Attack of the Fanboy

Diablo 2: Resurrected both benefits and suffers from its faithfulness to the original title, but overall provides an adventure full of satisfying gameplay and fun exploration

I wish more could have been done on the story front, but Death Stranding Director's Cut is still a solid experience on PS5.

It is startling to think that one of the best games of the year has come in the form of a title that looks like something you would put on to amuse kids for a morning. Yet Kena: Bridge of Spirits boasts more heart and genuineness than many games could hope to exude. What Ember Lab has produced is a rejuvenation of the indie market, proving that the little guys can box with the best. For anyone looking for a game that will bring a smile to their face, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is not to be missed.

2K Sports makes one hell of a basketball game and that'll let you tolerate these scheme-based game modes IF you can actually get on to play them.

WarioWare: Get it Together! is a very fun game from the moment you pick it up. It has a generous selection of over 200 micro games to sink your time into. Pair that with the various playstyles of the characters, and you have yourself a lot more than just a one and done game. It does hurt the game a bit that there isn’t a true online multiplayer, but the package is complete from the get go.

Cruis’n Blast is as arcadey as an arcade racer can be. It has the high thrills and high stakes that are so over the top, but that’s the charm of the Cruis’n series. It doesn’t require so much setup to just get a few races in. If you are itching for wild thrills and quick rides, this is the perfect pickup."

Deathloop takes Arkane's fantastic level design and world building and adds an interesting story with great characters on top, leaving you in a time loop that you won't want to break.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is an exceptional port for modern day consoles. It’s one of the few great 3D Sonic games that gives hope that Sega will give the iconic Blue Blur a proper return to form. For people who have never played this game but like Sonic games in general, I highly recommend checking this out.

Summarizing No More Heroes 3 in a few sentences is hard to do. It’s the fantastic sequel that Travis Touchdown and fans of the series deserve where the game, visual, and sound designs are all sublime which is rare in this current generation. The issues such as lock-on during combat being a tad wonky and the world map not showing activity completion accurately bring the experience slightly down from 100% perfect.

Tetris Effect: Connected is the definitive Tetris experience to this day. It boasts a plethora of single player and multiplayer modes. There’s something for everyone when it comes to this game.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite does a lot right when it comes to the core gameplay experience, but lacks in its narrative. It adapts all the good parts of a looter shooter and a zombie-like shooter experience at the cost of some repetitive mission objectives. It’s a fun time to be had, especially in a cooperative setting.

Psychonauts 2 was a long time in the making, but the wait has certainly been worth it. Fans of the first game and its VR spinoff will feel right at home with this sequel while also finding a lot of new stuff to love. Anyone who has missed out on this series before can either jump right into this new adventure or use it as an excuse to check out what all the hype has been about these past 16 years.

All in all, Madden NFL 22 is ultimately disappointing. Even after all these years, it still feels like EA is coasting on its exclusive rights to NFL simulation football.

While the Director's Cut improvements are appreciated, the Iki Island expansion is the real star of this rerelease. Iki Island distills all the best parts of Ghost of Tsushima into one focused experience, and it provides an incredibly compelling reason to return to the game."

12 Minutes is easily one of the best games of the year. I was surprised by how quickly it grabbed me, and it maintained that hold until the end. It feels like nearly every loop ends with an exciting cliffhanger that leaves you rushing to start the cycle over again. It can be a bit difficult to maintain focus when you’re stuck on a puzzle and you find yourself beating your head against the wall in search of a solution, but those breakthrough moments are more than worth the trouble.

Whatever you like games for, graphics, gameplay, fun factor, Hades has this all in spades with equally exceptional quality wherever you choose to play it.

All in all, Samurai Warriors 5 scratches the Musou itch but doesn’t do too much to mix up the formula. The new visual style is great, and cutting down hordes of enemies is just as satisfying as ever. Because there aren’t as many bells and whistles tacked onto the gameplay, this is a great spot for new people who are interested in the series to jump on.

Tribes of Midgard does some things very well and others not so much. The overall presentation and the systems surrounding the experience go a long way in making you forget that the game is built around a rather mundane combat system. While that can be excusable, some of the half baked ideas, bugs, and overall unbalanced experience keep excitement to keep playing in check.

Like you would come to expect from the franchise, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles features both classic detective and Ace Attorney series tropes and gameplay that come together around some very intriguing mysteries that will keep you busy for many hours across the interconnected story of the two games included in the collection.

Acid Nerve did a great job with Death’s Door and by pushing just a little bit more while taking a few calculated risks, they would have an outstanding game rather than a very good one.

While the Nintendo Switch version holds the game back compared to the PC one, the game itself remains a blast from beginning to end, offerings tons of content and a unique take on the Monster Hunter formula.

While it may not be the best entry in the series, Nintendo has at least managed to make par with Mario Golf: Super Rush by offering the core arcade style golfing experience players come to expect alongside some enjoyable new game types that will hopefully continue to get even better with future updates.

Overall, Scarlet Nexus is a simple, yet great and enjoyable experience for any fan of the genre out there. You hunt monsters, make yourself and your allies stronger, gather resources for making new cosmetics and gear, constantly unlock new features for inside and outside of combat, all that while you watch an interesting story materialize in front of your eyes.

Tuque Games must have rolled a natural 20 on their saving throw, because none of Dark Alliance's faults are able to bring the action-RPG down. It’s a solid cooperative dungeon crawler that’s positively dripping with D&D’s iconic Companions of the Hall setting and lore. The combat may take some getting used to, and putting your party together is more fiddly than it needs to be, yet Dark Alliance remains an entertaining adventure from beginning to end.

Not only improving on the visuals and giving players a much requested Photo Mode, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade also adds the stellar Yuffie focused Intermission DLC that is an absolute must play for fans of the original and new game alike.