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There's not much here aside from wholesome vibes and messaging, but the game never overstays its welcome, knowing it's a short and sweet experience from the outset and delivering a lovely Amazon Rainforest visit.
As the credits rolled for Venba, I began thinking about how this would be someone's favourite game of 2023 and maybe one of their favourites of all time.
Families can get more out of this as an entry-level Metroidvania. Still, even as much as the game succeeded in charming me at times with the core characters, it's hard to recommend this to anyone over the many other Nintendo Switch exclusive 2D platformers.
From a pure gameplay perspective, AEW: Fight Forever nails it.
Although Speed Crew can initially seem confusing, once you click, you'll be yelling, "Pass the 3/4 torque wrench!" l
Aliens: Dark Descent is an excellent Aliens game, and I hope it's patched quickly to address the issues some players like myself are running into so I can wholeheartedly recommend it to fans. Because what's here is some of the tensest Aliens action I've played in a game, with a surprisingly exciting narrative to pull it all together.
Lego 2K Drive has thrown many popular arcade racer ideas together and asked, what works? For the Lego fan, this is going to scratch a specific itch. I don't think we need to see a "Scotty Smash" to fix this build, but to fulfil the desires of Lego racers, young and old; some tweaks will be needed in a sequel.
My time with Knight Crawlers, although initially frustrating, was rather enjoyable. I appreciated it more after discovering a small team designed and created the game.
The zippy speed, 80s-style death sports game show aesthetic and sound tactical decisions all coalesce into an experience suited to both tactics veterans looking for a shorter sugar hit or novices wanting an easy way into the genre.
Combat feels more lively from the get-go, with Cal already able to use plenty of force abilities and feeling like a Jedi; the narrative is much more exciting thanks to a clear focus in the opposite direction of the upcoming events of the films, and instead into the secret untapped potential at the feet of all Star Wars storytelling.
While Like a Dragon: Ishin! definitely feel at times like a PS4 launch game with odd animations and extensive load times, the gameplay and story still hold up today.
Dead Island 2 knows exactly what it wants to be, and it goes for the jugular with extreme melee combat and dismembering slow-motion finishing moves.
If you enjoyed your time with Horizon Forbidden West, you'll want to play Burning Shores. It's the next chapter in the Horizon story, a stepping stone towards the next game while also giving you an excuse to fly, dive, and glide around this beautiful world once again.
Everything in Octopath Traveller II coalesces in a way that makes an enjoyable classical style of RPG.
I enjoy this world, and returning for one more adventure was a short but worthwhile adventure. However, if I play another game with any of these characters next, it better be post-Road 96.
Have a Nice Death has solid slashing combat, 2D roguelike levels, with a great story. Although the levels are very similar, the story, challenging gameplay, great complimentary music, and industrialist main character will keep players coming back for more.
There's little to dislike about Quill and Moss outside of how short it is, especially now that the technical complaints are cleared up. This is a beautiful entry into a VR series that'll hopefully have more than just one sequel, and Quill is a wonderful character who deserves more players to get to know her.
For fans of the Bayonetta franchise, there's a lot to love here, even if it's not the type of game you're used to playing. But it's the newcomers and fresh faces to the world of Cereza/Bayonetta, witches, demons and magical powers that Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is primed to impress the most.
While One Piece Odessey might not be for everyone, it had its hooks on me. The gameplay is fun but can sometimes be repetitive, and there are times when I wanted more variety, but the story was solid, and that's what kept me coming back.
Dredge successfully blends a Lovecraftian fishing adventure RPG with a gorgeous vibrant art design and a subtle and powerful piano-led score.