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Overall, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is a successful remake that takes everything the original had to offer, and builds it up to modern standards. While there might be a couple blemishes, it’s nowhere near enough to cast this game to the side. The gameplay loop is perfect for short bursts and long sessions, and hopefully you can build a great relationship with whomever your particular love interest is.
So what Fast Fusion really ended up feeling like is an update over Fast RMX, with just a handful of new elements added to the mix to make it stand out as something more than just a remaster or a definitive edition. That being said, it retains a superb core gameplay loop, and once again Shin’en proved they can handle Nintendo hardware better than even Nintendo themselves. As one of the very few Switch 2 exclusives so far (hell, Switch 2 games in general, even), it’s an easy recommendation.
To bring it around, Faye Falling talks the line of artsy, narrative, and gameplay really well. Much like anything, it won’t be for everyone. That said, if you like Undertale or Deltarune even a little bit, this game is more than worth checking out. If you like JRPGs, this could be a fun breather for you without having to go play an FPS or anything. It’s a beautiful game with thoughtfully written characters that doesn’t overstay its welcome. That’s what Faye Falling is in a nutshell.
Even if its emphasis on a boring story didn’t catch my attention, it’s hard not to fall for everything else The Rogue Prince of Persia had to offer. It’s a well-polished roguelike, developed by some of the most talented developers in the genre, featuring impeccable mobility, decent combat, and a pretty cool gameplay loop.
Dear Me I Was is a marvelous visual novel that manages to tell a lot without ever uttering a single line of dialogue. When it comes to its presentation and storytelling, I have no qualms, this is gold. But if the damn thing was released in a gaming storefront, I have to review it as a game, even if it barely qualifies as one. As such, it’s a one-and-done experience with the bare minimum of interactivity, often relegated to a handful of cutscenes. That being said, let me reiterate: it’s a beautiful little gem, one that will make the most cynical of human beings feel something for the first time in forever.
It feels heartbreaking to give Hop ‘n’ Marty such a low score because I actually had a bit of fun with it. There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours on your Switch. But I just cannot ignore how unpolished and janky this commercial product is. It’s definitely not a looker (hell, it’s the opposite of it), and its controls are simply not good enough. Maybe it was its obvious lack of a budget, or a tight deadline – who knows. All I know is that I cannot simply praise it for its good intentions and ignore its blatant flaws.
I won’t say that there aren’t some impressive features in Echoes of the End, namely the impressive visuals and the occasionally smart puzzle, but not a single thing in it felt original. It’s a clear case of a smaller team wanting to create an experience akin to a AAA title, but including all of the clichés and annoying technical trickeries that used to infest big-budgeted titles from the PS4 era.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a marvel and a dream wrapped up in a promise kept to fans the world over. Keeping the original game alive and delivering it, even decades later, shows a dedication to their fans that WayForward continues to delight.
Mafia: The Old Country is a mostrly triumphant return to the long-running franchise, even if it’s very different from its previous entries. I appreciate the risks taken with the new setting, and I have to say I enjoyed the fact its scope was somewhat toned down after the mixed results brought by Mafia III. Its gameplay was indeed generic, but the game more than made up for that shortcoming with a thrilling story. It certainly won’t be a game that will resonate with everyone, but it did for me at the end of the day.
OFF is everything I thought it would be and more. It drags you by the eyeballs into a story of blind faith and utter despair, and does so with the single minded frankness of a serial killer confessing his sins. It convinces you to ignore the warning sides and drive towards the dead end of the road at full speed. You are shown, never told, what is truly at stake, and then allowed to do with that information what you will.
Personally, I think the new House of the Dead 2: Remake is heads and shoulders and legs and bleeding torsos above the first game’s port. This one is playable, enjoyable and does a decent job of capturing the feel of the game’s core tenants. I don’t have an obvious solution for how to fix the gyroscopic problem, but players who have time and dedication will land on the right settings to make the game feel as fluid as possible. In the meantime, it’s still fun, it’s still gory, and it’s still a trip to enjoy in today’s modern gaming era.
Hexen and Heretic are a harder sell when compared to Doom and Quake, but they are still fun games worth checking out. They are different enough to feel novel even after 30 years, being less linear, medieval-themed, and even melee-focused, depending on the character you choose to play as. Thanks to Nightdive’s utterly masterful remastering efforts, both titles look, run and play better than ever before.
This is such an absolutely insane concept for a game, and the even more ludicrous aspect about it is that it actually works. Date Everything really puts its money where its mouth is and lets you do just as the title suggests. That being said, when you’re in conversation with a character that is to your liking, it’s great and engaging. When you’re stuck in conversation with someone that just keep rapping at you, it makes you want to put your head through a wall. All in all, considering the premise that seemed destined to fail, it’s still a case where pros outweigh the cons.
Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is far from being considered a bad game, but this is also the first title in the franchise that felt devoid of an identity. Ironic, considering it’s the one that doesn’t try to be a carbon copy of an existing Zelda game. It’s just a halfway decent dungeon crawler / action RPG hybrid with average visuals, average controls, and an average gameplay loop. Even if it supports local co-op multiplayer, the fact it’s currently not available on consoles makes this feature feel somewhat pointless.
You don’t watch Titanic hoping the boat will survive; you need to see Jack and Rose sharing a moment, however brief, in this dark, cold life. That, more than anything, is what you can take away from Iwakura Aria. Perhaps you’ll find the ending that I couldn’t and discover a happy ever after for everyone. But, even if such a thing doesn’t exist, the fact remains that the love is there, and, however fleeting, it’s real, and it burns and it chases shadows away.
I don’t think it’s even a hyperbole or a controversy to state that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is the best 2D Ninja Gaiden ever made. With the exception of the occasionally tough roadblock in the shape of a challenging boss battle, as well as very occasionally cheap custscenes, this is just fantastic. It’s a lot more balanced, more polished, more enjoyable than any of its side-scrolling predecessors. And the best part about it all, it’s not even the last Ninja Gaiden we’re getting this year.
Sunset High is a day late and a buck short. Having to repeat the same nonsense again and again to slowly unlock some new information doesn’t feel like I’m gradually learning more, it feels like I’m stuck in a Tik Tok that’s mashing up Twin Peaks with Sixteen Candles but trying to keep it modern.
I was optimistic about The Drifter just from seeing the trailer, but I was unprepared for just how remarkable the game truly is. From gorgeous pixel art, to fantastic vocal performances, to a truly bonkers and melancholy storyline, The Drifter is one of the most memorable and unique experiences I’ve had in a point-and-click adventure in a long time. If you’re a fan of the genre, The Drifter is undeniably a must-play.
When you add up all of the versions included in one single package, as well as quality of life enhancements, sound test mode, and a bunch of extras, there’s no other way to describe Gradius Origins other than a truly magnificent celebration of Konami’s flaship shooter franchise.
I have a soft spot for Wild Hearts. It’s a solid monster hunting game that has enough unique mechanics to stand out and deliver something a little unique. However, at the same time, it doesn’t go far enough. Wild Hearts S is an attempt to bring some attention back to the game, but it doesn’t do much to do so. I do hope we see some more from Wild Hearts, though, because there’s a lot of potential here.