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52 Games Challenge 2025!!!

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supremeusername:
6. Import Tuner Challenge | 2006 | Xbox 360 | 2/7:

I love looking at niche early 360 titles, back when most of them still looked like PS2 games graphically. In case you don't know, this game is a part of the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series and the last one to release in the USA before the series' reboot in 2025. For someone that has never played any of these titles prior to this one, I can say that I'm pretty excited to dive into the series more (especially the new one). That being said: while the racing is pretty fun, I wish there was more to offer in terms of customization. Looking into it, apparently this game had a rushed development and it shows: not only with the limited selection of cars to pick from and roads to drive on, but also with the egregious amount of bugs and textures popping in and out from existence. I think the game's biggest strength for me is being able to beat opponents that have much faster cars than you while simultaneously saving money to afford that big engine upgrade that will have you beating those same opponents with ease. This game is pretty much a breeze towards the end once you fully upgrade your car, but those early moments where you're beating opponents by the skin of your teeth with your shabby ride is something special. Grade: C

supremeusername:
7. Balatro | 2024 | PC - Steam | 2/10:

This game is literally crack in video game form. I got the same feeling playing this for a short while as I did when I first started Binding of Isaac: Rebirth almost a decade ago. It's fun trying to come up with a build on the fly that will give you just enough points to make it past the ante. Similar to Isaac, some builds synergize better than others, so creating the right build that can "break the game" and make the rest of the run a breeze to go through is very rewarding. The only problem I have with this game is real-life time management (I checked the clock: it was midnight a minute ago, why is it 3 o'clock now?). Grade: A+

supremeusername:
8. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap | 2025 | PC - Game Pass | 2/13:

I haven't played any of the previous games in the series, so I don't have anything to compare it to. From what I've played, "Deathtrap" is more of a roguelite compared to prior entries: with larger maps and 4-player co-op now. Seems to me that they made changes that has left people polarized. Personally: I've had my fun playing the first few hours with friends, but it got stale after about hour 10. There's a lack of variety in the roguelite elements. You will get a lot of repeats of cards used to upgrade your traps & character every game, with like 4 bosses and 6 maps that the game pools from. In some ways, it does feel like I was playing an early access game and I did a double-take by checking the store page to make sure, and sure enough I was playing a fully-released game. It's a fun time with friends for a couple of sessions, but not a game I would go out of my way to purchase (and I definitely wouldn't recommend it for solo play unless you're a super fan). Grade: C-

supremeusername:
9. R.E.P.O. | 2025 | Early Access | PC - Steam | 3/6:

More than a year after its release, I still play Lethal Company regularly with friends. I think it's a testament to not only the greatness of the game, but also the lasting appeal that game has. Apparantly, other indie devs may feel the same as I do because there's been a recent influx of early access, horror co-op games on Steam with procedurally-generated areas and endless scrap to collect. Of the ones I've played so far, R.E.P.O. has probably felt closest to the Lethal Company experience. It's pretty silly, with the physics-based gameplay that has you navigating tight spaces and keeping loot from smashing into walls while hiding from monsters that will more than likely shatter you in one-shot. For an early-access game, it's pretty well-polished and a lot of fun. I can imagine it will be even better overtime with updates and mods, but the base game is good enough on its own to warrent a $10 purchase. Grade: B+

supremeusername:
10. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated | 2020 | 100%! | Xbox Series X | 3/15:

This one's a real hood classic for me. This is my fourth time completing this game from what I can remember (2x the original, and now 2x the remaster). I recognize in this recent playthough that some of the aura and shine this game once had for me as a kid is a little more duller now. Some jokes don't land as well as they once did and parts that were once troublesome (puzzles, Kelp Forest, etc.) have felt way too easy this time around (that one bowling ball puzzle in the Mermalair still F'd me up though). Despite some faded nostalgia, I still have a lot of love for SpongeBob BFBB. It's simple yet fun to play and gives you just enough content that it never overstays its welcome. It's to me still the greatest, most immersive SpongeBob game money can buy (the point-and-click Employee of the Month game is a close second though).

I do wish the remaster devs were given a little more time for this game to bake in the oven. There were a lot more noticable glitches this time around, more so than the original game. There's also that "multiplayer mode" tacked on that may be one of the most unneccessary bonus modes I've ever seen in a video game. I will say: I am more appreciative of the saturated color palette used in the remaster this time around, as some areas in the original look almost too dark now (looking at you Kelp Forest). Grade: B

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