Final Weapon
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is everything I wanted out of an upgrade, with sharper visuals, 60 FPS performance, and one of the original game's biggest frustrations finally fixed. More than anything, it gave me an excuse to return to Alrest and experience one of my favorite games of all time in the best way possible. Nearly nine years later, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 remains an unforgettable RPG that stands among the very best games I have ever played.
Playing through STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT as someone who has never really read or played the original or the ELITE re-release was a great experience from beginning to end. While there are some frustrations with a lack of subtitles on images and the text crunch, I feel like I now understand just why people hold this game in such high regard. Once those issues I've mentioned have been ironed out, I can safely say this could be perfect for those looking to learn more about Rintaro and his journey.
Sister Other Paranoia is a mixed bag. The narrative starts rough, and just as it begins to find its footing, it falls apart. The main character is terrible, but the rest of the cast shows some potential, even if only one feels fully fleshed out. The visuals are excellent and help save several scenes, while the repetitive music hurts just as many. Despite its problems, I still saw a lot of potential in the story; I just wish it had done more with it. If you're curious, it's worth a try since it isn't very long. Just know it will probably annoy you at least once.
EA Sports College Football 27 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but deeper Dynasty systems, a better run game, and a solid PC port make this possibly the best the revived series has felt so far. There's still room to grow for this franchise to be truly great, but when it clicks, it really clicks.
Schrödinger's Call is a relatively brief visual novel with a lot to say about loneliness, guilt, connection, and more. With its superb audio and visual components, it's an emotionally overwhelming experience that any reader won't soon forget.
LEGO Party! - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition brings some much-needed performance enhancements to the console, making for a much more enjoyable experience on the go. With endless charm thanks to its unique board spaces and 300+ minifigures, LEGO Party is the next best thing to Mario Party on the platform.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a game that feels unsure in what it wants to accomplish as a remake. While the overall gameplay and visuals are great in a vacuum, the new bonus missions are lackluster due to the uninteresting characters and frustrating dialogue. Further, the choice to use dynamic music and remove PvP multiplayer helps to strip away a fundamental piece of Combat Evolved's identity. Even if I had a lot of fun with the game, its low points make me unsure about Halo Studios' future with the franchise.
Obakeidoro 2: Chase & Seek, while being a charming survival game, lacks a lot of what I find fun in other games in the genre. The game suffers from a lack of real content, with only a few real maps, disappointing gameplay as a survivor, and an overall bland experience. I'm sure a child would find more enjoyment out of this, as it's catered more to that audience. But as someone who's played other asymmetrical games, this is nothing to write home about.
Beast of Reincarnation is an impressive new action RPG from Fictions and Game Freak that shows that the Pokémon developers are capable of creating great and memorable RPGs outside the world-renowned franchise. The game's soul-searching narrative, challenging but rewarding combat system, and optimized PC performance make it a standout title for the year.
Lies of P: Complete Edition is one of the best Soulslikes in gaming. The original game and DLC make for a great package. This port is solid, but it still has a few technical issues that need to be addressed. With a confirmed handheld 60FPS performance patch for launch, some of the issues could be fixed to make the Switch 2 version one of the best ways to play Lies of P.
Splatoon Raiders is the Splatoon gameplay experience perfected. While the narrative and visuals take a backseat, and there are moments where it does not feel like a Nintendo Switch 2 game, the emphasis on character work, charm, customization, satisfying combat, and replayability more than make up for these shortcomings. Even if Raiders does not recapture the magic that I felt with the very first Splatoon, if this is the foundation that future entries will build on, then Splatoon 4 is in great hands.
Blue Reflection Quartet is a magical girl JRPG collection focused on friendship, personal growth, and heartfelt storytelling. It's an easy recommendation for fans of slice-of-life, magical girls, and JRPGs.
The Relic: First Guardian is an engaging new action game that takes cues from the Soulslike genre while incorporating medieval and Korean folklore into the mix. With its enjoyable combat mechanics and difficult but fair boss fights, The Relic: First Guardian offers many systems that will make Souls fans happy. However, its technical issues take away from the beautiful vision that the game sets out to achieve.
It had been a long time since I’d played a game I couldn’t put down, and Denshattack! immediately became one of those games. Its gorgeous art style, charming characters, incredible music, and fantastic gameplay made it an unforgettable experience. There are only a few things I wish had been improved, such as some minor gameplay issues and the limited train customization options. Otherwise, it was a blast to play and has been one of my favorite experiences on the Switch 2 so far.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 is, for the most part, the same remaster of the classic tenth entry in the series since 2014. Every pro and con you can think of, from the awesome International content to the butchered High Quality face models, is still here. This time, however, Square Enix has made the definitive console version of this particular remaster. Up to 4k resolution, full HD portable mode, and even more added Quality of Life features. Yep, the previously exclusive to PC boosters like a speed-up, encounter rate toggle, and max gil are included in this release. With portability, great fidelity, and additional features, it's hard not to call this possibly the best release of the game.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will likely disappoint fans of the show and fail to ease a new audience into the genre. At the same time, it's also a very good and refreshing fighting game. Instead of bringing Avatar fans into the FGC, this game is likely to make a sizeable portion of the FGC into Avatar fans.
Gurei is a 2D action boss rush game that is a lot of fun. While I wish the narrative, world, and characters were more fleshed out, the core combat is still solid. The boss fights are a good time and can be a real challenge too. Sadly, a few game-breaking bugs are holding it back right now. Still, this is a fun game I keep coming back to, bugs and all.
Heave Ho 2 is all it sets out to be, providing both easy to pick up gameplay and great variety for a group. It'll prompt arguments when things go wrong and celebrations when victory is achieved. Don't expect a long or repeatedly replayable game, but co-op with friends is doubtless going to be a good time.
Disgaea Mayhem is a fun new Disgaea action RPG spin-off with Musou-like gameplay qualities. Despite the change in genre from Disgaea's strategy RPG roots, Disgaea Mayhem retains many of the core features that Disgaea fans know and love, including the grindy Item World and leveling and gear systems. However, the short story runtime may leave gamers wanting more here.
DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations is another incredible addition to the series from id Software. The narrative is great, focusing more on the Slayer while being filled with both callbacks to the past and hints towards the future. Further, the new gameplay additions make combat absolutely thrilling, in part thanks to the sizeable post-game and incredible soundtrack. While the level and enemy designs are sometimes lackluster, Revelations further cements The Dark Ages as arguably the best entry in the modern Doom trilogy.