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That’s not to say Returnal doesn’t have a lot to offer players in addition to its addictive ‘one more run’ loop. There’s a rich catalogue of history to fill out for Atropos which tells a fascinating story in its own right, and there’s a daily challenge good for both fun and in-game credits.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is exactly the killer app that the PlayStation VR2 needed to really sell the promise of its hardware and feature set, even with a couple of stumbles. Clever VR spins on the series' staple gameplay systems, a compelling campaign, ridiculous production values, decent replay value and a genuine sense of wonder make it essential playing for absolutely anyone picking up Sony's next-generation VR headset.
Final Bar Line is another fantastic entry in a great rhythm series, propped up by an enormous catalog of essential video game music and a variety of fun and engaging (if slightly superfluous) systems. Whether you enjoyed the 3DS entries or you're a Final Fantasy fan ready to dive in for the first time, there's a lot to love here even with some minor frustrations.
Metroid Prime Remastered is, without a doubt, the best way to experience Metroid Prime. Its effortful visual overhaul, coupled with new control schemes, brings an already fantastic game into a new era for a new audience. Better still, it plays just as well as it did over two decades ago, offering a tremendous sense of atmosphere and wonder. It's often said it's tough to improve on a masterpiece, but Metroid Prime Remastered successfully meets the brief and then some.
Hogwarts Legacy is the Wizarding World game that fans have dreamt of for years. It offers a dense and rich open-world to explore complemented perfectly by a surprisingly robust and engaging combat system unlike anything else. While the story does live in the shadow of its predecessors, and managing gear can be repetitive, Hogwarts Legacy is a truly magical experience and utterly bewitching from beginning to end.
The Cosmic Shake really does feel like a direct sequel to Battle for Bikini Bottom, taking advantage of nostalgia for both that era of 3D platformers and of course the source material of the show. A cavalcade of jokes and references delivered through inoffensive, if uninspired, game design, it's sure to land nicely with the right audience even if it doesn't seek to have its genre peers shaking like jelly.
SEASON: A letter to the future is the perfect example of art that could only exist within the confines of a video game, using player agency to convey its themes in ways that at times feel genuinely enlightening. It's a game that only gives as much as you deem to take, and only asks as much as you have to give. An instant classic.
EA Motive could have taken a path of least resistance in delivering a Dead Space remake, though I'm thankful for everything they've poured into what is a tremendous reimagining of one of gaming's truly iconic horror games. It's gorier than ever, the story is made whole, encompassing lore elements once merely pieced together by its fan base, and feels like a genuinely fresh twist on the original.
Forspoken offers a unique and thrilling experience with its impressive combat and smooth traversal mechanics. The story and open world may fall victim to the pitfalls of its genre and the largely formulaic side quest design only shines occasionally, but it's an overall satisfying and well-crafted action RPG with fast-paced and energetic gameplay.
As an experience more in-line with the pre-Fates era of Fire Emblem, Engage is a worthy celebration of one of Nintendo's longest running and most storied franchises. Despite many flaws, none of them offset the experience so drastically to sour the overall experience, making for another great entry into the gilded halls of Fire Emblem.
Marvel's Iron Man VR was a great PS VR title, but it's an absolutely essential Quest 2 game. Everything that was great about its original iteration and its fantastic-feeling Iron Man power fantasy is still here, but it's all improved immensely by the freedom and performance offered by the new hardware. If you've got a Quest 2, this is a must-have in your library.
High On Life is the most video game-like video game to come from the minds of Squanch and Justin Roiland to date, and it shows the studio is capable of more than just lightly-interactive experiences packed with fart and cum jokes. Though it has plenty of those, too.
Dragon Quest Treasures is a simple yet wholesome and endearing Dragon Quest experience that stands out among the crowd. It might not retain some of the luster and sheen from mainline entries, but an addictive gameplay loop and enticing exploration makes for an adventure worth undertaking.
All that said, if you’ve played and enjoyed GRIS in the past – let it be known that this is undeniably the same game. While I’d enthusiastically advocate a replay to anyone, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the 4K120 presentation is reason enough to double-dip in place of any of the many other compelling indie releases of 2022. If you’re fresh to the experience, don’t hesitate a second, but otherwise consider whether you possess the technology to get the most out of this new port and/or whether you’ve had your fill of what GRIS has to offer before now.
There's a lot to like in Unbound, but some of the characters and the tedious police chases bring down what is otherwise a thrilling high-speed race through Lakeshore.
There’s so much more to talk about when it comes to this hugely comprehensive upgrade to The Witcher 3, and probably a lot I’m yet to see first-hand in the gargantuan game, but I’m confident enough already to say that what you’re getting here is a lot for free. Even if you’re new, the game now comes with all of the excellent expansion content and improvements made to the game in the years since its original release, so it represents great value for money even before the new-gen upgrades. Without a doubt, if you’ve been on the fence about giving The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt another go around or dipping your toes in for the first time – now is your moment.
What looked flat in the original game (which I confirmed by going back to it), now feels alive. Balls of light now beam off the worlds with the entire world around you being fully reflective in real-time, giving it a greater sense of immersion and scale. Similarly, the portals reflect on the walls surrounding them too, making the world feel more 3D and less flat.
Not quite a remake, but well beyond what's expected of a remaster, Crisis Core Reunion is exactly the kind of reverent and carefully-considered re-release that fans of the original deserve. Not everything from the 2008 iteration holds up equally, but the updates are plentiful enough that it hardly matters. Whether you managed to catch it on the PSP or you're diving in for the first time – this is without a doubt the definitive way to experience the excellent prequel to Final Fantasy VII.
The Callisto Protocol is a modest starting point for what I hope will flourish into another heavy-hitting horror franchise. It's gory and gratuitous, with an endlessly satisfying combat system. But the lack of enemy variety scares, and surprises, even if engaging, stop it from being the horror game masterpiece it's trying to be. Despite all of its shortcomings, it's an immensely enjoyable romp that's left me desperate for more.
Marvel Midnight Suns is, by and large, an unfulfilling superhero title that is only as endurable as it is courtesy of how great Firaxis are at what they do. There's a lot of heroes and just as many hollow hellos between them that makes me wish all of the story's character drama was checked at the door for more of what Midnight Suns does well.