– Dan Stapletonĭeveloper: Fishlabs | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC Cyber Shadowįrom our review: Cyber Shadow is a wonderful merging of old-school aesthetic and modern design sensibilities, much like Shovel Knight was back in 2014. The story behind it all isn’t half bad once you’ve waded through a flood of sci-fi mysticism, and Nara and Forsaken are interesting characters to spend all that time with – which is a relief, because they’re the only ones we ever get to see. Its large and pretty map is filled with fleshed-out side quests, and they’re varied enough that it’s easy to cruise around for a few dozen hours and really get the hang of the combat system. – Seth Macyĭeveloper: ClayTechWorks | Platforms: Switch, PC | IGN's Bravely Default 2 Video Review Chorusįrom our review: Chorus does an excellent job of cutting out the dull parts of space dogfighting, getting right to the flashy fun of blasting through enemy fighters and capital ships with superpowered abilities. With plenty of old-school sensibilities and tons of improvements on the formula, Bravely Default 2 is almost everything I crave from a JRPG outside of a grand story. And while the grind is real and repetitive fetch quests abound, it's so easy to pick up and put back down that it feels like less of a grind and more of a constructive way to kill some time.
Its character and enemy art that was excellent on the 3DS doesn't translate all that well to the higher resolution of the Nintendo Switch, but the beautiful backdrops and environments get a massive boost from and look fantastic. – Seth Macyĭeveloper: Dang! | Platforms: Switch, PC Bravely Default 2įrom our review: Bravely Default 2 is a long, familiar journey with excellent customizable combat and jobs systems that let you make your party and your playthrough truly your own. I just wish it were longer, because I was having such a great time playing it. Even though it's completely linear, it still has the strongest Metroid Prime vibes I've felt from a game in ages, and I loved battling through each area as I moved deeper into its mysterious island. – Brendan Graeberĭeveloper: Robi Studios | Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC | IGN's Blue Fire Video Review Boomerang Xįrom our review: Boomerang X is a wonderful twist on a single-player arena shooter with excellent environmental story-telling, an interesting weapon, and a buttery smooth combat system. And even when the pacing of its main path falters slightly, the irresistible lure of its inventive challenge rooms kept me coming back for more. Its Zelda-like dungeon experiences may end a bit too soon before it begins relying on overly familiar backtracking, but it doesn’t dull the fun of dashing around obstacles and fighting enemies alike. – Kyle Campbellĭeveloper: Turtle Rock Studios | Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN's Back 4 Blood Video Review Blue Fireįrom our review: Blue Fire provides an impeccable platforming experience with the just right balance of abilities to master and challenges to test you, making its bleak and corrupted world a joy to explore. Back 4 Blood confidently marches to the beat of its tune rather than lifelessly shamble after distant memories. Its flippant difficulty spikes and unbalanced versus mode prove not every experiment works out, but its co-op zombie-fighting manages to forge its own identity. – Tristan Ogilvieĭeveloper: Beethoven & Dinosaur | Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC | IGN's The Artful Escape Video Review Back 4 Bloodįrom our review: Between its stellar card augmentations, excellent campaign, and jovial tone that creeps into every facet of its design, Back 4 Blood puts some exciting new spins on a familiar genre. But if you’re up for an infectious mix of goofy good humour and brazen guitar worship, then there hasn’t been a musical adventure as excellent as The Artful Escape since Bill met Ted. It’s not for those who’re after a traditional platforming game challenge, and if listening to indulgent ‘80s-style guitar solos doesn’t appeal to you then Francis’ nonstop noodling may well get on your nerves. Developer: Relic | Platform: PC | IGN's Age of Empires 4 Video Review The Artful Escapeįrom our review: The Artful Escape is a truly joyful musical journey through outer space in which the performances of its cast and the quality of its soundtrack are every bit as stellar as the eye-popping celestial realms it crisscrosses through.