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Capcom Arcade Stadium is a great collection of classic titles that really does a great job of showing Capcom’s history. Across the 32 games here released from 1984 to 2001 you’ll find a lot of enjoyment and thanks to some quality of life gameplay improvements new players won’t become too frustrated. There are some notable missing titles here and some extra features that I would’ve liked to see but overall this is how all publishers should treat their classic titles when bringing them to a new audience.
Just Die Already’s premise of playing as an old person and causing all kinds of trouble in an open world is fun at first but just like your character it gets old.
Layers of Fear VR is a solid scary game for those who want to immerse themselves in a creepy and well-designed atmosphere. The game managed to keep my attention for the few hours that it lasts and manages to be a bit scarier in virtual reality especially with the excellent audio in the game. The downsides to it are that it looks worse than the non-VR version, relies on too many jump scares which cause them to become predictable, and the Move controllers take some getting used to. Bloober Team has made much better games since the original Layers of Fear but if you’re looking for a new horror VR title then this is a good one to try.
King of Seas has some appealing bits to it like building up your ship and seeking out treasure but it gets repetitious and takes a long time to get anywhere. It looks good and can be fun for a little while but if you’re seeking the pirate life there may be better options out there.
Paw Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay is a fun distraction for kids who want to see their favourite cartoon puppies in action, but the game gets a bit repetitive and they don’t feel rewarded enough for playing.
Nanotale is a unique adventure that offers rarely-seen typing gameplay, whether it’s used for exploration, puzzle-solving or combat. It looks gorgeous and it sure is addictive to find all the lore, yet the delivery falls flat at times and it sadly can’t live up to its epic predecessor. If you’re a keyboard warrior at heart, it’s still very much worth your time!
Wrath of the Druids is an excellent expansion for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and offers exactly what most people are looking for: a fun excuse to revisit this gorgeous world and spend some more time with it.
Returnal was Housemarque’s first crack at a AAA game and they’ve pretty much nailed the execution on all fronts. The game looks and runs like a dream on the PlayStation 5 and is one of the best reasons to own one yet. The game is tough and because of that it won’t be for everyone but for those who do enjoy these kinds of games you’ll quickly get addicted to the fast-paced and super smooth gameplay.
New Pokémon Snap is a great experience for anyone who’s either a fan of videogame photography or the Pokémon series. If you’re into both (like me) this title is a dream come true.
World Splitter is an enjoyable enough puzzle platformer with an interesting dimension mechanic that will really have you using your brain to make it to the finish. It’s not impressive technically but the actual puzzles offer plenty of challenge while optional objectives are there for the more hardcore speedrunners. It’s just a shame that the two-player levels aren’t plentiful enough and come across as little more than an appetizer. Overall, World Splitter can be fun to dive into for hours at a time or to just dip into for a few levels here and there.
In conclusion, the Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack has a ton of value and content to play through for newcomers to these games. If you played these three titles on PlayStation 4 already then I’m not sure the little bit of new content and quality-of-life improvements are a big enough reason to rush out and play them right away again. For brand-new players looking for more Atelier to sink their teeth into though this is an easy recommend as you get three very interesting stories full of likeable characters, over a hundred hours of gameplay content, and lots of alchemy to mess around with.
Judgment was a great Yakuza spin-off title two years ago and that remains true in 2021 with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series release. While the detective gameplay isn’t as good as it could be it doesn’t detract too much from an otherwise great game. RGG Studio delivers another memorable story full of fun and interesting characters as well as a really detailed world full of fun activities to partake in. It also looks and runs much better than it did before making this the definitive version to play. Whether you’re a fan of the Yakuza franchise or jumping into this world for the very first time, Judgment shouldn’t be missed.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos is yet another perfect excuse to dive back into this wonderful RPG world. You get to upgrade your characters further, find out more about the amazingly well-written cast and scenarios and live out your fantasies of becoming a space detective.
Delicious! Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire is pretty much exactly what it’s called as you get the Mahjong Solitaire game with some anime waifu characters to look at along the way. It’s a game for those who love fan service or who just want to chill out and match some tiles.
Stitchy in Tooki Trouble is the perfect indie tribute to genre classics like Donkey Kong Country. It may not have the longest runtime, but it more than makes up for that with its charm and easy-to-pick-up gameplay.
Paradise Lost takes place in a compelling setting and has a lot of beautiful locations to explore. But sadly it never feels like more than a sightseeing tour at a painfully slow pace with a story you’ve probably seen before.
El Hijo – A Wild West Tale is a charming little spaghetti western stealth game that gamers of all ages can enjoy. It might not be hard enough for more seasoned gamers but the level design and puzzles do get more challenging as you make your way through. I also just really like the theme of a young boy trying to find his mom and being able to help other children along the way. If you’re looking for a new stealth game to spend a few hours with that asks you to use things other than violence to sneak around then El Hijo is worth checking out.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is a great finale to what has been a memorable four game journey. It’s got so many great moments throughout and many of the characters we’ve grown to love get to shine. It could’ve done with a bit better pacing though as I felt like I was just doing busy work quite a bit of the time. The Switch version doesn’t look or perform as well as the PlayStation version that released last year but what you lose in visuals you make up for in being able to pick up and play portably. It also is disappointing that Switch only owners can’t experience the full four game story on the platform currently with only the third and fourth entries being available. I can’t say much else other than if you’ve been invested in this story so far, you’ll be very happy with the payoff and if you haven’t yet jumped into it yet then you’re missing out on one of the best JRPG franchises out there.
DARQ is a masterclass indiegame with brilliant level design and perfect audio. The brevity of the experience is only amplified by the uniquely grim aesthetic and the mindbending levels that make you hunger for more.
While it isn’t perfect Beach Buggy Racing 2: Island Adventure is a fun, smooth kart racer that is jam packed with content. The asking price is more than fair as the Adventure mode alone will provide many hours of enjoyment while things like the custom rules will provide many more.