Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is an addicting and fun title with a beautiful art style and a near flawless performance, regardless if you're playing on docked mode or handheld mode. Despite the short runtime, a lack of any content for completionists, and puzzles that often feel obtuse, Arranger is bound to at least put a smile on your face, even if you're just a casual fan of the puzzle genre.
If Night Springs is indicative of the quality that can be expected for Alan Wake 2's future DLC expansions, then the future is undoubtedly bright. While the DLC is a bit short, running for approximately three hours, each episode of the TV show-themed DLC is unique and feels like an entirely separate game. The effort put into Night Springs alone makes it more than worth purchasing Alan Wake 2's twenty-dollar season pass.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a great remake that brings one of Nintendo's best RPGs to modern consoles. With a litany of new quality-of-life updates, great writing, an addicting combat system, intriguing characters, and a stunning world, The Thousand-Year Door is a near-perfect game, save for a few frame drops and the frustrating use of backtracking.
While Mario vs. Donkey Kong has a charming concept and visual direction, the twenty-year-old puzzle platformer shows its age through frustrating level design, bizarre controls, and very little content that improves upon the original. Further, with its $49.99 price point, it's hard to justify purchasing the remake unless you're a die-hard fan of the original GBA title.
Persona 3 Reload is a JRPG masterpiece. It has an incredibly moving story about the value of life, a fun gameplay loop, great graphics, dynamic characters, and a satisfying conclusion. Plus, with the short playtime, it is not as intimidating as other games in the genre, with very little filler padding the runtime. While the remake may seem simple compared to other recent examples, Reload is a reminder that Persona 3 is still relevant even after eighteen years.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic introduction to the Metroidvania genre. Despite a predictable story and graphical oddities, the game's accessibility options, unique gameplay, and thrilling level design make it a great choice for anyone hoping to get into the Metroidvania genre for the first time.
Snowman Story is a short and sweet game where players go on a journey as the titular snowman, Chris. Despite the lackluster gameplay, the game boasts a beautiful art style and with its heartfelt story, it's the perfect way to ring in the Holiday season and pay tribute to the "most wonderful time of the year."
Alan Wake 2 is a visual and narrative marvel filled with beautiful environments and horrifying moments that had me on the edge of my seat. The game is only held back by some lacking gameplay and bugs, along with missing features and the lack of a physical version. Despite that, the game is one of the best this year, with moments that any long-time Remedy fan and newcomer alike will enjoy.
Spider-Man 2 is one of the best superhero games ever, with an incredible narrative, addicting gameplay, and stunning graphics. Despite some occasional bugs, I was never bored playing Spider-Man 2 with its moment-to-moment gameplay improving on a formula that has stayed the same for twenty-five years. Only time will tell what Insomniac has planned for the franchise, but I will watch with great interest.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty adds several new mechanics and features that fans have been hoping for since the game was released in 2020. Phantom Liberty is one of the best expansions I've played in years, with a brand new story, fantastic characters, and an exciting new area of Night City. It's a shame that this is the only expansion being added to the game and that we have to wait years to see what's next for the franchise.
Disney Illusion Island is a game with a beautiful art style, charming characters, and fantastic audio design. Despite this, it suffers from an identity crisis, and you can never entirely be sure who the game is meant for. With tricky controls, a lack of a unified genre, and bland levels, you may find your money well spent with other 2D platformers. However, if you're a fan of Mickey Mouse and friends, Disney Illusion Island is worth a try for the visuals and nostalgia alone.
Oxenfree II is a brilliant side-scrolling horror game. It manages to be horrifying, heartfelt, and exciting all at the same time. For fans of the retro horror genre and anyone wanting to see what indie horror looks like, Oxenfree II is the perfect game for you.
The System Shock remake is a faithful re-imagining of the original 1994 title. The remake offers updated graphics, gameplay, and control. What holds the game back is how committed it is to be a faithful remake, which ultimately makes it alienating for new players and fans of the immersive sim genre. But if you're a fan of the System Shock franchise, then the remake is the definitive way to play System Shock.