There are times when you feel obliged to find faults no matter how minor, but in the ten-plus hours spent with Moon Studios' latest, there are none.
Already a masterstroke of design and execution on original release, Metroid Prime Remastered goes one better in cementing Retro's debut Metroid outing as one of gaming's greatest evolutions of a series.
A constantly-rewarding, brilliantly-structured and simply mind-blowing series of rug-pulls, Void Stranger isn't just special, it's a phenomenal showcase of what might be some of the best design in a puzzle game for some time.
Wielding nothing more than a deck of cards and a poker-themed twist on proceedings, developer LocalThunk has conjured something incredible and awe-inspiring with Balatro. What starts as a relatively-novel twist on the deckbuilding format quickly blossoms into an experience that's equal parts methodical, experimental, chaotic but satisfying all the same. A game that rewards clever thinking, mathematical meddling and having the courage to be just that bit braver in uncovering just how far one can push its systems at play. Wherein success and failure alike stand as equally memorable moments to build off. A paradigm for what roguelikes and deckbuilders should aspire towards, Balatro is addictive, expertly-crafted and the new front-runner for what is easily the best gaming experience of 2024.
A masterfully-orchestrated series of puzzles that are both stand-alone and interconnected alike, a brilliant use of a more-restricted color palette emboldening its art-style and aesthetic. And best of all: one of the most curious, perplexing but ultimately satisfying mysteries to see fully unraveled and revealed in its truest form. Combined, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes stands as Simogo's best work to date. Even with a portfolio as creative as theirs, a release deserving of that most lofty of titles: magnum opus.
And yet, while there will likely be times where it seems like the game has cheated you out of a successful parry or likewise isn't sure what counts as a hit or not, it goes without saying that for a studio that had to remortgage just to finish it, what Studio MDHR have crafted here over the course of three years is a special, once-in-a-generation type of game.
To make a fittingly Nintendo-affiliated comparison, Bravely Second: End Layer is to the 3DS what Bayonetta 2 was to the Wii U: a sequel with its own respectable amount of anticipation that, while offering little by way of drastic change, delivers more than enough fresh and returning moments to remind us all (new and veteran players alike) why such a release struck an immeasurable chord in the first place.
Seraph is not just a great game, but a triumphant one built on fusing engaging gameplay with an elegantly-arranged world environment as well as an upgrade system that rewards both statistical investment and personal experimentation. A testament to the design philosophy that if an idea is good, it's usually very good.
Those who’ve had any skepticism that visuals meant to accompany minimally-structured gameplay could strive for greatness need only look at Linelight to have their prejudices proved wrong.
Aside from the most nitpicking of complaints, Yakuza 6 is but another declaration to the well-documented notion that Sega's decade-long series remains one of the finest, most consistent outings in the medium.
After so many subsequent ports and re-releases, little love is lost in a game whose age only elevates its timelessness and whose gracious-but-clever philosophy on enemy engagement makes it a thoroughly unique affair in general.
For as many great, engaging or immersive outings we've already been treated to in the past few years with this genre, Yoku's Island Express can now be added to that same list of essential efforts with an identity that is all its own.
Truth be told, these are but brief and minor gripes in what is a twenty hour quest (should you aim for a full 100% completion) chock full of charm, wit and some of the most mechanically-sound and cleverly-designed platforming you're likely to find this side of 2018.
Not since the days of the original PlayStation or Game Boy has Tetris proven with such ferocity that it remains as enjoyable yet aesthetically-dexterous as it's proven so many a time.
Even so, as uneventful its music may seem, it does little to sway the view that Baba Is You is an outstandingly inventive and delightful puzzle game to crack.
Like Seraph before it, part of the enjoyment with Children of Morta lies not just in cleverly rampaging through wave after wave of foe, but also in the relief of surviving the ordeal through a measured balance of skill and strategy.
The only real fault you can attribute to Trails of Cold Steel III is how it doesn't quite match the lofty heights the previous two titles deservedly reached.
Even with these minor annoyances - not least those carried over from previous games in the series - what brief frustrations that do surface are quickly and easily eclipsed by everything else going on in Like a Dragon. Or more appropriately, by the sheer scale of deviation and conviction that this year's entry shows in proving that this genre of gameplay - this more classically RPG-centric approach - is an unquestionably excellent fit for the series.
Though it may harbor the same delightful and immersive single-player offerings as the 2018 original, there's no doubting that the online and competitive expansion to Tetris Effect has only heightened Resonair's work evermore.
There's no doubting the similarities and equally-familiar ground Everhood is treading here and of its intentions to pull the rug from out the player's feet.