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I had noted in my preview that Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! was not going to revolutionize the gaming world and that I was fine with that. Now that I have completed the game, I can safely say that while my opinion hasn’t changed, I do appreciate more of what this game had to offer. The one-liners, the comical levels of violence, and the retro vibes that are creeping back into the gaming industry (which I love). Its only weaknesses lie in the lack of needing some of the extra bells and whistles within the game itself.
Pokémon Pokopia is a smashing homerun. Whether you’re looking for a game with an emotional mystery story of what happened, a game to build your wildest creations, or even just a game to get to spend time with some of your favorite pocket monsters, there is a game here for everyone. The game just oozes sweetness, and I already know that this is one that I am going to drop over 100 hours into this year alone. Simply put, whether you’re already a fan of Pokémon, a newcomer to the series or just a fan of cozy games, Pokémon Pokopia is absolutely a worthwhile buy, and is everything that I wanted Animal Crossing New Horizons to be and more. It is an early game of the year contender for me and a reason to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2.
Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime is a refreshing palette cleanser. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself seriously but takes its message of self-love very seriously. The Frogtime battle mechanics are surprisingly deep and I’m very excited to keep pulling from Booster Eggs to try and get a super rare Colossal Frog and make it to the top of the Battle Tower. It’s weird, it’s musical, and it’s deeply charming.
GreedFall: The Dying World is a game that built upon the potential of its predecessor, and in many ways, it succeeded in this. They created a game that many RPG fans have been aching for: storytelling, choices, and world. Unfortunately, the tactical experience, while good, was lacking in finesse. The game spent 18 months in early access, and I believe it was time well spent, on PC. The console experience had much to be desired, but nothing a few patches can’t fix, I hope.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake indicates that there is still a lot of potential in the series’ unique flavour of occult paranormal J-horror. Unfortunately, this experience is marred by tedious combat encounters, inconsistent pacing, and technical issues that keep it from reaching the heights of its modern horror remake contemporaries.
Docked is a solid next step in the sim category for Saber Interactive. I loved every second learning about all the new machinery and how best to use it. The introduction of a story was a nice touch that a lot of simulation games don’t have. The few performance issues didn’t take away from the fun I had with Docked. However, the lack of continuing to play after I finished was a bit of a letdown. Working so hard to get my port fully upgraded, and not being able to really use it.
The beauty of a game like Lost and Found Co. is its a leveled up version of games we played as kids. It steps into the simple joy of search and find without the overcomplication. As adults we so often are surrounded by constant hustle and pressure that we gravitate that nostalgia to bring us back to a more carefree time. While Lost and Found Co. is still enough of a challenge to be interesting, it never puts too much pressure to feel overwhelming. That perfect balance of relaxing and critical thinking, but at your own pace.
As I said in the intro to this review, you should absolutely play the first game; it’s fantastic, and you’ll definitely enjoy the sequel even more if you do. But, if you’re struggling to find the time for more than one game this weekend, you are absolutely not going to be disappointed by spending a few lazy afternoons running, climbing and swimming your way through Novo in Planet of Lana II. It’s a sequel that takes all the good things about its predecessor and builds upon them, adding new, well-thought-out mechanics and engaging additions to the gameplay, all housed within a breathtaking, captivating world.
Although the game can get frustrating if you’re playing alone, Scott Pilgrim EX is definitely worth picking up if you are a fan of brawlers. It’s light on the plot but its chaotic combat and fun cast of characters more than make up for it. This is definitely a game where it’s definitely better to partner up for, but frustrating or not that’s pretty much the case with any brawler of this nature.
The next evolution of the Resident Evil series has officially arrived and it delivers on nearly every front. From the visceral, gory combat to the tense, compounding sense of dread that accompanies every darkened hallway, Requiem feels like a love letter to every Resident Evil fan. The dual-protagonist addition works to near perfection, with Grace thriving on tense, survival horror driven moments of terror, while Leon deploys the heavy firepower and one-liners to bring up the rear. Its environments and settings have a sense of familiarity to the horrors hiding just out of sight, while feeling like a brand new monster entirely. Though the story does falter towards the end, I feel confident in saying that Requiem is one of the strongest entries in the series as a whole. It does just enough to honor the past, while pushing full steam ahead towards the future.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is both a time capsule and a restoration project. Its new camera option and visual overhaul breathe fresh life into one of the series’ most ambitious entries, while its narrative remains as compelling and operatic as ever. But beneath the polish lies the unmistakable rigidity of early-2000s design; backtracking-heavy levels, archaic combat quirks, and the occasional technical stumble. For returning fans, this is easily the definitive way to experience Kain and Raziel’s intertwined fate. For newcomers who are willing to wade into the deep lore, it’s a fascinating, if sometimes stubborn, relic of a different era. Imperfect, dramatic, and unapologetically gothic, Defiance still has fangs, even if they’re a little worn.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse is a fantastic story that may even make you wish the game was slightly longer. For those who want a mystery that transcends a lifetime set in a beautiful fishing village backdrop, this is for you. While not puzzle heavy, when they appear, they are well thought out and clever. When focused on the narrative, the story is well paced. The writing is smart enough to reiterate the things you need to know without feeling too repetitive. After this entry into the series, I hope Square Enix knows they have something precious in their hands and continues to revisit this series in the future.
Reimagined is overall a good game. However, it certainly doesn’t feel like a game created for those who grew up with Dragon Quest. This is because we’ve grown, and Dragon Quest 7’s gameplay is still, in its own way, very much stuck in the past. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as now, this is a game I would love my kids to play, so they can fall in love with Dragon Quest and JRPGs in general.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a distinctly unambitious game. It is utterly uninterested in functioning as a faithful remake of Yakuza 3 or pushing the series forward in any meaningful way. RGG Studio has created a Frankenstein’s monster of thrown together mechanics from past entries that wears the skin of a flawed, but significant and in many ways beloved legacy title, and bundled it with an ultimately meaningless spin-off that only escalates growing concerns with the franchise’s future.
Despite some technical issues, I had a great time with Demon Tides, from my first double jump to my last spin rush. The beautiful world and fun character designs, the amount of customisation to both move set and character appearance, as well as the bumping soundtrack, mostly made up for any frustrations and metaphorical skinned knees I went through. I have no doubt speedrunners and platformer fans, far more skilled than I, will find no end of fun in Ragnar’s Rock, and will be competing for top spots on the game’s leaderboards for years to come.
God of War Sons of Sparta is a decent game overall. It’s interesting to see the canon representation of Kratos by Mega Cat Studios, hearing the voice actors from the original trilogy, and seeing the game in its 3rd genre: a 2D metroidvania. While it didn’t fully deliver to my satisfaction, I enjoyed my time with the game at the beginning though my enjoyment waned towards the end. It’s a decent game to sink time into while waiting for the newly announced God of War trilogy remake, though not necessarily required to rush and play it.
Styx: Blades of Greed is a genuinely enjoyable stealth-em-up with satisfying kills, traps, and sneaking. Built on a world and story that started 12 years ago, newcomers might be a little lore lost but that won’t get in the way of you slitting throats, melting corpses, or mind controlling a soldier to his doom.
Just like with my kids' elaborate games and worlds they think up, it may not all make sense, but it didn't stop me from having a great time. Under the Island is a fun and often wacky adventure game that wears its heart on its sleeve and does right by its inspirations. It's a game that begs to be explored from top to bottom, with the intent of giving the player something to find or do at nearly every turn. I loved my time on Seashell Island, and I think that plenty of other people will too.
Overall I had a blast with High On Life 2 from start to finish. With improved gameplay and in my opinion improved writing as well, fans of the first game and maybe even some detractors will find a lot to like here. Although the reduced metroidvania elements are disappointing and some tech issues can be annoying, it wasn’t nearly enough to bring the overall experience down. If Squanch decides to go with High On Life 3, I await it greatly.
Should Clue: Murder By Death ever add in some quality of life basics, even just labeling the rooms, or allowing you add markers, this could be a wonderful mystery. For now, unfortunately, its one where it feels fine to leave quite a few stones unturned.