ZTGD

Metro Exodus is the most ambitious game in the series to date, and also the most impressive. The visuals are absolutely stunning, the world is incredibly detailed, and I loved finishing out this unique trilogy. 4A Games continues to impress and I cannot wait to see what they tackle next. Exodus is a proper entry in the series and should be experienced by everyone who enjoys it. I wish they had touched more on some of the earlier threads of the series, but this is still one of the most engrossing games I have ever played.

Kingdom Hearts III is a great game. Sure I had my issues with it, but the overall package is jam packed with things to do, a fun story, and a flashy and deep combat system all wrapped around a fun RPG. Fans of the series have nothing to fear here, and even newcomers can jump in and enjoy their time with it without having too much of a problem following the story, and even if the story is not your thing, the combat will keep action fans and RPG players entertained throughout. This is the best Kingdom Hearts game to date.

All this said though there is a decent romp buried (no pun intended) within the confines of this experience. Sure it isn’t going to go down in history as a great platformer, but I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it. It reminded me of the progress of our medium as well as the days when every company was trying to get in on the character platform action. I like to see forgotten games get a second chance, and THQ Nordic seems to be doing the legwork.

Road Redemption isn’t what I hoped it would be, and that may not be entirely the game’s fault. Nostalgia can be a cruel mistress. However, the flaws on show here do prevent the game from standing up on its own, and although it can be fun and engaging sometimes, I would recommend waiting for a price drop before picking it up.

Worse yet are the level designs for most of the game world, where I was either going down a linear corridor or a maze of rooms that all looked so similar that I found myself getting turned around, not knowing where I have been. It’s truly unfortunate, as the concept of being stuck in a game world and having to fight that game’s protagonist to earn the right to leave is an idea worth a million dollars, it’s just a shame that the execution is so lackluster.

I get that VR games are still somewhat in their infancy, but this one feels like something that would have been included in the very first demo disc when the technology launched. I was excited for the return of Gungrave. Especially since PlayStation VR had been so impressive for me recently diving into the technology. Sadly this experience is just not worth dropping the cash for. There are a ton of better VR experiences for Sony’s headset.

There is a lot packed in here, and for those that never invested in the Wii U, it is more than worth the price of admission. It might not be the most memorable Mario game ever created, but it is still better than most platformers available on the console. Even when Nintendo doesn’t set the world on fire, they still manage to impress.

This is actually a decent HD remaster. For a game that I played a ton of when I was 15, it was still fun to go back to with a new set of eyes and experiences under my belt. It may be a much more simplistic adventure compared to other action games nowadays, but checking in on this gem was enjoyable all the way through. Fans of the old series will have a fun nostalgia trip while players that missed out on it at the beginning of the PS2, can find some old school fun here and the $20 price tag is perfect for this one.

I can’t speak highly enough of this game despite really not being one for horror. It felt fair. It felt accessible (there is an Easy mode for people who want to feel less helpless). The original game has always been touted as a classic and I see why. This game was fantastic and despite it only being January I can definitely see this as a game of the year contender. Spectacular work and a must have.

Override hopefully finds its audience at some point, whether it be due to a drop in price or some licensing deal, etc. I can’t fully recommend this without a consistent online player base because of how much the game is weighted towards it, despite really enjoying my time with it. I finished the campaign in less than four hours and wanted to play more but the game either wanted me to erase my work or never play the campaign again to keep my completed file.