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Ace Combat 8 surprised me in almost every possible way. Its arcade-focused flying remains incredibly easy to pick up while providing enough depth to make mastering its aircraft and dogfights immensely satisfying.
Dawnwalker’s timer certainly wasn't something that initially sat well with me, but after seeing its execution, and the amount you can accomplish, when certain paths have been removed, I've turned around it, at least somewhat. Regardless, Rebel Wolves has crafted a stunning world to explore, with characters, lore, and a story worth caring about. While they have oddly shown their cards as to Coen's future adventures, I still find reasons to revisit and scour every nook and cranny this world provides. It's worth sinking your teeth into.
Honestly, Graveyard Keeper 2 has been a great experience with dark themes and humorous interactions with all the characters. I like how there is a crazy variety of things to do and easy to follow charts to keep track of what you can create and what you have yet to research. It also fits perfectly with the fast approach of spooky season and is the great continuation of Graveyard Keeper.
With impeccable platforming and engaging combat and mobility, Well Dweller is joyous to control. Few Metroidvania games feel this good, with a map so big that you're constantly finding new challenges, secrets, and wildly impressive boss battles.
FC 27 does enough to justify its existence and offers several encouraging ideas for the series' future. It is enjoyable, polished, and capable of producing some excellent matches, especially once its more manual approach begins to click. However, it remains an evolutionary annual release rather than the major transformation many football fans are waiting for.
Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush is damn fun, and fulfils those childhood moments of driving those metal cars through classic playmats and the abundance of play sets. The Switch 2 version is still enjoyable, but it's a noticeable drop in quality from the other console and PC versions. Still, with a ton of cars, races, and collectibles to track down, the vastness of each map makes this a Hot Wheels fan's dream come true.
Streets of Survival has a foundation for a great series, but the lack of some quality of life features in its combat, and a lack of co-op make this hard to recommend, given the genre has so many other options that are simply better games. The Walking Dead is perfect for videogames, but few games have really hit that high mark, and despite enemies having near perfect aim here, Streets of Survival can't quite say the same.
Second Chapter did everything it needed to do, and more. While the game doesn't refine or add new combat mechanics, the story and character moments that take place in this follow-up are some of the best of the series.
While some may be disappointed at some of the changes to core systems, or further leaning into its rogue-lite elements, Moonlighter 2 feels just so good, and that isn't just toward its combat, but its shopkeeper aspect too. Systems may feel streamlined, and many are, but these changes are intentional and do a lot to make each run slick and easy to jump into. Sequels rarely see this level of change, especially on the indie side, so I certainly applaud how much bigger in scale and scope Moonlighter 2 is.
While they certainly have produced a solid entry here, certain systems and menus leave a bit to be desired. While it certainly is a deeper game than Bus Bound, and that may serve its audience, I simply found Bus Simulator 27 to not always deliver where I wanted from it the most; the driving. And with a few bugs to iron out, the current experience is a tad buggy, to say the least. However, despite my few issues here, Bus Simulator 27 does punch its ticket with deep and rewarding simulation systems that will keep you just as busy in the bus as outside of one.
Nioh 3: Hell Rising is more Nioh 3, and if that is good enough for you, then you'll likely be set for enjoying this 8-10 hour expansion that provides a whole new location to explore, and a very versatile new weapon. While the new Guardian Spirit is not going to likely be part of your arsenal, it is the reuse of so many encounters that disappoints the most. Nioh 3 is a truly fantastic game, and while Hell Rising furthers my time with it, I remain cautious if my next trip with be looking to the future, or another trip down memory lane.
Ultimately, NBA 2K27 doesn’t completely reinvent the series, but I honestly don’t think it needed to. Visual Concepts has instead concentrated on improving the actual basketball itself, and that was exactly what I wanted from this year’s game.
EA NHL 27 may not have delivered some ground-breaking systems that improve the game beyond its previous iterations, but it does present the game through more subtle ways like the playbook system and better goaltending on higher difficulties. Presentation is solid, but glitchy crowds and awkward animations still break through and can ruin your immersion, regardless of the vast improvements made to arenas. However, EA’s NHL has rarely looked or played better despite those annoyances, and if you meet the game on its terms, it’s bound to bounce the puck in your direction one way or another, just be ready to take that shot.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is some damn good fun, providing an action packed adventure I thoroughly enjoyed. Musashi's journey may obviously detour from his real life exploits, but the bond of strength he has with Ganryu makes for a compelling rivalry that sets this game apart from its peers. From compelling combat to a fantastic cast of characters and bosses, Way of the Sword was well worth the wait, and I can’t help but want more.
Shatterverse is surprisingly shallow for what it offers, but its fast paced combat does retain its signature feel. The multiverse appeal may be exhausting for some players, given its overuse in multiple forms of media at the moment, but a lack of creating your own Sam is an omission that is bizarre to me. Still, the cast here is fine enough, and at the end of the day, if it looks like Serious Sam and plays like Serious Sam, then I'm glad that the series is still kicking around, some 25 years later.
Lou's Lagoon was a fun and engaging crafting adventure that I had a lot of fun playing. Yes, there were a few hiccups here and there. but when dealing with the open sea and a magic storm, nothing will really be smooth flying.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is astounding, but does suffer a bit when it comes to the game’s lacking boss encounters, and some moments where the game wears out its welcome in the last few hours. Still, Asobo is a remarkable flexible studio that clearly knows how to produce real emotion out of its characters and stories in ways that defy the genre.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam takes the series' signature, high-stakes tactical gameplay and successfully translates it into the dense, chaotic jungles of Vietnam. Its optimization is a sore spot currently, but the changes the team has made from the beta to launch show that they are working on making this the best version of the game it can be.
War in the North: Legacy Edition is what it is, a modern port of the classic game. Its bells and whistles are few and far between, but the core game as it was is here and is a blast to play in co-op. Combat, progression, and the ability to swap between each character makes this one of the better LOTR games ever crafted. It’s certainly not without its issues, especially as those issuers are fifteen years old.
It may not always play fair, and it certainly doesn't take itself seriously, but that's exactly what makes Pro Jank Footy such an entertaining surprise.