Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War is a fun shooter with a fantastic presentation. It doesn't do anything major or push the genre forward, but it provides a fun, entertaining experience with one of the more memorable franchises on the market.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection more than proves its worth in quality and depth. It masterfully translates the core of Monster Hunter into a single-player RPG that encourages deep engagement with systems and the world itself. This is far more than just another monster-catching RPG; it's an intelligent, layered and moreish adventure that delivers an impactful, mature story that has sat with me for a long time. Consider me well surprised with this one.
Sadly a compelling setting, great performances and some occasionally stunning visuals aren't enough to overcome the horrendously uneven and frequently broken combat system which sits at the heart of 1348 Ex Voto and threatens to cast this otherwise intriguing and ambitious indie effort into the ninth circle of mediocrity.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando delivers pure co-op chaos with confidence and flair. Massive hordes, satisfying weapon variety, inventive vehicles, and clever salvage/defense mechanics create consistently thrilling missions. Class progression, skill trees, and temporary heavy weapons encourage experimentation and strategic play. Performance dips are minor in comparison to the spectacle, and while the game doesn’t reinvent the genre, it refines a familiar formula in ways that feel fresh, especially with friends. Overall, it’s a high-energy, replayable co-op experience that shines brightest in teamwork-driven chaos.
A humdrum start to Greedfall 2: The Dying World brings down the experience quite drastically. However, once you scale the prologue, the rest of the game feels like you would expect a Spider Interactive RPG to play: likeable characters, political storylines, and straightforward exploration. Combat is its own thing, with the game giving you options to go elbows deep into a clunky but serviceable tactical system or toggle settings so that combat is mindless. The team took too big of a bite this time, and the overall quality paid for it. Still, there is a good Spider Interactive game here, but it might take you a while to find it.
When people talk about wanting remakes, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is exactly the quality of remake they have in mind. Overall, this is a fantastic way to experience a beloved classic on modern hardware.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a supremely assured offering that is better than its predecessor in virtually every way, layering just enough mechanical depth on top while never losing sight of the beating heart underneath.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance is an overall decent remaster that does a great job of upgrading the game for a modern audience, especially with its brand-new camera. Everything else, unfortunately, is hit-and-miss. The visual upgrades are great in some areas and worse in others, and the additions of the Lost Levels leave a lot to be desired. While a solid game upon its original release, this remaster was the perfect opportunity to update and fix some of the game's more glaring issues with its sound design and some frustrating combat sequences.
I'm a long time fan of the Tales of games, and I personally love that this release, along with the other recent remasters, received a physical version with some extra bells and whistles. That said, the urge to buy Tales of Berseria Remastered isn't really all that strong, as this experience essentially exists on modern hardware already.
Resident Evil Requiem is a confident, gorgeous-looking and genuinely scary romp that expertly balances its horror and action elements into one compelling, hair-raising package. Grace is one of the best new characters the series has introduced to date, and a perfect complement to veteran zombie slayer Leon. As the series celebrates its 30th anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem sees the franchise at its strongest in years.
