Worth Playing
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Sonic Frontiers is an all-around solid Sonic the Hedgehog game. The shift to a more open-world style of gameplay works almost entirely in its favor and allows the game to offer more freedom and exploration without resorting to werehogs. At heart, it's still the same basic 3D-style gameplay that the franchise has been doing lately, but the change in perspective works in its favor. Not every change is a winner, but enough are that I dearly hope that Sega sticks with this flavor instead of reinventing the wheel. Fans of Sonic will be delighted, and those on the fence should give Frontiers a shot. It's easy to see how the greater freedom (and lack of annoying gimmicks) could be the difference between frustration and fun.
NHL 23 has a few nice additions, but they quickly wear thin. There's nothing of substance, except perhaps yet another year of the same grind in HUT to eventually get a team together that is worthy of competition by the time the next installment skates around. That doesn't seem appealing to me, and unless you've already skipped several years' worth of NHL entries, NHL 23 isn't worth the full asking price.
In the end, I can't shake how captivating the chemistry among the characters was in God of War: Ragnarok. I probably laughed and got misty-eyed more times in the first few hours of playing this than I did for the whole first game. Plenty of heavy themes are tackled here other than life and death: alcoholism, abusive relationships, codependency, depression, emotional breakthroughs, true father-and-son bonding, manipulation, etc. You could call this game God of War: Families, Amirite? I've deliberately been vague about many of the key plot points, funny exchanges and gut-punch moments because I think people need to experience them for themselves. I probably already said too much regarding the bears, but they left an impact. The rest of God of War: Ragnarok will make quite an impression as well, and perhaps provide lessons that can outlive us all.
The Last Friend is awesome. Those who have been looking for a game similar to the first Plants vs. Zombies will instantly fall in love with this, as the core gameplay mechanics faithfully emulate that. The addition of an active participant in the fight gives you much more to do than resource collection and frontline maintenance, while the multi-screen battlefields and boss fights feel like a natural evolution of the formula. It may feel too easy compared to PopCap's classic, especially if you play the whole campaign in co-op mode, but that's a small price to pay for having this game style make a comeback. Unless you absolutely crave a strategy game that will tear you to bits at first glance, The Last Friend is a title that's well worth playing.
Overall, Bayonetta 3 is an incredibly fun game. I like the new mechanics, the new enemies are fun to fight, and it has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. I just wish all of it wasn't surrounded by a dreary tale of multiversal failure leading into a rather bittersweet ending. If you don't care about the story, the game has few flaws that I can think of. It plays great, is full of amazing absurdity, and was absolutely worth the wait for any fan of the franchise. In the long run, I think Bayonetta 2 is my favorite of the franchise, but Bayonetta 3 is still a remarkably good entry in Platinum's best series.
Even if you only play Life Is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection in handheld mode and you've never played either game elsewhere, this offering isn't great. At $40 for a slightly worse version of two older titles, I can't recommend the Arcadia Bay Collection in its current state. It may be worth a pickup at a steep sale, but even then, if you can play it on another platform, do yourself a favor and do that. Both games are still enjoyable narrative adventures with some cool moments, but the Switch iteration simply doesn't do justice to the original releases.
If you've never experienced it before, The Last of Us Part I is a must-buy. It's essential in any library. One of the things I liked about playing this again is that it's a nice change from a lot of the exhaustive open-world concepts out there. The level designs and settings are expansive enough for you to explore, but they're not big enough to go off the rails. You have a definite destination and mission, even if the journey carves a few pieces out of you. It's worth it. Just remember to perhaps pour yourself a drink afterward.
I wanted to like Star Ocean: The Divine Force a lot more than I did. It has a lot of interesting ideas and concepts, and I'm a prime target for Star Ocean 2 nostalgia bait. The game didn't have the time or budget to do what it wanted to do, and what we have is a half-baked title that does very little well. The story is dull, the combat is repetitive and poorly balanced, and the unique features fall by the wayside as the game progresses. There are glimmers that something great could have been created, but it isn't the game that we ended up with. It's difficult to recommend The Divine Force to even die-hard JRPG fans, since the game's few strengths are eclipsed by its many flaws. Wait for a sale if you're curious, but otherwise, there are plenty of other better JRPGs to play this year.
In the end, PGA Tour 2K23 retains the series' reputation of being a solid golf game despite some notable issues that don't affect the gameplay too harshly. The aim for a realistic golf simulator is still present, but things like swing forgiveness and a new control method opens things up for more players of a lower skill level to jump in and have fun. With those solid modes, PGA Tour 2K23 has some real legs even when the presentation isn't mind-blowing. It'll be interesting to see how it and future iterations will stack up once EA gets back into the sport. Until then, golf fans will be well served with this title.
Just like Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, Shovel Knight Dig proves to be a very solid spin-off for a very beloved character. The familiar platforming of the original mixes well with the predominantly vertical focus, while still maintaining a responsiveness that fans expect. The roguelike nature of the title means that there's a good amount of randomization and temporary upgrades. The quick average runs mean that levels aren't a slog. Overall, it works well as a starter roguelike, and it's a perfect choice for both Shovel Knight and platforming fans alike who are looking for something different.
Gotham Knights stands in the shadow of giants, and while it doesn't necessarily stand as an equal, it's a valiant effort. There's clearly a lot of love and care put into the game, and while it doesn't hit every mark, it hits more than it misses. The only thing that really drags it down are some technical issues and a slight drought of unique open-world content to complete. It's a great attempt to figure out how you do Batman without Batman, and this title should scratch the itch of any Batman fan.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is an absolute delight. The new mobility-focused combat trades some difficulty for a more flexible and dynamic battlefield. The more JRPG-styled tone and structure of the game gives it a solid basis that the first game didn't quite reach. Most of the improvements are for the better. There are still some nagging problems here and there, and the frame rate is rough, but if you can get past that, there's a ton to love here.
Overall, Persona 5 Royal is effectively the same game it was on the PS3/PS4, but now it's portable. The colorful and simple graphics age extremely well, and while the frame rate and resolution won't match the new HD versions, they are more than adequate for the sort of game that Persona 5 is. The title remains an absolute masterclass in how style and strong art design can create a more distinctive and memorable experience than the most realistic graphics on the market, and that carries through on the Switch, even if it sometimes appears less sharp.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection for the PC shows that patience can sometimes get you the best version of a game. Both included games remain fantastic entries in the series, and that's saying something, considering how almost every title in the franchise is held in high regard. The gunplay may work fine, but it is the exploration and stealth that make the game shine alongside the various set pieces. PC players will appreciate the unlocked nature of the graphics, and even if you don't have the best hardware, you'll still be able to enjoy something that's on par with what PS4 players have already seen and heard. This is another title that deserves to be in your gaming library.
Except for the stuttering and crashes endured through the review period, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a very well done game. The story remains as engaging as ever, with a whole cast of compelling characters. The myriad of mechanics keeps things exciting, and the pacing makes you feel like you had the right amount of it at the right times. The overall presentation is stunning to the point where it is already a looker, even before ray tracing comes into the picture. If the stability fixes come in for the title, you're looking at a game that'll easily make a "Best Of" list for 2022.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is just plain fun. It's a solid, enjoyable and well put-together action-adventure game where my biggest complaints are largely nitpicks and a few qualms about the exploration. Sure, you can point to various things it was inspired by, but it manages to stand out on its own merits, and it's an enjoyable experience. The distinct art style and combat help it define itself, and the story is engaging enough to keep you interested. It's well worth a look if the concept remotely interests you.
LEGO Bricktales deserves credit for trying new things and incorporating the core building experience into gameplay, but the game doesn't quite hit the mark when it comes to polish. That said, if you're willing to be patient with it, there is fun to be had. It's just not as direct as putting together an actual LEGO set.
All in all, Sunday Gold has an interesting premise and gameplay mechanics, but it doesn't come together as well as it could. Some parts of the game were completely engrossing and entertaining, but there are several segments that I did not enjoy. The story and puzzles are fun, but the combat is rather shallow and difficult, which isn't eased by the restrictive AP system and minigames. It's an enjoyable indie with a great idea, but the execution doesn't always match. If you're in the market for something new and point-and-click-adjacent, Sunday Gold is a great pick-up for all of its strengths. If you're hoping for a great RPG like Disco Elysium, you'll want to look elsewhere.
Return to Monkey Island is a love letter to the franchise and adventure games in general. It succeeds at what it set out to do from the outset, with a fun story, clever puzzles, and a big pinch of nostalgia to top it all off. It may play it a bit too safe, but that's easily forgotten when the rest of the experience is so consistently delightful.
There is a good game somewhere under all of this, but it is buried under the weight of every part of Dakar Desert Rally being unlikable for some reason or another. There are the briefest moments where it shines through, the sun is hitting you just right, and you're blasting through the stage skillfully at top speed. The problem is it's at that moment that you round the bend and slam into a random truck or the game hitches and you suddenly understeer into a rock wall. Substantial patching would do this game wonders, but as it stands, it's a joyless mess that delivers frustrations at a far greater rate than podiums.