Ryan Meitzler
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DualShockersLatest Reviews
Persona 5 Strikers may look and feel a bit different from the original, but at its heart, it still revolves around the Phantom Thieves that we know and adore. As a love letter to a group of characters and setting that I quickly grew attached to, having the chance to jump back in and steal some hearts with Joker and the crew is entirely worth the return trip to Japan. For that, Persona 5 Strikers is a fitting reunion for players that are looking for one last surprise from everyone’s favorite Phantom Thieves, no matter where the road takes them next.
With classics like Rogue Squadron and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter in its rearview, Squadrons manages to deliver as the space-combat game that Star Wars fans have been waiting for. While Squadrons might not have the most extensive multiplayer offerings and the campaign is brief, the core experience of flying iconic ships and facing off with other players in chaotic dogfights is more than worth it, and its VR support makes hopping into the cockpit of Star Wars fighters that much more enticing. Few games have managed to effectively capture the thrill and tension of Star Wars' space combat, but for the most part, Star Wars: Squadrons is in a whole other galaxy.
While I enjoyed my time with the single-player campaign in Marvel's Avengers--which surprised me with its warmth, fun, and energy--its multiplayer components haven't quite come together just yet. As a game that revolves around assembling its team of iconic heroes, Marvel's Avengers at this time still feels a bit at odds with itself. Granted, Crystal Dynamics clearly is planning to make this experience evolve over time with the introduction of new heroes and storylines into its online modes, so the Marvel's Avengers a year from now may look very different than today. For now, we'll have to see if these heroes can find a way to regroup to face the challenges ahead.
Tell Me Why isn't a major deviation from what we expect from episodic narrative experiences, but it's one of the few that feels like it has really gotten the storytelling format right for video games. At three episodes in length, the series feels concise and well-paced, and with its new chapters releasing weekly, players won't experience a protracted wait between new episodes that happened with Life is Strange. More importantly, Tell Me Why manages to craft an engaging story that's worth seeing through to the very end, especially in regard to its well-developed characters and core relationship between Tyler and Alyson. Tell Me Why features several stories from unique, diverse backgrounds that we should surely hear more of, while also offering themes and ideas that can (and should) speak to everyone.
Gears Tactics at first seems like a straightforward premise that blends two incredibly popular franchises together, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for it lacking depth or fun. Despite playing in a completely different style compared to the core Gears games, Gears Tactics still feels remarkably in line with the rest of the series and is a thrilling, worthwhile experience that Gears fans and strategy game veterans will enjoy, while being completely accessible to newcomers. If you consider Gears as chocolate and XCOM as peanut butter, Gears Tactics is how they meet: a combination of ingredients you’ve likely had before, but together, they just work so damn well.
With its numerous quality-of-life improvements and additions, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a big step forward for the series and found its perfect destination on the Switch. Especially given the current circumstances that we’re all facing right now in the world, it may have been unintentional that such a peaceful, idyllic game would arrive in the midst of so much fear, uncertainty, and stress. But thankfully, it’s nice to have a small, peaceful little place to escape to right now, and I can’t wait to keep coming back to it when I need it most.
While this is only our third Luigi’s Mansion game in nearly 20 years, a rarity for most of Nintendo’s other franchises, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is an experience that easily justifies the longer wait since Dark Moon. This full-fledged sequel delivers on just about every aspect from gameplay, to visuals, and especially to giving players a well-crafted, spooky adventure of puzzle-solving and exploration. Though I hope we get a return trip to the series sometime sooner rather than later, Luigi’s Mansion 3 shows better than ever that Luigi is more than capable of carrying his own game, even one that’s meant to give us happiness at his expense.
While DMC5 has upped the series' style and flashiness to heights never seen before, it also packs in a surprising level of warmth and humanity that doesn't completely let its focus on style overwhelm substance. After having waited over a decade, I realize that Dante might be a little older and grayer now, but I'm sure as hell glad to have him and the rest of the gang back again.
While its transition to a semi-open-world structure may make for a radical change from what fans may expect from the series' third installment, Metro Exodus expands on what has made the series so unique from anything else with a compelling mix of action, stealth, survival, and horror. Much like how the Aurora has brought Artyom and his companions to new, uncharted territories, Metro Exodus is bringing the series into a new direction that seems to have so many possibilities.
Like closing the final chapter on a thousand-page-long fantasy novel, The Banner Saga 3 delivers a dark and thrilling conclusion to remember. Though at times it might prove to be a bit more of a challenge than some might expect, The Banner Saga 3 is the culmination of Stoic Studio's four-year-long journey through a tense and memorable world that's entirely worth seeing through to the end. While I'm sad to see The Banner Saga series come to a close with its third and final act, The Banner Saga 3 finishes it all in a brutal and brilliant fashion. The story may be over, but The Banner Saga's world is one that I will surely yearn to come back to.