In short, this game feels very much like a stepping stone on the way to a better Demon Slayer game in the future — one with a wider variety of playable characters, more new combat features, and a longer storyline that can afford to cut out filler moments that pad the experience.

After 40 hours in, I’m still eager to hop back in, venturing further off the beaten path, clearing out any lingering FND Bases and checking out the Insurgency post-game content to grind out additional weapons and rewards. With a solid story, an engaging cast of characters, and a plethora of enthralling side content, Far Cry 6 is an easy recommendation for FPS fans.

Diablo 2: Resurrected Review – For the Faithful By Ed McGlone Published on September 30, 2021 Home » Reviews » Diablo 2: Resurrected Review – For the Faithful Share Tweet Night Mode Diablo 2 Resurrected on PC Diablo 2: Resurrected is a remaster simultaneously complex, and also incredibly simple. Visually, it’s a night and day difference between its predecessor, even on the Switch. But from a gameplay perspective, it is incredibly faithful, almost to a fault. Very little has been changed from the original release which will likely be music to the ears of the most hardcore Diablo 2 fans, resistant to change. In that sense, it’s a very “simple” upgrade. However, that decision not to use this opportunity to spruce things up may end up being a thorn at the side of newcomers and fans without rose-tinted glasses. Let’s talk about what Diablo 2: Resurrected gets right first. Visually Diablo 2: Resurrected is a triumph. It takes a very old game that looks, let’s face it, like ass by today’s standards, and turns it into something charming and wonderful to behold. By charming and wonderful, I of course mean gory, gothic, and dark with a new level of detail that was not possible in the original game. Fans wouldn’t have it any other way in that regard. Gameplay-wise, very little has changed because very little needed to change. Diablo 2 is still an all-time great game and that is still the case in Resurrected. All of the game’s classes are incredibly distinct from each other and each has a multitude of different play styles you can elect to spec into. There are Trap Assassins, Elementalist Assassins, Bow Amazons, Javasons, Werewolf Druids, Werebear Druids, Hammerdins, Whirlwind Barbs, Summoner Necros, and Bone Necros, Ice, Fire, and Thunder Sorceresses, I could go on and on. Layered on top of that are gear and set items that can further augment your gameplay and of course the fabled Runewords that players can chase to really perfect their builds. Leveraging all of that and creating your perfect character is definitely a grind. It’s a grind that may not make sense to an outsider, because at the end of the day you’re just running through the same content you did before, just faster, but those of us that love the genre do get it and love it for what it is. What’s great too is that players now have an easier way of getting to experience the lore, environment, and story of Diablo 2. Diablo 3 had a really compelling story that is heavily connected to the events of Diablo 2. While you can still enjoy Diablo 3 without having ever played its predecessor, it’s far more enjoyable if you do know fully what’s going on. And with Diablo 4 coming at some point in the future, it’s absolutely worth a single playthrough for the story and to experience this legendary game at least once, even if you’re not planning on staying a while or killing Baal 10,000 times. All of that said, while yes, Diablo 2 is still an excellent game, it never was a perfect game, and there are some issues that were forgivable back when it was originally released that stick out like sore thumbs now in Diablo 2: Resurrected. I have extremely fond memories of Diablo 2 going back to my days in middle school and high school. My friends and I would spend hours perfecting our magic find gear and mastering our speed runs through Mephisto and Baal to grind for better loot. The funny thing about memories, though, is that sometimes your brain selectively chooses to remember good ones, and deletes all of the bad ones. For example, I barely remembered that Stamina was even a thing, and yeah it’s very much a drag early on. While it improves over time as you pump up your Vitality, I can totally see fans that are not married to the idea of loving Diablo 2, getting frustrated very easily over it, and giving up on it before it starts to resolve itself. If the frequent battles with your Stamina in the early game don’t scare players away, the inventory management might. This is another Diablo 2 memory I subconsciously left behind apparently. I do not remember having to constantly go into my inventory to either drop stuff, or go back and forth to town to stash and sell items as often as I apparently need to while playing Diablo 2: Resurrected. Did I just never pick things up in the original game? Did I just not know anything better back then? I don’t know the answer to those questions, but the reality is that in 2021 it’s kind of brutal and not in a good way. Your choices are basically to be extremely selective on what you decide to stop and pick up and then possibly miss out on upgrades, or just spend most of your gameplay time in your inventory. While I’m fortunate that the version of Diablo 2 that contained respeccing made it into Diablo 2: Resurrected, I would have really preferred to just have unlimited respeccing as you do in Diablo 3. As it stands, it’s a pain in the ass to experiment and you’ll need to really commit to your play style and resort to starting a new character if you want to have easy access to something different. Finally, let me just also add, that the lack of a local couch co-op option for console players is a total bummer. I have to imagine, considering Diablo 3 had the option, that it probably wasn’t a philosophical choice, but rather it probably just wasn’t possible. Still, that doesn’t make it any less of a disappointment. I know that hardcore Diablo 2 fans don’t want to even entertain the idea of Diablo 3 seeping into their beloved game; I totally get that sentiment and don’t want a watered-down version of Diablo 2 either. However, a few modern touches, addressing the three biggest pain points I mentioned above would have gone a long way to properly resurrecting Diablo 2 and making it a premier ARPG in 2021. It doesn’t reach that potential, sadly, but it’s still an all-time great game that mostly holds up as long as you can look past its dated features.

Coming off the first game, the hope was that the sequel would expand upon the hardcore stealth mechanics, and it would have worked a treat with Aragami 2’s larger levels. The increase in co-op partners make for more ways to have fun, and being able to see how certain groups tackle things silently or with all-out mayhem could have given the community more to strive for. The new direction in Aragami 2 is not a bad thing at all, considering the general quality present, but perhaps giving players the option between this new style and the old would have made this sequel a more complete package worth killing for.

Death Stranding Director's Cut continues to impress with its fearless commitment to fetch quests on top of fetch quests, and again, it's not going to change your mind if you didn't already buy into what it was selling back in 2019. But if you did, the Director's Cut enhances and enriches that original experience, and you'll be happy you jumped back into this one.

Its messages certainly resonated with me but its gameplay lacked the variety to truly keep me hooked for lengthier sessions. If you're looking for a chill experience and can overlook any performance issues that aren't quite resolved by the time you pick it up, then Sable will deliver. I just can't help shake the feeling of missed potential here.

Lost Judgement takes everything that was great about the original and makes it that much better. It's got a magnificent story, great characters, an enormous amount of side characters, and great combat all in one package. It's just one of those games that you won't want to put down for bed while also being the reason you get up early for work in order to play just a little bit more. Lost Judgment is simply a perfect sequel.

Before I knew it, my initial skepticism and complaints had begun to evaporate. Even as a silent protagonist, John manages to exude so much personality from his non-committal shrugs and sighs, and he and Sam play off each other so well it’s hard not to feel endeared to them. Everything about Eastward just feels immediately magical and nostalgic, and while my gripes with the combat and stretched out dungeon designs never really went away entirely, Sam’s journey is still one I’m glad I went on in the end.

Deathloop is still signature Arkane in terms of exemplary immersive-sim design, reminiscent of BioShock and Dishonored, but it also puts a giant smile on your face each and every time you play.

This feels like a safe yet enjoyable follow-up to Berseria. Longtime fans will be satisfied with this entry after the five-year wait since the last mainline game even though Tales of Arise doesn’t feel like it strays too far away from the standard series formula.

Life Is Strange: True Colors is right up there as one of the best games in the series, if not the outright best. Its characters are interestingly complex and believable, the writing is strong — albeit a bit clichéd in true Life Is Strange fashion — and its more sinister narrative has plenty of twists and turns that’ll keep you hooked. It’s all punctuated by heartwarming, lighthearted sections reminiscent of Before the Storm’s beloved ‘play’ scene, and its decisions will have you second-guessing yourself for hours. The whole experience is wrapped up in the strongest presentation values and a soundtrack that never skips a beat. This is a must-play for fans of the series, and a serious contender for my Game of the Year.

I did hope for a little bit more from this Switch title; WarioWare: Gold for the 3DS seemed to have better value with 100 more microgames, full voice acting, and a lower price tag. The Switch game just feels like it's missing something. However, WarioWare: Get It Together! is simply fun. It's an entertaining game to play in short bursts when you have some downtime or when you're in the mood for something a little zanier.

F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch is an excellent offering that is surprisingly getting very little marketing at launch. With a great aesthetic, an engaging enough narrative, together with challenging combat and rewarding Metroidvania exploration, this is one resistance movement everyone should be signing on for.

Hopefully, the game will be successful enough to warrant a sequel, perhaps involving an actual development team. Yet, if you love mecha games, frenetic action, and extensive customization, especially considering the price, recommending Mecha Knights: Nightmare is absolutely a no-brainer.

Fortunately, the fantastic gameplay, music, story, writing, and character design are all ways that No More Heroes 3 more than makes up for the game’s shortcomings. It has been well worth the wait for diehard fans and is easily recommendable to anyone who enjoys action games.

I was pretty satisfied with my overall experience with Boyfriend Dungeon when the end of the summer rolled. The writing was solid, and I ended up caring about a lot of the relationships that were formed. It is just a shame that the somewhat lacking combat and issues with a couple of the characters and situations arise that end up bogging the game down a bit.

Those nitpicks out of the way, Psychonauts 2 is an absolute joy to play. It’s hard to put down not only because it’s a solid game from top to bottom, but also because it’s just so damn charming. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Raz and his crew of zany characters, and I imagine that just about anyone who decides to pick up Psychonauts 2 will feel the same way.

While a few minor AI and presentational bugs hold it back from being the perfect organism fans have been hoping for, Aliens: Fireteam Elite absolutely nails that one-last-stand thrill of roleplaying a badass marine with your back against the wall battling overwhelmingly insurmountable odds. Let's rock? Aye-firmative.

Some things are better, some things are the same, some things are still broken; it’s a guessing game each year what will be up or down, and in the end, it all ends up at the same result: a passable but uninspired football simulation.

Humankind is still an exciting evolution for the genre. Its dedication to historical authenticity sets it apart from its largest competitor, and the new systems like war support and shifting cultures feel like the very first steps leading to something that’s potentially greater. It’s not quite the ‘Civ-killer’ it wants to be just yet, but hey, give it a few more iterations and it just might be.

Despite those shortcomings, there’s no question that Ghost of Tsushima Iki Island is an entertaining overall experience and I’m confident most players will find it worth the asking price; in particular, because the story strengthens Jin’s character arc by shining a light on an aspect of his youth not particularly well explained in the base game. For that reason, it works as an adventure played alongside the base game, and equally as an engaging new chapter for those playing it after the fact.

Twelve Minutes is bold in its artistic choices in every aspect of the game. From the top-down camera perspective to the deliberate lack of instruction from the very beginning, Twelve Minutes wants you to figure everything out for yourself and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. There are drawbacks to this, as exemplified by my own shortcomings when it comes to puzzle games, but it’s also elegant in its simplicity and minimalism. Twelve Minutes is a deliberately introspective game that doesn’t waste its breath on unnecessary exposition or dialogue. Wanting to see all it has to offer may take some effort on the player’s part, but it’s well worth the hard work and investment.

Road 96 is a special title well worth checking out for anyone with an itch for adventure. Its replayability may be limited, but for its budget price tag, this is one narrative-driven, decision-based adventure that almost completely delivers on its ambitious vision for the genre.

The difference this time around, though, is that I think The Siege of Paris does at least feel markedly different from the base game, both in ambiance and structure. Where Wrath of the Druids’ Ireland could quite easily have been another region of England in the base game, The Siege of Paris does genuinely stand apart. It’s a throwback to old Assassin’s Creed I’m sure fans of the franchise, rather than just fans of Valhalla, will love. And for that reason, in combination with the fact that it tells an interesting story, offers a great reason to reboot or reinstall the game for those who haven’t returned since completing it last year.

I’m sure anyone who loves a good survival or post-apocalyptic game will enjoy this one. Yet, I can’t help but wonder how much better the game would be had Farm51 chose to focus on what made it unique instead of adding in a bunch of other elements that were underdeveloped.

Tribes of Midgard isn’t going to be for everyone. The solo experience features all of the intensity that comes with the time crunch, but very little of the fun, and it’s certainly not for players who might be looking for another chill Valheim-like viking experience. But for what it sets out to do, it executes it well. Tribes of Midgard successfully evokes that feeling of setting out as a united tribe in its multiplayer sessions, and the heart of the game lies in sharing the burden of fighting that ticking clock and hoping that you can all pull together in time to beat the odds.

The Ascent is a tough game to recommend for solo players in its current state. Its buggy, tedious at its best and utterly frustrating at its worst. While I’m sure playing with friends will resolve some of my chief complaints, more fundamental issues like a rather boring overworld can’t be fixed with a few laughs with friends.

If you strip that away from Cris Tales, what you have left is a charming and serviceable RPG that is also packed with quite a few flaws and questionable design choices. Cris Tales is definitely worth a playthrough if you’re looking for something light-hearted and a little bit old-school. Just keep your expectations low when it comes to time-based gameplay.