TheGamer's Reviews
Bananza was a great game because it allowed you to play at your own pace, destroying layers, exploring every inch, and uncovering every collectible. Putting a time limit on it to simply smash and grab against the clock just didn’t feel as appealing to me, especially when there doesn’t seem to be much payoff for doing all this.
But it feels like the sort of game you'd play for 15 minutes, say 'wow, this will never get old!' and then 45 minutes later you're kind of thinking maybe you were wrong.
Its boss fights are exhilarating and challenging, its world is a gorgeous marvel to explore, its unpredictable art design is impeccable, and everything else about it looks and sounds stunning. There’s not much more you can ask for from the genre, and Silksong cements itself as a high watermark others will be trying to meet for years to come.
If you can stomach some truly abysmal writing, unlikable characters, and a painfully generic sci-fi/fantasy setting, then you could get something out of it, but for the most part, Lost Soul Aside is nowhere near the savior of the hack ‘n’ slash genre that I was really hoping it would be.
There is a great survival horror game at the centre of Cronos, but it would have been much stronger if it had broken new ground rather than wondering tentatively on what came before.
While Hell Is Us confidently executes upon its story, quests and puzzles, so much of it feels hampered by the fear that players would give up too quickly if it kept on taking risks. I really, really wish it did, though.
In a year already filled with sleeper hits, I truly believe The Knightling can be another one on this growing list. Not only does it pack everything you’d want from an RPG into a condensed package, but it borrows from other genres to make a game that will appeal to a massive audience if they’re willing to give it a chance.
I can see Nintendo making these lush revivals a common occurrence on its new platform, and after Forgotten Land, that would be no bad thing.
If you want a charming, easy-to-follow game about managing a supermarket, and don’t mind if the story isn’t the most engaging, then this is a fantastic pick and I definitely recommend this. If you want super complex storefront mechanics or need a deep, well-developed plot, then you might find this one underwhelming.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a home run on the first pitch. It’s one of the most gorgeous, creative, and satisfying games of 2025 and has effortlessly clawed its way to becoming my frontrunner for Game of the Year.
Unrestrained from the restrictions of the Nintendo DS and with a new lease of life thanks to new features, refinements, and an overhauled presentation, Grand Bazaar finally manages to live up to its full potential.
It’s a short journey that took me a smidge over three hours to complete, but heck, what a stupidly enjoyable three hours those were.
Drag x Drive isn’t destined to be the next big Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, but it remains one hell of a compelling case for its underused mouse controls and is a truly original sports title.
By having a healthier roster, slightly tweaked combat, and two of the best arcs in the whole series, The Hinokami Chronicles 2 still stands as a worthy sequel, and one that I hope is surpassed even more by the inevitable third game that has a hell of a lot of heavy lifting to do by finishing off the whole series.
It’s easily one of the best games in the series, and Ninja Gaiden 4 (as well as Shinobi: Art of Vengeance) is going to have a hell of a challenge surpassing it.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is capable of doing the same. Pop it on when you next go to see Grandma, and find out which minigame she excels at best.
There’s plenty to enjoy about Wuchang, but it is not a game for the casual soulslike enjoyer.
In the end, I was just hunting for more ridiculous bike upgrades, including a frame that replaced my sleek bike with a massive hotdog. Wheel World isn’t everything I’ve ever wanted in a cycling game, but I appreciate all its polish - the sort of chill game you stick on for a couple of hours in the evening, do some races, and call it a day.
I’m old enough to have grown up with unforgiving games, and so I can appreciate a project that goes against the grain at the risk of alienating modern audiences. Even coming in as a genre appreciator, I felt alienated by Shadow Labyrinth.
Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact might not be a looker and would be laughed out the door for more lore-focused anime games, but it manages to just about come around as soon as you sit down to play it.