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Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a bug-filled mess that's defined by an empty world with no exciting gameplay. With no simple QoL features like a useable map, it's a pain to complete each level. For $40, there's not a chance Rise of Kong is worth your money or time.
While Mario vs. Donkey Kong has a charming concept and visual direction, the twenty-year-old puzzle platformer shows its age through frustrating level design, bizarre controls, and very little content that improves upon the original. Further, with its $49.99 price point, it's hard to justify purchasing the remake unless you're a die-hard fan of the original GBA title.
Freedom Planet 2 is a very high-effort game with great art and ideas, however, the execution of said ideas often causes the game to trip and fall flat on its face. The speed and combat can be thrilling independent of one another, but they don't mesh well at all. This creates a disjointed feeling akin to shifting gears. This feeling is also recreated by the level design. Levels can joyfully breeze by or be filled with obstacles that kindle a feeling of annoyance. The game has a unique identity due to its blending of several different classic elements found in gaming greats but this "highlight reel" fails to capture the same charm, I fear. The story scenes act as an additional kick to the shins by being quite adept at ripping the player out of the action with irritating characters. Freedom Planet 2 is an alright, yet jumbled, copycat. The constant back and forth the disjointed creates is disappointing. If you happen to like the first game, then you'll surely enjoy what this game has to offer.
Islands of Insight is an incredibly enjoyable and addictive open-world puzzle game. Unfortunately, the game's online features do not convince me of its need for an internet connection. As someone who lost all my in-game progress thanks to this, I can't say that Islands of Insight is a truly functional product as of writing this review. It may be wise to stay away from this one unless offline play somehow becomes an option.
As it stands currently, Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash is a game that is fun and ugly but has so much potential even beyond its gameplay. The game presentation in other areas outside of gameplay and the poor story mode holds it back from being potentially one of the best to come out for anime games recently. Unless you're a die-hard JJK fan, wait for a steep discount to pick this one up.
Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections ultimately falls short of the lofty goals many had for it. Although the gameplay changes are refined and welcomed, an overall lack of content depth looms and makes me yearn for more. Ultimately, Storm Connections is a title I recommended waiting to pickup, as the content is not justified for the $60 price point.
Disney Illusion Island is a game with a beautiful art style, charming characters, and fantastic audio design. Despite this, it suffers from an identity crisis, and you can never entirely be sure who the game is meant for. With tricky controls, a lack of a unified genre, and bland levels, you may find your money well spent with other 2D platformers. However, if you're a fan of Mickey Mouse and friends, Disney Illusion Island is worth a try for the visuals and nostalgia alone.
The PS2 series has returned with modernized controls, but old problems. Simple but satisfying gunplay wrapped in a stylish package is marred by a padded runtime, uneven presentation, and poorly done localization. Gungrave G.O.R.E's promising start transforms into a slog to its finish through bullet sponges, bad encounter design, and worse platforming.
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection revives two beloved multiplayer experiences for modern consoles. While both keep the gameplay feel and flow, this release is plagued with serious online issues that make this collection hard to recommend. The single-player content is exceptional and justifiable for purchase, but overall, the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection feels incomplete and messy.
Another Code: Recollection is a smartly made remake that’s beautiful to look at and heartwarming to play. This collection combines both games with a unified art style and presentation while smoothing out the plot to create a cohesive whole. This game is very different from its original versions, so if you are a fan of those, don’t expect the same presentation or puzzles. I do find the puzzles weak overall, and the story enjoyment will hinge entirely on what you want out of Adventure games.
Exoprimal is a very fun third-person action game where players may enjoy destroying waves of dinosaurs to progress a story across time. Exosuits offer a compelling arsenal that may suit different combat scenarios, and various upgrades and cosmetics let players add a personal touch. However, Exoprimal's opening hours leave a lot to be desired, so commitment and time are needed to get to the game's best features and modes. The game's use of a Season Pass and microtransactions may also be a point of contention for some Capcom fans.
Loop8: Summer of Gods is a unique and memorable game that unfortunately falls victim to some severe balancing issues. Unfortunately, an intriguing world and likable characters are not enough to make this a great experience. While it may appeal to some, JRPG fans looking for a unique challenge may want to look elsewhere.
Poignant but padded, ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni has charming art, beautiful music, and simple but fun gameplay. But for its every pro, there are two cons. Performance problems and a screen filter hinder the game's visual presentation, the overuse of vocal tracks diminishes their impact, and the too-many missions filled with spongey enemies lead to the combat feeling monotonous. There's a lot of heart and style here, but they're obfuscated by unfortunate design.
While the latest entry in the Need for Speed franchise is capable of presenting some great arcade racing thrills, NFS Unbound is an uneven experience that can often leave players feeling disappointed. Some may be able to overlook its flaws and enjoy what the game does well, but it still lives in the shadows of the best entries in the series. This paints a worrying picture for a franchise that already has been struggling to reclaim its glory days for years now.
Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness faithfully adapts the Made in Abyss series into a challenging survival RPG with an original story. However, some performance issues and uninspired game design hold back its potential to be a truly great title.
Verlet Swing is a swinging platformer, where you swing from all of the objects in the stage to reach the goal. There is a massive amount of content in this game, and it's a great pickup for those looking for a unique game.
A faithful follow-up that doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but is riddled with technical issues that mar the experience quite a bit.
Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide ties up the base game quite nicely, resolving one of the key mysteries of the base game. The face-off with Leviathan is one of the most memorable Eikon battles yet, with a beautiful score and challenging fight. However, The Rising Tide still suffers from the same problems the base game had. It also only provides a few hours of story content, which makes it somewhat of a hard recommendation at its current price point.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an excellent first step into console RPGs for the series. The story doesn't quite live up to expectations with poor pacing and an overall lack of character development, but the second half features epic fights and a streamlined narrative. Additionally, the gameplay is a thrill to experiment with, and it is a blast to play with friends online. Combined with its jaw-dropping mosaic-like visuals and beautiful soundtrack, it's safe to say that the six-year wait has mostly paid off for Cygames & Granblue with a solid first entry into the world of RPGs.
Echoes of the Fallen is a solid DLC that offers prospective players what is essentially a "Lost Chapter" to the main game of Final Fantasy XVI. Interesting new lore about the Fallen, an additional dungeon, and one of the best boss fights in the game. You get a nice chunk of game! However, $10 as a standalone price or a $25 bundle with a DLC that isn't out is a slightly steep ask.