For all the inspirations the game wears on its sleeve, it never rises above them, and thus feels like a title in search of an identity and desperate for a specific kind of player.
For all the inspirations the game wears on its sleeve, it never rises above them, and thus feels like a title in search of an identity and desperate for a specific kind of player.
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.
2K's yearly WWE offering may not bowl over diehard players in the broad sense, but its incremental updates and continued polish make it the strongest contender since the franchise's comeback.
NBA 2K24 feels like a dull, lopsided blowout as opposed to a memorable, adrenaline-inducing affair like the ones cover star Kobe Bryant often blessed us with throughout his career.
Enjoyment can be found for those with the patience and fandom to fireman carry them along, but WrestleQuest's imaginative ideas die by a thousand cuts that hold Muchacho Man and his friends back from world title contention.
Armored Core VI doesn’t revolutionize the mech action formula, but refines it to create one of the fastest, best-looking, and most approachable games of its kind.
The improvements to the fundamental gameplay in Madden NFL 24 continue to pay dividends with some of the most authentic football the series has ever seen, but the user interface and poorly implemented features wipe out any forward progress.
Blasphemous 2 takes inspiration from those that came before it, but by intertwining a gorgeous art style, enticing exploration, and rewarding combat, it rises above the horde of Castlevania-inspired action titles.
Between the cast's fantastic performances, a fun twist on Greek mythology, and a genuinely novel game mechanic, Stray Gods is a game I didn't know I needed, but one I'm happy to give a standing ovation to.
Exoprimal may be feature-thin, but its creative subversion of expectations impressed me and I hope others study its approach to telling a robust narrative within a multiplayer framework.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons has some aggravating design choices that prevent it from soaring as high as it could, but this is a respectable return for the Lee brothers.
Mr. Run and Jump may look unassuming on the surface, but the challenges that await will have you screaming in frustration up until the moment they have you shouting in triumph.
Even if the narrative of The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie falls short compared to past entries, it still stands above most other games in the genre.
AEW: Fight Forever mostly delivers on providing enjoyable arcade-style wrestling. However, the overall package is far from elite, making it a mid-card competitor with a main event price tag.
Soaked in dark sci-fi environments and human personalities, Aliens: Dark Descent nails the hallmarks of an Alien title and executes much of its squad-based gameplay.
