Game8's Reviews
In a perfect world, Final Fantasy 15 would’ve been a fully realized game that exceeded everyone’s expectations. But we don’t live in a perfect world. The result may not have matched what Square Enix initially envisioned, with its shallow real-time combat and disjointed storytelling delivered through a bizarre transmedia format. Still, flawed as it may be, it became a serviceable Final Fantasy adventure that ultimately grew beyond what was left of the Versus XIII promise through its series of updates, backed by a fantastic bond between its four main characters that, despite all those royal fumbles, still walked tall.
Townfall isn't without its rough edges, particularly when it comes to its visuals, combat, and some of the character development, but those issues never overshadow what it gets remarkably right. Its story keeps unraveling in fascinating ways, its puzzles actually make players think, its survival mechanics reinforce vulnerability, and its music and atmosphere capture the identity of Silent Hill exceptionally well. Most importantly, it manages to modernize the series without losing sight of what makes it terrifying.
Code Vein 2’s Mask of Idris is an absolutely phenomenal expansion that adds far more than you’d expect. It has a substantial side story to explore, complete with several expansive new stages, alongside tons of new classes, gear, partners, features, accessories, and more. It has its own problems, of course. The underdeveloped narrative is one clear example, while the lack of difficulty for post-game players is another. But with everything else it brings to the table, the DLC is easily worth the money and then some.
RuneScape: Dragonwilds condenses 25 years of magic into one massive survival crafting open-world game. This major shift from its traditional “Buying GF” MMO roots feels like a natural evolution for a franchise that inspired countless others, and now it’s RuneScape’s turn to take a few pages from its peers. What keeps 1.0 from being the complete package, however, is that this addictive grind eventually hits a wall, as the lack of meaningful endgame content leaves little reason to keep pushing once you’ve conquered its biggest challenges. Still, that hasn’t taken away what makes its gameplay loop so addictive: horizontal progression that's more forgiving for casual players, while still giving you another reason to keep going until you suddenly realize how many hours have passed.
Another Eden Begins understands exactly why classic JRPGs remain so appealing. It takes a familiar formula and gives it enough personality through its time-traveling adventure, earnest characters, satisfying combat, and wealth of content to make the journey feel distinctly its own. Its rougher edges are difficult to ignore, but they never overshadow a game that consistently understands what makes a good adventure worth seeing through to the end.
Minecraft's greatest achievement is not any single mechanic or feature, but how successfully its systems, presentation, community, and continued evolution come together to create a game that can mean something completely different to every player. Its sparse narrative and deliberately simple visuals leave room for interpretation, while an exceptionally flexible sandbox provides practically endless ways to play, build, explore, and create. More than a decade after its release, its ability to remain relevant, welcoming, and endlessly playable is a remarkable accomplishment in itself.
BrokenLore: Don’t Lie is a compelling addition to the franchise, offering an intriguing new perspective on its growing web of interconnected anthologies. Junko’s psychological descent, the mysteries surrounding Elysium, and the connections to the other protagonists give the game plenty of intrigue, especially for players already familiar with the series. However, the short runtime means that Junko’s backstory, the mythology behind the yokais, and Elysium are not explored as deeply as they could be. Even with these shortcomings, Don’t Lie adds meaningful pieces to the larger BrokenLore narrative and gives returning players another perspective worth seeing. It may leave some questions unanswered, but for those already invested in the franchise, there is enough here to make Junko’s story a worthwhile addition.
Marvel’s Wolverine is the definition of all killer, no filler. The game’s visceral and expressive combat system oozes with Logan’s trademark aggressive ferocity, and paired with deeply moving and layered character work the Wolverine has never felt sharper. Gorgeous presentation, a comic-book like structure, and fantastic writing help round out Insomniac’s best superhero outing in years, even when the story takes a stumble. Marvel’s Wolverine equally understands the heart beneath the claws, and in that balancing act it proves itself as the best there is.
Some of the best moments in Orbitals came from my friend and me just stopping to smell the roses. We had a great time figuring out its puzzles together, especially when a simple gadget led to a solution neither of us expected. That sense of discovery carries through the adventure, helped along by a world that is as strange as it is gorgeous. The problem is that some of its best ideas barely have time to develop throughout its 10-hour runtime, whether they come from the story or the mechanics. For all the things we wanted more of, though, we never stopped having fun with the game.
Boiling down Valheim into a single word isn’t easy, what with its multiple biomes, staggering amount of crafting recipes, deceptively complex and detailed base-building mechanics, heart-pounding combat, and all. But if I had to choose, I’d call it epic. I don’t just mean that to describe the game’s awesomeness, of which it has plenty; I also mean that in its saga-like length and the downright mythical feats players get to achieve on their way from simple survival to the halls of Valhalla itself. This is the quintessential hardcore survival experience—don’t ever let anything convince you otherwise.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword sets a new standard when it comes to reviving long-forgotten IPs. The series returns with a vengeance in the RE Engine, where Capcom has shown clear improvements in overall optimization and presentation. And to top it off, the game offers some of the most intuitive combat designs in an action game, which, paired with well-crafted boss fights, creates a memorable experience in multiple ways. After 20 years of dormancy, it feels like the franchise is getting its Resident Evil moment, and we’re sure to see more of the IP in the near future.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a confident dark-fantasy RPG from Rebel Wolves that wears its The Witcher 3 influences proudly while carving out an identity of its own through its 14th-century European setting and ambitious 30-day time system. While its barebones combat and mediocre visual presentation leave more to be desired, the fantastic writing coursing through its veins proves that it’s more than just a shadow of its silver-haired inspiration, leaving plenty of room for Coen’s journey to sink its teeth deeper into fans of this fresh-blooded IP boiling with potential.
There was clearly an attempt to make a good game here. While Crimson Moon’s Unreal Engine-driven environments and the great progression system try their best to carry the experience, the final result is constantly suffocated by the convoluted story, a limited weapon pool, and a lack of accessibility options. Even when the co-op action starts to click, the lethal camera system and the game’s inability to prepare you for its mechanics quickly kill the momentum.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is appropriately a veritable trove of masterclass design choices, such that the original Moonlighter becomes a waning moon by comparison. Aside from its story, the sequel takes everything that made the first game special, stuffs it back onto the shelves, and gives nearly every part of it an upgrade. Maybe it shouldn’t have traded its ending for near-perfection in every other aspect, but it did, and we’re still left with some much-needed roguelite love for the shop layer and an overhauled combat loop that’s closer to traditional roguelite ken. I wouldn’t call that a bad deal, and I think neither would any of Will’s regulars.
Star Wars Zero Company finally delivers on the XCOM style Star Wars experience fans have wanted, and the result is fantastic. It intertwines beautiful, cinematic presentation with some of the sharpest writing and storytelling the series has seen in years and the thrilling, strategic edge of turn-based tactical RPGs. While its technical issues and lack of optimization can prove to be frustrating even on console, the core experience remains gorgeous and deeply compelling. It’s something rare for modern Star Wars: a bold, exciting take on the mythos, and one that actually sparks some genuine intrigue for where the series goes next.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a strong adventure because it knows how to make its puzzles, combat, stealth, and narrative blend together while giving each part enough time to shine. The mystery surrounding Sophia and the island will keep players invested throughout, while the carefully paced reveals give just enough information to keep asking questions without making the answers feel dragged out. There is no point where the gameplay feels unnecessarily bloated or where the narrative slows down just to fill its runtime. With its intuitive gameplay, emotional storytelling, and consistently engaging pacing, Resonance delivers a journey that knows exactly when to push forward and when to let its moments breathe.
How to Fish is a great online co-op game to play with friends, but it’s slightly less enjoyable solo because of its grind-heavy progression. However, when you have a full squad by your side, the game’s chaotic gameplay and boss fights make the repetition much easier to stomach, as you’re immediately pulled into its addictive blend of fishing and first-person shooting, hook, line, and sinker.
Nioh 3: Hell Rising is, for better and worse, a bit more of Nioh 3. Sporting some of the most well-designed areas in the franchise visually and in gameplay, while adding certain features to really push its gameplay loop further. However, its short runtime amplifies the lack of new content in the game. Ultimately, it feels more like an update than a new experience, with a worrying promise that more will come later on.
I had a good time with Brigandine Abyss, but that comes with a lot of caveats. It’s not for everyone—SRPGs rarely are—but more than that, its story never gave me much reason to care about the world or its characters, and its presentation belongs to the early 2010s. What kept me playing was just how good the game’s strategy elements are, especially the amount of time I could spend putting my armies together and figuring out how to get the most out of them. There are plenty of things I wish Abyss did better, but fortunately, it’s very fun to play.
Starsand Island is frustrating precisely because its foundation is so promising. Its satisfying grind, interconnected progression, generous resources, and charming presentation provide the makings of a genuinely enjoyable farming RPG, but a hollow narrative, underdeveloped relationships, and an unfortunate number of bugs keep it from reaching its potential. There is enough here for dedicated farming game fans to enjoy, but at 1.0, it feels like a game that needed more time to grow into the experience it was promising to be.