Gamersky

Denshattack! remains a tremendously exciting and memorable adventure. Its level design, gameplay ideas, music, and presentation all feel far beyond what one might expect from an indie game. Traces of Jet Set Radio's parkour spirit, the trick-scoring systems of skateboarding games, and the mechanics of numerous classic video games can all be found within it. Most importantly, it turns the seemingly absurd concept of the subway itself doing parkour into an excellent game that is far more than just a joke.

Staffer Retro is the kind of game that is sure to leave an impression once the truth is finally revealed. Compared with its predecessor, it feels more mature, more polished, and more story-driven. Its pacing is also remarkably smooth, making it easy to play through in a single sitting. However, with its deduction elements taking a back seat, its case design and overall playability may represent a slight step backward from the previous game.

Star Fox fulfills its most basic purpose by bringing this Nintendo 64 classic back to players in a more modern form. There is no denying that many of its design choices were groundbreaking in their time, but this remake is nonetheless somewhat disappointing. It simply pairs visuals roughly on par with the previous console generation with gameplay and level design carried over from 30 years ago almost entirely unchanged.

For fans of the Persona series, KYOTO XANADU -the Blooming Phantom- is certainly a title worth checking out. Both its school-life elements and dungeon exploration are executed well, while retaining a distinctive style of their own. Its combat, meanwhile, builds on a reasonably solid foundation and effectively works around its weaknesses, ultimately delivering a fairly satisfying experience. Its story also undoubtedly ranks above average among JRPGs.

Rhythm Heaven Groove lives up to the expectations longtime fans have had for the series. With higher-quality songs, familiar yet flexible stage formats, and highly replayable bonus modes, it brought back memories of grinding for medals on the Nintendo DS and Wii. For rhythm game fans, it is undoubtedly the most fitting first-party send-off for the Nintendo Switch generation.

Ascend to ZERO cleverly weaves the concept of time into its core design, combining the fun of action shooting with the satisfying progression of roguelites and loot-driven games. While the endgame still has some issues with its numerical balancing, for an indie title, it delivers on what matters most: creativity and novelty.

Frog Sqwad is a fun, bite-sized party game with substantial maps and a wide variety of creative room designs. However, there is still room for improvement in its gameplay depth, controls, and multiplayer difficulty balancing.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced still feels as rich, smooth, and memorable as it did at its best. Nearly every part of the game gains some worthwhile new elements, adding a meaningful sense of scale and depth to the experience. Its main drawback is also a familiar one: a variety of bugs can still appear midway through the game, which may simply be an unavoidable part of the Ubisoft experience.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink's major expansion, Endless Ragnarok, greatly expands the game with an impressive amount of new content. The time and effort required to fully build a character have now increased several times over. New characters, the summon system, new bosses, and the solo roguelike mode all offer substantial, high-quality additions. While the Chaos difficulty features too many reused enemies and the story presentation leaves something to be desired, Endless Ragnarok still delivers 20 to 50 or more hours of additional gameplay.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a solid Zelda like adventure, provided you are willing to overlook its story and a few issues with narrative logic. It captures the polished feel and straightforward fun often associated with Nintendo games, while its moderately challenging puzzles provide a welcome change of pace throughout the journey. At the same time, there is no single aspect where it truly stands above the competition or leaves a lasting impression.