While there are elements of a solid game here in Gotham Knights, it sticks far too close to the DNA of what has worked better before. Nearly every aspect of this adventure is built on the foundation of bad ideas, no matter how well some of them do tend to work. It can be fun, sure, but it could have been so much better.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a damn impressive sequel that not only refines what came before but does it in such a way that it makes every single aspect of the experience better. From freeform movement and voice lines for your Rabbids companions, this adventure is certainly one worth taking, even if the Switch struggles with it from time to time.
No Place for Bravery is a pixelated hack and slash title with several parallels to that of God of War. Thorn, a man with a violent past, returns to bloodshed once again alongside his son as he attempts to track down his kidnapped daughter, taken in front of him by a Warlock who has seemingly resurfaced.
Glowfish Interactive might not be a studio you are familiar with. The Belgium-based developer has put out only a few titles so far, but with Trifox, that just might change. Trifox sees you taking on an evil pirate that has stolen your TV remote, tracking them down across three sizable worlds before confronting them once and for all.
Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway, feels developed in mind to address the criticisms of its past, a racer placed in an already crowded genre where each and every kart racer out there seems to be taking a page out of the Mario Kart playbook. While it is undoubtedly a better and more feature-rich release than its predecessors, it still lacks that certain something to push it over the finish line.
Soulstice pulls a great deal of inspiration from the Devil May Cry series, especially that of its reboot in DmC. Briar and Lute, two sisters fused into a single body, must investigate a tear in the fabric of reality, spewing forth deadly creatures and powerful wraiths, all while attempting to not become the very thing they are tasked with stopping.
Steelrising is French developer, Spiders, take on the Soulslike, set in an alternative history where the French Revolution was fought with an army of mechanized creatures called Automats. As an Automat herself, Aegis will track down the man responsible for this threat, all while diving into her very own unique origins.
The Legend of Heroes is one of the most interesting JRPG sagas out there. So much so that a group of dedicated fans created their own unofficial English translation of Trails from Zero, one of a few entries that never saw an official release overseas. However, thanks to a collaboration with the publisher, it’s here, it’s official, and it’s damn good.
Hardspace Shipbreaker has a great deal in common with another game I played this year; Powerwash Simulator. While the games couldn’t be any more different, the mundane act of performing simple labor still places both titles in a very similar lane. Stepping out of my airlock to dismantle a lifeless ship piece by piece kept my interest for several hours, even if some tedium started to present itself.
This latest iteration of Saints Row is a full-on reboot, taking bits and pieces of the previous games under the control of a whole new boss with a brand new crew. While the open-world sandbox nature of the game is still as fun as ever, nearly everything else is bland, boring, and filled to the brim with a vast array of technical issues.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is Monolith Soft’s greatest achievement, crafting a world and narrative so breathtakingly stunning that I relished every last minute of my 140-hour playthrough. While it certainly has the Switch’s hardware bursting at the seams, it nonetheless impresses at nearly every turn. In short, it’s an undeniable masterpiece.
Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed is exactly what you would expect based on 2020’s remake of Destroy All Humans! Crypto is back, alongside the femme fatale, Natalya, in an effort to save the Earth. Now with more weapons at your disposal, Destroy All Humans! has never looked or played better, well, apart from a host of bugs, that is.
Soul Hackers wasn’t a game that fans ever thought they would see a sequel to, especially after being absent for over a decade now. And yet with the SMT branding removed, Soul Hackers 2 has finally arrived, offering an action-packed JRPG experience that feels more like Shin Megami Tensei-lite, for all the right reasons.
The Ascent is back with Cyber Heist, a short 3-5 hour DLC add-on that takes you to the Dark Playground, a whole new location to explore and earn a few credits. Tasked with tracking down a scientist for some cutting-edge tech, your new melee capabilities will satisfy your bloodlust in what feels like one extra long side quest.
Dusk Diver 2 is in many ways a worthy sequel. But its over-reliance on its few dungeons, spongey enemies, and fetch quests do cause the experience to be the lesser game when compared to its predecessor. Still, if you can overlook some of its flaws and take the game as it is, its story and characters eventually do win out in the end.
Cult of the Lamb is one part hack and slash and equal parts village builder, akin to something like Animal Crossing or Cozy Grove. Its gorgeous art direction and style flourish here with addictive gameplay, satisfying combat, and numerous systems put in place that made me fall in love with my little morbid cultists. Cult of the Lamb is downright superb and a game you desperately need to play.
