Kieron Verbrugge
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Press StartLatest Reviews
The underdog in Monolith Soft's Xenoblade Chronicles series has never looked or played better, giving new life to a game that could have been destined to rot in the ill-fated WiiU’s library. By boldly refitting its systems and gently touching up the already-beautiful art, along with adding some welcome chunks...
Ubisoft's big, bold swing with Assassin's Creed Shadows mostly connects, proving that it was right to hold off on the Hail Mary Feudal Japan setting until it had honed the series’ RPG trappings. Shadows’ attempts at new ideas don't all land the same, but it excels in the areas that...
Starward Vector is a confident, brilliantly written sequel that builds on its predecessor's deft ability to weave thematic and story threads through direct-feed role playing. Gameplay tweaks and the new Contracts system turn what could've been an overly familiar double dip into a follow-up that stands confidently on its own.
Yakuza Pirates in Hawaii is as irreverent and over-the-top as the title might imply, putting its leading man to good use to tell a piratical tale that does just enough to stand on its own. Ship combat never quite reaches the highs it aspires to, and the series still has...
Terry's bite-sized, open world adventure is absurdly hilarious and hilariously absurd in equal measure, providing a few, thrilling hours of goofy fun with some of the best video game comedy in recent memory. If you missed this on PC last year, now's your chance on PS5 and Switch.
Afterlove EP
Afterlove EP pulls from a deep emotional well to weave threads of grief, love, hope, resentment, forgiveness, identity and more through a mostly-good mix of choice-driven visual novel and rhythm game. It has some issues with flow, and the rhythm stuff isn't amazing, but stick with it and you'll fall...
Despite it feeling really late in the game to drop this HD re-release, the simple fact is that Donkey Kong Country Returns is a masterclass in tough-yet-exhilarating platforming, and the Switch is now the best place to play it all over again – or for the first time.
This definitive version of a charming, inventive throwback to peak Sakaguchi might still feel like a game best suited to an iPad, but it works well enough that it's absolutely worth a look-in for PS1-era Final Fantasy fans who've been unable to play it thus far.
Although the formula is bordering over-familiar at this point, it’s been long enough between entries that this return to the Mario & Luigi series is incredibly welcome. It manages to feel fresh enough with interesting new wrinkles that play on this new world and story’s overall themes, and its obsession...
Whether or not you think it needed to happen, Nixxes and Guerrilla Games' effort to refresh Horizon Zero Dawn in its sequel's image is an incredibly successful one. It makes the original version look like a first draft by comparison, and while it won't convince anyone who disliked Zero Dawn...
Funko Fusion’s biggest success is how well it matches the vibe of Funko’s uber-popular line of vinyl figures as a whole – joyless, soulless representations of beloved franchises that capture almost none of the charm of the source material. The most culturally-relevant thing here might be the collectible KFC buckets.
Splatoon 3
Splatoon 3 builds on everything that its predecessor got right, opting to further refine the formula rather than drastically update it. The thin array of new modes, weapons and abilities is just enough for now but longevity is going to be the make-or-break consideration for the game going forward.
