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The Demon's Souls remake on PlayStation 5 is almost the exact same experience, gameplay-wise, as the 2009 PlayStation 3 original. And considering how great the original Demon's Souls was, the Demon's Souls remake on PS5 is an easy recommendation. Imagine one of the best and most influential games ever made, but with significantly improved graphics, and that sums up the Demon's Souls remake perfectly. It's the PlayStation 5's first must-have exclusive game, and it should leave fans very excited to see what developer Bluepoint Games decides to work on next.
Superliminal is a compelling puzzle game with an innovative central mechanic, even if its brief campaign lacks a great story or much challenge.
Godfall's hack-and-slash combat is fun enough, but the dull story and pointless loot keep it from reaching its full potential.
The Sims 4: Snowy Escape is the series' tenth expansion and needed to be done right--luckily, this is the pack players have been asking for.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be a great game with time, but its launch is disappointing thanks to technical issues and a lack of content.
Jurassic World Evolution's Switch port has a lot of great qualities, and comes across as one of the best management sims for the Nintendo console.
From a studio that's never really ventured into the genre of traditional JRPGs, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an impressive inaugural effort. It's not perfect by any means, as the turn-based combat still has some growing pains in its current iteration. Coupled with repetitive dungeon design and an unfair endgame grinding requirement, these downsides cast an unfortunate sting on an otherwise very solid JRPG.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a love letter to fans of the classic action-adventure titles as well as the newer role-playing mechanics.
Dirt 5 offers an exceptional arcade racing experience with solid controls, stunning visuals, and a jaw-dropping variety of tracks.
On its own, Astro’s Playroom would be a fun platforming distraction fit for younger gamers or families. Its world is vibrant and wonderfully detailed, and it looks exceptional on the PS5. But in all honesty, this isn’t so much a game as it is a showpiece for what the DualSense controller can do. And as a result, this isn’t so much a review, as it is an opportunity to highlight how well the features on the PS5 controller work.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an exceptional follow-up to Marvel's Spider-Man, even if a lot of the formula feels familiar. On PS5, though, it is a must-play just to see the potential of the new hardware and what it will offer from both a visual and a performance standpoint. For many console gamers, this will be their first taste of steady 4K 60FPS or Ray-Tracing that adds meaningful improvements to the presentation. Insomniac's work on the game is stunning.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales may not be a full sequel, but it more than lives up to the original, despite some setbacks due to its brevity.
Ghostrunner feels like an extended challenge that manages to never get repetitive or frustrating. Whether it's traversing a narrow hallway full of laser traps or slicing through a bipedal robot sentry, this title will have players feeling satisfied as if they had accomplished these feats in real life.
Ultimately, players' enjoyment of Pumpkin Jack will crux on how nostalgic they are for the 3D action platformers of yesteryear. The makings of a great game are definitely here, with witty dialogue, a wonderful selection of fun mini-games, and some serviceable platforming. But, outside of its clear homages and lofty inspirations, Pumpkin Jack feels like it has nothing new to say and no modern insights to add. It ultimately winds up a jack of all trades but a master of none, offering plenty of ideas rife with potential but never honing in on one long enough to make it stand out.
As a result, Spelunky 2 isn't attempting to convert any who weren't fans of the first game. The game has a very specific approach and will not be for everyone, but those who adored the first game are guaranteed to feel the same about its sequel. At a time when gamers are less inclined to take risks with their purchases, Spelunky 2 offers the comfort of the familiar.
Crysis Remastered is not a full-price retail release, instead opting for $29.99 on the Microsoft Store and other retailers. As such, it's best to see this game for what it is: a budget game that won't particularly wow but contains some levels of nostalgia. Even if it's far below what was expected of the original, there is still fun to be had with this remaster.
There is some joy in the cheesy story, almost like watching a B-movie that's so bad it's still entertaining. The experience could have worked as a parody to other shooters, but the poor level design and inconsistent quality smack of missed potential overall. At the very least, four-player co-op is available, and playing with a small group of friends might be just what Serious Sam 4 needs to ascend from 'lackluster' to 'janky-but-lovable.' Unfortunately, with a $40 price tag, most players would be better off buying Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter and The Second Encounter if they want to re-live the glory days of the franchise.
Hades is everything a dungeon-crawler fan could want out of a game. Its gameplay loop is rewarding and interesting, it's simple enough that there's no skill barrier, it's complex enough that the repetition is a benefit and not a detriment, and all the small details boost the bigger ones. Hades is ultimately the result of when every aspect of a game comes together to form one fun and cohesive experience, and it's a testament to what Supergiant Games can do.
Even if the game would've been limited to the first Pro Skater, the remake would still well be worth it. It's a smooth experience packed with rich levels, energetic gameplay, and a ton of style. It doesn't dramatically reinvent the Tony Hawk formula, but it doesn't need to, nor should it. It's the definitive way to experience the core of the Tony Hawk franchise, elegantly surpassing what came before it, and setting a new bar for future entries in the process. For other contenders to the skating game throne, that bar will be incredibly difficult to exceed.
That satisfying flow and well-tuned gameplay make the lack of big-budget polish a negligible issue. The game is also only $20, making it well worth every cent, and further excusing some of the repetition and lack of polish. The biggest complaints with the game are not that the concept and execution aren't good enough, the issue is that the game deserves more content, more attention, and more development of its great ideas.