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In case you're curious Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country does mostly work as a standalone RPG, like a sort of pointed gateway for the daunting series. You might not pick up on some of the relationship-centric nuances or worldbuilding cues, but as long as you're paying attention you'll be able to piece that together.
All of the gating is unnecessary, but if you're willing to dig into Seal the Deal there's a decent amount there. I wish that there was a Goku-approved hyperbolic chamber for the Hat in Time developers to enter so they could have an eternity to keep coming up with more hubs with no strings attached. One in just under a year isn't enough, but I have a feeling they're going to be cooking up a lot more in the future.
While overly ambitious, Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle is an enjoyable enough dungeon crawl, but could easily be ignored if you aren't absolutely in love with the genre.
That's why the narrative payoff falls short. Lara has always played the roles of savior and protector and researcher and badass -- almost entirely because those are parts she has been thrust into. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a perfectly good game, but it feels as though it never figures out a way to address the most compelling aspect of this arc: Lara's personal growth. What path does she want to carve? What does she want her legacy to be? Maybe she'd be happiest spending her life raiding tombs -- all of the danger with none of the world-ending stakes. The glass half-full analysis is that she's a regular chip off the ol' block; glass half-empty, she never really escaped her father's shadow.
Ultimately, despite being the fourth game in its series, Valkyria Chronicles 4 really is the sequel Valkyria Chronicles needed, and I have to say that I'm pleased that war has never looked more pleasant.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - Mars may have flown under the radar in 2003 but it now has the chance to shine again 15 years later. Just know that the budget price reflects the fact that not a whole lot has been added: so if you didn't like it then you won't suddenly be smitten.
Forsaken's initial story salvo is entertaining, but there's still work to be done a year into the sequel. Given that the MSRP of everything so far has added up astronomically ($59.99 for the base game, $24.99 for the Season Pass, $40 for Forsaken, $34.99 for Forsaken's season pass) it might be a hard pill to swallow. If you're ready for a guaranteed momentary thrill ride pony up, otherwise you can continue to wait it out to see if the momentum continues.
Blade Strangers is a fun, friendly, accessible fighter. It allows newcomers and experienced players alike the opportunity to throw down with some great characters, without necessarily concerning themselves with one-frame-links or meaty reversals. Whilst that lack of tech-depth may prevent Blade Strangers from holding the attention of the pros, or blowing up on the competitive circuit, it's sure to be a hit at any good-natured rumble with friends, battling for pride within your own four walls.
Though SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is not the Gals Fighters 2 we may have been hoping for, it is a very daft, very fast, and fun brawler. There is a serious question of longevity to be considered, and veteran players should consider the game's simplicity before purchase. But in a group setting, or among newcomers, sisterhood of sluggers will get the job done, looking fabulous while doing so.
Spider-Man isn't just a great superhero game, it's a proof of concept for Insomniac as a company. This project shows that they can basically handle pretty much any universe, because if you can accurately recreate Peter Parker's nimbleness and gentle heart you can do anything: and with multiple teasers at the end, I think they'll get that chance.
For the time being, The Golf Club 2019 finishes in the middle of the pack. It had such promise and potential but duffs it too many times on what should be easy shots. Until HB Studios goes back and fixes its swing issues, give this a pass.
Donut County is as charming and funny as it is inventive and beautiful. It excels at what it sets out to do --there's never been a better hole simulator in video game history. But underneath its colorful scenery and intuitive gameplay is an experience that feels like its inches away from true greatness.
There are a few glitches here and there and the final level is more frustrating than it probably needs to be, but when you're speeding by a gang of dynamite-wielding hooligans shooting shotguns and smacking them with a pickaxe, you'll forget all about the minor small annoyances. Hopalong: The Badlands is a fun and intuitive arcade shooter that lasts just long enough for you to feel like you've truly mastered its controls, but not too long to overstay its welcome.
By taking a genre that thrives on its deep mechanics and attempting to streamline it into something anyone can pick up and play, we're left with an experience that doesn't wholly appeal to anybody. It sucks because there was so much potential here, and it ends up shooting itself in the foot before it really has the chance to bear fruit. With some updates and balancing, Bad North could, one day, deliver on its promise. Right now, however, it just feels like a wasted opportunity.
Enix, and by proxy Square, have found myriad ways to repackage the journey of Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age proves that they haven't run out of ideas yet. It's one of the easier modern Dragon Quests to get into precisely because it gets back to basics. If you've been pining for an older-school character-focused RPG instead of the player-created party focus of IX and the MMO aspect of X, the wait has ended.
There's a very simple reason why so many modern pro-wrestling games are bad. Pro-wrestling is not a legitimate competitive fight, it's two or more people working together to put on an incredible, breath-taking performance. Wrestlers work within slight nuances of pace, timing and storytelling. The psychological skill of knowing when to kick it in and when to cool it down is just as important as the memorable characters and jaw-dropping moves.But in a video game, you're working against each other, because you're both trying to win. That's all well and good for FIFA, or Madden, or even Street Fighter. But you can't accurately translate the speed and intensity of modern pro-wrestling to a complex, realistic sim. That's why when Adam Cole (Bay Bay) and Ricochet have a ladder match in NXT, it's a breathless thing of beauty, but if you have the same match in a WWE 2K title, it's a boring clusterfuck. The more "realistic" the genre gets, the worse it gets.Fire Pro Wrestling is a long-running series that strips wrestling sims back to basics, while featuring deep gameplay mechanics and so many customisation options that it becomes less a competitive wrestling title, and more of a sandbox wrestling title. Fire Pro isn't attempting to perfectly recreate Sports Entertainment "like on TV", it's instead trying to encourage players to create their own memorable moments within the confines of the squared circle.
The Messenger is without a doubt one of the best indies available on the Switch right now. It has a lot of competition with the sudden sea of metroidvania games available, but its stunning look, fantastic soundtrack, and clever writing coupled with the amazing gameplay put it a step above the rest. When I walk away from a game every night only wanting to play more, there's little to complain about.
In the end, Death's Gambit resonates as a flawed gem, one I'm happy to have played. It's an uneven experience bogged down by technical woes and stilted combat, but if you can enjoy less-than-pristine games in spite of rough spots, it's worth taking a chance on. Just hold out for a few patches first.
It doesn't make the games feel modern, but that likely isn't the point. This HD remaster is mainly here to provide fans with a new way to play some of their favorite games. I can't fault Sega too much for wanting to stick true to the original vision of Shenmue. If you were worried about compatibility issues or crashing, then you can rest easy. These ports are fine.
For my money, it is the best way to experience this particular story and improves enough of the game to make for a great time sink. Maybe certain aspects could have been tweaked to be more faithful to the source material, but the worst thing that could happen is you end up wanting to play the original to see the changes firsthand. That isn't such a terrible outcome.