July
Game 34: Final Fantasy XVI
Developer: Square Enix
Played on: PS5
Release: 2023
Playtime: 59 hours 33 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: XVI masterfully transitions Final Fantasy to the action genre.
Developer: WayForward
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022
Rating: 8
Thoughts: An improvement over its predecessor in every way — except for the performance. Slowdown can hamper gameplay when the screen fills up with too many things.
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023
Playtime: 63 hours 40 minutes
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: Uneven pacing and consistent slowdown on Switch hold Trails to Azure back from being the best in the series.
Developer: Sumo Digital
Played on: PS5
Release: 2014
Playtime: 5 hours 31 minutes
Rating: 6
Thoughts: LittleBigPlanet 3 has some interesting ideas. However, none of them are fleshed out enough to keep you engaged for long.
Game 38: Tunic
Developer: TUNIC Team
Played on: Switch
Release: 2022
Playtime: 15 hours 7 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Despite its difficulty and obtuse nature, Tunic is a charming and expertly crafted homage to the 2D Zelda adventures of old.
August
Game 39: Prey
Developer: Arkane Studios
Played on: PS5
Release: 2017
Playtime: 20 hours 41 minutes
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: The amount of experimentation Prey offers the player in any situation is awe-inspiring. However, frequent load times and a confusing map bog it down.
Game 40: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Developer: Capcom
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023
Rating: 9.5
Thoughts: Even 12 years later, Ghost Trick has not lost a step. Easily one of the finest puzzle-adventure games to grace this medium.
September
Game 41: Ratchet & Clank
Developer: Insomniac Games
Played on: PS2
Release: 2002
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: Despite some rough edges, Ratchet & Clank is still as fun and ambitious as when it was first released.
Game 42: WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Developer: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems
Played on: Wii
Release: 2007
Playtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
Rating: 7
Thoughts: A silly collection of microgames that will keep you smiling. However, the motion controls can be unreliable at times.
Game 43: The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Played on: PS5
Release: 2023
Playtime: 85 hours 24 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Trails into Reverie is an exhilarating epilogue to the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs.
Game 44: Mario Kart 7
Developer: Nintendo and Retro Studios
Played on: 3DS
Release: 2011
Playtime: 15 hours 39 minutes
Rating: 9
Thoughts: Mario Kart 7 walked so that Mario Kart 8 could run.
Game 45: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Developer: MachineGames
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2017
Playtime: 15 hours 4 minutes
Rating: 6.5
Thoughts: For all of Wolfenstein II's improvements, its over-reliance on stealth continues to frustrate.
Game 46: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2019
Rating: 8
Thoughts: While New Super Mario Bros. U and Luigi U lose some of their lustre in the transition to Switch, they still hold up in terms of gameplay and level design.
Developer: Sonic Team
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023
Rating: 8
Thoughts: A good collection of 5 classic Sonic platformers and 12 Game Gear games of varying quality.
Developer: Geometric Interactive
Played on: Series X via Game Pass
Release: 2023
Playtime: 3 hours 54 minutes
Rating: 10
Thoughts: A short yet phenomenal puzzle-adventure, Cocoon does more with its mechanics than games 10 times its length.
Developer: Nintendo
Played on: Switch
Release: 2023
Rating: 8.5
Thoughts: While some aspects have dulled with age, Pikmin 1's gameplay loop is timeless.
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