It Takes Two seamlessly blends multiple genres to successfully deliver a therapeutic coop experience for couples.
All in all, From Software's latest succeeds in offering the ultimate Dark Souls experience. Save for a few uninspiring boss encounters, this is indeed a return to form for the series and a must-play for Souls and RPG fans alike.
The icing on the cake is the game’s splendid audiovisual design. Taking advantage of the Vita’s more capable hardware, Ultra Despair Girls brings Towa City and its inhabitants to life with more detailed environments and character models, all while retaining Spike Chunsoft’s trademark art style. The game also brings back remixed versions of the classic audio tracks from previous Danganronpa titles. Despite not sounding all that different from their original iterations, they’re a treat to listen to and go a long way towards setting the right mood for Ultra Despair Girls’ comic and tense moments.
Titanfall 2 is Titanfall 1 done right. It offers a deeper multiplayer experience, and also brings value with its short but thrilling campaign.
The lack of online multiplayer hurts the longevity of what is otherwise the most engaging and addictive twin stick shooter yet.
Turn 10 has finally managed to master the formula of making a great racing game with the release of Forza Motorsport 7. Not only the game is technically one of the most impressive I have seen, it also has an excellent gameplay design that should please the racing fans for a long time.
Persona 5 Royal is a love letter from Atlus to Persona 5 fans. It’s essential for RPG enthusiasts who have yet to experience the original, but the amount of fan service here also makes it worth checking out for series veterans.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice marks the artful fusion of Tenchu’s core design philosophy with the tried and tested Souls formula. Its fresh combat loop offers tense and engaging moment-to-moment gameplay that tests your wits and rewards you for your concentration, all while making things more accessible without taking away the soul of the experience.
Devil May Cry 5 is a worthy entry in one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history. While it tends to play it safe in certain areas, it more than makes up for it with its fluid, fresh, and familiar gameplay and over-the-top action.
Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition is true to its title in terms of new content and features. If you can deal with a slight visual downgrade, the improved performance certainly makes it a better experience overall.
Technical issues aside, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is the definitive edition of an already fantastic experience. In terms of narrative, it is to Western games what 13 Sentinels is to Japanese games.
Some lobby and connectivity quirks aside, Guilty Gear -Strive- is a remarkable achievement in the fighting game genre.
Weak endgame aside, Hades is an innovative and refreshing take on the roguelike genre, coupled with fast, frenetic, and fun gameplay.
13 Sentinels holds its place among the likes of The Last of Us Part II and Disco Elysium as a narrative-driven triumph that leverages the interactive medium to deliver a story that can only be appreciated through its lens.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a must-have on Steam for fans of the original, regardless of how one may feel about the average port job.
Despite a few setbacks, Diablo IV showcases a commendable effort by Blizzard to deliver a sequel that’s bound to please both new and long-time fans of the series.
While the initial narrative pacing in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is rather slow, the eventual payoff is well worth it, as are the game’s diverse range of activities and gameplay mechanics.
It's hard not to recommend Scholar of the First Sin to newcomers and veterans alike. For newcomers, this latest version provides hours and hours of fantastic content for a great price. Meanwhile, the remixed encounters and items, the ramped up challenge, and the much-needed improvements to the multiplayer ensure that veterans also have plenty of reasons to pick this up.
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance also gives you the ability to dispatch your unused characters on expeditions, so that they don't go to waste while you're away on story missions. It works a little like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's Motherbase dispatch missions; you select a number of your characters and send them off to various planets or stars. Upon their return, they present a battle report to you, which outlines the enemies they defeated and captured as well as the skills and items they gained. It's an interesting metagame that adds an additional layer of depth to the core game.
All in all, Broken Age is a fun, well-executed adventure game with a gripping storyline and tons of humor, marred only by its cumbersome puzzle design.