Kakuchopurei
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While Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is not meant for new players wanting to get into the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series, you can still enjoy it as a brawler while just ploughing through the story. However, you won't get the narrative satisfaction this side story has planned. That aspect will reward longtime players who started the series back in the aughts when Sega had a budget to hire Michael Madsen and Mark Hamill for the first English entry of the series in the PlayStation 2 era.
Every aspect of Steamworld Build feels meticulously designed. The goals are clearly emphasized so you don't get lost. Even dragging and dropping units is satisfying, and arranging paths or placing mining equipment functions perfectly well. The interaction between the above-ground and below-ground elements feels well-paced and thoughtfully designed. The familiar art style of the series shines through in every little detail, with its bright and eye-catching colours that make every aspect of the game absolutely loveable.
Super Mario RPG is a well-put-together remaster that balances the old and new, though focusing more on the old. That isn't exactly a bad thing given how influential and charming the 1996 original was, and still is. New players who want to get their feet wet in the Japanese role-playing game genre and have a Nintendo Switch handy must make this title a must-buy.
Dredge is a great mix of moody atmospheric horror storytelling mixed in with fishing and sailing. The DLC that just came out, The Pale Reach, adds a ton more to an already-packed 10-hour base game, adding 11 new fishes/crabs to catch, a new ice-floe-filled landscape, and new dangers. So really, now's a good time as any to go fish.
While gameplay is certainly king and the meat of the game, the narrative of Worldless can be a mixed bag. The narrative component of the game can be somewhat inconsistent. The story takes a relatively long time to develop, and it lacks the seamless flow that some players may desire. Moreover, certain aspects of the story can be lost in translation, particularly the absence of audio dialogue and relying solely on text-based interactions. Nevertheless, if you're seeking to try something new that pushes your reflexes and traverses cosmic realms of wonder, this game is just right up your alley.
Persona 5 Tactica is a fun spinoff game but perhaps it's time for Atlus to finally retire anything related to Joker and the Phantom Thieves. The teat has been milked dry. Only dust is coming out now.
While enjoyable on its own, I believe fans of the Yohane anime and Love Live series will find more to love and cherish here. The characters in the game aren’t fleshed out in context to the game and solely reliant on their personalities and charisma in the 13-episode show, and the character VOs can get grating over time. Still, as a standalone Metroidvania title, you could do worse. I cherished my 5 hours or so going through the entire game, and managed to fight some challenging bosses using the game’s Dark Magic and Companion Summon system, which adds creativity and utility to your playstyle.
Phantom Rose 2 Sapphire is a fun roguelike deckbuilding game that you can enjoy in quick bite sessions or longer plays. The game's mechanics are easy to pick up which is nice for new players to the genre, and this lets you progress smoothly while challenging you hard. The variety of cards adds excitement to strategic and challenging battles, so that helps with the replay value exponentially.
Overall, Modern Warfare III seems to follow the narrative tone of Modern Warfare 2019 more closely than it does that of Modern Warfare II. Regarding gameplay, I'd hesitate to make a similar claim as the gameplay in this instalment stands out in its uniqueness compared to past versions. Despite this, I found the story quite enjoyable and eagerly anticipate its continuation.
[...] Cuisineer is a casual and relaxing take on the action-savvy roguelite genre mixed in with some breezy-if-simplistic-and-slow management gameplay. Even if you feel like you have to manage your expectations a tad, you'll do fine in Battlebrew Productions' latest, especially with the isometric attack-savvy bits where you let a cat girl go hog wild with a flame-powered spatula and grenade egg timers against fire elemental yaks and sentient potatoes tossing projectiles.
If you're itching for more potential Dohalim x Kisara ship material and a jaunt into Tales of Arise' combat all over again in a "new" setting, you can't go wrong with this decent-sized expansion that at least learned some lessons from overblown and too-long-for-their-own-good Tales Of sequels. In fact, if you want a solid Tales Of Arise experience, get the base game and expansion for a fun JRPG time. Otherwise, it's not required viewing unless the price goes down.
Ebenezer and The Invisible World shows promise as a Metroidvania game, offering fans and players a chance to revisit a classic story, much like the recent Lies of P. However, it ultimately disappoints in several areas, resulting in a lacklustre and frustrating Christmas gaming experience.
Coupled with an inviting HD-2D look that combines pixel art and 3D graphics that really invites you to play/replay it for copious amounts of time, this Star Ocean remake is worth diving into. If you crave 90s JRPG action with a lot of unlockables and power-up options, optional party members with backstories to uncover, and fast-paced combat, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a no-brainer that will get you into its scifi hooks.
While not exactly as action-packed and detailed as the last two Riot Forge games, Song of Nunu deserves some accolade for being a little different in its 3D platforming and all-ages approach. Familiar? Yes, but not unwelcome in the slightest. Even the most icy of hearts will start melting and feel warm and fuzzy inside if they persevere in this affordable and solidly put-together adventure starring a boy and his magic four-armed yeti.
Alan Wake 2 is not for everyone, but for fans of the Remedy Connected Universe since 2010's Alan Wake, it's exactly the game that we've been waiting for. While the game still follows conventional Resident Evil-like survival horror elements, there are enough unique mechanics here and blend atmospheric visuals and trippy live-action sequences to make this a genuine Remedy Entertainment experience that only the Finnish developers could deliver. It's also one of 2023's best games and a definite contender for GOTY, even in a year filled to the brim with phenomenal games.
Don't expect a huge leap in innovation and surprises, but a boatload of fun for both your friends and family. This Mario entry is basically comfort food that barely sates, but doesn't enthrall, inspire, or enervate.
Ghostrunner 2 is tough, and aggravatingly so by design. But it's never unfair. [...] Even with some of its unnecessary extras, it doesn't pollute the entire experience and still excels at what it delivers: parkour ninja action in the first-person degree.
I can't fault Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged too much. It's like an arcade racer straight out of your childhood dreams. It nails that feeling of being a kid and creating wild racecourses for your toy cars. Plus, the customisation options are off the charts. The quick races and the variety of modes keep things from getting stale, and before you know it, you're boosting your way to glory. I might not be a hardcore Hot Wheels fan, but the sheer imagination, speed, and customisation in this game totally reeled me in.
Endless Dungeon however is a very surprising mix of genres that works pretty damn well as a whole. At times, it can be a bit frustrating when the random elements seem to conspire against you entirely. But damn does it feel good when you destroy a bunch of baddies your way and finish a level. Endless Dungeon boasts an impressive lineup of heroes, a diverse array of monsters, and outstanding co-op play. It's a bold fusion that makes every door worth opening.
Sonic Superstars retains the same 2D nostalgic joy thanks to its fun levels and challenges, though we advise playing the game solo if you actually want to finish it. You'll still find a lot to love from the game's levels, though they aren't as strongly designed as the ones in Sonic Mania. Sonic Superstars does enough and a bit more with its charm, especially for completionists. Though I could do without Knuckles' recovery frame when he sticks onto ledges, or Tails' flying method being the way it is (sins of past games and adherence to tradition for ill), the overall game is a solid 2D jaunt for all ages. The co-op really needs work though and is nothing more than a party favour.