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Persona 4: Golden is probably the ideal place to start your Persona experience if you haven't yet. It's probably the most consistent of the three games, and it nails the atmosphere, characterization and tone while keeping the gameplay fresh and exciting enough. It fun even if you are coming directly from Persona 3 Portable. If you have the current PC release, not a ton has changed with the latest patch, and you might consider whether you want to start this all over again. If you're looking for an excuse to pick it up, there's no better time.
It might sound like I'm being negative about Persona 3, but I'm not. It's a lot of fun, and it has a lot of interesting strengths. It has the misfortune of being the first game in a franchise where the sequels improved on a ton of features and were released before it on the PC. If you've never played it, it's well worth a shot. It's still a great game, but it has aged more than its sequels. Despite that, it still does some things superbly well. The addition of an entire second playable story path and a bunch of new social links also makes it a worthwhile experience for those who played the original release but not the portable version.
One Piece Odyssey is a nice RPG for fans of the franchise. It's clearly crafted with a lot of love, and there's a ton of great banter and interaction between the cast members. The core gameplay is perfectly serviceable, but it never really reaches the realm of "great," and it takes a bit too long to get going. It's probably not going to attract the attention of anyone who isn't a big "One Piece" fan, but for those fans, it should be an enjoyable little RPG. At the end of the day, how much fun you'll have boils down to how much you enjoy punching bad pirates in the face with your favorite pirates, and there's a whole lot of folks who want just that.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a game that stepped right out of the '90s. It's a fun little platformer that controls well and is a delight to play, and it evokes a remarkable amount of nostalgia for a game that is coming out in 2023. Much like Blazing Chrome, it's the closest you'll come to a new Strider game that plays like the old-school Strider. If that is what you're looking for, you'll be delighted, and if you love old-school platforming action, Moonrider offers it in spades, without the quarter-munching or rental fees.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed may not be perfect, but as a Ghostbusters fan, I'm really enjoying it. If you're not a fan of the franchise, there are better multiplayer options out there, but for the Ghostbusters faithful, it's a blast.
In some ways, it can be difficult to be objective about Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. It's one of my favorite games, and barring a terrible port, there's no way I'd really dislike it. Getting the chance to play it again after a few years really drives home that as weird and strange as it is, it's still an absolute classic. You need some tolerance for the oddities of a PS1 title, but if you have that patience, Lenneth is easily one of Tri-Ace's best games and one of the best RPGs out there.
Tad the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet is a return to the type of licensed game we thought had died out a while ago. It follows the events of the movie without bothering to get anyone else up to speed, the platforming is perfunctory, and it looks mostly nice if you don't look deeply into it. The game's low difficulty level makes it a good choice for younger gamers, but the number of bugs will frustrate those same players. Fans of the movie or character might be tempted by the relatively low price, but this is a tough sell, even for those who love collect-a-thons.
VR really makes the Jurassic World: Aftermath Collection experience enjoyable, and while the move to the Switch isn't terrible, it still loses something in the process. The slow walk and run speeds make for a sluggish-feeling experience, while the controls feel awkward when compared to other first-person games on the system. The stealth experience shines at first, but the repetition makes it dull by the halfway mark. The story is fine but doesn't have the chops to keep you glued from beginning to end. The effort is admirable, but unless you're a big "Jurassic World" fan, you're better off waiting for a VR headset before experiencing this one.
As a sum of its parts, Espire 2 is a very solid VR stealth game that is only held back by a few issues, but those issues usually interfere with the player's enjoyment. The rough visuals and AI never got me to buy into this otherwise well-executed stealth fantasy. It has good ideas, which are all done well, but they quickly wear thin with repeated playthroughs. If you have a friend to play with, Espire 2 also offers the ability to play missions cooperatively, so that may be a reason to rank Espire 2 a bit higher, but the overall gameplay remains the same. Ultimately, Espire 2 does some impressive things with VR controls and offers some great open-level design, but it isn't an overly long game experience, and it feels rough around the edges.
Divine Knockout is worth checking out in its current state for fighting game fans, but those who are on the fence might want to wait for the current season to end to see if it will remain free-to-play.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution is an exercise in restraint. It adds content where it makes sense and expands the known formula in a few different directions. It never reinvents any part of what made the first game so revolutionary, and it doesn't need to. By the time you start swinging a chainsaw through a group of zombies, you've probably forgotten about the lack of innovation on display and are appreciating Retribution for what it is: more of the same fun in one of the best VR games to date. The only real downside is that the Quest 2's technical limitations put a noticeable dent in the presentation. If you have the means and patience, waiting for the full PC release in February would be my recommendation. For everyone else, this is a good, if technically flawed, version of a great VR game.
To that end, I love Motorsport Manager, but really I played it because it was the closest modern sim that had something akin to Formula One cars. F1 Manager 2022 drives a perfect line by clearly taking some inspiration both from that game as well as from the series' own (distant) past, but it feels like something fresh. Every element of it feels refined in a way that is clearly specific to the real-life sport, and it is both defined by and pays homage to reality. It's a game that has shockingly few true flaws, and while it is also very much geared toward a specific crowd, I had a great time elevating Haas to (just a little bit more) glory.
Tanuki Sunset is the kind of game you'll dig if you want a relaxing time that's still somewhat challenging. The lack of upgrades and far checkpoint distances are a pain, but the overall friction between you and your goals is minimal enough that you can finish the experience with a bit of effort and enjoy the scenery while doing so. It still needs some bug fixes for things liked a dropped-out soundtrack, and while it lacks much to keep you coming back, it's the perfect game to hop into between much longer games in your library.
Need for Speed Unbound is a solid comeback for the series, provided you can deal with some potential annoyances. The risk/reward system functions well in creating tension during all parts of a race, but the grind is an annoyance until you get better cars or parts for your initial ride. The presence of elements borrowed from other racing titles is done well enough, but the story can be a chore to sit through if you aren't already using this slang every day. Overall, Unbound is a solid racing title that should hopefully start bringing the series back to prominence.
In its current state, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a very fun and beautiful co-op shooter that's probably one of the best of its kind. It's the rough foundation of a great game, but it hasn't achieved greatness yet. There's a limited selection of maps and character classes, a lot of grinding, and very pronounced technical issues that hold back the title significantly. If you can tolerate that, Darktide is fun to play with a group of friends. Otherwise, I'd advise you to wait for future updates or test the waters with the PC Game Pass.
God of War Ragnarök starts off deceptively simple and familiar, but it shakes up expectations and keeps the player guessing. It improves upon the prior title in every way, including audio, combat, gameplay, narrative, and visuals - and the original was already outstanding.
Them's Fightin' Herds is a very enjoyable game with more than a few caveats. The fighting is fun and has plenty of depth, but the tiny roster can feel very limiting. Online play is smooth and there are a number of things to do and options to work with, but it also means that experiencing defeat at the hands of a small but skilled player population will be done without any lag. Story mode is filled with plenty of awesome ideas and humorous moments, but the platforming will drive you up the wall, even in the story's incomplete state. Hardcore fighting game fans will love it, but more casual fans will need to temper expectations.
Video Game Fables makes for a very good title for those who want something new yet traditional in a condensed form. The world is of a decent size with a ton of quality-of-life additions that cleave out the more tedious parts of the genre. The XP system is deep and thoughtful, while the battle system provides a good amount of depth if you're willing to commit actions to memory. It's all wrapped up in a story that provides a few laughs and a presentation that might be an acquired taste. It's a sleeper title that every fan should check out, despite it coming in a year flooded with big JRPG releases.
Blacktail is a welcome surprise for the end of the year. Combat can come off as cruel due to the limited number of arrows and the limited dodge mechanic, but the actual firing of arrows is excellent. Boss fights feel very satisfying once you finally get a read on what they're doing, but the variable difficulty that can be utilized during boss battles can provide some relief if players are more interested in the story than gameplay. The world is the real star thanks to the grimy yet alluring presentation and the cast of characters. The side-scrolling sections after every boss fight act as neat breathers before you return to your adventure. Blacktail is intriguing overall and well worth seeking out if you love adventure games.
Just Dance 2023 Edition is almost critic-proof at this point. You're either already on board and have been dancing away since it became available for download, or you have no interest and no reviews can sway your decision. With that said, the change to a service model has the potential to be exciting provided it can quickly get its Plus service on par with its old Unlimited service in terms of content. If Ubisoft can do that while keeping things like online play intact, then the series will be in good hands for quite some time.