. Great looking, but ultimately too safe and lacking a real bite, Lords of the Fallen may not push the genre in any real direction, but it’s a worthy addition.
It's hard for a game to live up to expectations when you've been waiting for years. As a result, I might have hoped for more from the story of Long Gone Days than it actually delivered. However, it has a good cast of characters and presents a view of how terrible war is for civilians, presented through an RPG-style structure. Despite some bugs and other flaws, Long Gone Days is still an enjoyable experience.
Mortal Kombat 1 does a lot right, but it’s missing things that really made NetherRealm’s fighting games stand out in recent years. I hope future patches and additions build the game up to fulfill all of its potential, but the base game here feels a bit too thin on content.
El Paso, Elsewhere is a solid, curious, affair. It’s unfortunate the gameplay doesn’t match the ambition shown in other elements of the game, but nonetheless, fans of a certain gruff tragedy magnet will find joy here.
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai could appeal to diehard fans of the anime, but its repetitive nature keeps it from being great. The game looks remarkably like the anime and the Temple of Recollection can be quite fun, but anyone who doesn’t love The Adventure of Dai can pass on this one.
Though not without issues, I think Silent Hope is a good game at its core and is hopefully a jumping off point for more games like this from Marvelous in the future.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways is an all-around excellent piece of DLC that gives the main story of this year’s remake additional context while also just being a blast to play through. A lot of the areas are certainly familiar, but the length and gameplay make Separate Ways a strong companion piece to Resident Evil 4.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon easily has some of the series’ best highs, and is a proper return to form for the franchise.
The pillars holding up Eternights; Narrative, Combat, and Characters, have lots of cracks and didn’t take long to start crumbling. As impressive as it is that this game was made with such a small team, I can’t recommend this game.
Starfield is a Bethesda game pushed to the absolute limits, it's a good thing that Bethesda is still the very best at what they do.
If you have any love for RPGs or are even maybe even looking to get into them, please check out Sea Of Stars, it really feels like a labor of love that delivers on everything it sets out to do.
Purists of boomer-shooters will find things to enjoy, but it may prove to be the discussion over whether Sprawl is a boomer-shooter or not is the most interesting thing about the game. Sprawl will certainly find itself a healthy audience, but suffers from doing too much without nailing a singular element that can carry the rest. An admirable effort that often jabs, but never lands a powerful shot.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is possibly one of the greatest RPGs ever made. It’s a game you dream about when you’re not playing. It makes the possibilities feel endless, like your character’s story matters above all else. And in Baldur’s Gate 3 it does.
Marble It Up! Ultra is one of the most plainly fun games around. Soaring through stages, finding new tricks and making new shortcuts while experimenting with momentum, and trying to clear tight times makes for an intensely exciting but easily digestible experience that I can’t recommend enough.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood broke me by the end, I was in tears, and I’d encourage you to let it break you too.
Fans of musicals are going to find a lot to love with Stray Gods and I’m excited to see future games go even further with the idea.