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If you’re interested in roguelikes and gaming history, here’s a rare opportunity to see one of that space’s entry points, especially when it comes to console games.
End of Abyss is a strong debut title from Section 9. It’s a tight and well-paced adventure that makes great use of its creepy setting, with great exploration elements and serviceable combat. It doesn’t overstay its welcome; it left me wanting more from this universe.
The intentionality behind Valheim’s base-building mechanics makes it feel like I’m not just surviving in the world, but living in it.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 is a great game night idea, but just make sure your party's all gathered under one roof first.
This is a fantastic flight combat experience and I’m going to be shooting for high scores and multiplayer sorties well after this review.
Control Resonant hits a vibe I haven’t felt in a while in an action melee.
Silent Hill: Townfall is a great horror game that prioritizes immersion, using small details to make you feel like you’re walking the cold and lonely streets alongside the protagonist.
Infinite Rush is still a solid racing game, which is what makes the online multiplayer component so much more disappointing.
Intelligent Systems delivers supreme tactical combat in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave with refined mechanics and a plethora of options to choose from, and a story that is uniquely structured in a way that encourages fans to overturn every stone. It’s sure to delight fans of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but is also independent enough that newcomers shouldn’t feel lost. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is the dense, character-rich RPG that I’ve been waiting to play on my Switch 2.
They’re massive storytelling endeavors that are always compelling in their ambition and earnestness, with a massive cast of characters who are a joy to spend time with. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is very much an iterative sequel to the first remake, and that’s all it really needed to be.
There’s probably an audience for Graveyard Keeper 2, the kinds of people who achieve fulfillment from spreadsheets and min/maxing every ounce of video game they ever lay hands on. That’s descriptive; I’ve met people like that.
For another consecutive year, the story of NBA 2K is the same: rock solid gameplay is flanked by design choices that range from annoying to infuriating.
Marvel’s Wolverine is an action-heavy superhero game that does an excellent job adapting the iconic mutant.
This caps a full decade of me reviewing the NHL games, and while I believe the gameplay is better in NHL 27 than NHL 26, my position hasn’t changed. Harsh as it may sound, this is an update, not a new game.
Orbitals pulls a lot of interesting and familiar elements into a tidy package with a charming pair of heroes and a lengthy array of challenges to put their friendship to the test.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is an ambitious project that occasionally wears both the best and worst aspects of its inspirations on its sleeve. Where it shines is in allowing players to make their own choices and learn from their own mistakes. It’s incredible fun to play in a world where the clock is ever-ticking, and the results of our actions and words have real consequences not just for us but for those around us.
I keep going back and forth with how I feel about Blood Dungeon in its entirety. It’s fun to play, has a cool aesthetic, and its emphasis on score-chasing feels distinct in this genre. But its lack of interest in expression and build-crafting really hurts that momentum, and makes playing long-term feel more and more like a chore.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s cast, quest, numerous asides, and the evolution of techniques and combat throughout this adventure have the weight and depth to make you roar in triumph, groan in agony, and hit most of the feelings in between along the way. And that’s exactly what I want out of my demon-slaying samurai action-adventure.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a fun time. Its simple combat system makes the game approachable for a variety of players, even if it may get a little repetitive toward the end.
Star Wars Zero Company is kind of a bummer, because there’s a fun tactical RPG here that manages to run a gamut from hardcore to friendly, thanks to an array of settings and well-designed mechanics that work in either direction. But man is it ever bogged down in some of the most uninspired Star Wars-themed storytelling and character work I’ve ever dealt with.