Worth Playing
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As we said in our initial preview, there's potential in Exoprimal. The basic mechanic of blasting away dinosaurs is absolutely fun, and the presence of competent bots filling in for missing humans ensures that no one is going to get shortchanged in a bout. There are enough goals in a match that there's no guarantee about what you'll get to play, and that keeps things fresh enough if you can progress through levels at a good clip. At the same time, the lack of a campaign mode hurts when it feels like the story is better served by having one, even if it only mimics Dinosaur Hunt with bots. Since this is an online-only game, it has a definitive shelf life unless Capcom can patch in something to help prevent the game from being obsolete if the servers ever get pulled. The game is fun now, and its presence on Xbox Game Pass ensures that subscribers can give it a shot before committing to a purchase, but it'll be interesting to see if the population holds up by the time the second season rolls around.
At its core, Terror of Hemasaurus is a fun title. The scattershot nature of the story might not hit the funny bone for some people, and the lack of online play is a shame. The addition of physics to the core gameplay loop along with varied objectives ensures that the game isn't monotonous during its short playtime. If you still have a soft spot for wanton destruction by abnormally large animals, Terror of Hemasaurus is well worth seeking out, especially with friends in tow.
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie feels like a game that works best for players who are curious about the visual novel genre but want more recognizable game mechanics and a few restrictions to help them along. The Augural makes choices simple enough if you're trying to go for a specific outcome, but the story and character reactions make you second-guess your approaches. The game looks and sounds wonderful compared to many of its contemporaries, and while it might not make you a convert to the genre, it is an interesting adventure that you'll want to go through, provided you can get over the constant world-flipping and a few story quibbles.
Trails Into Reverie is a hard game to recommend at the best of times. Are you a long-time Trails fan who wants one last hurrah with some of your favorite characters? Do you find it exciting to see how that baker NPC turned out? Then it has a lot to offer you. As a stand-alone RPG, however, it's almost inaccessible, and you should play the other games first. The extremely poor QA work in this title means that even die-hard fans will likely have a hard time enjoying the game; the well-translated script is surrounded by a truly unacceptable amount of bugs. If you're still on the fence, I'd recommend waiting for a patch. Otherwise, it's a crappier experience, as without those problems, Trails into Reverie could've gotten a much higher score.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg is a nostalgic look into the beginnings of the long-running franchise. It's a simple game, but you can see the elements that would be carried on to later games and inspire other series. If you enjoy simple simulation titles, there's quite a bit to enjoy in Atelier Marie Remake, as the basic gameplay loop is addictive and well executed. However, that same simplicity may cause it to fall a bit flat to fans of the newer Atelier games, and it is a poor choice for a "beginner" entry. It's easy to see why this franchise managed to grab so many fans' attention, and if nothing else, this is a neat way to experience gaming history.
As a sequel, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is at least on par with the first title. The game strikes a good balance of platforming and puzzle-solving, while also giving you the freedom to figure out things without much hand-holding. The art style may present small characters, but the graphics still shine, and the music is haunting enough to maintain a feeling of unease throughout the adventure. It is once again the fleshed-out characters, deep narrative, and excellent pacing that will keep you hooked on the game from the opening moments all the way to the end credits. For fans of adventure games, Oxenfree II is a worthy buy, even if you've never played the first title.
Crime Boss: Rockay City isn't a complete disaster. The idea of fusing together managerial duties with action-oriented shooting works well on paper since the gameplay styles complement each other. However, neither aspect plays out that well, and when you combine it with a lackluster story and worse than mediocre performances, the experience doesn't improve as you get further into it. Unless you're hard up for a crime-based game, there's little reason to give this title a shot.
The good news is that Crash Team Rumble isn't a bad game, mechanically. The play mechanics are solid, characters are well defined, and matches can be quick, which does well to compensate for the differently paced progression on characters and the season pass. Despite this, the concept is already a difficult sell, and with the absence of offline modes, the title is solely dependent on a player base to ensure that there is actually a game to play. The low price in this space, when compared to other titles from major publishers, might make it appealing for curious players, and they'll have a good time with it, but be warned that there is the real possibility of this being a title with a short life span if there aren't many other players who are either open to the idea or outright enamored by it.
For fans of the F1 series, this all comes down to one question, and it's the same one asked last year: Is it worth picking up F1 23 if you already have last year's title? In my opinion, the F1 World mode and the improved vehicle physics are noteworthy upgrades and feel more than what could realistically have been DLC or a patch for the previous title. The improvements for controller users are especially noticeable, and I suspect that most people playing F1 23 are indeed using that control scheme. When you combine all of that and consider the continuation and improvements made to Breaking Point, it's pretty easy to recommend picking up F1 23.
Individually, the games in the Toaplan Arcade Shoot 'Em Up Collection Vol. 1 bundle are good. Zero Wing is fine, Truxton is solid, Out Zone is a forgotten gem, and Twin Cobra is one of the few shooters to star a helicopter rather than a spaceship. As a package, though, it is a reminder of just how good Toaplan was when it was around. This is good stuff, and we hope that Bitwave plans to release the rest of Toaplan's games soon on the PC.
It's been over a decade since Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective came out, and the game remains as charming and delightful as the day it was released. The HD remake does a fantastic job of updating the title for modern displays without losing the style that made it so engrossing in the first place. When the biggest flaw is that I wish there was more of it, that says a lot about its quality. It's weird, it's silly, and it has the best darn Pomeranian in video games. If you like the Ace Attorney games or colorful puzzle titles, you owe it to yourself to give Ghost Trick a try. Now if we could just get a sequel ....
Fans of the promotion and wrestling games in general will find themselves partially satisfied with AEW: Fight Forever. The flaws are noticeable, such as the truncated introductions, limited arenas, and a smaller roster compared to the competition. The presence of creative tools gets hampered by the lack of a built-in way to share them, and the absence/trimming of match types can feel off. While the story mode is goofy in several ways, it is the strength of the wrestling engine that keeps the game fun to play, match after match. If the rumors are true, then this good game can get much better with patches and downloadable content for years to come. Otherwise, if this potential series follows a more traditional development cycle, this title is a very good base to work with for a hopefully more ambitious and meatier sequel.
Overall Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection is a solid, if overpriced, collection of some excellent dungeon crawlers. The same core gameplay remains strong to this day, but series vets might be annoyed at the lack of Untold's features. Any of the games is an excellent game on its own and provides gameplay for quite a while. If not for the price tag, this is an incredibly easy game to recommend, with or without Untold features. Even the most hardcore of Etrian Odyssey fans may want to stick to one game or wait for a sale.
The Case of Golden Idol is an engaging adventure game that completely won me over, even though it's not remotely what I thought it would be. It's more about observation than actual detective work, but it requires more deduction skills than many games of its kind would feel comfortable to burden the player with. It's very much in the vein of Return of the Obra Dinn, where it's more about your logical deduction skills than about pretend detective play. If that's your cup of tea, The Case of the Golden Idol is an easy recommendation. Given the choice, I would opt for the PC version, especially if you don't intend to play the game in the Switch's docked mode.
Classic Sport Driving is fine if you don't mind some quirks. Having to register before playing online is rather unnecessary, and some of the campaign bugs detract from the enjoyment of the title. Still, the racing is good once you get used to the handling and driving, while the track randomization and leaderboards for each permutation ensures that you can get in some quick challenges when time permits. It's a nice diversion for fans of old-school racers who don't mind playing solo.
Sonic Origins Plus still can't be considered the most comprehensive collection of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog titles. From a completionist's standpoint, it would've been nice to have Sonic 3D Blast, and the Genesis version of Sonic Spinball and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Others will lament the fact that the original music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remains missing. The inclusion of 12 Game Gear titles makes this feel like a better value, while the modified versions of the original four titles are still a great way for new players to experience these classics without dealing with the things that don't fly in modern game design. For fans of old-school platformers, Sonic Origins Plus is well worth checking out.
Final Fantasy XVI is by no means a perfect game, but it is an exceptionally good one. The engaging plot, beautiful visuals, and enjoyable gameplay all combine to create something that feels special. It can occasionally be a little long for its own good, and the combat system is slow to get going, but once it hits all the right marks, it knocks them out of the park. I left Final Fantasy XV disappointed by how unfinished it felt, but Final Fantasy XVI is a true rarity these days: a fully finished game that is satisfying from start to finish.
Players will find something special here, as the stories told in the overall game and the books you dive into are rich and well written.
I'm shocked with just how good Aliens: Dark Descent ended up being, and I could hardly put it down from the moment I loaded it up. It clearly respects the Aliens franchise, but it uses the elements in a way that is in service to the gameplay rather than as mere fan service for the player. Its gameplay is not only incredibly fresh compared to the other games of the franchise, but it's also so well executed that it stands as a high point among real-time tactical games, let alone for an Aliens game. Out of the franchise's entire history of games, there are only three games notable for how uniquely good they are; Aliens: Dark Descent is one of them.
Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a gem of a shooter that has arrived fashionably late to the PS4. The frantic action that's expected from a bullet hell shooter is improved upon with interesting attack patterns and a set of mechanics that rewards quick kills and exhibiting some flair during gameplay. There's a nice balance for veterans and genre newcomers, with the latter being served especially well; the difficulty and lack of continues fosters a need to improve, while ensuring that death isn't as immediate as in other games. Topped off with a great presentation all around, Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a standout in the genre that fans shouldn't miss.