Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year.
Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is beautiful, nuanced, and deeply rewarding, but it's also tuned to be grueling in ways that aren't always fun in the traditional sense.
Though its narrative and level design sometimes get in the way, the entire package is still a setpiece-filled action romp and one of the year's best shooters.
Its adorable aesthetic and wordless storytelling make this brief adventure one worth sharing with family or a friend, but its distant camera angle and visual filters were frustrating obstacles on an otherwise picturesque road.
Though many of the series’ core elements remain intact, Gearbox has refined and reconfigured them in such ways that Borderlands 4 rises beyond anything the series has accomplished to this point.
While far from a one-to-one remake, Contra: Operation Galuga effectively captures the spirit of the original game while modernizing just enough to make for an exciting, albeit short, adventure.
Princess Peach: Showtime could be a decent first game for young Peach fans, but longtime Nintendo players looking for the Princess’ equivalent of a quality Kirby platformer will likely be underwhelmed.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy succeeds with everything it sets out to do, bringing three great games to modern consoles in their most approachable forms to date.
While players end up with flat, cartoonish characters who inhabit a repetitive, cyclical world, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince plays to its strengths to deliver a solid RPG experience with a cozy narrative.
SteamWorld Build is a unique hybrid that entertains for a time. Unfortunately, despite a solid foundation, it struggles to maintain an engaging experience throughout its campaign.
Super Mario RPG is not entirely innocent of the sins of video games past, but old fans will relish the chance to see the game in a new light, and I’m confident newcomers will find something to love.
Longtime Phantom Thieves can look forward to an enjoyable side adventure with Persona 5 Tactica, but its uneven pacing and low enemy variety hold it back from being a true revolution.
After all this time, I thought I had a grasp on the breadth of the tricks the 2D Mario series had up its sleeve, but that Super Mario Bros. Wonder so consistently surprised me speaks to just how much gas is left in the iconic franchise’s tank.
