Siliconera
HomepageLost Judgment, a follow-up to 2018’s Judgment, returns to detective Takayuki Yagami and his investigations in the shadier sides of Japanese society. And as Judgment becomes something of a franchise of its own separate from Yakuza, it’s increasingly finding its footing and learning its specialties.
Life is Strange: True Colors doesn’t deviate from the formula in any way, and in fact calls back more to the original game than before. But even though it is walking a familiar path, it does it well.
Photography games are undergoing something of a renaissance. Pokemon Snap is back with a new entry. A Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water remaster is on the way. We also have indies like Beasts of Maravilla Island and Umurangi Generation offering indie takes on the concept. Now we have Toem from Something We Made, a similar sort of game with Scandinavian roots and influences that brings yet another charming, cozy, and creative experience to the Switch.
WarioWare: Get It Together!, the latest Nintendo release, is the return of a beloved franchise. It’s got a lot of personality! It has some new ideas! But it’s polarizing and a little thin.
In short, Tales of Arise feels satisfying. It’s gorgeous to look at and the battles fun to experience. Especially since you sometimes do get that “Ah ha!” moment when the right sort of Boost Attack or Strike comes up.
Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster may initially butt up against your nostalgia if you have fond memories of the original, but over time, I really began to appreciate seeing its visuals and sound explored in creative ways.
Olympia Soiree ends up feeling awkward for many reasons. The class system, the focus on getting the heroine married and pregnant, and the information dumps get to be so much. Once you do finally get to a route, the pacing improves, but before that it is just so much to take in and process.
Here Comes Niko is the exact kind of game that speaks to people who feel intimidated by 60-hour adventures, multi-phase boss levels and narratives that spawn multiple games. Or for people who simply want to relax.
Sonic Colors Ultimate is still an entertaining modern Sonic the Hedgehog game, and this latest version feels tighter and looks sharp.
No More Heroes 3 is exactly the sort of game people would expect it to be, with challenging fights and over-the-top, outrageous ambiance.