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For returning fans of Mega Man Battle Network, both volumes of the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection are sure to feed their nostalgia. On the flipside, they might be a harder sell on those who had no prior or little experience playing them due to how close they all stick to the formula and don’t do much to set themselves apart from each other. When put side-by-side with previous collections by Capcom, these sit at the lower end, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re bad. It’s just worth coming in with your expectations in check.
This lacklustre take on the sub-genre disappoints with its boring shooting and poor handling of custom tracks.
Although there’s nothing to find off the beaten path, the set-pieces and environments of Bramble: The Mountain King are definitely worth seeing.
Teslagrad 2 is a testament to iterative design coming into play in making a sequel an even better time than what came before it. The first game was already ridiculously smart and downright a blast, and it’s (pun intended) shocking to see how well Rain Games has made this sequel an even stronger game. Teslagrad 2 isn’t to be missed and is a contender for my list of top games of 2023, no doubt.
It’s no wonder this game came out as well as it did, considering some the names behind the project, such as artist Yuki Nobuteru from Trial of Mana, and Raita Kazama of Xenoblade fame, as well as Hiroki Kikuta also from the Mana franchise. It’s quite a team and they sure pooled their talent into making an otherwise standard RPG fare into something closer to top shelf material. While I wouldn’t go out and say that Trinity Trigger is must-play, if you do end up picking it up you’ll find it to be a game that’s aimed to be pure, uncompromised entertainment, just as its inspirations from the past were, and in that regard, it surely succeeds.
MLB The Show 23 is a welcome sight for those looking to get acquainted with America’s previous favorite pastime.
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos has a dazzlingly beautiful art style, but struggles to make the moment to moment gameplay feel fun.
It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the brightest games I’ve ever played, and the same can be said for elements in it that are not simply tied to its visuals. The whole ambiance within Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key feels extremely easygoing for as chaotic as the events that take place can get, all things considered. It’s the sort of game you play as a break from more intense ones, or something you pop into your system in between.
Resident Evil 4, the remake, exists, and thanks to the improvements that have been made, most importantly presentational ones, for as needless as it feels it is in the end, it can, in fact, be thought of as the ultimate way to enjoy RE4. Then again, it doesn’t completely replace the original, which remains a very playable and enjoyable timeless classic. If you have yet to bask in and pop an army’s worth of Ganado heads, you won’t go wrong with the remake, but if the chance presents itself, try playing both.
Users with varying configurations are reporting serious hardware issues running the game, and even though the worst of my problems happened to be tied to shaders and resources in lieu of crashes and whatnot, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. The Last of Us Part 1 is Sony’s big chance to capture an entirely new audience, and its success will serve as a measure to whether or not there’s a chance its sequel will even come out on PC. Now, if that is to happen, the responsibility now rests on Sony’s shoulders in getting this port up and running well before its disastrous reception ruins what otherwise should be a momentous occasion for PC players. Such an arrival on the platform deserves much better.
Unresponsive controls get in the way of an otherwise enjoyable callback to 16-bit platformers in Curse of the Sea Rats.
Drop – System Breach is an excellent speed hacker, continually holding you on the edge of chaos as you try to juggle half a dozen different tasks simultaneously.
It doesn’t reinvent the formula, but Like a Dragon: Ishin! successfully spins off from mainline Yakuza in the 19th Century yarn.
SEASON is a wonderful story about memory, history, and what we leave behind.
With a sprawling catalog of excellent soundtracks, and charming visuals that capture the feel of each game and a constant drip of in-game rewards, Final Bar Line succeeds as a rhythm game and a showcase of some of the best music that the industry has given us. If this is to be the last entry in the Theatrhythm series, as per the developer, then this truly is a bittersweet symphony. Some of the best music in Square’s catalog is up on display and even casual fans of rhythm games or Square’s titles will undoubtedly find something to like here.
For those that have finished Trails from Zero and are looking to continue with its overarching story, Trails to Azure is a must-play. For those just coming into the series, I’d recommend playing the previous one first before embarking into this one since you’d miss a lot of the passing references to previous events and character development. And of course, Trails from Zero is a fantastic game in its own right, you should damn well play it.
Return to Castlevania fits in perfectly with the rest of Dead Cells, and it’s easily the best crossover you’ll get to experience this year. You can stake your bet at that!
Company of Heroes 3 is a game that wrestles with how to improve on the brilliance of its predecessors. Relic should be applauded for trying new things with the Italian campaign, even if there are a number of issues still to be ironed out. In skirmish and multiplayer, its modest but welcome improvements to a fantastic formula should give the game a long life. This sequel may not single-handedly return RTS games to prominence, but it is a gripping experience and a very welcome contribution to that effort.
It does speak to where Rhythm Sprout‘s interests in difficulty tend to lie, though. It’s a game that has a clear interest in providing challenge wherever possible, and it’s very good at doing that. It thankfully doesn’t forget approachability in that pursuit, but your mileage may vary on its effectiveness. If you’re able to put up with some of the more demanding levels, though, Rhythm Sprout is worth your time.
If you can ignore the dreadful writing and dialogue, Atomic Heart is an engaging and atmospheric shooter.