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Shantae and the Seven Sirens stays true to classic entries but pushes the series forward with the inclusion of unique abilities and new characters. Thankfully the game’s smartphone roots don’t appear to hold back the console experience, and we are left with one of the best Shantae games to date. The load times and lack of direction might cause a few points of frustration, but not enough to make this experience any less enjoyable.
Golf With Your Friends on Switch is probably the worst way to experience this game. When compared to the PC version, you are missing a lot of value for your dollar. The game costs $20 on Switch while it only costs $10 on Steam. For twice the price, you are getting half the game, and honestly, that makes this version not worth it. However, I still highly recommend Golf With Your Friends, just make sure you get the PC version.
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is a game that may look like other RPGs you’ve played, but it offers an entirely unique and memorable experience. The game’s quirky cast of characters fuels this adventure for more than 50 hours, while the narrative makes it easy to stay engaged and want to see this story through until the end. Now that it’s on consoles, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be playing it.
Resolutiion is an engaging and fun action-adventure that delivers an enjoyable experience in the genre. From the very beginning, you’ll feel as if you’ve played it all before, and this is just more of the same. However, it ends up setting itself apart through its clever environments, progression system, and narrative, which was enough to keep me engaged throughout the entire adventure.
Maneater does a great job of giving players a compelling and rewarding shark RPG. The entire campaign concludes with your shark being an absolute tank, which is when the real fun begins. The mission structure is repetitive, and the controls take some getting used, but in the end, this a game about playing as a shark and eating things in an open world.
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen gives western players the missing piece to this almost 20-year-old story. The updated visuals and balance of narrative and battles creates an experience that’s more approachable to new fans, but still true to the series. It was nice to play this entry in the west finally, and thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint.
Timelie is an approachable time-manipulation adventure that only borders on the line of overly complicated or too straightforward. It strikes a perfect balance with its mechanics and even introduces unique elements into the formula that make it stand out in the genre. The open narrative and lack of enemy types leave a bit to be desired, but this is one of the best time-based puzzle games that I’ve played in years.
Saints Row: The Third Remastered is the definitive way to play the best game in the Saints Row series. Running through the streets of Steeport has never looked better, but the game still manages to show its age in some areas. Regardless, the enhanced graphics, hilarious story, and timeless gameplay make this remaster worth checking out for long time fans or those who have never touched a Saints Row game in their life.
Arrest of a Stone Buddha requires patience from its players; without that, it loses all of its core concepts. Still, getting passed the lengthy in-game day cycles are merely rewarded with shootouts full of cheap deaths and confusing mechanics. It attempts to add a layer of immersion that doesn’t really work as a game since the fundamental interactions with the world aren’t all that interesting.
If Found has an incredible story to tell about finding your place in life with an added dose of science fiction, there are themes of acceptance and discovery, but the core of the story revolves around Kasio accepting who she is. Sure the conclusion is a little rushed, but that won’t stop you from feeling immersed in this truly beautiful game.
The Eternal Castle: Remastered is a fun cinematic platformer that sparks imagination and frustration as you make your way through the minimalist levels. The developers have taken the genre and made it their own by implementing more action-centric elements and branching paths.
VituaVerse is an incredibly challenging point-and-click adventure that is targetted towards lovers of the genre. This allows the game to feature more complex puzzle designs, which will put a player’s skills to the test. There’s a real lack of direction as the developer doesn’t fully take advantage of the features that they have, but that ends up adding to the satisfaction of getting through a complicated puzzle.
Huntdown takes you back to the days of classic arcade 2D action games but utilizes modern tools to perfect the genre. From the beginning to the end, this game is an absolute thrill. The attention to detail in the environments and the ever-changing rollout of enemies play a huge part in keeping each moment of gameplay fresh with a high level of intensity.
It’s clear that a lot of love went into making Streets of Rage 4. The developers have taken this classic series and added just enough to make it there own while also building off of what makes this series so great. The length of the adventure may be an issue for some, but there are more than enough reasons to return to the streets for another round.
Sakura Wars is an excellent reboot of the series and does right by the fans by subtly tieing in mentions of its predecessors without overburdening new players. The game is fueled by its strong narrative and passionate cast of characters who fight against-all-odds for what they believe in. Sure, some of the arcs don’t totally stick, and the romance can get a little messy, but it accomplishes the goal of giving fans a modernized Sakura Wars experience, without sacrificing what makes it unique.
Moving Out is a great game to pull out on family night or when hanging out with friends, though don’t blame me if this ends in an argument about how to get a couch through a door properly. Still, its cartoonish charm will easily entertain a group for a few hours. Even though the single-player offerings aren’t as enjoyable as the multiplayer mode, there’s plenty to enjoy through the optional objectives and zany environments.
Trials of Mana is unapologetically traditional and, yet, still makes itself accessible to all JRPG fans, both new and old. The dedication that the developers show as they retain the fantasy appeal of this classic title with updated systems is what ultimately shines during every moment of this adventure.
Final Fantasy VII Remake pulls no punches. The story feels complete as the entire story builds up to a fantastical ending sequence that has me running out of compliments. This game is something of a marvel to experience, which has me eagerly awaiting the next installment. It’s easy to see how much respect the developers have for this story and these characters during every minute of this adventure, which made it difficult to put down, even for a minute.
Resident Evil 3 is a heart-pounding nightmare that blends survival horror and action elements perfectly with the help of its two protagonists. There’s so much to explore and discover during every moment of this thriller that it’s easy to forget about the horrors that await just around the corner. However, the limited puzzles and short length make it tough to justify the full price. But, like a zombie hungry for brains, I can’t seem to get enough of this game.
Persona 5 Royal is everything I could want out of a re-release. The game’s style and charm shine brightest in this version as it made an already great game even better. The balances and new additions were based on long-time fan criticisms, and it’s evident that the developers used it as a foundation to update this adventure while still throwing in some quality-of-life changes that I didn’t know the game needed, but ended up loving anyway.