Maria (The Queen of Swords)

I'm a huge fan of the Metroidvania genre, with some other notable favorites being Castlevania: Symphony of The Night and Aria of Sorrow, as well as Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. This is my first 2D Metroid in years, since I was lent a copy of Zero Mission as a teenager. At first, the 360 degree aiming was a little hard to get used to, but a few hours in it had become fairly automatic. The counter mechanic, as well, took some adjusting, but I got it down in a few minutes. The atmosphere reminds me of the Alien movies (a direct inspiration for the Metroid series!): a lone hero trapped in deep space against an invincible monster. The EMMIs, in fact, have the same reliance on their hearing that the xenomorphs did. I love the bosses, the music, and the visuals. This game is worth the time of any sci-fi or Metroidvania fan!

As a fan of the old Armored Core series, I was overjoyed that the series was getting a spiritual successor of sorts. Daemon X Machina does not disappoint. Its gameplay, customization, music and visuals add up to an addicting and high-octane experience that I just can't get enough of. Daemon X Machina takes everything that made Armored Core fantastic and improves and expands upon it. The result is absolutely stunning, and a great addition to my Switch library. I am gonna hate seeing the credits roll on this one.