Destructoid

Assault Suit Valken Declassified is an undeniably loving return to the Super Famicom title. It’s plain to see that Rainmaker wanted to do the game justice and give North American fans the ability to enjoy it in the same way as it has in Japan.

While the sea-harvesting foundation is solid and well thought out, nothing else around it has much depth. There’s a dearth of imagination surrounding it, which I found disappointing. The plot is lifeless, the gameplay is one-note, and it never really picks up speed. However, if you want a more relaxing take on horror, Dredge might be worth hauling up from the depths.

Octopath Traveler 2 isn’t just a great end destination, but a fulfilling journey too. It has a lively world, intricate and engaging combat, fluid progression and builds that reward tinkering, an incredible score, and excellent arcs for all of its protagonists. It somehow has everything I’d want out of an RPG inspired by the old days, but moving forward into new ones too.

Building on the reasonably solid gameplay foundation of WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23 manages to finally find a comfortable spot. It is, at its core, the same general game that we get year after year. It kind of sucks that we have to keep paying for small improvements. However, small improvements got us here, and here is a pretty decent place to be.

Rakuen on its own justifies the Deluxe Edition. Though a bit uneven, its best moments are spectacular enough to warrant a recommendation for anyone in need of a good cry or two. I do wish Mr. Saitou reached the same emotional heights, but it’s serviceable if viewed strictly as a bonus.

Tchia might very well be the most ambitious indie game we see in 2023. This open-air and open-sea adventure takes some of the best gameplay elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey and combines them into an adventure that’s filled with heart, humor, and compassion across a breathtaking archipelago.

Resident Evil 4 was a groundbreaking title that shifted the direction of big-budget development. The over-the-shoulder camera angle employed was tremendously influential for years to come. It also shifted the Resident Evil series into its worst era, as Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 both followed its example before Capcom eventually corrected its course.

Switchback was delayed a bit from its original launch date; and from a visual standpoint, I can see why. There’s still some pop-in present amid some less inspired bits of each track (mostly the wide-open outdoor areas), which result in a literal rollercoaster of high and low points throughout the game. The good news is, as I’ve espoused multiple times throughout this review, it’s an arcade game in spirit. So one small pitstop is going to be just that, a shortstop, and it’s time to move to the next thing.

Trails to Azure is just a simple continuation of that excellent RPG. And that’s all it needs to be. I know many in the games journalism sphere tout the importance of innovation and divergence when it comes to sequels and franchises, but developers don’t always need to try and reinvent the wheel with each game they release.

In regards to School Spirits specifically, I enjoyed the content. I feel it’s more memorable and interesting than what was done in Space Academy. The flow of the whole experience is altered much more appreciably without requiring you to pick up an entirely new set of skills. It’s definitely not a dramatic shake-up, but it was worth returning to Two Point Campus to experience it.