Kakuchopurei
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TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a hella fun and cheery beat-em-up that feels meaty and doesn't wear out its welcome, especially with friends. And when's the last time you've touched a Ninja Turtles game with this much love dedicated to the franchise and its 90s 16-bit & arcade video game legacy? Exactly.
Stray succeeds because it’s an engrossing adventure title with atmosphere, well-made aesthetics, a cool but not quite on-the-nose plot about a crumbled society trying to break out of its self-made chains, and some great adventure gaming gameplay that mixes puzzles with cat grace action. And it's a game made for cat people and lovers in mind.
Despite a few of its technical flaws, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a huge win for Monolithsoft and Nintendo simply for its ambition. The fourth entry (we're counting Xenoblade Chronicles X) did not need to do a lot to win me over and keep us invested for more than 50 hours.
This indie title impresses with its fun simulation aspects, great controls, lovely-if-simple action roguelite portions, and all-around cheekiness of making the act of running your own version of Heaven's Gate look almost endearing.
God of War Ragnarok is not only a fitting end to a saga that had no right to be this enthralling and engaging, but it does more than enough to justify players to buy this off the shelf. And perhaps even get a new PlayStation console to see it in its 60fps high-res majesty.
Simply put: this Indonesian indie title is one for the ages (for 2023 anyway), despite that one problem which is honestly a genre issue. Hats off to the humble team at Mojiken Studios for finally releasing a huge passion project that puts a lot of big-budget narrative-driven video games to shame.
[T]he Dead Space Remake is the definitive edition of the first game. While the story and levels are similar to the original, the improvements (both visually and during gameplay) and new mechanics make this worth playing even for those who have already played the original 2008 game.
Chances are you're playing Dead Cells because you are a fan of the search action genre, so it's only fitting you would appreciate the slice of love Motion Twin has made from this humble-sized DLC.
Octopath Traveler 2 is 40+ hours JRPGing well-spent that will keep you engrossed in the genre for the whole year, amplified by its HD-2D art style and its amazing music from composer Yasunori Nishiki.
Whether you're new to the series or a longtime fan, Capcom has done a great job with this remake. Despite a few minor issues, it's a polished AAA horror game that's worth playing.
Sure the navigation part and bugs on PC provides a slight wrinkle but don't let that dissuade you from picking up what is essentially, THE BEST Star Wars game in the market come release day, supplanting its prequel - like The Empire Strikes Back to A New Hope. Easy said, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the most fun we've had with a Star Wars game since, well, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And that's a huge deal.
Chalk another win for HoYoverse in making an easy-to-get-in JRPG with simple-yet-deep turn-based combat mechanics that enthrals and challenges you simultaneously, at least for the current version we've played. Honkai Star Rail has both style and substance, dishing out triple-A production values while also being backed up with fun turn-based gameplay and a modicum of events and activities to keep you busy on your PC and/or phones for months (or years) to come.
Planet Of Lana is one of the best indie titles so far in 2023. It's epic, cinematic, responsive and can be completed in less than five hours, though this can be a con as well.
[Diablo 4] looks and feels great to play, it's full of content without being way too overburdened with systems and age-old mechanics, it's accessible but also gets really hard and challenging for action RPG standards, and it's really great with more people in your party, with a good amount of classes to play around with and tailor to your playstyle. A highly-polished loot-filled gateway drug for newbies and veterans alike; not terribly innovative but incredibly fun to get into.
It really goes without saying that Street Fighter 6 launch edition is a million times better than Street Fighter 5's, but that's way too low a bar to surpass. [Y]ou're looking at the best version of the 2D fighting series that made the genre exist in the first place that's also going to keep you busy whether you're offline or online.
Tears of the Kingdom is just like Breath of the Wild, but better. The sequel adds more than enough to be a completely new experience, but familiar enough to feel like coming back to an old friend. The new abilities are an absolute technical feat, adding countless hours of creativity and innovation unlike any other title in this genre — even if the hardware constraints of the Nintendo Switch leave room for improvement.
Final Fantasy 16 is a stellar and noteworthy entry in the series that's just as impactful as Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7's debut back in their respective heydays. And that is not a statement I make lightly.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons' roguelike structure might take a while to get used to, and the game can get absurdly tough in Mission 3 and onward. And it'll take you a while to get used to each character's recovery animations as it's purposely made like this to make you think twice before you button mash. Still, you won't find a worthy remake and beat-em-up revitalization project like this "side story" filled with so many deep cuts that will make beat-em-up fans of the Technos era smile.
Dlala Studios aims to recapture that [90s 2D platforming] magic with its new Nintendo Switch-exclusive title, and succeeds on all fronts. Disney's Illusion Island is a feel-good all-ages search action fare that four people (or less) can really enjoy. From its pleasing aesthetics and whimsical music to its fun-if-familiar platforming and lovely controls, along with some post-game replayability and challenges, it's safe to say that this title might start a possible return of 90s Disney game platforming and action.
Batterystaple Games took up the responsibility to create a loving tribute to the Mega Man X series and adds a new spin on things to make the game challenging and highly replayable for hardcore fans of the genre. Fans of the archetype 2D run-and-gun power-up filled charged Mega Buster action title can stop praying for a Mega Man X follow-up. 30XX is essentially that and a bag of Nuts.