Unfortunately, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water wasn’t perfect when it released on Nintendo Wii U, nor is does the remaster fix everything. While the flaws hold it back, the game succeeds by providing the horrific and eerie atmosphere that the franchise is known for. There is a lot that fans will appreciate, it’s newcomers who might not care for the dated approach. However, whether you’re a fan or newcomer, if you give Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water a fair chance, you’ll likely not be disappointed.
New World could be presented as a gateway to MMOs (“My First MMO,” if you will). The simplistic combat may entice those who have been overwhelmed by the busy hotbars of games like Final Fantasy XIV. The many allusions to survival games also provide an easy way to integrate those new to the genre. But I don’t believe everything on offer here is going to pull anyone away from the titan MMOs still holding their thrones. New World is at its best when you wander into the dense forests and toil away endlessly with the (arguably therapeutic) gathering portion of the game. Those pork chops and apple sauce meals won’t cook themselves, after all.
Speaking for myself, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes starts very strong, takes an instant nose dive, and then meanders to one of the conclusions. Linear paths, obvious secrets, blatant choices, and more take so much out of the experience. Sure, players are still rewarded with so many tiny details, it just isn’t interesting enough to warrant the ride. It’s hard to go from a man in a golden mask taking the life of a woman before his people are brutally killed by monstrous beasts to getting orders about how this insurrection is going to play out and then three hours in a hole looking for more interesting things to do. It’s a shame too since the interesting things are there, it would probably just work better as a movie than a game.
Simply put, BPM: Bullets Per Minute does a good job of being more than the sum of its parts, though not enough where it transcends things. It's absolutely a game that will either hook you or break your controller before giving up. I'd suggest trying it out or possibly study a video, as it's fun but also an investment.
Alan Wake Remastered does a good job standing the test of time. While combat has aged a little bit, Remedy Entertainment’s exemplary storytelling will keep you interested. For these reasons and more it’s easy to suggest Alan Wake Remastered to fans and newcomers alike. Especially with Remedy Entertainment looking to expand this world and it’s important to know how things began.
Overall, Mary Skelter Finale is in a rough place. It's far from accessible to newcomers, the opening can be fairly intimidating and there is a lot of stuff thrown at you at once. This makes it hard to recommend to newcomers and have the potential to fail with returning fans. Those who enjoy dungeon crawlers and put in the time are greeted with a rather interesting experience that concludes the series nicely.
For the money, Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1: Phantom Brave / Soul Nomad is a great deal. Phantom Brave is one of their best tactical RPGs and Soul Nomad has enough to justify the experience. It's a shame the latter is a port over a remake but the gameplay itself is still decent by today's standards and including Phantom Brave makes it easier to overlook.
Greak: Memories of Azur is a great example of nice art and ideas failing due to implementation. I don't know if there is a great way to accomplish exactly what Greak: Memories of Azur was going for but this is absolutely not it. The extra characters add nothing to the core experience could be improved so many ways that it's easy to focus on what it did wrong over the positives. It makes for a rough suggestion and one many will just find lacking.
The hard thing about Trigger Witch is that it proves you can be worse than the sum of its parts. Instead of creating an experience that feels like a lot of thought and effort went into it, like Enter the Gungeon, it feels like someone had a neat idea and they just wanted to build that as far as they could go. This isn't to say you can't have fun with Trigger Witch or even that it's bad, there are just better efforts out there.
Overall, Blightbound has a good base, it just needs to expand on it more and a faster way to get there. Playing as a class you don't like until the version you do appears sucks and then leveling it can be a bit long. Certain enemies could also further the need to master each classes unique offering, so it isn't three damage dealers with one of them being responsible for healing. Given the roadmap suggests good things are coming, along with the progress we've seen thus far, but in its current state it needs a little more time to bake.
Add this in with an opening that is brutal, even more mechanics that get thrown away or ignored long term (why have the tent that heals your party cost 10,000 marbles, what Cris Tales uses for currency, when by the time you can afford it, you'd have no use for it?), spending most of your time talking to people in towns that are obvious padding and so much more. It's a shame Cris Tales simply can't live up to the charm of its art but there is no consistency on what it wants to be. Even the bosses go from a joke to making me feel like I am woefully under-leveled, back to Neptunia level in the span of 20 minutes and one level. For some the art might be enough, but if you want a good RPG, this isn't it.
In reality, Neptunia ReVerse does what it ultimately needs to accomplish. The things that matter look nice, new modes give most players something to look forward to and it’s an experience a lot of players likely never got to see.
Overall, there really isn't much to say about the improved version of Judgment. It has some of the same shortcomings, such as a rather slow story, with performance being substantially better. I would say anyone holding off for those reasons should strongly consider the upgraded version, with current owners gaining very little. Yes, the experience is more refined, the world looks so much more real and models were improved substantially, it just isn't different enough to warrant double-dipping.
There is really nothing wrong with Poison Control, it just doesn't do much to stand out. It has a neat concept with okay execution. Graphics aren't overly impressive, nor are the controls, but neither really stop it from being engaging. For most the interactions and adventure will keep them going, it just depends on if that is worth the investment or not.
On paper, Outriders does a lot of things right. The crafting system is extremely rewarding and allows for diverse builds, even if right now the meta isn't there. It is a fun experience, complete with thrilling battles and engaging fights, though it can be a little rough on less-skilled players. It all comes together in an exhilarating post-game, though server issues make it frustrating to deal with. As a result, Outriders is good, but the issues simply prevent it from being great.
It goes without saying, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is going to be a divisive experience. Some people are going to love all the dialogue, options, and role-playing elements. Even returning fans will flip at the voiceovers that really make the experience immersive. This just won't appeal to everyone. Some players will want to do more or possibly get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of dialogue, which totals over 1 million words, though for those this appeals to, it will really appeal to.
Enjoying UnderMine hinges on what you find important in a roguelike. There are tons of items to unlock, deeper mechanics like some items fuse for different or better perks, there are a lot of secrets and it's all set up so skill means more than luck. It just doesn't have that sensation that this is going to be a good or bad run that makes similar titles exciting. Instead, UnderMine has a distinct set of rules, and players are expected to see just how far their skill can take them. It's fun, especially as a fan of the genre, though it absolutely isn't for everyone.
Monster Hunter Rise basically does what you'd expect. The core experience is relatively unchanged, there are just more tutorials and certain elements were simplified to make it more accessible. This is a massive bonus for anyone hoping they don't run into a clueless online player, though it can make the first couple of hours drag. Thankfully, the new mechanics and elements breathe new life in the franchise and is certainly enough to hold someone's attention for a substantial amount of time.
Shing! has some bad, though it's balanced out with some good. The look, story, and some of the mechanics won't please everyone, but after about 20 minutes I had no issues having fun. The mechanics might be rough, but they're fairly accessible and this allows Shing! to feel less like an impossibly hard experience and more a silly game you and a buddy can play without a ton of skill needed to feel like you're a badass. Naturally, this won't resonate with everyone, though I think those willing to give Shing! a chance will be pleasantly surprised.
Bladed Fury certainly has some flaws, be it extremely linear levels, arguably cheap bosses, and short (about four hours, though it can easily be done in two), but it isn't a bad experience. The art and design are interesting enough to suck players in and not let go, with bosses at least offering an engaging experience. It would be nice to see more depth or additional play styles but the base game is at least fun.