ZTGD

SMT V is a welcome return to home consoles for the series with an intriguing world to explore, filled with challenging encounters that are immensely satisfying to overcome.

I really enjoyed the character and world designs. Everything just screams that Saturday morning cartoon vibe. It is odd for me that a franchise that has been around as long as Marsupilama is somehow not a household name. It is one of those things that everyone seems to recognize but has little nostalgia for.

Despite coming from a development studio that most people see as a one-series company, Blue Reflection: Second Light is a charming RPG with a clear identity of its own with a worthwhile story to tell and I’m glad I had the opportunity to check out after missing out on the original.

While the story can get a bit confusing, if players are fans of breakneck speeds, and thrilling dogfights in space then Chorus is going to be right up your alley.

BloodRayne 2: Revamped is a guilty pleasure game, it’s a lot of fun to toss enemies into death traps around the levels with her chain, or even go full-on blender mode and dice up everything that moves.

The story that is told within this game is deeper than I imagined it would be. Via the champions it tells a wonderful narrative about loss; each of the characters you meet have all lost something, or someone.

It feels like the game is more built to tug at nostalgia instead of bringing in new interest. Even so the core game is enjoyable enough to recommend for parents looking to play games with their kids. It is easy enough to play while also not being too simplified for the sake of being a ‘kids’ game.

The art design and the audio design are also top-notch. Expect to see this on plenty of GOTY lists as well as GOTY discussions because what I think Inscryption is extremely well done both in narrative and gameplay.

Maiden of Black Water just feels like something thrown together to gauge interest in the series return. I wanted to love it, I forced myself to finish it, but I just want the series to return to its roots.

Circuit Superstars is one of the best surprises I have played all year. It punches above its weight in almost every category. I simply had a blast every time I jumped in. There is also plenty of depth and content to make the minimal price of entry easy to recommend.