Jake Valentine
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DualShockers Latest Reviews
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
While Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream isn't the full-blown life simulator some people may have been hoping for, fans of the original will feel right at home. Despite lacking any concrete depth, I'm still impressed by the wacky scenarios, conversations, and relationships that blossom. It's been a smash hit in the Valentine household, and that won't change for quite some time. I never thought we'd see another Tomodachi Life game, and I'm so happy that we did.
For all the good World of Warcraft: Midnight does, there are decisions being made that hold it back from being an all-time great expansion. I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it: the add-on changes feel like they were done with no real plan in place. Preys are a great feature, but I want to see a long-term vision here, especially because Delves are now delivering that vision. I'm excited to play through Midnight's seasons and experience everything the game offers heading into The Last Titan, but I also hope that Blizzard lets the dev team fully cook. It feels like they didn't with Midnight, and it's a shame.
MLB The Show 26 is still one of the best sports games in town, but it's starting to show its flaws. Despite all the advancements and positive additions, it's getting harder to ignore some of its issues. For the first time in recent years, I'm not sure if MLB The Show is worth the money. For all the good the game does, I can't keep ignoring all of the mounting issues.
Pokémon Pokopia is a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime game that changes the entire landscape of the genre. There may be nothing new or revolutionary here, but that's not the point. We were sold a cute, fun, and charming Pokémon spin-off that could hold our cozy gaming hearts over until something like Tomodachi Life or the next Animal Crossing releases. What we got was a game that questions whether or not we'd be willing to put Pokémon Pokopia down when those games come out.
WWE 2K26 isn't a perfect game. It suffers from too many technical issues, and I'm not sold on the tweaks to its core gameplay being a net positive, even though they make sense. That said, WWE 2K26 does so many good things that it's still worth it. This year's version of The Island is a massive improvement, and I cannot stop playing it, especially progressing through Tower runs. CM Punk's Showcase is an excellent presentation, and MyRISE is another successful story. Overall, WWE 2K26 is still another solid entry in the WWE 2K franchise, but I can't help but wonder where it could have landed. It reminds me of the recent LA Knight spot from this year's Men's Elimination Chamber match. He's got the crowd in the palm of his hand, he's ready for a big move off the rope...and he slips. He's still over with the crowd, and I think that's how things will ultimately land with WWE 2K26, but I have more reservations this year than I did last year.