Game8

I had a great time with Gears of War: E-Day, even when the campaign started showing its unpolished edges. The combat is still incredibly satisfying, and the free-roam sections gave me some of my favorite moments; it gave me more time with characters I ended up caring about more than I expected to. That made the campaign's weaker points stand out more, though, with the repetition and occasional technical issues becoming egregious at times. Neither was enough to sour the experience fully. I finished it satisfied, thinking I probably could have used a little less Locust shooting, which is about as Gears of War a problem as you can have.

Two games in, this remake is making a very strong case for why Trails in the Sky deserves to be revisited. The story and characters remain the heart of Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, and the new presentation makes Liberl feel more alive than ever. Some dungeons drag, and the sheer amount of dialogue can test your patience, but there is so much good here that I was already wishing for the 3rd Chapter before I was even done with the game.

CONTROL: Resonant is the kind of sequel that swings for the fences, and for the most part, it lands. Remedy has taken everything that made the original Control special and expanded it into something bigger and stranger, filled with otherworldly level design that feels pulled straight from an alien’s mind and brought to life. Dylan’s melee-based combat is also a welcome shift, creating satisfying encounters that complement its semi-open world with focused, fast-paced action. Still, many things need addressing, from performance issues during crowded encounters to a deeply underwhelming ending that leaves more questions than answers. Overall, these faults don’t take much away from the experience, which is packed with Remedy’s visual and audio splendor. With just a few imperfections, it remains an otherwise mesmerizing science-fiction story that breaks the traditional Pattern of what videogames can be.

Aniimo takes a familiar creature-collecting formula and builds a surprisingly broad adventure around it. Idyll is a colorful world worth exploring; its creatures have plenty of uses beyond filling out a collection, and the combination of story, side activities, and progression gives the journey a satisfying sense of discovery. Some of those ideas feel more fully realized than others, but the strongest parts come together well enough to give Aniimo a character of its own. It may not reinvent the genre, but there is more than enough here to make it an engaging creature collector in its own right.

Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is an unfortunate case of ambition easily being the most compelling part of a game. Its core vision and foundation are razor sharp, but are buried beneath a lack of substance, a faltering and mismatched presentation, and a narrative that fails to match the concept’s lofty ambitions. When Qliphah does double down on what makes it stand out, like the unique combat, charming leads, and gorgeous world, there are signs of a much more interesting game just waiting to be unearthed. Until a potential sequel (which I honestly hope happens, weird name and all) confidently finalizes the game’s strong core identity, Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow is an underbaked title that wears out its ambitious charm a little too fast.

Townfall isn't without its rough edges, particularly when it comes to its visuals, combat, and some of the character development, but those issues never overshadow what it gets remarkably right. Its story keeps unraveling in fascinating ways, its puzzles actually make players think, its survival mechanics reinforce vulnerability, and its music and atmosphere capture the identity of Silent Hill exceptionally well. Most importantly, it manages to modernize the series without losing sight of what makes it terrifying.

Another Eden Begins understands exactly why classic JRPGs remain so appealing. It takes a familiar formula and gives it enough personality through its time-traveling adventure, earnest characters, satisfying combat, and wealth of content to make the journey feel distinctly its own. Its rougher edges are difficult to ignore, but they never overshadow a game that consistently understands what makes a good adventure worth seeing through to the end.

Marvel’s Wolverine is the definition of all killer, no filler. The game’s visceral and expressive combat system oozes with Logan’s trademark aggressive ferocity, and paired with deeply moving and layered character work the Wolverine has never felt sharper. Gorgeous presentation, a comic-book like structure, and fantastic writing help round out Insomniac’s best superhero outing in years, even when the story takes a stumble. Marvel’s Wolverine equally understands the heart beneath the claws, and in that balancing act it proves itself as the best there is.

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is a piece of Touhou history that, while arguably needing a bit of fixing, is still endearing to this day. Yet, the New Classic version somehow manages to modernize the experience without compromising what made the original so beloved, all the while including a Classic version makes this feel less like a remake and more like a love letter to the franchise’s heritage. Its story may still be hilariously barebones and demands a lot of digging from those interested, but everything else is so faithful to the pleasure (and torture) that it's hard to complain.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is a confident dark-fantasy RPG from Rebel Wolves that wears its The Witcher 3 influences proudly. While its barebones combat and mediocre visual presentation leave more to be desired, the fantastic writing coursing through its veins and novel 30-day time limit prove that it’s more than just a shadow of its silver-haired, monster-hunting inspiration. With a sequel confirmed to be in development, there’s plenty of room for Coen’s journey to sink its teeth deeper into fans of this fresh-blooded IP boiling with so much potential.