Destructoid

It doesn’t really feel like it’s trying to be revolutionary in any way, nor does it seem like it wants to present you with a glut of content. It serves more as a tribute to the Double Dragon series but more in an aesthetic sense, as the combat system is unlike any of the previous games. You can tell that a lot of love went into making the game, but that doesn’t necessarily result in something indisposable or memorable.

This is all played underneath an equally uncomfortable soundtrack. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it consists of a lot of deep, droning tones that I find difficult to listen to for extended periods of time. I even had the game alt+tabbed for a short while and found I couldn’t leave it running in the background, as it still provoked anxiety. On the other hand, The Banished Vault has some lovely art design. It has ornate backdrops, wooden character pieces, and lovely hand-drawn cards. It can sometimes be difficult to discern the different ship varieties and building types, but it’s otherwise both beautiful and functional.

As I said, Remnant 2 does have some flaws. The main story feels very lackluster, and the randomization can very easily lead to a not-so-fun experience. But these are essentially the same flaws that Remnant: From the Ashes had on a lesser scale. Gunfire Games took the highlights from the original game—the gunplay, the boss fights, the build variety—and amplified them.

As I was playing through Pikmin 4 and things really started to click, I thought to myself (with a smile on my face) – “I just want to play this forever.” It’s a strategically satisfying game if you want it to be, and it’s a chill rainy-day adventure if you’re going for that vibe. This is one of the releases I’m going to set aside time to 100% this year, and like Pikmin 3‘s Bingo Battle (which I still play!), I’ll be jumping into Dandori Battle from time to time with my family.

With this, we have just one wave of tracks to come. That’s eight more chances for some of the best tracks in series history to still make an appearance. If they don’t, I can always take solace in the fact that Mario Kart 9 is probably on the horizon at this point for whatever the successor to the Switch will be.

On the whole, however, My Friendly Neighborhood is a terrific experience. It’s designed with a cohesive vision, and aside from a disappointing last act, it largely succeeds in achieving it. It’s the sort of game that gets me more excited as a critic than as a player. I find it difficult not to appreciate all of its layers. It’s also about five hours long, which makes meeting deadlines easier.

There’s enough here that keeps true to its creepy, radio-static origins while expanding out the possibilities. The studio’s style has clearly evolved in the years since, and seeing that come together back in the coastal town of Camena is exciting. It might not be the out-of-left-field surprise it was then, but Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a solid adventure for those who can’t get enough of strange frequencies and existential dread.

The thing about Pikmin 2 is that there are some who will appreciate or even love the changes it made. To me, the reliance on procedural dungeons just makes the experience feel wrong-headed and heavily padded. Others are going to see them as something that makes the title feel bigger and badder than its predecessor.

Really, though, Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is just a decent game. It’s top shelf for the console, but maybe not tippy-top. Like, it’s not a top 10 game, or a top 20. Top 50 is a bit more believable, but at the very least, it’s a top 100. It’s comparable to, say, Vice: Project Doom’s level of quality.

Ray’z Arcade Chronology is really good. It’s a great collection of great ports of great games. That’s it. No notes (aside from the ones already provided). If you haven’t played any of these games, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out the collection. If you have played them, this is just a great way to get all the titles together with some bells and whistles. I could scarcely ask for more.