ZTGD's Reviews
Ghost of Yōtei is another outstanding achievement by the team at Sucker Punch. While I didn’t love it as much as its predecessor, it is still one of the best games to launch this year. Sony continues to push the envelope when it comes to single player experiences. I just wish they would step outside of the template more often. This game hits all the notes I expected, for better or worse, and it suffered at times because of it. It rarely disappointed me, but it also rarely blew my socks off. I wanted to love it more, but it just played some parts too safe to make it stand out.
Echoes of the End won’t be for everyone. If you need endless sidequests, checklists, or high-octane action around every corner, this might feel too subdued. But if you appreciate a more deliberate pace, strong presentation, and a story that respects your time, it’s worth diving into. At the end of the day, it’s not a perfect package, but it’s a memorable one. And during a time where there are more games than we have hours in a day; that may be Echoes of the End greatest strength.
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite isn’t going to be for everyone. If you come looking for high-octane action, you’ll probably bounce off quickly. But if you’re patient and willing to embrace its deliberate pacing, there’s a rewarding experience here. It’s niche, no doubt, but it’s a niche worth exploring.
Abiotic Factor is ambitious and often fun, but it’s also clunky and uneven. When it clicks, it really feels like what would happen if Gordon Freeman never picked up a crowbar and only used science. When it doesn’t, you’ll feel the grind, the jank, and the imbalance drag things down. It’s still easy to recommend to survival fans looking for something fresh and cooperative, and the fact that it’s on Game Pass but know going in: this feels like more of a brilliant experiment than polished product.
Mafia: The Old Country is a solid entry in the long-running franchise. I love the focus on the story, and the runtime is welcome in a world of bloat. The performances are stellar and the visuals fantastic outside of the performance issues. Anyone who enjoys a good mob story should not miss this.
Bubsy is a weird character. So many old school gamers know and love him but will freely admit they are bad games. Yet here we are in the year of our lord 2025 and getting one of the best compilations created for a collection of games that so many people do not enjoy. I love it. We need to preserve all games, and I only wish we could get collections like this for every series that has been forgotten by time. This won’t make you love Bubsy, but if you have even an ounce of nostalgia, this is a no-brainer.
Metal Eden doesn’t try to be everything. It isn’t a sprawling open world, and it isn’t a 40-hour epic. What it is, though, is a concentrated shot of kinetic energy. If Doom is the power fantasy and Titanfall is the movement masterclass, Metal Eden is the scrappy cousin that blends the two into something that’s lean, stylish, and just plain fun but repetitive.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an impressive first effort by Sega to re-ignite their classic franchises. The year of the ninja has delivered, and if the rest of their lineup is this good, we are in for a treat. The campaign is short enough to digest, long enough to keep players coming back, and overall is just a blast to play. Even if you don’t have nostalgia for the original games, this is worth checking out. Now bring back Eternal Champions cowards!
Madden 26 is the biggest upgrade in years. The revamped franchise mode is great, the on-field mechanics are a welcome change, and it just feels good to play. I ran into several glitches early on, that seem to have been ironed out over the weeks after release.
Shuten Order is a game of great ambition, unfortunately lacking in execution and polish to properly shoulder the weight of said ambition. While there is a good story to experience and some great moments sprinkled throughout the adventure, the issues with its storytelling and half-baked gameplay elements makes it come far short of its lofty ambitions.
At the end of the day, Titanic Scion is a step forward for the series in some areas but still weighed down by the same problems that kept the original from reaching greatness. If you loved the first game, you’ll find more of what you enjoy here, and the mech customization remains a highlight.
If you’re already invested in Cobra’s universe as I am, you’ll find things to enjoy here. If you’re not, this probably isn’t the game that’s going to win you over.
Discounty isn’t trying to be a sprawling life simulator, and that’s exactly why it works. It focuses on shopkeeping and small-town charm, and in those areas it succeeds. The store management loop is fun, the characters are memorable, and the atmosphere is cozy in a way that few games pull off.
So, the big question is this worth revisiting with the HD collection with the original already existing. For me it is a mixed bag. I loved revisiting this absolute classic. The new visuals really do look amazing, and the minor quality of life improvements make it easier to just enjoy the game. Still, I would have loved to see so much more included or updated.
While Iwakura Aria isn’t Mages Inc’s best work, the mystery of the Iwakura family was one well worth uncovering, featuring a great sense of suspense and foreboding dread that kept me reading well past my bedtime.
Sengoku Dynasty is a game I wanted to love. I see the pieces of something truly unique, but those pieces never come together. The constant grind, poor villager AI, empty world, and clunky systems overshadow the good ideas. It’s not unplayable; it just isn’t enjoyable for long stretches.
Fantasy Finds is exactly the kind of DLC Two Point fans have come to expect: not earth-shattering, but smart, funny, and designed to deepen the systems you already love.
Gradius Origins is a phenomenal package that has just about everything you could want from one of these. The games included are incredible, they created a new entry just for the collection, and the additions and inclusions are simply amazing.
Ra Ra Boom has style and ambition, but style alone can’t make up for undercooked gameplay that never fully clicks. Combat is rough around the edges, the lane system just feels ‘there’ and the story lacks any real staying power. Ra Ra Boom feels like the type of game that presents well in motion and in screenshots but the fun starts to waiver the more time you spend with it.
Donkey Kong Bananza should have launched with the Switch 2. This is the first game that has made me super excited to own the console. This is the next great platformer from Nintendo and gives me even more excitement for the next proper Mario game. DK holds his own though and I cannot recommend this enough. If you have a Switch 2, this game should be in your library.