Listen, we can't all be perfect. Some of us get caught up in breaking ourselves for holiday hoopla. Some of us get writers block, and can't sit down and think of content to write. One of us even had to migrate all of our things to a new hosting site. Needless to say, we've been busy, but now we're back, to do a year in review, three days into 2025. Not to steal anyone's catch phrase, but JOIN US! Please note, that I will not be listing any remakes or ports, so if it was released this year, and it meets that criteria, congratulations.
Astro Bot: 10
"How do you quantify charm? How do you measure delight? Is it possible to reach a maximum state of fun?" Eric says in his opening statement of the Game Awards "Game of the Year". When it was revealed, I told anyone who would listen, that if Astro Bot was Mario, people would be freaking out. The Playstation 5 exclusive didn't turn a lot of heads at first. Then people played it. They put out clip after clip of all the Sony call backs, and the absolute beauty of the game, that not only was Sony's flex, but gave a platforming challenge to be in the conversation of a damn good platformer. Eric polishes the game off by saying "Team ASOBI came out swinging for the fences, expanding on the existing games in the series in every direction. Astro Bot is a delight in every sense of the word. Now I have to wait for it to go on sale.
Fear The Spotlight - 10
I'm not afraid to say this in front of him. Nathan does not hold back. If he dislikes a game, he will let you have it. Because of this, it is very rare that I see a perfect 10 on one of his reviews, but it took an old school horror game to make it so. Using the same graphical formula from Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Fear the Spotlight is a survival horror game of old, with all the spooks, adventure and puzzles we've all come to love. Nathan says " Filled with an intriguing story, great characters, fun puzzles, this game delivers lots of tension and a lot of love, care, and passion for the games that we grew up with as kids. I cannot recommend this enough if you are a fan of the genre." If he likes it, you will too. Just don't ask him about Mortal Kombat 1.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - 9.5
Another editor in chief review, Eric took on the former Yakuza series in probably it's most zany version yet. Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth looks like what would happen if someone had infinite wealth, and threw every single idea they've ever had into a video game. This is the NINTH mainline entry of the series, and probably the most bonkers of it. Eric says you can just jump right into it's action RPG ways. And it doesn't stop being quirky, for halfway through the game, it just drops you on an island resort, and opens up a whole new game. Eric says "With a ton of new mechanics, minigames that are more like full-sized games, and great characters, this enormous (and enormously entertaining) action/RPG title is one of the best values in AAA gaming." I should probably check it out. It's on everything.
Swarm 2 - 9.5
Eric once again, this time flexing the VR muscles for Swarm 2, and I believe if there were big fat envelopes to pass around (there aren't, trust me), Eric would turn it down, and just tell you to just let him express his love for VR. He called it's prequel one of the best VR games he ever played. Liking it to Bionic Commando in VR, he remains solid saying the swinging around to defeat the aliens with one gun in one hand, and a bionic cable in another, will not make you sick. I will never know, for I play Maestro, and that, to me, is a lot of moving around. Looking at screen shorts are making me want to show you what I ate for breakfast. Eric says "At this point, if you haven’t played a Swarm game, you are failing at VR." I'll take his word for it.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth - 9.5
I'm not summarizing this review, for my backlog has kept me far away from Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. I can tell you that I bought a PS5 for the Intergrade chapter of Final Fantasy VII: Remake, and I have yet to leave the first town in the sequel. Eric's review says no spoilers, but I have avoided practically everything up to this point, and in 2025, I resolve to beat this game and will do whatever it takes. Eric says "With the core team assembled, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth feels like embarking on a fantastic adventure with a gang of your best friends. More open, action-packed, and surprisingly funny, Rebirth gives players days of content and the freedom to pursue it, while still telling a wonderful and cohesive story."
There ya go. I had a few that I could recommend. MiniShoot Adventures (9) was great fun. Top down bullet hell Legend of Zelda like adventure game. Tekken 8 (9) is still cooking, adding Eddy, Clive, Lidia, and back from the dead Heihachi Mishima. I mentioned Maestro above, which is pretty cool. It allows you to conduct your own orchestra in VR, and it's fantastic. I owe them an article too. Go check all these out. And have a great 2025.
