Game8's Reviews
Eriksholm is a quiet, deliberate journey. One that grips not through spectacle, but through emotional weight and precision. Its dedication to methodical stealth, evocative storytelling, and meticulous visual design creates an experience that feels both intimate in scale and grand in intent. Yet, its unforgiving structure and limited room for experimentation may leave some players behind. What it offers is polished and poignant, but not universally inviting.
What starts as a straightforward romp quickly reveals itself to be one of Nintendo’s most creative and mechanically playful platformers in a long time. Donkey Kong Bananza's level design is smart, the gameplay mechanics even more so, and the sheer joy of controlled destruction never really gets old. Even with a few performance hiccups and a main campaign that flies by quicker than expected, there’s a ton to dig into here if you’re willing to peel off its many layers (pun very much intended).
Back to the Dawn is a masterfully crafted RPG that pulls no punches—an unflinching dive into the grit and grind of prison life, where every decision carries weight and survival hinges on strategy. With a cast of brilliantly written anthropomorphic inmates, it delivers a raw, rewarding experience that lingers long after the final escape.
EDENS ZERO sets out to honor the spirit of Mashima’s beloved series but ends up feeling more like an unfinished beta than a fully realized RPG. There are glimmers of enjoyment—janky-but-fun combat and a few heartfelt character moments—but they’re buried beneath outdated visuals, a bland open world, a rushed narrative, a repetitive gameplay loop, and an overall lack of polish.
Patapon 1+2 Replay finally gives these quirky rhythm-strategy games the treatment they deserve. It not only polishes up the originals but also significantly improves upon the 2020 remasters with quality-of-life enhancements we never realized were missing. It’s still as grindy, as bizarre, and as utterly unique as ever, even almost two decades on. It’s a bit disappointing that this collection excludes Patapon 3, but what’s here marches to the beat just fine.
SplitGate 2 is, at best, a half-baked mix of better games. With a meager selection of classes, weak loadout variety, a forgettable battle royale mode, and even more battle pass slop, it’s a shooter that barely leaves an impression—let alone earns your time.
Nice Day for Fishing is a game with a charmingly absurd premise, surprisingly fun fishing-based combat, and a world that feels handcrafted for laughs and lighthearted discovery. But while the first impression is strong, the pacing falters. Progression can feel like a slow trudge, with repetitive quests and a late-arriving fast travel system that adds unnecessary friction. It’s delightful in bursts, but not consistently engaging throughout.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is nostalgic fever dream that is an upgrade in more ways than one, despite it not being completely faithful to the original games.
Mecha BREAK has tons of potential, with fast-paced gameplay, stunning visuals, and diverse mecha classes—though a few systems feel clunky and the audio underdelivers. Its biggest drawback is aggressive, overpriced monetization, but thankfully, none of it is required to enjoy the core experience.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a faithful update that preserves the original’s chilling cyberpunk horror and rewarding RPG gameplay, while adding solid visual upgrades and surprise multiplayer. Its age still shows in places, but it’s a thrilling return to a cult classic that helped shape games like BioShock.
Tamagotchi Plaza is delightful in the moment, but fleeting in memory. Its charm is immediate—bright, nostalgic, and effortlessly engaging—but the magic thins fast. With shallow story beats and mini-games that lose their luster, it’s a game that is entertaining, but not enduring.
The bottom line of it all is that Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is fun, despite the repetitiveness and some smudges. Yes, at face value, you’re managing horse girls with names lifted from real-life racing legends like Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and T.M. Opera O, but under that oddball concept is a fun sports management game. It’s the kind of experience that sounds ridiculous when you try to explain it to your friends—believe me, I tried—but quickly snowballs into something that’s hard to put down the moment you actually start playing, which, in my case, translated to me spending literal hours glued to my PC and phone, looking up guides, micromanaging stats, and watching gloriously over-the-top race cutscenes that had no business being as hype as they are.
Hideo Kojima set out to craft a timeless yet divisive experience—but in the end, he only succeeded at one. Death Stranding 2 may not spark controversy, but it will be remembered. It’s far from perfect, still echoing some of the original’s flaws, yet it feels profoundly personal—raw, human, and unapologetically honest. More than a sequel, it’s a culmination. A quiet masterpiece that may very well be Kojima’s magnum opus.
The Devil Summoner’s journey is far from over—and we’re more than ready for the next case, because RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is an absolute masterclass in how to reintroduce a cult classic. It doesn’t just preserve the soul of the original—it enhances it in every way, breathing new life into one of ATLUS’ most stylish and underrated titles.
Mario Kart World may not be the cleanest ride in the series, but between its fun modes, expansive open world, and sheer replayability, there’s a lot to love under the hood. The bloat and some odd choices occasionally throw a banana peel in front of the fun, but they rarely send the whole kart spinning. With enough friends and willingness to explore its quirks, it’s an addictive racer that keeps pulling you back in.
PEAK is short, sharp, and brutal—in the best way. Its tight mechanics, clever co-op design, and devilish biomes make every climb memorable, even when the servers don’t hold up. While bugs and communication issues occasionally get in the way, the game’s charm and challenge more than make up for it, especially considering the price. This is the kind of game that doesn’t just test your reflexes—it tests your friendships, and somehow makes that feel rewarding.
Survival Kids is exactly what it sounds like: a game for kids. It's not reinventing the co-op gaming, but it sails along smoothly thanks to its co-op design and low-stress puzzles. It's definitely best with a buddy or two, especially one who won't lose it when you "accidentally" toss logs off a cliff. A few clunky design choices and some repetitive bits keep it from hitting a higher score, but as a family-friendly adventure, it totally nails its target. You probably won't remember the plot, but you might just crack up thinking about the fifth time your raft went belly-up.
FBC: Firebreak is a solid idea held back by a premium price and early-access-level polish. At $40 (more on PlayStation), it feels more like a mid-roadmap build than a finished 1.0 release. The core gameplay, story, and production are strong, but missing QoL features, sparse content, and optimization issues drag it down. Remedy may patch things up in time, but right now, Firebreak just isn’t worth the ask.
REMATCH is the ultimate arcade soccer game out there when it works. With network issues and game-breaking bugs, Sloclap has to resolve these issues before they can score the golden goal.
Unlike the original Shadowverse, which was known for its free-to-play generosity, Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond currently lacks that same accessibility. Players can still get a lot out of the game, but its monetization model and the new liquefy system are different and, frankly, less player-friendly. This is especially disheartening considering how much the original's accessibility contributed to its widespread appeal. Worlds Beyond retains the core Shadowverse experience fans love, with added mechanics and the more personalized Shadowverse Park, but it feels like it's lost some of its soul to the pursuit of profit.