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Taking the franchise to new heights and new locales, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the pinnacle of the longstanding franchise. The game magnificently pulls off the difficult task of giving new and loyal players the best of both worlds with a new Ichiban-led story while also nailing emotional pay-off years in the making with Kiryu's story portions. Providing quality side content that is addicting and seemingly endless, there isn't a single drip of the game that is dry, dull, or not worth your time. Never have I played a title this rewarding and satisfying with its delightful humour found in substories and over-the-top turn-based combat. It may be largely set in a different country with the picturesque and gigantic Honolulu but this is the Like a Dragon series through and through. Infinite Wealth is like an ocean. Let it all sink in. I promise it's well worth it.
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is another successful voyage for the root vegetable. Making the leap to the roguelite genre is form-fitting, providing really enjoyable jaunts through a mysterious bank full of many enticing environments, bosses, and enemies as you engage in frenetic gunplay and melee action. This is achieved via valuable upgrades and a creative arsenal at your disposal to experiment with. The game would benefit from endgame content and modifiers to give it more staying power, but it's largely made up for by the weird, sometimes irreverent whims provided. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is hilarious, weird, oh-so-fun, and a joy for every second of play. I can't wait to see where our little hero goes next. A turnip-led Soulslike? A life simulator? The sky's the limit!
The Cub is a fascinating romp through post-apocalyptic Earth. Balancing dark themes with delightful levity, the game finds a way to showcase both the best and worst of humanity with biting wit, vivid visuals, and impeccably implemented audio. It's all let down somewhat by gameplay sequences that can't maintain the same quality as the game's other elements. However, even with that rather big caveat, The Cub still manages to present a lovely package worth opening.
Atlas Wept does a great job at creating a 2D retro RPG that's accessible to beginners. Unfortunately, some of its strengths aren't enough to overshadow its weaknesses. The story can often be unclear with not enough explanation. It's too easy to get bogged down by combat, which weakens the overall charm. But what Atlas Wept does well is think outside the box, giving you a decent RPG experience to jump into.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered brings not just extra content but extra heart to an already much-loved game. This is one for the fans, with a plethora of additional features that highlight the best aspects of the game's design whilst giving further context and glimpses into its development. Bursting at the seams with things to do, see, and unlock-The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a celebration of one of gaming's greats.
A witty, vicious, and charming-as-heck romp through a Victorian steampunk city, Sovereign Syndicate wraps its tight, character-driven story in layers of deliciously decadent prose. Delving through the seedy underbelly of this alternate-universe East London is compelling on its own, made all the more intriguing by the different perspectives of its trio of protagonists. Despite a few glitches at launch and some slightly rushed final moments, Sovereign Syndicate is a deeply satisfying narrative RPG and an absolute pleasure to play through.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an incredibly pleasant surprise. Brilliant gameplay and gorgeous visuals make it utterly addictive to play, and in my time with it, I never wanted to put it down. The only fault the experience really has is the story, and while it is perfectly serviceable, it's never sufficiently engaging, even if the gameplay itself is enough to keep you going. If you are looking for a new Metroidvania to sink your teeth into, this is one I can highly recommend, and a strong return to form for the previously long-resting franchise.
Remaking an older series that never got much limelight is always a good thing, and Another Code: Recollection has gone above and beyond updating its look and feel for the modern day. The problem is that those updates have removed everything that made the original games unique, and have re-invented the story in a way that is not to its benefit. It might still be a nice time if you're in the mood for something simple and slow-paced, but it's certainly no replacement for the originals.
Without a doubt, Born of Bread is a fun game. It is entertaining and charming in its own ways. Though the game mechanics are under the influence of its critically acclaimed senior, it still manages to leave memorable moments for its players with great aesthetics and a vivid world. While Born of Bread does provide a lovely experience for gamers who are seeking simple and casual pleasures, the game would need to polish its combat mechanics and storytelling to enable a more well-rounded experience for other gamers.
Compared to the original, House Flipper 2 is a more than decent renovation and sale. Built from the ground up it features crisp, clean, better graphics. It features more attention to detail for the little things such as cleaning up, taking out trash and so on. It also features no less than three different environments with houses to match. The client jobs are time well spent, interesting and with decent rewards. After doing my first few 'flips' I felt like I did not want to let my creations go. But on the flip side, I miss the assembly and the features added to the original game over time like proper gardening and pets in particular. Those should have been implemented here as standard, but House Flipper 2 still manages to scratch the same satisfying itch as its predecessor.
Trinity Fusion provides a very good time that fans of roguelikes and 2D action games really shouldn't miss. The game weaves its multiversal mystery throughout your many runs towards the Harmonisers, crafting a fun narrative out of the cast's repeated jaunts across different realities. The combat and platforming is satisfying and delightful, with chaining together melee attacks, gunplay and air dashes feeling effortless and engaging. As with many roguelikes, the repetition sets in before long, with limited level designs and an Amplifier mechanic that discourages experimentation, but the game is still a blast while it lasts.
NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is quite the disappointment. Presenting as a step back for the series in many ways, there are simply better adaptations to spend your time with. The game comes with a middling story combined with a lack of spectacle that serves as a mediocre attempt at celebrating the IP. Whilst some fun can be had with the stacked roster and it's easy to jump into, you'll often be reminded that there are greener pastures elsewhere.
The last of LCB Game Studio's Pixel Pulps is here! Bahnsen Knights is a short, choose-your-own-adventure about a cult of the same name. Despite focussing on the wrong areas of the plot, the game does have some lovely characterisation where one sentence paints a big picture. The nostalgic feel along with the gorgeous and sometimes downright terrifying pixel art means that Bahnsen Knights offers a lot, despite some rough edges.
Warhammer 40000: Rogue Trader does a great job of putting you in the shoes of space royalty. You travel around galaxies and explore new areas while addressing issues that plague your rule. Combat is strategic and encourages you to use the strengths of your companions. Exploring new galaxies and harvesting resources immerses you in the role of Rogue Trader, encouraging you to be the ruler you want to be. Unfortunately, there's a lot of information to learn for players new to Warhammer 40K and the maps aren't very helpful. But if you are willing to spend the time to learn and experiment, there's a fun strategy RPG waiting to be explored.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince's significant performance issues unfortunately sap a lot of the joy out of the game's core loop of exploration and grinding, detracting from an otherwise solid monster-collecting experience. However, if you're able to overlook its painful opening hours and sloppy storytelling, there's a decent, comforting game lurking under the surface. Hardcore Dragon Quest lovers will find hours of grindy RPG goodness to enjoy and a colourful, varied world to get lost in – though certainly one far less polished than fans of the series would usually expect.
While the Iron's Hot offers diverse gameplay packed with an immersive narrative, innovative ideas, and crafting depth. However, there are some quality-of-life improvements needed, mini-games lack challenge, and you may find yourself with an overflow of work orders without incentives to complete them. Overall, the game delivers a captivating blacksmithing experience with some limitations that may unfortunately impact player satisfaction.
As I write this review a couple of weeks after Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realm of Ruin's launch I can't help but feel sad. It's a very good game despite its issues and an incredibly strong first RTS from a studio known for their management sims. A sequel that addresses its handful of shortcomings could absolutely be top-tier. Depressingly the writing already appears to be on the wall however, with the studio already announcing that they're returning to the genre that made them famous after the game's launch sales were so poor it tanked their stock price. Oh well.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a big misstep and feels like Ubisoft's biggest missed opportunity in a while. Not even the fantastical and majestic sights of Pandora and some engaging hunts can cure the buggy, unoptimised product presented to the world. Offering a dull story while it trips and stumbles on delicate themes, it too is simply a confused formula of everything you've seen before from other titles, almost all of it ill-fitting. Two adaptations under their belt and it seems Ubisoft just can't get that voyage of Pandora right.
It's great to see a game about a culture that often doesn't see a lot of focus. A Highland Song has a lot of great concepts, but they just don't all come together cohesively. Even so, it has a story worth telling and some pretty fantastic music to boot.
Chessarama delivers some great puzzle design, with delightful visuals and inventive ways of teaching you chess concepts as you play. It's missing the attention to detail that could make it really shine, but it's a charming package that's easy to recommend for anyone who enjoys chess puzzles or who is interested in learning more about the game. Just don't expect it to replace your chess.com subscription.