Includes PushSquare
Last reviewed: Mina the Hollower · 5 days ago
A referential and joyful deep dive into the world of Batman, the latest LEGO effort from TT Games is elite brick gaming. Legacy of the Dark Knight just wants to be an enjoyable time, and it refuses to falter from that commitment. This new LEGO Batman will be some of the best fun you have all year.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an excellent action RPG that offers an even more hardcore take on the increasingly popular Soulslike formula. It's fast, frenetic, and hits like a truck, with one of the most mesmeric combat systems we've ever had the pleasure to master. It might scare off more casual players, but those looking for a challenge, well - you can stop looking.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is enjoyable enough without its performance troubles, but with them, they’re a major drag on the overall game. Wait for them to be ironed out in post-launch patches and you’ll find a decent, if formulaic experience.
But we still like having these games readily available on contemporary hardware. The CRT filters included are outstanding, and this being a Digital Extremes joint, you get tons of bonus materials, like the original arcade flyers to flick through in their entirety.
With beautiful Studio Ghibli-esque aesthetics, The Wandering Village is a city building sim with real soul. Beneath it all, there is a really beautiful metaphor at play with a wider message regarding the relationship between a civilisation and its environment.
You can't really go wrong with Unfinished Business if you enjoyed its underrated predecessor, but expectations need to be kept in check. This standalone follow-up is disappointingly rough around the edges, and although its comically violent combat remains satisfying, it's not varied enough to elevate the entire action-heavy campaign.Still, we're never going to say no to more Rogue City. Teyon still manages to capture the campy 80s spirit of RoboCop here, and that'll drive most players to the top of OmniTower.
Shadow Labyrinth is an admirable big swing that places Pac-Man in a strange new space. Unfortunately, while there are some fun elements taken from the arcade classic and a few neat ideas sprinkled in, the majority of the game is a by-the-numbers Metroidvania that doesn't quite come together. It feels like a game built to please Pac-fans and hardcore players that lap up the likes of Hollow Knight, but the end result is something that underserves both. It's not bad, but with so many incredible 2D Metroidvanias these days, this one doesn't quite do enough to measure up.
But it’s hard to knock the games too hard for retaining original experience intact in this respect, as the remasters improve pretty much everything else. This collection leaves you with what is now the definitive way to experience Patapon and Patapon 2.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is another fantastic skateboarding title that revives some all-time classics, albeit with some caveats. It's a shame that 4 couldn't be more faithfully restored, but what is included still makes for a fun arcade skating experience that fans of the series shouldn't skip - especially considering the brand new levels and other neat secrets. It may not be the greatest remake, but it's further proof that there's life yet in this timeless series.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a fantastic way to revisit one of the most influential games ever made.
It may sound a bit all over the place, but in practice this is a nicely paced and thoughtfully done game that manages to draw a lot from an old school Atari classic.
All in all, Anger Foot is a bold indie that leaves a clear impression. It feels fantastic to play when you're in the zone, and the game's relentless aesthetic helps set it apart from the action crowd.
Into the Restless Ruins is doing a lot of things right, then, but the auto-combat doesn't have the exponential growth of Vampire Survivors to keep it interesting, and whatever story is present is easy to forget. However, again, the game's interesting structure is more than enough to make it well worth a look for roguelike fans.
Ultimately, Ruffy and the Riverside is a game we wanted to like, but despite its attractive visual style and unique ideas, it never really comes together in a satisfying way. While there's some fun to be had running around in the semi-open world, it never evolves beyond that.
In what will prove to be one of the defining games of the PS5 generation, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a profound achievement of design, gameplay, narrative, and visuals. As all four meet in the middle, Kojima Productions has crafted a cinematic spectacle that flawlessly transitions between action and traversal, all wrapped up in the most absorbing of narratives. An immense upgrade on the first game, Death Stranding 2 is an unequivocal masterpiece.
Rematch is very close to being a brilliant online sports title, and we're confident it can reach its full potential with the right updates and post-launch support. The gameplay has depth, and successful team play is super rewarding. Once it gets past its early teething issues, this has real potential to take off.
Raidou Remastered gives one of Atlus' most experimental PS2 outings a deserved second chance. Better described as a remake, a huge list of improvements, including a superbly reworked combat system, make this a must-try for the developer's modern audience. Raidou remains a uniquely weird and compelling action RPG, and this is its definitive form.