While I wasn’t there for the original, I now completely get just why Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is so revered among Mario fans, and why demands for a remaster were practically ceaseless. It’s the absolute pinnacle of Mario RPGs, and if it was a bit more focused as an overall narrative experience, in the discussion as one of the plumber’s best-ever games.
As it stands, it’s very hard - if not impossible - to recommend Alone in the Dark in its current state. Even if you can look beyond the blandness of its design, story, and gameplay, the sheer lack of polish is far too frustrating to warrant spending any money on. It’s a game that, without exaggeration, I had been looking forward to for years. All that’s left now, though, is a sour taste.
Resident Evil 4 remake breathes fresh life into the beloved game, delivering a perfect upgrade on the gameplay, story, and aesthetics of a horror classic.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a fresh dawn for the franchise, spinning expectations on their head to great effect. It's a bright and charming storybook blast!
Kirby's Return to Dream Land is a much-welcomed entry in the beloved series, remastering the game with brilliant tweaks and unlimited charm.
The Dead Space remake is a near-perfect game - brimming with terror, laced with great combat, and slowly unearthing an intriguing story. This is how to do a remake!
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a competent 3D platformer that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but provided plenty of fun.
The Callisto Protocol gave me nightmares. It's the best horror game of the year, and a bright new contender in the survival horror genre.
Sonic Frontiers wrangles with a muddled plot and messy technical performance, but the innovation and sheer ambition make it a joy to sprint through.
Gotham Knights is worth playing for its story and characters, but its RPG stylings feel counterintuitive and clunky compared to the Arkham games.
Bayonetta 3 may not reinvent the wheel, but its lightning-fast action and engaging gameplay push the Switch to its limits.
While the core racing and range of vehicles in MX vs ATV Legends are undeniably fun, the overall lack of polish and utterly disappointing online modes make it tough to recommend over its rivals.
The core gameplay and design of Itadaki Smash make for a zippy beat 'em up, but the lack of extra servings may leave you wanting a bit more.
Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to survival horror, but it's an engrossing thrill ride nonetheless.
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a welcome return for the sub-series, with engaging gameplay that papers over the thin variety of modes.
MotoGP 22 is a faithful and challenging entry in the two-wheeler series, though it may not convert those put off by its gruelling difficulty spike.
After years of always feeling like he's never quite reached his potential, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the sort of series-defining triumph worthy of Nintendo's flagship blob. Kirby finally has his Super Mario Galaxy, his Sonic Mania, his Star Fox 64. And I for one, am delighted by that.
Rune Factory 5 is a solid revival of a franchise without a new entry for the best part of ten years. It pushes the formula forwards thanks to its 3D perspective, and nails the gameplay that made the series such a hit in the first place.
The love that Polyphony Digital has for motor racing seeps through in every pixel, and the final product is a genre-defining victory lap for the Gran Turismo series.
The main quality that a Guardians of the Galaxy game absolutely needs is the charm to win over those who may be fatigued by the contemporary superhero landscape. Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy does that, and then some. It has a gripping story that’s best experienced first-hand, brilliant characterization, and the rebellious personality that these characters deserve. It’s a sci-fi third-person shooter operating at its peak, and you’ll be gripped at every step of the way.