EGM's Reviews
Can any game live up to a decade of hype? Kingdom Hearts III tries, and its meticulously-recreated Disney worlds, jam-packed combat system, and wealth of minigames offer a ton for players to explore. However, the game's bizarre pacing, an abundance of cutscenes, and an unrewarding story may leave players more bewildered than satisfied by the end.
Wargroove might be the least original game I've played in a long time, but it offers fans of the Advance Wars series something we've been lacking for a while. Thankfully, Wargroove does add enough subtle variations on Advance Wars' formula to create its own niche, and multiplayer is much easier than convincing your other friend with a Game Boy Advance to buy their own copy. Even if you're playing alone, there's plenty to see and do, as long as you're willing to learn some hard lessons along the way.
More than just a simple remake of a cherished classic, Resident Evil 2 is a reinvigoration of the entire franchise, showing just how much life it still has left without the need to make drastic gameplay or stylistic changes. From start to end, this is a phenomenal showcase of old mixed with new, both giving players the chance to relive an important chapter in the life of the series under fantastic new conditions, while also potentially paving the way for Resident Evil for years to come.
A continuation of Bandai Namco's long-running flight simulation series, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown offers fans an invigorating, polished and beautifully-rendered action game that sometimes becomes obscured by a silly story, vague objectives and a steep learning curve. Those familiar with the series will likely be able to see past the muck and enjoy the fast-paced action for what it is, as excellent controls and gorgeous graphics certainly help. Those, looking for more, however, may be disappointed. Still, this type of game is fairly rare these days, and if you're looking for one, just know what you're in for going in, and have fun.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes might not exactly be the game that fans of the series were hoping for, but if you're want to catch up with your favorite assassin and are willing to accept changes made to the gameplay, you should find plenty to like here. This is a surprisingly complex game and seriously goofy sequel-ish thing, made with obvious passion and an undying love for the gaming experience.
Everything is a philosophy lecture turned into a game, and if you're looking for some new insight on life and a sandbox to play in while you listen, it'll provide. While the game offers up hundreds of choices of objects to become, it comes at the sacrifice of everything feeling the same.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a must-have for Switch owners who skipped the Wii U. Packaged with two complete games and a plethora of challenges to complete, the Deluxe version will give you plenty of bang for your buck. Even if you already owned the game, it's worth trying on the Switch, if only to have a mobile, 2D Mario game at the ready. It might not be as difficult as past Mario games, but it's never not fun.
Katamari Damacy Reroll brings the original Katamari Damacy back for a new generation, and all of its fantastic gameplay and heart is now combined with beautiful high-definition visuals. There's almost nothing new here save for mediocre motion controls, but then again, nothing needed to be added to make this quirky classic worth playing again (or for the first time).
Spider-Man's three-part DLC, The City That Never Sleeps, feels a bit like it's trying to have it both ways by telling a story set after the main game without changing up too much for the sake of anyone who might not play it. It might not be entirely fair to complain that an add-on doesn't feel like a true next chapter, and the gameplay certainly remains satisfying and tacks on some welcome challenge, but the full package is an unquestionable letdown after the soaring heights of the original campaign.
With an arresting art style and admirable commitment to minimalist game design, Gris manages to turn a straightforward, often derivative platformer into something that feels far more special and important.
Just Cause 4 has so many good systems in place, but it seems to have lost sight of what to do with them. While it's a relatively decent game in its own right, it continues the series' decline.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes its name literally, as everything that fans have loved from the series is present and accounted for this time around. It's the party brawler that lets friends go head-to-head with their favorite game characters, now on Nintendo's impressive hybrid console. Spirits, featured in the World of Light story mode, introduce an exciting role-playing element for a new level of strategy and creativity. Thankfully, this and other new additions only add to the winning Smash Bros. formula, never taking away from what works.
Darksiders III is a frustrating, awkward sequel to a series that's charmingly stupid, but there's a lot of fun to be had if you give up on getting good. Do yourself a favor and tone down the difficulty level so that you can enjoy the crazy character designs and ridiculous fantasy world that Gunfire Games has built. Fans will be glad that this underdog of a series at least got a third chapter, but if you're new to Darksiders, you might want to start at the beginning.
While I still don't know that the world needs dancing games based off of the Persona series, it's obvious that Atlus could do way worse than Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Both games show clear effort in terms of visuals and animations, and if there's any RPG franchise with soundtracks you'd want to groove to, it's Persona.
Many of the issues Fallout 76 currently faces could eventually be fixed, which is why this mess is such a pity. The potential is clear, but a reluctance to commit to one direction or another leaves the game in an awkward and broken void.
I’m surprised to see that the story appears to actually be pushing forward from Spider-Man‘s ending, which already teased a direction for any future sequel.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy is the remastered collection that longtime fans deserve and the means to get newcomers interested in the purple dragon’s adventures. Toys for Bob has captured the spirit of the original three entries in the platforming series, popped in a few helpful updates, and created a beautiful visual landscape that gives new life to Spyro’s early journeys. The long load times and past mistakes from the original developers still pop up, but there’s no denying that this remastered trilogy is Spyro’s triumphant return.
Battlefield V has the potential to be the best game in the series. It’s recaptured the magic of those Battlefield moments at almost every opportunity, and its new mechanics like squad revives and attrition put the focus back on sticking with your teammates. There are still a lot of questions it needs to answer with its Tides of War live service, and more casual players might be turned off by the challenging gunplay, but what we have now is a worthy successor to the Battlefield name.
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! may be a remake of the oldest Pokémon games in the series, but it shakes up the standard Pokémon formula more than any of the main games since. With a catching system reminiscent of Pokémon Go, an adorable Eevee or Pikachu partner, multiplayer, and gorgeous graphics, the Let’s Go games have something to offer for every Pokémon fan, though the game’s changes may be just different enough to throw off the nostalgia for returning players.
What I hoped would be a decent collection of SNK’s early gaming efforts ended up being one of the most impressive retro compilations I’ve encountered in recent memory. While not every game included will excite more casual players, those who do have an appreciation for the library offered here will find them presented with a level of care, concern, and passion that is too rarely seen.