ZTGD

These are inherently flawed games, but if somehow the idea of slogging through menus isn’t a turn off there are absolutely two great, down to Earth murder mysteries to be experienced here.

The beautiful contrast between the bright colors and dark a dreary environment is really a sight to behold. The puzzles, however simple they may be work to bring home that “adventuring” aspect of the game. Sadly, just about everything else is broken, and it makes you want to pull out your hair in frustration.

The combat is fast and frantic, and the weapon variety is plentiful and most of all fun. If I had to level a complaint at this game, it would be the announcer. The audio is passable for everything else but the lines that the announcer uses gets repetitive quite quickly. But even with that slight annoyance, the game as a whole is a triumph of sandbox fun.

It has some technical issues, some bugs, and also takes a while to get to the point, but it is worth the investment. There is little reason to not check it out if you have Game Pass. This is a game that is great with friends and even solo manages to entertain. I hope they continue to clean up the bugs over time, but for now it is easily one of my favorite experiences of the Summer.

I really enjoyed unraveling the mystery that is The Forgotten City. The setting is beautifully displayed graphically but the real cherry on the top is the narrative itself. Talking to all of the characters, and figuring out the order in which to do things ala Groundhog Day is one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll have this year.

It’s a shame because the visual and quality of life upgrades were implemented quite well but I suppose they might be saving that feature for the new entry to the series that is surely coming ANY DAY NOW.

Mario Golf Super Rush feels rushed. There are no bones about it. I feel like they could make it a great game over time with more content, but I worry the tail of this particular game won’t be as long as some other Nintendo titles.

Samurai Warriors 5 is a beautiful game, and not to be missed if you enjoy the genre. The team has done a fantastic job of refreshing this franchise, and I am hopeful that they garner some new fans to keep this series of games going for years to come.

Death’s Door is a wonderful experience that should not be missed. Don’t be scared off by the comparison to the Souls games. Sure it shares a few mechanics from those, but it feels more like a macabre interpretation of Zelda with some Souls twists.

Still to this day the game suffers lots of problems making it feel like it was just sent out the door long before it was done. This is what makes me appreciate games getting time to be complete before launch as I really think this title had potential.