Worth Playing
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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a good game stuck in a package that is far from ideal. Visual artifacts and a few crashes still remain even after three patches, and the game can feel less than optimized when the frame rate drops on powerful hardware. If you're willing to wait just a little longer or are the patient and forgiving type, you'll be rewarded with a safe sequel that can still satisfy fans of the Insomniac-developed games. This title also gets fans primed for the eventual finale what is almost certainly a trilogy. However, this release serves as a warning that Sony and its studios need to do some real work to ensure future game releases are stable from day one, or else they'll lose the PC audience that is crucial to funding future endeavors.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is for a very specific type of Yu-Gi-Oh! player who favors battles against the CPU instead of real people. That player also knows all of the rules of the game, wants a fixed set of cards, and doesn't want further updates from new cards. For them, most of the games in the compilation will be fine if they can get over each title's shortcomings. For everyone else, especially newcomers, the games are cumbersome and unintuitive, so only those with an immense amount of patience would want to give the titles a shot.
Monster Hunter Wilds is a fantastic new entry into the franchise. For the most part, I feel like every new feature feels good and works well, and the monsters are certainly a delight to fight. The only things that might hold it back slightly are some performance issues, but even those don't get in the way of the core fun of smashing monsters, looting gear, and repeating. Fans of the franchise should have a fantastic time with this latest entry, and I hope it becomes a blueprint for future games in the franchise.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gives players exactly what they expect from the title. It's a rollicking, funny, and enjoyable side story that lets fan favorite Goro Majima shine in a way he hasn't since Yakuza 0. The main plot is a little thin, and the pirate mechanics are bare bones, but beneath that, it's a darn fun Yakuza adventure, and it contains perhaps the best iteration of the game's brawler mechanics to date. Any complaints boil down to, "It's more of Like a Dragon," and that's always good.
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered takes a few steps forward and a few steps backward from the previous Remastered collection. The games are a little more open, so you won't get many camera issues, but the games still haven't been retuned to handle the mechanics of the modern controls. The frame rate issue when switching between graphical modes has been fixed, and there are a few new mechanics. Some previously cut content makes the games feel like there has been some evolution. The problem is that the games don't feel as good as the trio of titles that came before it. From a preservationist perspective, it's fine to have these titles in a more accessible form. If you have some nostalgia related to these titles, then you might get a kick out of replaying them with a modern lens. Those who are discovering these games for the first time will wonder what the fuss was all about.
Avowed is a game full of fun exploration, an interesting story tied to lackluster combat, and an annoying equipment system that keeps it from reaching its full potential. When I was engaged in Avowed, I would spend hours wandering around, talking to NPCs, and completing quests. However, when the game wasn't firing on all cylinders, I was frustrated and frequently bored. It's a game of high highs and low lows, but the highs were enough to keep me engaged despite the flaws.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is a case of one step forward and one step back. Mechanically, it's the best put-together Trails game to date, as it fixes the problems in the last game and introduces enough new mechanics so it's fun to play. It also retains and refines the likable cast. Unfortunately, the lackluster time travel mechanic and plot structure weaken the experience. It's still a fun game but ends up feeling weaker than its predecessor.
There are a few good things about Neptunia Riders vs. Dogoos. The silly story provides a good vehicle for the shenanigans of Nep Nep and her friends, and going for a completely different genre is always a welcome move. It would've been nice if the game were actually good in every other area. The gameplay loop is far from exciting, especially since it gets very repetitive rather quickly, and the graphical presentation is terrible when you consider the hardware the game is running on. This is also a painfully short experience without any multiplayer capabilities, despite the format being perfect for team or versus play. Unless you're in the habit of collecting every Neptunia-related game, stay away from this title.
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is a good idea stuck with a mediocre execution. The various mechanics - from the platforming to the combat to the defensive inconsistencies - make what should be a simple game more laborious. While the addition of more characters should be great for fans of Episode I in particular, the fact that none of them play well makes the expanded roster even less appealing to unlock. If you're a very forgiving person, you may have some fun with this, but everyone else is better off playing either another beat-'em-up or another Star Wars game.
Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is a surprising sequel that does a good job of living up to its predecessor, but it doesn't exactly tread new ground for the franchise. A cute but forgettable plot, solid gameplay, and a near-infinite amount of grinding potential give the game a solid amount of value. The only thing holding it back are the unimpressive visuals and poor performance. If you're a fan of the Nippon Ichi games or the original Phantom Brave, there's a lot of fun to be had in this sequel.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on the Switch is by far the best way to play the game; it avoids the awkwardness of the Wii's controls and doesn't have the visual compromises of the 3DS version. It makes it difficult to be impressed with it as a remaster, especially a full-priced one. There's a lot that could've been done to improve the visuals or add more features to the game, but as it stands, you're basically getting the same game as before. It's still an absolutely fantastic game and well worth playing. If you've already played Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze and are hankering for more, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is well worth picking up. If you haven't played its predecessor/sequel yet, it's better to start there.
Overall, Tales of Graces f Remastered is a strong remaster of a solid game. The plot is relatively weak but handily carried by its extremely strong combat system, which makes the game worth playing on its own. The additions to the remaster are all genuine improvements, and even the bundling of cheat-mode DLC is only a problem if you let it be. If you're a fan of action-RPGs or the Tales franchise and haven't given Graces f a gander, this is the ideal way to play it.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a solid addition to the franchise. It's not the newest numbered game in the series, but I enjoyed it more than Dynasty Warriors 9. It has a solid core set of mechanics and some really excellent level design. The only thing holding it back is that the focus on a single character and a relatively smaller number of weapons makes it feel empty compared to the games it will likely be compared to. If you're a fan of the franchise, there is a lot to like in Origins, and it's the ideal starting point for newcomers who want to get into the Romance of the Three Kingdoms part of the Warriors franchise.
Goodboy Galaxy is a very well-done title. Despite the number of false stopping points, the overall adventure has some very memorable characters. The gimmick of constant equipment removal makes the adventure more thought-provoking instead of a slog, while the presentation is excellent, regardless of whether you opt for the PC-specific enhancements. For both genre fans and those who love more involved platformers, Goodboy Galaxy is well worth checking out.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is a solid but unexceptional remaster of a fun but dated game. I still love Oath, and it remains one of my favorite Ys games, but you need to feel some nostalgia for the days of simple, button-mashing RPG action to get a lot out of it. If you're curious about the older Ys games, this is absolutely at the top of the list, but it might fall short compared to some of the more recent games. Ys is still Ys, and Oath is a great example of how being simple can still be fun.
This iteration of Empire of the Ants is certainly an improvement over the original game released over 20 years ago. It looks absolutely gorgeous and has a fitting soundscape to boot. The lack of micromanagement makes it more accessible for most but alienates those looking for the next coming of SimAnt. The strategy elements and platforming are basic, but the game remains enjoyable in short bursts. As a whole, it's a good game that you'll only jump into if you want something that feels strategic without going too deep into what the genre offers.
Tetris Forever is a package of two halves of varying quality. Even though it hasn't been discussed much in this review, the documentary portion maintains the level of quality seen in the previous Gold Master Series titles from Digital Eclipse. There's an extensive amount of information about the game's lifetime. On the other hand, the games are fine, and some are outright brilliant, but the package can feel disappointing for many. The game selection doesn't contain many of the more memorable iterations in the series, and other versions of the same game could've been excluded. This may not be anyone's first choice when it comes to playing a few rounds of Tetris, but it's a good way to chronicle the history of this influential title.
Much like Bravely Default, Fantasian: Neo Dimension is functionally a Final Fantasy title that doesn't bear the Final Fantasy name. It has a very similar tone and atmosphere to the older SNES titles in the franchise, but it has enough modern elements to stand on its own merits. The story can sometimes be simplistic in a very charming way. The game's only flaws are a difficulty level that might be a touch too high for some and the lingering remnants of its mobile release heritage. If you're a fan of older Final Fantasy games, you owe it to yourself to try Fantasian.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code+ is a neat approach at taking Danganronpa's core concept and taking it outside of the Battle Royal Death Game world. There are a lot of extremely strong concepts, and when they come together well, it's easy to see how this could've eclipsed even its ancestor. Unfortunately, things are a tad too muddled, too simple, and too divorced from one another to be a cohesive whole. If you're a fan of the Danganronpa titles, then it's worth a shot. Otherwise, I'd recommend starting with one of those before Rain Code.
Fairy Tail 2 seems like a perfectly lovely RPG for fans of the franchise. It doesn't break any molds, and it leans heavily on fan service, but if all you want is a chance to play an RPG with your favorite cast members, it does the job. The over-the-top combat styling keeps things interesting in what would otherwise be a generic button-mashing experience, and there are enough RPG mechanics to provide the satisfaction of tricking out your favorite characters. It's not a game for people who are unfamiliar with the series, but Fairy Tail fans will be quite delighted by the experience.