Some elements of Crisis Core shine, while others are left in the past
Fire Emblem Engage is sadly a missed opportunity to tie together a new cast of characters with the heroes of old.
A brilliant combination of rhythmic motions and a deep action-packed battle system make for a compelling adventure. Hi-Fi Rush is only let down by its writing and character development, or lack thereof.
"You'll need to stop and familiarize yourself with a monster and its attacks if you want to succeed"
Bayonetta Origins shows a great new side of the Umbral Witch, in a tale that's heartwarming as it is enjoyable. Combat and puzzles are a great one-two punch, but Cereza's restricted role and Cheshire's unfaltering nature undermine a little of the former.
Amnesia: The Bunker is a bold new direction for the series, and it chiefly pays off with brilliant scares and disempowerment of the player. The bottlenecked level design can be frustrating though, as can the nature of do-overs with the beast hot on your heels.
Aliens: Dark Descent is a fresh and fun take on the series, with great tactical action supplemented with unique concepts like stress management. The writing and characters sadly don't amount to anything memorable, and boss battles can feel incredibly jarring to the pacing and tension.
"There's simply not enough variation here to keep Exoprimal feeling fresh after a dozen or so hours"
"Venba perfectly melds together a story of generational anxieties and dreams"
"The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is nothing short of superb, the sort of game that demands to be experienced as soon as possible"
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a sublime RPG with a fantastic combat system, absorbing stories, and at-times fascinating story, if it wasn't let down by its drip-fed narrative nature and heavy nostalgic leanings
A truly excellent combat system and neat character-centric episodes complement a compelling tale, but weak side activities and some turgid grinding hold it back.