Matt Karoglou
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Better yet, Assassin's Creed Shadows is not in competition with the aforementioned like-minded games, but instead serves as a companion, covering an entirely new era of Japanese history that we haven't seen a modern action RPG tackle and letting the player rub elbows with influential historical figures from the Sengoku Period such as Oda Nobunaga, Hattori Hanzo, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. It features two of the most well-rounded and three-dimensional protagonists in the entire Assassin's Creed series, each of whom has real stakes that connect them to both the historical plot set in feudal Japan and the larger Assassin's Creed timeline chronicling the ongoing struggle between the Brotherhood and the Templars. Simply put, Assassin's Creed Shadows is the best Assassin's Creed game in years, and even though its open-world gameplay can feel somewhat too familiar at times, it never stops being fun and always respects the player's most valuable resource — time.
Throughout 90 hours with Trails Through Daybreak 2, it was hard to shake the feeling that it was a game that would resonate strongly with JRPG fans, regardless of whether they had played previous games in the Legend of Heroes series or had followed the other Trails games from the sidelines.
Ultimately, Trails Through Daybreak 2 ends up being a bit polarizing in terms of its place in the series and as a middle chapter in the ongoing Calvard arc, but its gameplay is so satisfying — including one of the best combat systems in the genre — that it's not a stretch to say that JRPG fans can't afford to miss out on what the game offers, regardless of their familiarity with the Legend of Heroes series and the broader Trails game timeline. While it doesn't reinvent the wheel for the series' mechanics, Trails Through Daybreak 2's combat, progression systems, customization, and breadth of content are what longtime JRPG fans dream of.
Unfortunately, while Laika: Aged Through Blood's general design and mechanics are near-flawless and bolstered by incredible art direction, a poignant, heart-wrenching narrative, and a beautifully melancholic soundtrack, recommending the title comes with some substantial caveats. For those who can wrap their mind around the game's unique approach to traversal, Laika: Aged Through Blood offers some zen-like "flow-state" moments that fully deliver on the game's full-throttled power fantasy. For others, attempting the same sections over and over again will be an exercise in frustration that dilutes the experience's high points. And, unfortunately, the game's performance on the Switch leaves a lot to be desired, especially in a title where one-hit kills give way to a need to jump right back into the action.
Not only is Tales of Graces f Remastered the definitive version of what is arguably one of the best games in the series, but it's also a firm foundation for the future of other Tales remakes and remasters. As a Tales game, it delivers on all fronts, with charming characters that are easy to get attached to and be moved by, a predictable yet emotionally poignant narrative that tackles some challenging and atypical themes for the series, and an almost absurd amount of depth and customization afforded by its myriad of combat mechanics and progression systems. As a remaster, Tales of Graces f Remastered dutifully honors the original game by keeping the core elements intact, but presents them in gorgeous HD at a rock-solid 60 FPS. Better yet, Tales of Graces f Remastered introduces a slew of quality-of-life improvements and accessibility options that allow players to cater the experience to their liking down to the smallest minutiae. While its pacing issues persist, and portions of the latter half of the game are plagued by needless backtracking and some overly-long dungeons, Tales of Graces f Remastered is both a highlight of the series and one of the best entries to introduce...
Prior to the modern Fairy Tail games, the series' only video game adaptations were a pair of Japanese-exclusive PSP titles that never received localizations. The release of Fairy Tail in 2020 was a welcome surprise for longtime fans of the incredibly popular Fairy Tail manga and anime, adapting the series' first major arc into an RPG with some light-tactical combat. Notably, though, Fairy Tail fell short of fans' expectations by breezing through several important story beats despite otherwise bringing the fantasy world of the anime to life. Fairy Tail 2 does a great job capturing and retelling the climactic final arc of the series (and switching up its combat system to something more engaging), but its top-notch presentation and visuals can only do so much to distract from the game's lack of depth.