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The atmosphere and world-building in Ghostwire: Tokyo are easily the strongest elements of the game. It's unique and weird showing fantastic creativity as well as highlighting some of japans most interesting folklore and culture while paying homage to the city itself. The game looks stunning with its wet, neon-lit streets rendered in superb detail and just buzzing with atmosphere. The Visitors are creepy and fun and while I wish there was a few more in the mix, the ones here are awesome.
Aside from the new additions to gameplay, I feel the title still played it too safe as there wasn’t too much to separate its overall experience from past titles. The familiarity and reuse of certain gaming mechanics may be fully welcomed by fans who have waited so long but I feel more is needed to differentiate the overall experience.
Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox Series X and PS5 isn't so much expanded but it's certainly enhanced. The common criticism here is that it looks the same, and there’s a small nugget of truth to that, the updated visuals aren't mindblowing, but they do add up to make a difference. While those graphical changes aren’t as dramatic as the difference between GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, the drastically reduced loading times, higher framerates and improved audio on the current hardware does make the game much more enjoyable.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a grand return for a fighter that has aged really well. Atlus has done a fantastic job at porting this game over even with the omission of the rollback netcode. The level of complexity within the combat and endless amount of content will ensure that Persona 4 Arena Ultimax's second spot in the limelight will last until the next Persona fighter is hopefully released.
In the midst of all the amazing fighters one the market Phantom Breaker: Omnia could be this year's hidden gem as its unique approach to creating an original experience is just fantastic.
Dawn of the Monsters is the Kaiju beat 'em up we’ve been waiting for with the developers doing a grand job to create a unique experience whilst celebrating the genre. I would love to see some new characters and levels in the form of DLC or even some online PVP worked in there to ensure its longevity.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is basically the best of both worlds with the combination of Square Enix’s RPG elements merging with Team Ninja’s fighting mechanics to create a whole new experience for the series. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is still very much a Final Fantasy game, but it's great to see Square Enix take a risk with this title which has been fantastically executed.
WWE 2K22 is a return to former glory with developers Visual Concepts really paying attention to what didn’t work in 2K20.
Young Souls is a breath of fresh air for the genre, the developers have done a fantastic job at merging so many different elements into one. Jenn and Tristan are some of the most memorable characters to ever grace the genre. Although playing on the Nintendo Switch I did experience some slow loading times and a bit of dropped frames during those frantic moments, but this wasn’t enough to sully a stellar title that is sure to be a new classic.
Aztech Forgotten Gods packs a lot in its relatively short playtime, with the boss battles and engaging story being the biggest highlights. The game just could’ve done with a few more extra features to boost its longevity and warrant a second playthrough.
Babylon's Fall is a mixed bag with combat mechanics and customisation standing at the forefront of the positives. But the majority of the game just doesn't flow as well as it could’ve with dated graphics, shockingly repetitive gaming loop and expensive microtransactions, Babylon's Fall is a bit of a letdown.
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a delightfully innocent game that looks to bring in newcomers to the JRPG genre with its simplistic controls. However, I feel veterans of the genre will simply find this game way too easy with its linear and basic approach. There just isn’t enough depth within its core gameplay and becomes repetitive real quick.
Triangle Strategy is one of the most compelling titles on the Switch if you can immerse yourself in the world and its characters then you’ll find it a rewarding experience. The game juggles several complicated systems that are awesome once you get the hang of them. Each unit feels distinctive in their design, character and playstyle and I cared for them all which is a hell of an achievement in a game with a fairly large cast.
Chocobo GP is a frantic but fun experience that Final Fantasy Fans will simply adore. It’s a nice surprise for the Nintendo Switch that may have borrowed from other games but still has enough originality to offer a unique experience.
Gran Turismo 7 offers such a rich experience that will please car enthusiasts, it's the purest celebration of car culture that will far exceed expectations.
The Atelier series just keeps getting better and better as the years go on. Koei Tecmo has done a fantastic job at crafting charming games that feel much more accessible than before, to welcome new players, whilst also offering a new experience for fans of the series. Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is a great way to celebrate the series anniversary.
Elden Ring is a beautiful but brutal game that stays true to its Souls roots, I will say that it's not for the faint-hearted as completing quests is equally as difficult as the dungeons and combat sequences. However, FromSoftware has added another great game to their already impressive catalogue. Elden Ring is certainly one of this years must-have titles as it's an experience like nothing else.
Monark has a solid combat system that combines great tactical elements with turned-based action. There is way too much grinding throughout the game that may turn off players who aren’t fans of the genre. But as a whole Monark does present some great ideas that will intrigue newcomers to the genre but nothing groundbreaking for JRPG veterans.
River City Girls Zero is a charming prequel that fans of the series should add to their collection. However, as the game is almost thirty years old players shouldn’t expect the fast pace action from the more recent games. But nevertheless River City Girls Zero is a fun but tough port that deserves your attention after taking so long to be released outside of Japan.
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece for cloud probably isn’t the best way to experience these classic titles, and with its hefty price tag, I would opt for the other versions which aren’t plagued with these needless issues.