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With its unlockable deck types, tricky economy, advanced joker concepts, challenge runs, and ascension-like “stake” system, Balatro offers countless hours to engage its treacherous machine of diversion. If this was preinstalled with Windows in lieu of Microsoft’s mandatory, productivity-wrecking Solitaire back in the 90s, modern civilization as we know it could have very well ground to a halt. For fans of deckbuilders, Balatro is an addictively delicious, menacing creation which devours hours without mercy. It should be handled with great care.
The world is full of beautiful locales, and seeing beloved characters like Teemo and Rumble not only brought to life but made incredibly entertaining is a lot of fun. With a lower price and a slew of content, the title is a delightful new way for fans to delve into the world, and contains hallmark mechanics that make it worth a look for cozy players even if they aren't familiar with LoL. Despite its lulls and occasional overcomplications, Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is an adorable, imaginative take on an established universe that has a lot to offer.
Throughout 130 levels, Nintendo's puzzle-filled platforming game has just the right amount of increase in challenge as the game goes on, and plenty of surprises for players to discover. The variety of game mechanics and ways to solve puzzles are engaging and fun, and the game is incredibly difficult to put down as it is too easy to want to try just one more level. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a must-play for puzzle lovers, and is a perfect example of what a remake should be.
Helldivers 2 is a refreshingly fun power fantasy, where mastery through teamwork breeds satisfaction. Diving out of a charging bug's way and firing into its exposed back or blowing up a machine dropship before it can deploy its forces feels incredible. The game's tone is finely tuned so that getting caught in a friendly airstrike and seeing your own character's limbs go flying isn't frustrating, it's a hilariously minor setback. All told, the modestly priced, always online game takes a measured approach to its monetization while being built entirely to bolster its main gameplay loop, making Helldivers 2 a shining example against $70 live-service titles that nickel-and-dime their players.
Tomb Raider as a series is a beloved franchise and one that is sad to ever give a low score to. The problems encountered in this collection were painfully debilitating and would almost be better if one went and played the original game instead. Graphics are improved, but there is so much more that should have been updated that the original Tomb Raider 1–3 games should have had a full remake rather than remaster, or at least a bit more polish and attention given to the glitches and bugs.
Further and further in, Ultros’ world seems one of creative, chaotic malleability instead of precision, opening up to sequence-breaking and weird shortcuts through experimentation. It’s a game about amassing the tools and time to carve a connective path with nature, learning the layout of the land, and collaborating with it to continue on. Ultros takes the common ingredients of the modern metroidvania, then transplants them into an utterly original DMT-infused Metroid fever dream, in the very best way.
Overall, Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden is an interesting and innovative action RPG with a few flaws here and there that stop it from being perfect. Its emotionally strong core story will keep players pushing to the end, while its key moral mechanic does have enough complexity to make players think about their decisions. It may have its clunky moments, but it's nonetheless something beefy for players to sink their teeth into.
Characters operating as power creeps in the majority of Penacony’s fights are not a good indicator, as HoYoverse needs to develop a way of continuing to challenge parties without simply boosting enemies’ Max HP. Overall, Version 2.0 is a fairly positive release for the game. While it does have some issues in combat and is occasionally lackluster in some aspects, it does offer a wide range of content and hits the nail on the head with its campaign, which sets the groundwork for another impressive year of stories told in Honkai: Star Rail.
There is so much good to say about Foamstars, with its quirky characters and cheerfully energizing feel. While at launch the matches do not feel entirely balanced, that will even out with time, yet the microtransactions look as though they could only get worse. Currently, Foamstars is free on PS Plus for anyone to try it out, but after March 5th anyone who does not already have the game downloaded will have to purchase it for $29.99. That price, combined with the costs of Premium Seasonal Passes and in-game store purchases can quickly add up and is overwhelming. Cosmetic items don't have to be purchased, of course, but to be faced with that many instances of trying to get players to spend money simply feels much dirtier than a soap-filled game ever should.
Because of the disappointing presentation and lack of engaging modes, Jujutsu Kaisen Curshed Clash is difficult to recommend to anyone other than the most invested JJK veterans. While the characters and ultimate attacks can look great with well-constructed animations, the gameplay fails to be addicting enough to entice players to keep coming back. The franchise is an incredible vehicle for a great fighting game, but unfortunately that potential has not been realized in Jujutsu Kaisen Curshed Clash.
Despite that, it would be wrong to say that Grotto doesn't succeed in telling a fantastic story and representing its core theme through its gameplay, frustrating as it may be. For anyone that has yet to play this game but is interested in its philosophy and ideas, definitely give it a shot because even though the gameplay didn't resonate in this review, it did for a great number of players and is a risk worth taking.
Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a curious combat-puzzle game, but solid aesthetics and worldbuilding can't rescue its stifling gameplay design.
A multiplayer game about killing the Justice League from the creators of the Batman Arkham trilogy fails to revolutionize an oversaturated genre.
For a free game that shows the first glimpse of what Konami is truly going to do with the franchise, Silent Hill: The Short Message is absolutely worth experiencing. That's not to say it's perfect. The "walk around and find the only interactable object in the room" gameplay brings nothing new to the table, and after being caught by the monster two or three times the escape room segments become far more tedious than they do scary (especially the final one). The dialog is a bit too on-the-nose, and all the social media references that seemed pretty important in the beginning are quietly shoved to the side once the real story reveals itself. That all being said, it's a far better start than it could have been, and it is undeniably the best new Silent Hill media since 2014.
The story of Granblue Fantasy: Relink may not be especially groundbreaking, but the combat is excellent and proves the game isn't getting by on just its good looks. It'll be interesting to see how the longevity of the game works in post-game and once more people are playing it and co-op becomes more viable. Even this early into the year, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is set up to be one of the best RPGs of 2024.
In an era where video game remasters are saturating the market, Persona 3 Reload is the epitome of what developers should be striving to offer their players. Those who choose to give this a chance are likely to be adding a new favorite to their list.
Anyone who previously thought about giving Like A Dragon a try will want to start here. It may be a lot to catch up on at first, but it's well worth it. For those already invested, it's hard to overstate just how important a landmark this is for the Like A Dragon series - a true passing of the torch, finally, and a game worthy of succeeding the action-based legend that preceded it. 2024 is picking up exactly where 2023, and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a game of the year contender and a tremendously high bar for the rest of the year to follow.
Each of the three games included in this remastered trilogy may feature the same story as their originals, yet the quality brought to the Nintendo Switch collection is worth a look. Those who may have missed the games the first time around, or who have never played any Phoenix Wright title will enjoy the narratives where each mystery is beautifully written and intriguing in its subtlety. The evidence suggests that the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is well worth the many hours of gameplay included, and is only guilty of being a wonderfully remade collection of mysteries.
Though largely surface-level, a lack of depth isn't necessarily a detriment for a release intended to be this lighthearted. It's a game where players can steal thousands of dollars as a turnip in a ten-gallon hat using a gun fashioned from a frog, and that's enough in its own right. The series' foray into the roguelite and shooter genres is a largely triumphant one, and Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is a more than worthwhile way to spend an afternoon.
Even with consideration for all the fresh content, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's $50 asking price still feels a bit steep for series newcomers who have held off until now. The new additions themselves feel particularly geared toward returning players, however, and No Return alone is likely worth the $10 upgrade fee being offered. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is ultimately still The Last of Us Part 2 – it's one of the greatest narrative achievements in the medium repackaged with more gameplay avenues.