RIDE 6 builds on the strong foundation of the series, enriching its content with an impressive roster of motorcycles from many different disciplines. The newly introduced dirt bikes are its weakest addition and their presentation still needs improvement. Nevertheless, its rich career mode and well-designed driving model will keep aficionados busy for a long time.
Crimson Capes is a modest indie metroidvania that earns plenty of personality points thanks to its use of the rotoscope technique, which gives it uniquely smooth animations. The combat is well designed, akin to the original Prince of Persia games but with more depth. Subpar platforming holds it back somewhat, hurting its exploration aspect, however, it still offers solid action with plenty of boss fights.
Anyone expecting a faithful transition of the God of War franchise into 2D will be sorely disappointed by Sons of Sparta. It lacks the raw violence of those games and the weight behind their attacks. Ultimately, it feels like a very typical metroidvania that struggles to stand out in such a highly competitive genre.
Capcom once again strikes a high note with the new Resident Evil entry, though this time its ambition introduces a few rough edges. Requiem delivers excellent survival horror during Grace’s sections and offers a wealth of Easter eggs and references for longtime fans to dissect. However, in attempting to incorporate the best elements from the franchise’s many, and often wildly different, installments, it occasionally feels somewhat disjointed. Even so, Requiem stands as yet another strong addition to Capcom’s seemingly never-ending streak of quality releases.
Styx: Blades of Greed is a solid AA hardcore stealth game that may not break new ground in the genre, but in the current drought of AA and AAA stealth titles, it’s more than welcome. While there are some AI limitations and a few bugs that should be ironed out in upcoming patches, the level design is thoughtfully crafted and the stealth mechanics are predictable in the best way, consistent and well implemented.
While barebones in modes and lacking tutorials, Aces of Thunder still delivers a great VR experience. Its highly detailed warplanes, excellent audio design, and realistic physics will convince you to push through the steep learning curve and take part in its intense dogfights.
Crisol: Theater of Idols can be succinctly described as a budget BioShock. That may sound harsh, but few modern FPS games evoke this kind of nostalgic design, and despite its shortcomings, the developers earn the comparison. While limitations in enemy variety and loot are evident, Tormentosa remains an intriguing place to visit and explore.
The original Animal Crossing: New Horizons remains an excellent game, but the Switch 2 update is a clear disappointment. The promised technical improvements are almost negligible, and the game remains “stuck” at 30 FPS. Moreover, the new mouse controls are a mixed bag. Helpful for interior decoration, yet strangely omitted during exploration. All in all, this paid update is not worth the price.
This new Speedball entry successfully captures the essence of the classic sports titles by the Bitmap Brothers, certainly no small feat. Its controls could stand to be simpler, as the game overcomplicates its handling in ways that feel unnecessary. Likewise, its visuals lean a bit too heavily into trends set by other popular online games. In the end, however, it remains a faithful modernization of the core Speedball experience.
