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The Kingdom Hearts series is at its best on Steam. With Deck support and (mostly) improved textures, each game looks and plays amazingly. There are still a few hitches, namely in frame pacing on Deck, the 30fps cutscene cap in ReMIX, and some mistakes in upscaled textures, but it's still a great way to experience the story up until Melody of Memory.
Monster Hunter Stories may be the lesser game compared to its sequel, but that doesn't mean it's not worth playing. It's a fun, lighthearted take on the monster collecting genre with a deep battle system and tons of Monsties to befriend. This version is better than ever, with gorgeous visuals and hammy voice acting, and is worth a try for any RPG fan.
It's about time Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin made its way onto PlayStation. I'm a bit sad that there isn't a native PlayStation 5 port, but the current PS4 one is solid through and through. The smooth and high frame rates are a treat but the long load times leave more to be desired. If you're looking for a party turn-based JRPG as your next game on your PlayStation, then Wings of Ruin is definitely worth checking out.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive way to experience SMTV. The new story is much more interesting and makes a perfect entry point for Persona fans, though it does miss out on some important plot points. The tweaks to combat make things feel that much tighter and strategic. With new bosses that even veterans will struggle with, Vengeance feels like an entirely new game.
I want to love El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, but the HD Remaster on Switch is not the place to do so. It runs so poorly you can't even navigate menus properly. Even besides those problems, the action and platforming are incredibly bland and the story is nigh incomprehensible, even as someone who loves artsy titles.The visuals are drop dead gorgeous and the voice acting is good, but that's not enough to carry a game.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door on Switch shows why the game is considered one of the best in the first place. It's a magical, fun, and hilarious adventure with some dark turns that give a new perspective on Mario's world. Additions and changes are sometimes small, yet very significant, but this remake doesn't quite make the game a painless experience. Even so, it's well worth playing again and again for a reminder of why we fell in love with Paper Mario in the first place.
While it doesn't rewrite the history books of gaming, Astor: Blade of the Monolith is a solid first outing for C2 Game Studio. The combination of a great combat loop with fantastic visuals is a winner, and although the story is a bit devoid of substance, is still an entertaining tale. This is certainly a game the devs can build upon, with potential shining through.
Digital Eclipse has made this journey as earnest and effortless as possible. For those who want to forge a deeper bond with the medium (you know who you are), Wizardry 2.0's worth your time and money.
MLB The Show 24 is the ace of the sports sim industry. Building upon last year's impeccable Storylines mode and adding small improvements to existing game modes, San Diego Studio have built a complete experience that makes it hard to find anything negative to say.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a stunning and immersive storytelling experience that really puts the player into the mind of its titular character. It's even more narratively-focused than the first game (not to its detriment), with a bigger emphasis on how Senua sees and interacts with the world around her. The whole experience from start to finish has been beyond memorable.
The core draft environment of Thunder Junction is fantastic. I love westerns and this set represents a weird west I am happy to explore. The new mechanics and themes are well designed and offer a ton of fun draft archetypes to play. Thunder Junction does have three separate extra card pools that are added into the draft set. The extra cards are very powerful and can lead the gameplay to the meaner side of MtG. If you're not prepared for this it could quickly sour your experience. While these extra cards did put a bit of a damper on my experience, the overall set is enough fun that I was ok with the occasional negative game. If you're looking for some weird west in your MtG, mosey on over to Thunder Junction and give it a try.
1000xResist is one of those special games from a team of individuals laser focused on creating their masterpiece. It's story is meaningful, gripping, and heartfelt. This is a work of art you absolutely need to play.
Endless Ocean Luminous' highs come early, with a relaxing atmosphere and excitement of seeing new sea creatures and learning about them. Those highs quickly drop off and what you're left with is an often frustrating, bland game that completely abandoned what made the series special in the first place.
Homeworld 3 is everything I hoped it could be. It improves on its predecessors in every conceivable way, and adds meaningful new features including a cooperative War Games mode. I never thought it would happen again, but I'm happy to report…the mothership has cleared the scaffold...we are away once again.
Cyber Citizen Shockman 3 is fun at times, mainly thanks to its goofy sense of humor and fun cutscenes and characters, though the basic hack and slash combat paired with inconsistent and often brutal difficulty grows stale quickly. Still, the levels are varied, ranging from city skylines and industrial buildings to demonic underground lairs, and the ever-changing enemies help keep the player's attention throughout its seven short levels. Cheats and bonuses help provide a bit more bang for the buck, but for only $6, there's enough here to justify picking this game up and killing an hour or two.
Little Kitty, Big City gets the assignment, but doesn't completely land on all four paws. The exploration is a blast, the world is delightful, and the side characters can steal the spotlight. I just felt like my time here was too short, and without much going on during it.
Sea of Thieves on PS5 is another great way to play a good multiplayer game. There's a lot more content now than at launch, with tons of things to do either solo or with a crew. With cross-play and save, a wealth of convenience options, and even more coming down the pirate pipeline, this may be the perfect time to brave the Sea of Thieves.
Even though Another Crab's Treasure doesn't break the mold of your typical Souls-like game, it's a charming one thanks to its funny and not-so-serious mood. The hilarious yet practical accessibility features along with a colorful cast of characters make this one of the best indie Souls-likes to date. Who knew that one of my favorite indie games of this year would involve a hermit crab setting off on a deep sea adventure to take back his shell?
While not every gambit succeeds, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes delivers us the spiritual successor we all dared to hope for, but never expected to get. While things like the War Mode and some balance issues and bugs will require additional attention, there's a great JRPG here worth playing.
The Rising Tide may not offer anything new or novel to Final Fantasy XVI, but it does continue its streak of incredibly polished and fun gameplay. The story is a nice cherry on top of the main adventure, and the Karios Gate mode will keep you coming back for more.