Digital Chumps
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Destiny 2: Lightfall is disjointed in story, but pulls through with its gameplay. Something has to give with the former, as the story needs to be memorable and engaging, and this expansion simply didn’t get there in either category.
Ragnarock is a wonderful rhythm game from WanadevStudio that does enough to separate it from its Beat Saber brethren. The Viking backdrop and drum-beating fun make it unique in its music-driven rhythm gameplay, as does the variety of music included. The difficulty jumps from easy to hard is a steep climb that may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
After the Fall from Vertigo Games is a wonderful jumpstart to the PSVR 2 starting line-up. It has some fun zombie shooting times, great upgrades, and reasons to revisit the game, but falls short in substance in some areas. It is worth your time if you’re looking for a good VR experience.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a more complicated version of Phoenix Wright. It contains some tricky puzzles to overcome while being driven by a thick amount of Japanese folklore, as well as a touch of horror. It can be frustrating, if not overwhelming at times, but its take on the Phoenix Wright gameplay logic puzzle structure makes for a fun and unique experience.
As a fan of JRPGs, Octopath Traveler II shines as an excellent classic JRPG experience for the PS5. It is a very easy recommendation for PS5 owners wanting a good JRPG while they wait for Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters to make their way to next-gen consoles. If you're a PS5 owner and are curious about JRPGs, Octopath Traveler II works as a great entry point into the genre, giving some players a taste of party management, mild grind, and incredible storytelling. I'd caution some newer players unfamiliar with the genre to consider using a guide, but the combat is easy enough to pick up and play without feeling like a text guide is required.
Resident Evil 4 was a marvel when it was released back in 2005 and Resident Evil 4 Remake follows the same path. It’s pure perfection from beginning to end and groundbreaking with its backend improvements and details. Capcom has hit another home run with this one.
All things considered, Have a Nice Death excels on just about all fronts as a roguelike. Playing as Death himself lets the player experience power with the sheer number of combinations spanning weapons and spells. The fact that these combinations allow for seamless chains of attacks is the icing on the leftover cake in the office fridge. Its charm and writing are fantastic, and I cannot help but want more from the world of Death Inc. Magic Design Studios' appreciation for a good roguelike is evident here, as I am struggling to stop playing this game. If you're looking for something incredibly refreshing to play while on the job, look no further than Have a Nice Death.
Spongebob Squarepants: Krusty Cook-Off – Extra Krusty Edition is a fun game that is built on a casual gaming backbone and runs well on the Nintendo Switch. While it will never reach the impressive gameplay heights of the Overcooked series, Spongebob Squarepants: Krusty Cook-Off – Extra Krusty Edition delivers fun levels, good controls, and enough reason to return to it over and over again.
In sum, Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a cool game with a lot to offer for those curious about the series or those who love it but want a fresh take on the characters, setting, time period, and combat. Much of what makes RGG Studio games so great is here, and there is no shortness of characters, story, and content for players to sink themselves into if they so choose. I enjoyed my time with Ishin!, and while I prefer the more modern settings the series is known for, I tip my hat to RGG for stepping out into this time period to take a fun look at a piece of Japanese history.
The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition is the quintessential The Outer Worlds experience that I've wanted all along for my PS5. With the immense graphical upgrades, Halcyon and the rest of the galaxy look better than ever and visually immerse players in stunning spacescapes while you attempt to navigate a universe that's effectively ruled by corporate overlords. For new players who are also PS5 owners, the Spacer's Choice Edition is a no-brainer given the additional QoL upgrades and the DLC packaged together. However, those who've faithfully done their time in supporting Obsidian and Private Division's franchise from the get go may feel like they've been left in the space dust because of the lack of cross-generation save transfers.
Catan: Console Edition has some design issues but can be manageable when desperately looking for a CATAN fix on current generation consoles. It certainly needs some work in its default setup, speed options, and dice-rolling mechanics, but for the most part, it still does the trick.
Dead by Daylight on mobile from NetEase Games is quite good. It captures the essence of its PC brethren and makes for a wonderful, yet casual horror-filled good time.
Powerwash Simulator forgoes any semblance of complexity to provide players with a game pure and unflinching in its quest to tickle a certain part of the brain that just wants to clean... or listen to some podcasts.
Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line revisits music-driven gaming experiences with classiness and potent powerfulness that will make any Final Fantasy music-lover happy. It contains a fair amount of challenge, sometimes an impossible amount depending on difficulty, while also allowing you to enjoy decades of musical enlightenment the Final Fantasy series has created.
Hogwarts Legacy is mostly everything it promised it would be. The main story is quite good, the side quests seem endless, and the magical mystery that most know in this wizarding world from books and movies is ever present in this game.
Akka Arrh is a fascinating game that finally gets a proper release after forty years. The gameplay is fast, addictive, and embodies everything great about an 80s arcade experience.
Breakout Beyond from developer Choice Provisions and publisher Atari is a nice tip of the cap to the classic game. While its screen configuration and pacing might be a little jarring for new players, the power-ups and gameplay elements that present good challenges will certainly hook them. The game does a great job of balancing classic Breakout ideas with well-thought-through gameplay design.
Rhythm games are often evaluated on their complexity, soundtrack, and replayability. Rhythm Sprout succeeds in just about all of those categories while also capturing players' attention with some of the funniest writing and story I've seen in a recent game. Despite not taking itself too seriously, Rhythm Sprout is a treat for multiple audiences, especially console players who lack a good rhythm game to get their feet wet into the best of the genre. I sincerely, dare I say desperately, hope that SURT does more with the Rhythm Sprout universe, as it's currently one of the better (if not one of the best) rhythm titles I've played in recent memory.
Metroid Prime Remastered is a solid return to one of the best games in the Nintendo library. Its upgraded visuals, outstanding audio and controls, and timeless adventure is worth the revisit.
Wild Hearts is a massive single-player and co-op hunting game with an RPG backbone supporting it. The mixture of story, creative mechanics, thick strategy, and beautiful visuals makes this a top-tier hunting experience. If the controls could be improved a bit and break from traditional stuck-in-the-action sequences, it would be nearly perfect. Overall, it’s a great first go at a genre that is severely lacking in competition.