Charlie Wacholz
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Rift of the NecroDancer is a clever rhythm game that innovates on some of the genre’s best ideas.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a lovingly made Indiana Jones simulator, and I mean that in the best ways possible. It’s an absolute thrill to travel the world as Indy and take part in a story whose quality measures up to the stuff I love the most about the films. Even when I’m shaking my fist in anger at some frustrating, outdated design decision in a combat encounter, you had better believe I’m picking my controller right back up so I can make a mad dash to the next mysterious puzzle or fun story beat. I can’t wait to hop back into my finished save file and go scrounge every nook and cranny for more cutscenes, lore, and Nazi-punching action.
No matter how excellent its soundtrack or sense of momentum may be, there’s no shaking the sense that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is in a race against its own sense of nostalgia. The game rips, but more often than not it feels like that's because Jet Set Radio ran before it. That’s not to say it’s bad, but part of what makes Jet Set Radio so fun and unique is its raw originality. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a sequel in everything but name—for better and for worse. For every banger in its soundtrack, there’s a moment of jank or a feeling that this game hasn’t left 2000. Again, it’s still a great time, but it’s lacking that lightning-in-a-bottle feel that JSR had. That’s totally fine, and for people who missed out on it, this will feel much fresher.
I'm not sure if I'm comfortable saying that it's my game of the year, but it's easily the shining star of the Xbox Series S|X launch to me. Tetris Effect Connected brings multiple creative, beautiful, and mesmerizing spins to the Tetris formula that anyone with Game Pass owes it to themself to play and try out, especially those who missed the original. Sweetened by its hypnotic, up-tempo soundtrack and pseudo-psychedelic visuals, Tetris has never felt better than in Tetris Effect. Now with a robust multiplayer offering, Tetris Effect Connected allows it to rival Tetris 99 for the spot of my favorite entry in the franchise.
Carrion is a satisfying, bloody, intricate experience with fantastic puzzle, level and encounter design. However, it also suffers a notable consistency problem that breaks the sense of destructive momentum that's central to a game like Carrion. While players who come looking for a rip-and-tear experience like DOOM (2016) might be disappointed by the game's puzzle and stealth mechanics, Carrion never sacrifices its reverse horror atmosphere and cartoonish, over-the-top violence and gore, even when it slows down.
Regardless of which difficulty you play on, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 serves as one of the best entry points into classic Castlevania. Its gameplay, while not as challenging as the classics, introduces interesting mechanics that build not only on the original Castlevania games but the first Curse of the Moon as well. It certainly falls short in a few of the places it tries to innovate, but despite its flaws, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 offers a strong dose of nostalgia with a few modern twists and a fantastic presentation that makes it more accessible and sometimes even a bit more enjoyable.