Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Release: October 25, 2024

The 2011 release of Sonic Generations was one of the best games the series had received in years and served as an effective celebration of the Blue Blur’s 20th anniversary. Though the 33rd anniversary is much less of a milestone birthday, Sonic Team carried forward that legacy with a solid remaster of Sonic Generations. However, rather than simply polishing old decorations, Sonic Team gave fans new ways to celebrate with a superb second campaign starring Sonic’s most popular rival, Shadow, creating a compelling package well worth speeding through.

This new campaign, Shadow Generations, feels right at home in the bundle thanks to its emphasis on revisiting key stages and boss fights in Shadow’s history. Through various modernizations, it showcases the series’ recent evolution. Shadow’s stages are blisteringly fast and full of diverse action, and since Shadow debuted in Sonic Adventure 2, all of the stages in Shadow Generations are from the Modern era. I enjoyed revisiting iconic locales like Space Colony ARK, Rail Canyon, and Radical Highway. Even Kingdom Valley from the much-maligned Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) received an excellent facelift for this remastered bundle. Sunset Heights from Sonic Forces and the Tokyo DLC stage inspired by the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie offer some of the coolest set-piece moments in franchise history.

 

Speed is every bit as important in Shadow Generations as in any Sonic game, but I love how Shadow is much more offense-oriented than his blue counterpart. Using his Doom Powers, he targets multiple enemies with projectiles, glides across the top of the water, and even sprouts wings to soar through stages. Though not all of these powers are as smooth as I’d like and some are extremely situational, I never tired of using Chaos Control to freeze objects in the environment to open new paths.

Some stages in Shadow Generations veer close to the source material while others feature mind-bending sequences where Shadow runs through a warped version of Radical Highway in the middle of another stage, flowing seamlessly between the levels and awe-inspiring cinematic moments. Shadow Generations also adds several boss fights that are largely more enjoyable than those found on the Sonic Generations side of the fence. I had so much fun using Shadow’s suite of powers to face off against Metal Overlord from Sonic Heroes while Crush 40’s “What I’m Made Of” blared in the background. I won’t spoil the character you fight, but a battle against a face we haven’t seen in nearly 20 years was a highlight of the campaign for me.

The piece of Shadow Generations that showcases the most franchise progression is its hub world. Shadow Generations mimics the all-white aesthetic of Sonic Generations’ level select area, but rather than presenting it in a linear, side-scrolling fashion, Shadow Generations borrows the format from Sonic Frontiers. The open-zone design of Frontiers showed a sturdy foundation for the concept but had various navigational and technical speed bumps. In Shadow Generations, Sonic Team demonstrates growth in this design; elements don’t pop in nearly as much as in Frontiers, and I was stumped less at how to reach my destination. Sonic Team’s approach to big, open areas still has some wrinkles to iron out, but this bite-sized sophomore effort shows encouraging signs.

On the Sonic Generations side of this package, the original story is back, delivering a sprint down memory lane for longtime Sonic fans. Improved framerate and increased resolution make this 13-year-old game look right at home alongside Sonic’s latest adventures. Spanning Sonic 1’s Green Hill Zone through Sonic Colors’ Planet Wisp, Sonic Generations gives players a greatest hit package of the franchise’s first 20 years. Playing through half the stages as Classic Sonic from the side-scrolling perspective and half in 3D as Modern Sonic keeps the experience fresh as you blast through these modernized versions of throwback stages.

Replaying through Sonic Generations 13 years after its initial release, I admire how it served as a turning point for Sonic Team’s 3D level design. After the 2D Genesis games established the branching paths convention, where players’ mistakes are punished often not with death, but with a slower, more enemy-laden path through a stage, Sonic Team truly seemed to figure out how to better implement that design style for 3D levels with Sonic Generations. Thanks to that, the levels are not frustrating deathtraps as found in earlier 3D Sonic titles, but rather branching stages that follow through on that classic design style.

Though some stages, particularly Planet Wisp and Crisis City, still possess annoying stage design elements, the Sonic Generations campaign has aged quite well. However, the boss battles are hit or miss, chock-full of frustrating controls and awkward routes to victory. The final boss of Sonic Generations, outside of being an entity devoid of personality, was an absolute mess in 2011, and it remains an infuriating, tedious slog that takes most of the air out of the story’s climax. It’s disappointing that Sonic Team didn’t take this remaster as an opportunity to fix this fight.

For Sonic’s campaign to not receive any updated stages from after the original game’s release is also a missed opportunity. When Generations launched, it had 20 years of levels to pull from; today, it has 13 additional years of adventures Sonic and his friends have gone on. Though some of the games in that period were not well received, I would have enjoyed some additional content in Sonic’s campaign. Thankfully, Shadow Generations works around that gap of new content by adding stages from Sonic Forces, where Shadow was only playable through DLC, and Sonic Frontiers, from which he was absent. However, I still would have preferred to have those levels tacked on at the end of Sonic’s story. Sonic Team modified some cutscenes in Sonic Generations for this release, so it wouldn’t be unheard of to add these, even if they were simply bonus stages that don’t fit into the main story.

The potent combination of Sonic and Shadow Generations makes a strong case for being the best package of 3D Sonic content we’ve ever seen. It’s simultaneously a celebration of the series’ past while hinting at the exciting future on the horizon. Back in 2011, when Modern Sonic told Classic Sonic “Enjoy your future. It’s gonna be great!” it felt hollow given the then-recent state of the series. In 2024, however, the future feels bright for the Sonic franchise, and Sonic X Shadow Generations is the latest, and possibly greatest, indicator of that notion.

Score: 8.5

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Reviewed on: Quest 3
Platform: Quest 3
Publisher: Oculus Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Camouflaj
Release: October 21, 2024

The Arkham series has earned the prestige of being a fantastic and consistent video game franchise without any licensed game asterisks. Nearly all the Arkham games are great in different ways and perhaps the most surprising compliment to pay Arkham Shadow is that it stands up in that lineage, despite being made by a different developer for a difficult platform. I’ve missed the Arkham games and was overjoyed to discover that developer Camouflaj figured out how to successfully translate Arkham’s best mechanics into virtual reality, and place it alongside a surprising and enjoyable narrative.

I don’t like swinging punches or swords in VR anymore. It can be done well, but the lack of feedback forever makes it feel like I am arbitrarily swinging my arms around. The act is exhausting and I never feel like I am accomplishing anything. My greatest, Scarecrow-induced fear heading into Arkham Shadow is I would swing wildly at Batman’s foes and feel like an idiot. I certainly felt like an idiot at times (an inevitable byproduct of any VR game), but the combat is calculated, specific, and fully satisfying. Just like the combat of previous Arkham games, you can succeed by throwing punches wildly, but being careful and precise with your swings leads to success and excitement for the next clash. Countering enemies and moving around the battlefield feels great and often like a rhythm game. I never tired literally or emotionally of taking on a group of bad guys. It is the element I suspect was the most difficult to translate into VR and Camouflaj pulled it off.

The other tenets of the Arkham games – exploring, light puzzle solving, and stealth – feel similarly well-translated. Bouncing between ceiling gargoyles from Batman’s perspective to sneak up on bad guys feels great and digging into the nooks and crannies of Blackgate Prison, where the majority of the game takes place, is consistently rewarding.

The story also snuck up on me and delivered much more impressive performances and twists than I expected. Arkham Shadow primarily explores the relationship between a pre-Two Face Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne in an exciting way for those who have played previous Arkham games. The appearances of characters like doctors Jonathan Crane (not yet Scarecrow) and Harleen Quinzel (not yet Harley Quinn) are also relevant, worthwhile, and are far more than cameos.

 

The story also lends itself to the structure of VR and breaks into chapters well, which is good for shorter VR gameplay sessions. Unsurprisingly, you spend the majority of the approximately 10-hour adventure as Batman sneaking around the game’s namesake, but you also spend time as Batman’s criminal alter ego, Matches Malone. During those sequences, you mostly walk around the prison and talk to inmates who don’t know your true identity. These moments are a welcome respite to the action and help to avoid the nauseating problem I often experience when focused in VR for too long.

Batman: Arkham Shadow is a great Batman: Arkham game without any qualifiers needed for its virtual reality platform. Narratively it fits in well with the rest of the series, and mechanically Camouflaj somehow simply figured it out. “Arkham in VR” is a pitch that feels impossible or at least too difficult to be true, but that’s exactly what Arkham Shadow is. It may not be the revolutionary VR title that unequivocally makes the platform become widely adopted, but I would absolutely count it among my favorite VR experiences alongside games like Beat Saber and Half-Life: Alyx.

This 2025 review reflects our thoughts on the game’s current state at publishing. As such, post-launch updates were factored into the final score.

Score: 8.75

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Reviewed on: PC
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Developer: Nomada Studio
Release: October 15, 2024

Neva begins on a heartbreaking note, with a young swordswoman and her antlered wolf pup suffering the devastating loss of a loved one. Grief catalyzes a blossoming partnership between the pair, spurring them in their mission to spare a dying world from the same fate. Watching them grow closer throughout four tumultuous seasons is an emotional treat, a relationship that anchors this exceptional action platformer.

Like developer Nomada Studio’s previous game, Gris, Neva’s incredible art direction is a visual delight. Not only is the adventure beautifully illustrated, with bold colors and lineless art giving the models a distinct appearance, but fantastically fluid animation means the journey looks even better in motion. I can’t decide if Neva would be more at home at an indie film festival or on TV earning acclaim as a Cartoon Network series à la Samurai Jack. The vividly colorful forests make the encroaching blackness of a corrupting masked entity feel all the more jarring and threatening. But even this scourge is portrayed beautifully, with infected carcasses sprouting ashen flowers to create a haunting yet alluring sight. A stellar soundtrack pulls at the heartstrings as much as the narrative’s affecting themes of companionship, parenthood, death, and rebirth. 

Throughout the game’s four chapters, I grew to love Neva (the wolf) and Alba (the woman) through their small but effective interactions. Simply calling Neva’s name, the game’s only spoken dialogue, resonates when laced with contextual nuances such as distress when Neva’s in danger, sternness when she misbehaves, or pride when she performs well. Petting Neva strengthens this attachment; I love giving a rewarding rubdown after a good fight or hugging her when she’s frightened. 

These interactions work because Neva behaves like a real dog whose behavior evolves and matures over time. As a puppy, Neva will often stop to play with random flowers or chase leaves floating in the wind while being skittish around enemies. As Neva grows older – and much, much larger – her demeanor becomes more confident, her body language more dignified, and she’s more focused and aggressive toward threats. This growth effectively sells the passage of time, and one of the game’s strengths is making me feel like a proud parent who’s managed to raise a capable creature in an increasingly hostile world. 

Gameplay-wise, it’s rewarding to watch Neva become less of a child to babysit and more of a partner in battle. In her teenage period, she’ll often engage foes unprompted, sometimes before I reach them, making her a helpful, if impulsive, teammate. Neva will even pin down certain foes, giving me a free window to finish them off. Neva gradually gains new abilities performed on command, adding another strategic layer to combat while narratively showcasing her growing discipline and synergy with Alba. Aiming and firing Neva like a furry missile at distant targets is equal parts cool and absurd, and you can even mount her once she’s big enough. 

 

Alba slices through enemies with a one-button three-hit combo, creating a simple but satisfying dance of attacking and evading when combined with a nimble dodge roll. Landing consecutive strikes without taking damage replenishes health, a gratifying system that rewards good performance. Staying on your A-game in fights matters, as the game is more than a pretty face; Neva can be surprisingly tough. Combat encounters often lob several enemies to encourage thoughtful use of the wolf’s cooldown-based assists while you nimbly strike down foes with your sword. Boss battles require memorizing subtle enemy tells and executing split-second evades to retaliate during brief openings. I died more often than I expected during these bigger bouts, but that was always my fault and I enjoyed this demanding rise in tempo after lengthy exploration segments. 

Neva’s elegant presentation and combat extends to its enjoyable puzzle-like platforming. Most riddles involve activating mysterious nodes by traversing floating, ever-shifting platforms and other obstacles. Platforming makes ample use of Alba’s air-dash, double-jump, and wall-climbing skills, and though less challenging than the combat, it still offers enough bite to remain engaging. Hidden flowers provide a nice little incentive to explore off the beaten path, not to mention another excuse to bask in the wonderful scenery. 

Neva’s immaculate presentation, enjoyable action, and moving narrative prop it up among 2024’s best indies. Despite boasting thrilling cinematic sequences and jaw-dropping visuals, Neva’s best moments are often its smallest: watching a relieved Alba call her furry friend after a brutal fight to share an affectionate and appreciative embrace.

This 2025 review reflects our thoughts on the game’s current state at publishing. As such, post-launch updates were factored into the final score.

Score: 9

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Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Studio Zero
Release: October 11, 2024
Rating: Teen

After primarily focusing on the Persona franchise for the last two decades, director Katsura Hashino and his team decided to craft an all-new IP that retains many of the core tenets of their most well-known work. Though Metaphor: ReFantazio’s fantasy backdrop differs vastly from Persona’s real world, the adventure feels familiar not only in gameplay and structure but also in the struggles characters face within their world. The relatable themes combined with a standout cast and the best gameplay this team has yet created make for an enthralling narrative-driven turn-based RPG that kept me hooked for more than 100 hours.

The king of Euchronia is assassinated and his heir is comatose under a curse. With the prince unable to take the throne and succeed his father, a Royal Tournament is organized to allow the kingdom’s denizens to choose a new ruler. Dangerous, grotesque beasts known as Humans have also become more common, creating a sense of unrest that allows for the charismatic Human hunter Louis Guiabern to rise in popularity to challenge religious leader Santifex Forden in the polls. This election serves as the backdrop to a sprawling story that includes terrific explorations on themes of both individualized and collective anxiety and the impact that can have on us. I loved traveling through the kingdom, learning how the uncertain state of the nation was impacting the various species, and demonstrating to the citizens that my character was worthy of their support.

Closely following the Persona formula, Metaphor puts you in control of a protagonist as he navigates his day-to-day life throughout a lengthy narrative consisting of several arcs en route to rescue the prince and restore the kingdom’s political order. Operating on the development team’s signature calendar system, you must choose what to do during your daytime and evening hours. Since Metaphor features such an excellent and diverse cast of characters, I often struggled to decide which of my connections I wanted to spend my finite time with. You must also consider using your time to complete quests or improve the protagonist’s attributes that open additional dialogue options.

 

The substories connected to the protagonist’s followers, whether they’re party members or other NPCs integral to the story, are among the highlights of the Metaphor experience. Whether I was assisting one character in finding a home for his people following a Human attack on his village or accompanying another as he comes to terms with the death of his son, Metaphor gives you a keen glimpse into the struggles of each character, providing depth and believability to most members of the terrific cast. And just like Persona, deepening your connection with a character unlocks bonuses within the combat system, providing additional incentives to play through these often excellent scenes.

As you travel through Euchronia and progress the story, you delve into countless dungeons and face off against horrific monsters in fast-paced, turned-based combat. On each character’s turn, you can perform a melee attack, use items, or perform magic moves using Archetypes, character-specific entities based on different imagined depictions of heroism. As you create new relationships with characters, you unlock additional Archetypes that can be studied by the party members.

The Archetypes serve as Metaphor’s job system, allowing you to equip different classes to the characters. Though some characters are clearly built to use specific Archetypes, if you want to assign your warrior character to be a mage and your tank to be a healer, Metaphor does little to stand in your way. And with a skill inheritance system that lets you import abilities from other Archetypes into your character’s current build, I excitedly spent hours theorycrafting not only my team composition but each of their individual ability suites.

Finding the sweet spot for your team’s abilities is crucial. Landing a critical hit or attacking an enemy’s weakness grants additional turn icons, while ill-advised attacks or outright misses take away turns and can turn the tide of battle against your team. Metaphor plays off the notion of the party being stronger together by allowing two characters to team up to perform powerful Synthesis attacks. The combat system also injects an additional layer of strategy by allowing you to move party members to the backline where their physical attacks are less effective, but they will receive less damage.

The entire experience drips with style, ranging from incredible character designs and intricate environments to eye-catching menus and a grand score. This extends to the many incredible locales the party visits on its quest; some of my favorite moments happen during road-trip pit stops when characters espouse anecdotes and emotions inspired by the beautiful scenery. The way these moments tie back into the story is commendable and demonstrates Studio Zero’s narrative mastery.

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s story is incredibly perceptive in how it frames modern-day problems through the lens of a fantasy world. The coincidental timing of its release during a period of great political strife amidst a high-stakes election in the United States is the most immediate and apparent parallel, but I most appreciated the meditations on how anxiety can amplify ignorance to manifest prejudice and discrimination. Instead of falling victim to this way of thinking, the protagonist seeks out a party from different tribes – something unheard of in the world of Euchronia – hammering home that diversity is a strength, not a liability.

Though the story covers a lot of ground and is compelling throughout, it does lose much of its steam towards the end. The final stretch feels endless as you wait for the date of the final showdown, and while I loved the opportunity to sweep through any hanging sidequests I had in my inventory, the story’s momentum came to a screeching halt just before the climax. Add to that a massive difficulty spike for the way-too-long final boss battle, and by the time I got to the epilogue, I was just ready for the journey to be over. I loved the vast majority of my time traveling through Euchronia, but the very end of the adventure left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thankfully, Ralph Waldo Emerson's adage, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” thoroughly applies here. When I think back on my time with Studio Zero’s latest creation, the final chapters won’t be what stands out to me, but rather the heartfelt scenes shared with my party members or the awe-inspiring destinations that served as excuses to forge deeper bonds with the characters. Similarly, I won’t dwell on the frustration and despair I felt facing off against the final boss; instead, I’ll reminisce on the menacing and believable nature of that character in the long build-up to that moment. Despite the overly drawn-out final act and the poorly tuned final boss, Metaphor: ReFantazio’s journey is well worth embarking upon.

Score: 9

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Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Bloober Team
Release: October 8, 2024

The original Silent Hill 2 released in 2001, which was an impressive time for the medium. The year was not without other forward-thinking games tackling complicated emotional subjects (Metal Gear Solid 2 and Ico, for example), but James Sunderland’s journey into the titular town continues to stand out as arguably the most progressive both at the time and shockingly still today. Revisiting what many consider to be a masterpiece on the nature of grief, trauma, guilt, and other topics not typically approached by video games is dangerous. However, developer Bloober managed to not only bring forward what was most compelling about the original, but made it look and feel better, too.

The 2024 version of Silent Hill 2 is not without elements reminding that the original is over 20 years old, but it is a supremely unsettling game that is absolutely effective in its pursuit. The word “enjoy” isn’t quite the word I would use to describe my time with Silent Hill 2, but I did not want to put it down until the end of James’ journey, even knowing what that conclusion was going to look like.

Silent Hill 2 (2024), as the original did, follows James Sunderland to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter inviting him from his deceased wife. His journey is difficult and horrifying as the town personifies the trauma of losing his partner in abstract and disturbing ways. The other characters met along the way are experiencing Silent Hill differently related to their own trauma, and I was frequently blown away by the performances of those effectively also experiencing hell. Gianna Kiehl’s Angela moved me in particular, but I was also impressed by Luke Roberts’ sympathetic portrayal of James.

Seeing the town again with its 2024 coat of paint consistently impressed me. These are the best visuals Bloober has ever delivered and to see the town shift and change in new ways over the course of the experience was always thrilling and often terrifying. Exploring the prison underground was particularly unsettling in a complimentary way. I was as eager to enter the location and see what it looked like as I was to leave.

Importantly, controlling James feels good. The switch to contemporary third-person controls works well. An occasional argument is made that the stiff, difficult controls of the original lend to the unsettling nature of playing the game, but I will take the agency and specificity of James’ movement offered here. I still often felt terrified and uncomfortable, despite being able to pull off headshots.

 

Silent Hill 2 shows its age in its trajectory and sometimes pacing. James collects a lot of keys and they are delivered in such a way to make sure you bounce between story moments at the right cadence, but it’s difficult to ignore that you are ostensibly running back and forth between locked doors. Thankfully, James’ careful note-taking on the map (which was in the original, but is improved here) makes the process easy to parse. Despite that, I sometimes still became directionless, which hampers the fear. Bloober can design the scariest location ever conceived, but if you’re spending too much time leisurely looking for a key or a disgusting hole in the wall to reach your hands into, the volume of the terror gets lowered. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen too often.

Bloober’s take on Silent Hill 2 is engrossing, even if words I would usually use to compliment other games like “fun” simply don’t apply here. I experienced the original game shortly after its first release, but I was still eager to see where the story was going and what new ways I would dive into the psyche of James and the others he met in Silent Hill. Despite the difficult revelations Silent Hill 2 unveils along the way and how uncomfortable the experience made me (by design) I was eager to immediately start the journey again after seeing the credits.

This 2025 review reflects our thoughts on the game’s current state at publishing. As such, post-launch updates were factored into the final score.

Score: 8.75

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