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Although Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a spinoff, it boasts a wealth of content that gives it the feel of a full-fledged game. The familiar gameplay elements of exploration and engaging side activities are preserved while adding an exhilarating yet straightforwardly simple naval combat that enhances the experience. Players may find themselves spending countless hours sailing, battling pirates, and discovering hidden treasures.
Avowed is an impressive release from Obsidian Entertainment, showcasing a strong RPG that shines in both combat and exploration. The Living Lands offers a delightful environment to explore, filled with hidden corners that provide satisfying rewards for discovery. Additionally, encounters with enemies are exciting, thanks to the engaging and intricate combat system. Sadly, it falls short of being something great, as the game has stripped down its RPG systems to an almost bare minimum, negatively affecting the immersiveness of its beautiful world. Cities and towns feel lifeless, and this sense of emptiness also extends to your companions due to the absence of systems that enable you to build meaningful relationships with them.
Eternal Strands is a surprisingly fun and creative experience that encourages players to think and find ways around a situation before engaging. Creativity is greatly rewarded, and players have much to consider before approaching situations. And with a reasonable retail price, it surely is tempting! Despite the great use of its physics-based systems, combat feels slightly dull and weightless, and controls are somewhat finicky. Switching between weapons and strands is unintuitive and counterproductive to the game's goal of having players test every skill and how it affects the world around them.
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. faithfully preserves the technical prowess of the 2006 title, now making it accessible to PC players eager to dive into the action. While the 30th Anniversary edition includes a plethora of additional content, those opting for the base version may find limited offerings for offline single-player mode. Nonetheless, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. caters to players seeking online competition against fellow enthusiasts, whether at home or on the go with the Steam Deck. The addition of rollback netcode is the biggest upgrade for this version, and it really does shine in online play.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist was well worth the wait from Early Access and represents a monumental improvement over its predecessor. It retains the same atmospheric dark fantasy elements and beautiful visuals reminiscent of titles such as NieR and Hollow Knight. Additionally, it features robust action sidescroller gameplay that can keep Metroidvania fans entertained for many hours. Although it may not be as challenging as its predecessor, it compensates with streamlined improvements in its gameplay, making it an addictive title that is highly recommended and a must-play for fans of this sub-genre.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an exceptional experience for RPG enthusiasts, offering a fully immersive adventure where the sky's the limit in the choices you make. Despite the steep learning curve, the game eases you into its massive world during the first dozen hours, providing a smooth entry. Warhorse has crafted a masterpiece with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, delivering a fully optimized title ready to play from day one. Whether you choose to play it at home or on a portable device like the Steam Deck, it offers a fantastic adventure to kick off 2025 with a bang.
Extraction shooter elements, such as permanently losing gear and repetitive missions, are not for everyone. Unfortunately, these elements are integral to the gameplay loop in Synduality Echo of Ada, which could be a deal-breaker for some players intrigued by its premise. No matter how captivating the world and story are, how much time you've invested in building up your impressive gear, or how much you adore your meticulously customized Magus, you must be prepared for the possibility that all of it can vanish if you're not careful during your sorties to the Earth's surface.
Dynasty Warriors Origins is an excellent addition to this long-running series, introducing valuable improvements that revitalize its core gameplay. The combat and progression systems have been refined, resulting in a much better overall experience compared to its previously criticized predecessor. Battling as the amnesiac Wanderer against hordes of troops remains an exhilarating experience, with powerful attacks that send enemies flying to the next town. Running smoothly on capable hardware, including the Steam Deck, Dynasty Warriors Origins is sure to satisfy your cravings for action and hack-and-slash gameplay.
Tales of Graces f Remastered is a well-crafted remaster, offering players the opportunity to experience the classic title on their terms. Whether you wish to adjust the pacing and difficulty to match your skill level, embrace new challenges, or preserve the original experience, this title caters to all preferences and really displays how this remaster goes over and beyond just polishing visuals.
Freedom Wars was a standout title on the PlayStation Vita for good reason. While it might be tempting to categorize it as another Monster Hunter clone, the unique Thorn mechanic, along with its compelling story and setting, distinguished it from other games in the genre. Given its return after nearly a decade, it certainly deserved better. The game is enjoyable overall, but some areas need improvement. Addressing the freezing issues and enhancing the quality of the English voiceovers would significantly elevate the experience. The League of Panopticon feature holds promise, potentially motivating players to engage and contribute to their region's standings. This feature proved successful in Helldivers II and could similarly benefit Freedom Wars.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a fantastic outing from Machine Games, further solidifying them as not only masters of the first-person view but also of punching Nazis in the face. The sense of adventure that the game conveys is stellar, and when paired with Troy Baker's superb performance, fans of the fedora-wearing hero are in for a treat. Expecting an action-filled affair is setting yourself up for disappointment, as the game prioritizes adventure over anything else. Combat is simplistic and might be the weakest link, but the game makes up for it with interesting yet rather simple puzzles, locations, and discoveries. There's a good story to be had here, but just don't expect something too explosive or heart-racing!
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl is an unforgiving and uncompromising affair that's not for everybody. For its target audience, it could quite possibly be the game they've been waiting for the past decade and a half, heralding the return of this beloved cult classic. The game is tough and will beat you down if you're not attentive enough, requiring a commitment to immersion. The key to the game is to simply keep at it. The journey to get there may be painful and frustrating, and many players will certainly tune out in the process. Players who persevere will find a rewarding title and a living world filled with possibilities as time goes by, despite a number of bugs and rough patches.
In a year full of unexpected delights, LEGO Horizon Adventures stands out as a pleasant surprise. I didn’t anticipate enjoying this game as much as I did, but it has certainly earned its place among some of the titles this year. It goes above the typical family action-adventure genre, delivering an experience that is both engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. While I may not be inclined to explore other LEGO games, LEGO Horizon Adventures offers a fun, humorous, and robust adventure with solid gameplay mechanics. It’s enjoyable both solo and with friends, and the cooperative play enhances the experience as you navigate the game with iconic characters from the Horizon series.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake successfully balances the preservation of the original game while making it accessible to modern players. With features like autosave, a recall function, and difficulty selection, players can enjoy the classic game on their terms. The graphical overhaul and fully orchestrated soundtrack enhance the visual and auditory experience, allowing players to appreciate the game as it was originally intended. However, there are minor issues such as the extremely slow pace of combat and uneven difficulty settings, which can easily turn off certain players.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn't quite a full return to form, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for BioWare, and is a win that the studio definitely needed after a series of demoralizing releases over the years. The game, with all its positive points, always seems to trip over its own feet - fantastic environments but divisive character design, engaging story but overly cheesy dialog at times, and more. There's always a give-and-take that holds it back from being a great game.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure incorporates many elements that made the original Life Is Strange a modern classic. On paper, it promises a winning formula with the return of Max Caulfield, an interconnected universe, and engaging cliffhangers. However, the execution falls short of elevating the overall experience. Like Life Is Strange: True Colors, I had high hopes for this game. The setup is excellent, featuring likable characters, an intriguing premise, and a fantastic soundtrack. The journey is quite enjoyable up to the midpoint, but it seems Deck Nine struggles to deliver a satisfying conclusion for Double Exposure, unlike True Colors.
Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven has transitioned beautifully from being rooted in the past. For newcomers and JRPG fans in general, the game invites careful consideration, and even if you played the original version years ago, the visual and gameplay enhancements make it a worthwhile revisit.
Sonic x Shadow Generations is a delight for Sonic fans of all kinds. Whether you’re a newcomer inspired by the films or a long-time fan from the series’ early days, this game offers a wealth of content that is sure to win you over. While completing the main story of both titles can take around 10-11 hours, countless additional hours of replayability can be had with its numerous unlockables. Sonic x Shadow Generations combines two sides of the same coin into one accessible package, promising hours of enjoyment. If you’re looking for a standout Sonic game among the many released in recent years, this is definitely the one to choose. Having not played a Sonic title in 15 years, I found this to be the perfect reintroduction to the series, and the future of the franchise is looking exciting after experiencing this outing from our beloved Hedgehogs.
Fear The Spotlight is an impressive debut title from Blumhouse Games, and I commend them for taking a chance on Cozy Game Pals’ unique premise. This game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for 90s survival horror, and beyond that, it delivers a compelling story that kept me engaged from start to finish. While I wished it were longer, the developers told the story they wanted to tell and executed it exceptionally well.
Until Dawn Remake retains the elements that made the original a must-play narrative horror experience. However, justifying its full price is challenging when it closely mirrors the 2015 release. Despite some subtle improvements, such as enhanced control inputs, there are few new additions. Compounding this issue are the numerous performance problems and poor lighting, which detract from the immersion enjoyed in the original. While future patches may address these issues, the current state of the game does not warrant its steep price. It feels like we need to wait a bit longer to experience the game fully.