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While I can't speak for this game in comparison to its 16-bit heyday, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a thrill that stands on its own. It's a total master class in combat depth, level design, and story moments that leave enough to the imagination without completely halting the action.
Particle Hearts is a puzzle game that plays primarily like a walking simulator. On the one hand, its puzzles are mostly rudimentary, and its narrative isn’t one that will move the needle. On the other hand, the game’s emotion-filled music and unique world of particles make exploring it a visual and audial pleasure that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Herdling is a fairly linear game that wraps up in about six hours. Despite its relatively short playtime, Herdling does a decent job at capturing the unspoken bond that forms between a herder and their animals, while showcasing the many facets that come with the role.
All of the action, all of the stealth, all of the cheesy one-liners… For those of you who are jumping in for the first time? Have some patience and try to enjoy the rollercoaster. This one is definitely for the fans.
Madden NFL 26 isn’t the game I’ve been dreaming of, but it’s a meaningful improvement over recent games and actually addresses some of the issues I’ve had with the series for years. I’ll actually come back to this one throughout the NFL season to screw around with rebuilds in Franchise mode, and the Switch 2 version will remain installed for the novelty of playing on the go.
I have some hang-ups about compromises that had to be made, but the methodology on display in drawing attention to and deliberately not replacing the original is a more than fair answer. If you like RPGs, you owe it to yourself to sit down with Off. The Batter needs your help. You monster.
Unfortunately, Drag x Drive just doesn’t deliver the joy and excitement that I expect from a game developed by Nintendo. Not only is the gameplay just fine, it lacks the charm and style that usually makes up for those faults. It’s still a neat way to test out the Switch 2’s Mouse mode, but perhaps it would’ve been better suited for an IP spin-off or Switch Sports sequel.
Confusion within the mechanics hold Ra Ra Boom back from being an excellent debut from developer Gylee Games, and an excellent example in its genre in its own right. From its punchy, wholehearted aesthetic to its ambitious combat, there was tons of potential here. Unfortunately, while I still had a fun time, that potential wasn't met as I ended up just sticking to the beat ‘em up basics to get through, ignoring the bells and whistles almost entirely after growing tired of wrestling with them.
Is This Seat Taken? is a charming series of logic puzzles with a serene soundtrack and a fun story to follow. It's brilliantly designed for short sessions and adds just enough to keep the experience fresh through the end. It's not a long journey, but it's one that's worth sitting down to appreciate.
Its low-fi, contained horror isn’t going to scare the pants off of you, but it is unsettling, and it will keep you guessing until the end. Just… do yourself a favor: when the night rolls in, stay in the light.
Newcomers can expect an exciting adaptation of the anime relative to other games of its kind, and a shallow, but thrilling combat system that’s more interested in spectacle than challenge or raw skill. CyberConnect2 knows how to make an anime look rad and play well, and at the end of the day, that’s the assignment.
As I expected, your mileage will Killing Floor 3 will likely depend on the friends you bring to the party. Fortunately, crossplay between PC and consoles makes that easier than ever. Unfortunately, if you don’t have some buds on hand, the content here might not keep you hooked in for more than a few hours.
This is the PSP’s premiere music game that everyone loves? Parappa was sent to cross the rainbow bridge for this? How can I be this bored playing a game about music? These questions may haunt me forever. Or at least until I go back to the local arcade for a few rounds of Pop‘n Music.
As it is, Wheel World delivers what its premise suggests and that's a relaxing bike ride - nothing more, nothing less.
Despite my shaky feelings on some of the core modes, College Football 26 is a marked improvement over College Football 25. I got a lot out of the smaller changes, like the new Dynamic Substitutions and supplementary Dynasty features. It’s yet to be seen if this franchise will fall into the cynical rinse and repeat pattern that Madden has been on for several years now, but for the time being, it’s more CFB goodness.
Mystery Dungeon sickos may be disappointed with a game that looks like one of those but thoroughly isn’t, but the combat mechanics feel distinct and fun to play with even if their busyness doesn’t always translate to a challenge. Sometimes a dungeon-crawler can just be cute, and that’s okay.
The character models don’t always look great, and the feel of combat wasn’t always where I wanted it to be, but this is still an interesting take on the Soulslike action-RPG style, bringing enough unique elements to the table that it feels well worth the challenge.
This is an utterly fascinating experience, and a wonderful exercise in a team taking something mundane and being relentlessly creative. Tons of people will probably hate it. But folks who gel with this particular brand of crazy have a potential new cult classic in their libraries.
There are sequences in this game that instantly crystallized in my mind as iconic Nintendo moments, and the studio’s expertise in 3D platformers makes for a heap of fun and challenging levels. Beneath all of that, it’s the dynamic between Donkey Kong and Pauline that gives an emotional weight to everything, and drives me towards each new objective.
It truly is worth the trip.