Game8's Reviews
PRAGMATA successfully blends a Metroidvania-esque exploration loop with a unique hacking and shooting combat system, all anchored by a highly moving father-daughter narrative set on the moon. Despite its lengthy development history, the game was worth all of the anticipation and wait, delivering an exceptional presentation and engaging mechanics, making it an outstanding action-adventure title that should not be missed.
Pokemon Champions feels like a title that suddenly had to launch due to chasing a specific quarterly report. While otherwise nearly perfect as a platform, lacking a multitude of very important items on release makes the game feel fundamentally incomplete. The paywalled quality-of-life additions are also a major deterrent, especially for those who expected a way to engage with VGC without owning the mainline games. It's still a wonderful attempt at making competitive Pokemon more accessible, though, and is definitely something that'll only improve in time.
Even though People of Note doesn’t always find its rhythm, it’s still a decent turn-based RPG with a strong identity. The story and characters are likable and relatable, but the pacing rushes important beats and leaves some arcs feeling undercooked. It’s consistently enjoyable, sure, just not as deep or as bold as it could have been, especially in its gameplay mechanics.
Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike proves that anything can become a hit roguelike if designed well enough. Not content to just slap some roguelike mechanics on an existing idea, Raccoin presents something uniquely addicting across a complex, layered gameplay progression that goes beyond comparative description. All that for much less than an arcade trip would cost. Forget breaking a dollar for the coin pusher, take all of mine for Raccoin!
Super Meat Boy 3D is much more than just a 3D retelling of a beloved title; it’s an exercise of mastery of platforming design, made in the image of a cube. Though far from accessible (despite its best efforts) and still somewhat similar to its predecessor, the inclusion of Dark World Levels and the design space opened by an entire new dimension of space gives it a platform to stand on. Best you load up on controllers, because Meat Boy’s back on the menu.
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is Cooking Simulator 1’s seemingly more put together younger sibling—less chaotic, more structured, but still entertaining to a point. However, it suffers from its plethora of bugs that range from mildly annoying to actually game-breaking and soft-locking, as well as a clunky UI, that dampen the experience. Nonetheless, it’s still a decent game—maybe just wait for a couple more patches.
Subliminal isn’t perfect, but it knows how to get under your skin. Some rough edges and unforgiving segments prevent it from being flawless, yet the story, atmosphere, and psychological tension pull you in and keep you thinking even after completing an ending. While it may not appeal to everyone, for those willing to dive into its eerie corridors and confront Caleb’s fracturing mind, it delivers a sharp, immediate sense of horror that keeps your heart racing while you’re playing.
GRIME 2 is a direct improvement to all aspects of its predecessor and doubles down on what makes it great in the first place. Featuring a unique aesthetic, deep combat systems, and textbook Metroidvania exploration, this is a title worth playing for fans of the genre.
Despite being heralded as one of the more underrated games in the Mega Man franchise, Capcom did absolutely everything in its power to showcase the best version of the Star Force trilogy, and it shows. From added quality-of-life features, restored content, and adjusted gameplay mechanics from the old touch-screen only controls, on top of how great these games already were, they have delivered their arguably best remaster collection to date.
Life is Strange: Reunion delivers a carefully crafted send-off for longtime fans, full of emotional depth, nuanced character relationships, and a story that rewards attention to the smallest details. While the gameplay can feel limited and technical hiccups occasionally distract, the strength of the narrative, the exceptional audio, and the quiet, intimate moments carry the experience. It may not be flawless, but Reunion is a heartfelt farewell to Max and Chloe.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is already a great game, and its Switch 2 upgrade only makes it better with cleaner visuals. Meetup in Bellabel Park, though, feels a lot less essential. Some content, like the challenge stages in Toad Brigade Training Camp, has fun ideas, but the bulk of the expansion is short-lived minigames and remixes of previous levels. It’s still a nice excuse to replay the game, but most of what’s new doesn’t stick for long or feels like it truly adds much.
Warframe's Switch 2 port looks and runs just as Digital Extremes has promised. The visual upgrades, fast load times, and overall stability showcase the hardware's strengths and make it one of the best ports for the long-standing MMO looter-shooter hybrid. Not to mention its longevity. While there are some issues with the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode and some bugs, it's still a port worth trying, especially since it's free.
Screamer is a colorful, chaotic, fast, and fun arcade racer that manages to pair high-octane gameplay with a surprisingly robust narrative. It’s not perfect—progression is limited, and certain campaign restrictions can be frustrating—but the unique mechanics, engaging characters, and fast-paced races make it a standout in its genre. For fans of classic arcade racing, it’s a title that hits almost all the right notes.
Timberborn is a good, almost natural, marriage of two genres that couldn’t quite surpass its own issues to become something greater than the sum of its parts. Late mechanics implementation, lower replayability than expected for a 1.0, and unhelpful tutorials all drag down an otherwise amazing game. There’s much holding it back and much holding it up, amounting to a great, but imperfect title overall.
Ariana and the Elder Codex doesn’t do anything absurdly new, but it understands what makes this kind of game work and sticks to it. The combat and build variety carry the experience, even when the story becomes predictable and the enemy design feels thin. It’s a solid and well-made action-platformer that’s easy to enjoy, as long as you know what you’re getting into.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 feels like a prematurely released game that could have been truly great. It’s got everything from the series’ signature monster collecting mechanics, the gritty turn-based combat, and much, much better audiovisuals than its predecessors. Unfortunately, beyond the bloat of grinding for stronger monsters and watching filler, there’s not much content to actually engage in.
Crimson Desert is a sprawling adventure across a vast and living world that rewards every hour you put into it. The core gameplay evolves with your progress, introducing upgradable skills and increasingly demanding boss fights, with plenty of content to discover. While the narrative initially lacks direction and its threads can feel disconnected, this never outweighs the game’s many strengths. Crimson Desert is a slow burn that rewards time, patience, and curiosity.
Etrange Overlord is a classic case of a game hiding its true value between its surface level qualities. It has the developers’ trademark humor and audiovisuals, coupled with some very basic controls, only dragged down by some very rough camerawork and first impressions. But beyond that, it offers an incredibly diverse experience and a memorable story; easily another gem for Nippon Ichi’s already star-studded lineup.
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince succeeds as a visually appealing and emotionally resonant fable, but it often struggles to function as an engaging video game. The storybook presentation is memorable, but the shallow puzzles and clunky platforming make the actual journey underwhelming. It is a beautiful piece of storytelling that unfortunately lacks the polish to match its artistic ambition.
Ghost of Yotei: Legends is a must-try DLC for owners of the base game, as they’re quite literally just improving on what was offered before. With top-notch presentation and the same engaging gameplay loop, it’s one of the more underrated multiplayer experiences out right now.