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While this is a semi-competent port for Switch, ultimately Star Horizon's core gameplay is uninteresting and tired, while its mechanics lack polish.
Beyond Blue is a beautiful and enchanting journey. The attention to detail and devotion to its creation, along with the companion documentary segments, show a love for the ocean. It's a little on the short side, but there's still so much to enjoy in this gorgeously crafted game.
The Last of Us Part II offers more of the same great stealth gameplay, as you face overwhelming odds in increasingly challenging and haunting environments. But with an ambitiously structured narrative that doesn't pay off, and the new cast lacking chemistry, this adventure can't quite live up to its predecessor.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an acceptable entry in a series that is known for consistency. However, as the genre continues to evolve, it feels like the simple pleasures of the franchise are becoming less enjoyable. Whenever the titular heroine returns, hopefully she has some new tricks to unleash.
Super Mega Baseball 3 is the perfect game if you're finding yourself burning out on more traditional sports sims. Its focus on gameplay and a fun suite of customization tools gives the experience a decidedly different flavor than most others in the genre.
Minecraft Dungeons is a straightforward action RPG spinoff that doesn't try to be anything more than an accessible entry for existing fans of the franchise. The low asking price helps offset the areas where the game comes up short.
Despite a fair amount of repetition and simple design, Maneater offers a surprisingly fun atmosphere with lots of bloody action to sink your teeth into.
Deep Rock Galactic offers some enticing exploration, as discovering randomly generated caves can be a thrill each time, and the unique abilities of each class are fun to combine. But things quickly begin to grow stale, like the air this far down into the earth, with repetitive missions and little reason to grind out your experience levels.
Huntdown is a blistering and blood-soaked adventure that may look retro but feels remarkably modern. The title takes the basic formula of the sidescroller and tweaks it with notable improvements such as a cover system and boss battles that require more than just brawn. The genre may be flooded with similar romps, but Easy Trigger Games' effort stands out.
CHANGE is an interesting survival indie that's both enjoyable and thematically relevant. Its grim undertones set the stage for a memorable experience, strengthened by solid mechanics and rewarding gameplay.
There is an interesting story in Someday You'll Return and a potion-crafting system that works suitably well, but players must endure an overlong adventure through a confusing forest with questionable puzzles, bad stealth, and too many clunky mechanics.
Streets of Rage 4 is both a sequel and a throwback to the original 2D brawler series. The gameplay has been tweaked and the presentation updated for the modern day, but it's still an unabashedly retro experience that will appeal to a select few.
Even if STATIONflow is about as dull as can be visually, and feels a bit rough around the edges mechanically, the rewarding gameplay often shone through, engaging me for hours on end.
Predator: Hunting Grounds occasionally offers a satisfying and violent asymmetrical multiplayer showdown, but doesn't look or play well while doing so. Hardcore fans of the series might get some value out of this title, if they're patient enough to wait in the long matchmaking queues.
112 Operator is more of a spinoff than a sequel. It adds a few things, but also carries over all the problems of its predecessor. While there's still potential here for an enjoyable micromanagement game, it gets lots in the shuffle of bad design choices and repetition.
Gears Tactics is a worthwhile spinoff that does a great job of integrating key franchise elements into a different genre. The story is shallow and the missions get quite repetitive, but fans of turn based tactics should get some gory fun out of this one.
I don't know if I enjoyed Final Fantasy VII Remake as much as I was fascinated by it. The game is bound to divide fans and newcomers, but it's the kind of experience that's going to be dissected for decades to come - much like the original.
Oneiros is a simple puzzle game with concise escape rooms and a few surreal levels. Its third chapter is the strongest, thanks to more traditional adventuring, and is enough to see this indie game break from the pack.
HyperParasite is a tough title to love. The grind-heavy path of progression is a pain to deal with, and the visuals are muddled and unattractive. However, the gameplay is strong and addicting. Even in the face of constant death, you'll want to keep pushing forward.
Resident Evil 3 proves that you can take a lot of the same mechanics and ideas, but when you implement them into a flawed structure, a lot gets lost in the mix. The 2020 remake lacks the depth, pacing, and general sensibilities of a great survival horror and ends up almost becoming an action game.