With an epic plot and a neat combat system that blends the best of turn-based and real-time combat, Trails Through Daybreak is a welcome new entry in the long-standing Legend of Heroes series from Falcom. The best part? You don't need to play through the past Legend of Heroes games as Trails Through Daybreak is a great starting point, featuring new and likeable characters, as well as a fun battle system to get into, all the while complementing its world-spanning plotlines.
While hardcore action gamers may not find the game too deep, ZZZ’s combat is meaty enough to warrant repeated playthroughs and try out different character combinations. Despite its platinum shackles, there’s much fun to be had in following the cyberpunk anime adventures of Wise and Belle: video renters by day, rogue navigators by night.
Elden Ring's big expansion just adds more beautiful brutality and action RPGing carnage to its already-tough base. Shadow of the Erdtree is meant to test the mettle of the game's hardcore audience and isn't going to let up soon. This isn't going to change your mind about From Software's approach to its dungeon crawlers: it's either "get good" or go home and it intends to keep the messaging that way with its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The expansion's new offerings and updates, as well as epic boss fights, are still as grand and challenging as ever to the point that you may see optional boss Malenia (both versions) from the base game as a "walk in the park".
Shin Megami Tensei V back in 2021 was an epic JRPG that really needed a better core story (or a superior method of telling it) and better hardware to run, along with some interface tweaks. The Vengeance revamp fixes all of that and adds in a lot more, making this entry the definitive version of an already-stellar post-apocalyptic demon-summoning Nahobino-ing experience. With a lovingly crafted world with warranted upgrades, a huge cast of powerhouses to summon and recruit for your uber-demon army, a banging soundtrack with more awesome aural extras added, and a better framerate for the overall graphical experience, this is one literal hell of an adventure to dive into.
As far as platformers go though, Umbraclaw is pretty unique. Give it a go if you feel like you had your fill with overpowered-at-the-end main characters in their 2D platformer games, and opt to rely on skill using a cat and its shadowdash.
While the story & gameplay's broad strokes might be familiar, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2's execution, perspective, and overall production values are just stellar and highlights Ninja Theory's strengths in delivering what it does best: story-heavy cinematic gaming. The characters are fleshed out and well-written, with proper focus on your main character and her turmoils that carry over from the first game, the fighting feels weighty and challenging without being completely frustrating, and the HUD-less approach to presentation is welcome.
Animal Well makes a damn good first impression with its awesomely-crafted pixel art, moody aesthetics, and ambient sound work. And within hours while you're playing and even after finishing the game (6 to 8 hours tops), you won't forget a sight like Animal Well.
The only major issue in Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns is that it's not as detailed or fleshed out as the Tides of the Foscari DLC. But with such a steal of a price tag to use Contra characters and go hog wild on the rest of the game and DLC stages with overpowered superguns? There's really not much fault to find in that, if I'm being honest.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes perfectly captures the zeitgeist period of Japanese role-playing games of the late 90s, faults and all. [...] Players who yearn for the days of an epic fantasy story with solid turn-based combat & dungeon puzzle shenanigans most immersive will find a lot to love in this heartfelt tribute from the late Yoshitaka Murayama and his team Rabbit & Bear Studios.
Dragon's Dogma 2 may not be for everyone, but if you want a fantasy role-playing game with all the thrills and excitement (and caveats) that make you want to better yourself and get immersed in, sink your teeth into this monster mash. Though if you just got off the first game and the Dark Arisen expansion pretty recently, you may want to wait until the game gets a discount. If you're fresh in, go for it with dragonfire-tempered expectations.
With great controls, a decent learning curve, and fun levels and lovely aesthetics, Pepper Grinder fills in the short-but-sweet arcade gaming niche that we love out of a twitch-based indie offering. Drill out!
Berserk Boy wears its inspiration loud and proud; our main character Kei even has afterimages from dashing similar to the Mega Man Zero/ZX series. True, it has some audio issues and requires you to play it to perfection for the best outcome, but that's the norm for these kinds of retro-styled titles that try their best to cater towards hardcore platformer audiences. And for a game of this calibre to be made by one solo developer? That is a helluva achievement. If you need a speedy 2D platforming challenge with a nifty Mega Man-inspired soundtrack (and suit-changing gameplay), Berserk Boy will sort you out.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a huge improvement over FFVII Remake because it doesn’t need to stretch the 3-hour closed portion of its source material to the point of insane padding. Unfortunately, the last quarter of the game’s plot is really not doing it for me and falls flat, thus derailing the entire narrative that opens up more questions and answers. Regardless, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an ambitious and well-made take on a huge chunk of a 1997 JRPG wonderchild and does justify the purchase of the PlayStation 5 for what it offers. Final Fantasy VII fans from back than and the remake will find a lot to love and cherish here. Just make sure you’ve done your homework before jumping in.
Penny's Big Breakaway is a godsend for those who lost all hope for 3D platformers making it big. While I'm not a fan of the main character's aesthetic and the last few levels being pretty buggy, the overall game & experience were given a lot of care and thought by Evening Star. Besides, gameplay & level design matters, and this yo-yo-centric misadventure has it in spades, along with some charm and boppin' tunes to jive to courtesy of composer Tee Lopes. If you love 3D platformers and can't get enough of replaying the same levels over and over for the best times & scores possible while finding out new platforming tricks with yo-yo-style shenanigans, this one will do it for you.
The gameplay and note charts are serviceable enough, while its pop songs feel monotonous to listen to over time. At the very least, the game’s price tag and rough playtime of 3 hours seems appropriate from what I’ve played. And it made me want to play the other two mothership Gunvolt games out of curiosity. So mission accomplished with the cross-promotion idea, I guess. Unless you’re a diehard Inti Creates fan or a rhythm game fan who tapped out of other games like Spin Rhythm XD and needs some of that indie anime flavour, it’s a little tough to recommend this niche entry to everyone else.
Rocksteady's attempt at a pure action game with loot and live service mechanics isn't the worst thing out there, but it isn't exactly brimming with excitement. While shy of reaching the heights of Destiny or even the two Division games from Ubisoft, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League stands mildly tall at being just competent and serviceable, with one or two key story moments that are genuinely well-done.
If you've played The Last Of Us Part 2 before and really, REALLY want to play the game in 60fps and don't mind killing a few hours on a roguelike action title using the game's brand of crafting and survival combat, I do suggest waiting for a price drop or PlayStation Plus version of this title. If you're either impatient OR it's your first time diving into this? By all means jump into the depressing world ruled by cordyceps-plagued zombie people and cruel military factions. The story's divisive and isn't as well-plotted out like the first one, but it's got some good shooting and survival horror coatings to tide you over its other flaws.
I never thought 2024 would start with a banger of a 2D title, especially from a company like Ubisoft that's known for copy-pasta open-world games, yet here we are. While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has elements from other 2D search action titles, it adds a few more innovations and uses its platforming and level design talent to create a remarkable and memorable platforming and sword-slinging experience, polish and all. Give this Metroidvania a whirl; you'll be pleased to know that it keeps the Prince of Persia platforming legacy alive and very well, thanks to its new search action trappings.
Truth be told, GBVS Rising's fighting mechanics can get overwhelming, and it still comes off a bit short when compared to this year's 2D fighting crown jewel Street Fighter 6. Still, you have to give credit where credit's due: instead of leaving this 2D game to die, Arc System Works and co. breathed new life to an already-solid 2D fighting game and reworked it for a new audience. Welcome back, Granblue Fantasy Versus. We've missed you and your half-anime-half-traditional-fighting-game-like ways.
Trust me when I say that Pizza Tower fills in that 2D platforming niche that can be enjoyed by casual fans and hardcore connoisseurs who long for Nintendo to make a new non-minigame Wario title that isn’t simplified garbage. With developer Tour De Pizza around keeping the dream alive, we don’t need it. Pizza Tower is a superior substitute that takes what its developers learn from past Wario Land platformers and makes it fresh again.