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All of the gameplay design choices made by First Contact Entertainment seem to be more on the good side of the scale rather than the bad. The menus could use some improvement and simplification, and maybe the eventual addition of a campaign, but nothing that can't be corrected in post. What you get with the design is good controls, lots of room for error during the game, intense gameplay with a smooth vantage point, and maps to get lost in when you want to get lost in them. The loadouts, the options of how to conquer your enemy will be the driving point to the gameplay. That's never a bad thing when those options are in the positive.
Okami, now on its seventh platform, remains unaffected by the ravages of time. The convergence of Japanese folklore and a Sumi-e aesthetic over the blueprint of The Legend of Zelda created a benign opus that, eleven years later, remains unchallenged and unequaled by any scale of competition. Okami, even with its pronounced vulnerabilities, is a singular creation and merits constant preservation. [OpenCritic note: Eric Layman separately reviewed the PC (9), PS4 (9), and Switch (8) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a beautifully designed game from story to gameplay construction. To boot, the game is absolutely gorgeous and is fun to watch in motion. The fact that you have easily over 70+ hours of gameplay (teetering on 100) makes the longevity of the adventure more memorable. This is how you make an RPG, and I hope that the good folks at Square Enix continue to develop the series the same way.
Phantasy Star is the best release so far from the Sega Ages series. It shows off innovation, outside the box thinking, and, after all these years, it is still a blast to play. It's one for the ages, folks.
Resident Evil 2 survives the horror of summiting a twenty-one year old apex. Time-worn mechanics, either left abandoned or considered obsolete, are accountably refashioned through an agile interface and a relentless commitment to creating tension. Resident Evil 2's pervasive sense of dread, the handshake between past and present, remains delightfully, gruesomely in place.
Overall, in a deal of 6 games in one collection with added features for new and casual players, the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy collection is certainly an enjoyable and potentially challenging experience
If you already love this franchise, you'll love this remaster/remake too. If you've never experienced this franchise before, or you are coming from a modern context, it feels like a relic of a bygone era. And ultimately rather than the simpler nature of its underlying components radiating a universal appeal, they come off as outdated.
Doom VFR leverages extant resources to construct an intimate sensation of murdering hell demons in virtual reality. Dealing with Satan entails a short list of sacrifices which Doom VFR obliges through its compressed experience, inadequate control options, and risk averse experimentation. Safe and sensible, however, are sufficient labels for Doom VFR's pledge of menacing intensity.
A surprising twist on the strategy and resource management genre, Kingdom Two Crowns offers players a mostly serene experience with gorgeous art and limited direction that may frustrate players not willing to uncover its secrets.
Blue Fire is an enjoyable platforming experience and an otherwise decent game in all other aspects. While Void challenge rooms are fun to play through and navigate, Blue Fire's combat and world-level design outside of Void rooms leave a lot to be desired. If Blue Fire leaned into its platforming, I would be highly recommending it for everyone out there.
Overall, Skelattack is a solid game that will put you to the test as much as it will mesmerize you with story and visuals. It might be a bit much for some, but the story makes the journey worth the trouble.
Scalebreaker is a wonderful expansion to the Season of the Dragon event, as well as to The Elder Scrolls Online as a whole.
DOOM is a great game, no matter what platform you play it on, including Switch.
Horizon Chase Turbo is simple fun that doesn't offer up an overbearing challenge for its racers. It contains some good rewards, which help keep the player motivated, but needs to be just a bit deeper in the physics department. All in all, though, it's a fun arcade racer.
The Nintendo Switch version of L.A. Noire maintains everything good about the original release, while adding a few new tricks to the mix to make the game a little bit more interesting, including 'touch'. Beyond the Switch tricks, L.A. Noire is still a game I enjoy playing, especially in a portable form. It's like a violent Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego mixed with the open world structure of a Grand Theft Auto, both intelligent and dumb fun.
Berzerk Recharged from SneakyBox and Atari gives a tip of the hat to a wonderful 80s arcade experience, even at times when the hat tip means carrying some of the original frustrations.
Sairento VR is a fun experience and one that is far more complete than most VR gaming experiences out there. With it you get a good story, fantastic gameplay mechanic design and a good set of multi-tiered levels to use those mechanics in. This is more than just a gimmicky, short experience, which most VR games slip under these days, as it is a bright spot in a sea of VR shipwrecks.
Battlefield V is full of a lot more content than people might be expecting. War Stories contains meaningful experiences in short spurts, the maps in the game are huge and well designed, the modes of play raise the entertainment bar when compared to Battlefield I, and the customization/progression system will keep people occupied for a while, as well as provide motivation to keep playing. This feels like a Battlefield game, which should tame concerns of lack of launch content.
Diablo 3: Eternal Collection on the Nintendo Switch is a great game for old and new fans alike. Having the full Diablo 3 experience on the go is so very enticing, and is now my new preferred way to play the game. It's not the best looking Switch game out there; but with gameplay as satisfying as Diablo 3's, visuals be damned.
In spite of its rough edges and games as a service trappings, Marvel's Avengers triumphs against most overwhelming odds by allowing players to live out a multi-faceted superhero fantasy with friends.