Overall, Observer benefits from the improvements implemented with System Redux. However, those who didn’t like the original won’t find enough changes or improvements here to fall in love. It’s still a Bloober Team game, which means a large part of it is merely walking forward and drinking in the environment and atmosphere. However, I will say there are enough puzzle elements, especially considering the new side quests, that it can’t be regarded as a pure “walking simulator.”
With a ton of replayability, a haunting and beautiful world, and satisfying gameplay, the PS5’s first exclusive hits it out of the park. Bluepoint did an excellent job updating Demon’s Souls to feature modern graphics and quality of life fixes without stripping anything away from the original. After how well this and Shadow of the Colossus turned out, I can’t wait to see which classic the studio tackles next.
Gnosia isn’t a game for everyone. You’ll likely loop over a hundred times before you reach the conclusion, and the repeated dialog and loops where nothing happens will infuriate impatient gamers. However, this unique blend of RPG, visual novel, and social deduction game hits like nothing else and is one of the Switch’s hidden gems.
Nier Replicant ver. 1.22 is an excellent spin on the traditional hero’s journey and will give Nier Automata fans a new appreciation for that title. It’s a lovingly crafted rerelease and will delight both new and old players alike.
So far, Metroid Dread is a serious contender for my personal game of the year. It takes all the things that I loved about previous entries and streamlines them into a much more playable game. It’s the most accessible Metroid title to date, and it’s sure to win many new fans for Nintendo.
Aside from some very minor bugs, Forbidden West was a treat to play and is an early contender for Game of the Year.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a colorful, exciting riff on tactical gameplay. It includes fun Mario and Rabbids characters, a punky new character with a cool weapon and cooler personality, Sparks to collect, and new and improved combat. It could do with a few more puzzles and things to do outside of battle, but as it stands, Sparks of Hope is an excellent follow-up and one of the best strategy games you’ll find in Nintendo’s library.
God of War Ragnarök is a triumph. It’s a swansong for the PS4 and one of the best first-party games for the PS5 so far. It’s bigger than its predecessor in every way. The game’s only flaw is the weak climax. Everything up to that part is gold. However, it’s hard to find a conclusion that’ll satisfy everyone when the stakes are basically everything.
Octopath Traveler 2 is another love letter to Square Enix’s golden years. It’s a greatest hits comprised of mechanics from across several franchises, even if it doesn’t build on the original’s formula too much.
Overall, Armored Core 6 is excellent for newcomers and longtime fans alike. It serves as a great introduction to the series, and you don’t need to be familiar with past entries to have a great time. On the flip side, the gameplay and mechanics are familiar enough that you’ll feel instantly at home here if you played AC5 or Verdict Day. Given the positive response to AC6, I hope we see more of the series sooner rather than later. It deserves to be one of FromSoftware’s cornerstones as much as the studio’s Souls games do.
After Yakuza: Like a Dragon soft rebooted the series, I presumed the next entry would focus entirely on Ichiban. After all, the Yakuza were finished, Kiryu had his curtain call, and a new generation of heroes and villains took the stage. However, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth seems like a step backward for the series narratively. Instead of the Yokohama gang getting a new adventure without eight games worth of lore weighing them down, Infinite Wealth spends around 50% of its runtime saying goodbye to Kiryu yet again. Fortunately, improved combat and excellent side activities compensate for Infinite Wealth’s narrative struggles.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a stunning game that bridges an excellent start and what’s sure to be a thrilling conclusion. Unfortunately, being stuck in the middle puts a lot of weight on the game, which makes it strain in some areas. However, it’ll only be possible to appreciate its merits once the final chapter is complete. Only then will we have the context to see how well Rebirth succeeded or failed. For now, I’d lean toward it being a resounding success that translated the original material wonderfully while also adding a few twists that will have even long-time fans wondering what will happen next.
As a game, Final Fantasy XV inhabits that special place that titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt; Fallout 3, New Vegas, and 4; and the Elder Scrolls games do. While you're playing it, you're an inhabitant of its world, and it's a place that can be almost as vivid as reality at times, with its own history, lore, and culture. As a Final Fantasy, FFXV returns the series to the wonderment that Final Fantasy VII inspired in a generation of gamers.
By avoiding the pitfalls, other open-world adventures have made too often, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild makes itself an instant classic.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a triumph of a sequel that ticks all the boxes fans will be expecting and then some. Not only does it look and feel great, but it backs up its eye candy and abundant atmosphere with an interesting narrative and a stalwart protagonist who won’t quit. It’s everything a follow-up should be and more from an IP that’s grown precious to players over the years, and a fine adventure that even newcomers will find value in tackling.
Some changes in the remake work better than others, but the important thing is that, like the original, it’s survival horror at its best and a worthy successor to the beloved series.
Hogwarts Legacy is the game Harry Potter fans have dreamt of since the first book was released. It puts you firmly in the shoes of a student and turns you loose to find your place in the world of wizardry. Unfortunately, its biggest issue is that it often feels like you’re just visiting.
Fans who love Monster Hunter exclusively for the hunts will likely welcome the raised emphasis on taking on major monsters as quickly as possible. However, Rise is missing some of the worldbuilding of Monster Hunter: World, which will make it feel a bit emptier for players who prefer to stop and smell the roses.
When you take the time to explore, you’ll find a surreal, beautiful game waiting for you. But, again, SaGa Frontier does an absolutely terrible job of making this clear. Fortunately, SaGa Frontier Remastered takes much of the frustration out of this. You can save anywhere, and there’s an autosave, you can speed up movement in the overworld and battles too. This is the best way to experience an often overlooked masterpiece, and I hope that SaGa Frontier 2 gets a similar treatment in the future.
For me, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster is worth the premium, if only because I hope it encourages Sega and Atlus to remaster more of their catalogs (Panzer Dragoon Saga, please). However, players who think they’re going to find another Persona here will be disappointed. Nocturne is one of the great traditional JRPGs, but potential buyers should know what they’re getting into before they pull the trigger.