Amazon Luna: Best Games On The Luna+ Channel (& Every Game Included With The Subscription)
Quick Links
Officially launching on March 1, 2022, Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming platform that is available in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Subscription services have steadily become more commonplace in the industry; however, most opt to allow users to download games rather than stream them. Consequently, Amazon Luna is taking a risk since its performance depends on someone’s internet connection.
Ultimately, none of this would be relevant if the service did not have a solid roster of games at its disposal. Unlike most other services, Amazon Luna divides its library into channels: Luna+, Jackbox Games, and Ubisoft+. Initially, there were also the Family and Retro channels, but they were discontinued in December 2022.
Let’s take a look at the best Amazon Luna games.
Every Game In The Luna+ Channel
Overall, Amazon Luna’s Luna+ channel has more than 100 games, quite a few of which are well-known titles. Whether someone is a sports, racing, RPG, or platformer fan, Luna+ should have them covered.
The following table includes every game in Luna+, along with their genres, developers, and Metacritic scores.
Best Games In Amazon Luna’s Luna+ Channel
The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero
Luna+ has a number of Nihon Falcom’s JRPGs, and they are all fantastic. Trails from Zero is a unique case as it debuted directly on Amazon’s streaming service, which is something Luna will need to do more frequently if it wants to compete in the market. Originally a 2010 Japan-exclusive PSP game, Trails from Zero finally made its Western debut in September 2022. Despite a decade passing since its debut, the JRPG has lost none of its shine.
Set in a city-state stuck between two warring powers, Trails from Zero follows a deductive who stumbles upon a wider conspiracy. Using a turn-based combat system that emphasizes movement and positioning, Nihon Falcom’s title is fun to play. More importantly, the game’s story is brilliant, and the same can be said for its world-building.
Devil May Cry 5
Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 could be seen as a litmus test for Amazon Luna. Demanding precision and quick reflexes, the 2019 hack & slash title does not provide much room for error, so input lag would significantly hamper the experience. On the other hand, if DMC 5 performs well for someone, it is a safe bet that most other games will be at least playable.
DMC 5 is also just a ridiculously fun action game. All three playable characters – Nero, V, and Dante – are completely unique, each delivering fully-realized combat systems that could easily be used as a foundation for entire games. The game is also infinitely replayable since its focus is squarely on the gameplay, and as a player grows more comfortable with the combat’s mechanics, the more enjoyable DMC 5 becomes.
Tetris Effect Connected
Yes, a Tetris game. Practically everyone is familiar with the block-dropping franchise since it has been around for decades, and the property seems destined to remain a fixture of gaming for eternity. As timeless as this concept is, Tetris is difficult to get excited about as there is the belief that the gameplay has nowhere left to go. At least, that seemed like the case prior to the release of 2018’s Tetris Effect; although not a significant departure from the license’s status quo, this game felt and still feels fresh.
Tetris Effect: Connected adds a multiplayer component to the single-player modes, enhancing an already stellar package. Unsurprisingly, this modern update of an arcade classic is one of the best Luna+ games.
Metro Exodus
4AGames’ Metro has produced three great first-person shooters, but Exodus is very different from its two predecessors. While the 2019 entry retains the tactical, methodical gunplay that helped put the franchise on the map, Metro Exodus significantly opens things up, dropping players into a string of explorable areas rather than the linear levels that define the previous games.
Tense and atmospheric, this fps immerses players in a hostile post-apocalyptic world that has no intention of making things convenient for humans. Consequently, Metro Exodus is not always traditionally enjoyable, but the game sticks to its conventions.
Overcooked! 2
Amazon Luna has its share of co-op games, including both Overcooked releases. While the first entry is perfectly enjoyable, there is little reason to play it over the sequel, which offers more of the same, just slightly better. Cast as chefs in constantly busy kitchens, Overcooked! 2 is a cooking sim, and a fairly realistic and demanding one at that.
While the gameplay loop gets a bit repetitive after a few hours, the core experience is tight, addictive, and engaging. Keeping up with the orders can be rather stressful, an emotion evoked by most of the best sims on the market. Although solid as a solo package, Overcooked! 2 really begins to sizzle when multiple player-controlled chefs are running a kitchen.
SteamWorld Dig 2
Steamworld Dig 2 builds beautifully on its predecessor’s ideas while implementing a handful of changes that produce an even more satisfying experience. Swapping out procedurally generated dungeons for fixed ones, Dig 2 sacrifices some replayability in favor of expertly crafted maps that flow beautifully from exploration to puzzles and combat. This alteration allows the game’s world to come alive, all the while delivering an addictive gameplay loop revolving around collecting and managing resources.
Steamworld Dig 2 is one of the best games on Luna+, and it is a decent fit for a streaming model. There are a couple of other Steamworld titles on Amazon Luna, and while they are all worth checking out, they do not quite reach the heights attained by Dig 2.
Mega Man 11
After nearly a decade of almost nothing but ports, Capcom finally dropped a new Mega Man project, and the 2018 entry more than lived up to the license’s legacy. Putting aside the modern visuals, Mega Man 11 mostly sticks to the franchise’s classic blueprint, delivering tough-as-nails side-scrolling platforming, epic boss fights, and satisfying weapons. As such, this title serves as a solid introduction to the series while also supplying a confident campaign that should keep veterans entertained.
Mega Man 11 demands quick reflexes and precise jumps, so a fast internet connection is recommended for those planning to play this game on Amazon Luna.
Paper Beast: Folded Edition
Originally released as a virtual reality title, Paper Beast: Folded Edition made this game accessible to all, and this is a trip well worth taking. Pixel Reef crafted a stunning and bizarre world filled with paper mache-style creatures that ooze personality. Visuals are not everything, but they are undoubtedly the highlight of this delightful game.
In terms of gameplay, Paper Beast: Folded Edition consists of puzzles that primarily involve manipulating the creatures. For people who simply want to immerse themselves in this surreal realm, the game also has a sandbox mode.
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Amazon Luna has two Yakuza games: Kiwami and its sequel. These entries are remakes of the franchise’s first two entries, and while they each have their positives, Kiwami 2 is a far more complete experience than its predecessor. That said, newcomers to Sega’s license should start with Yakuza Kiwami since its story leads directly into its follow-up.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 finds Kiryu dragged back into the Tojo Clan’s orbit following the death of the group’s chairman. Along with a lengthy and exciting main storyline, the game comes packed to the brim with unforgettable side stories that offer everything from absurdist hilarity to heartwarming wholesomeness. Yakuza Kiwami 2‘s minigames are also great, and the same can be said for its small but dense open-world.
Resident Evil 2
Capcom’s Resident Evil hit a rough patch in the late-2000s and early-2010s. The franchise lost touch with its horror roots, and it took switching to a first-person angle to revitalize the series (although Revelations helped too). Resident Evil 7 is on Luna+ and a must-play for horror fans; however, people yearning for a more traditional entry in the series should prioritize Capcom’s remakes. While 2020’s Resident Evil 3 is decent, 2019’s Resident Evil 2 is not only a better game but also a contender for the best entry in the franchise.
RE2 is a third-person shooter that beautifully balances action and horror, satisfying both genres in a way that Capcom has historically struggled to do. Containing two playable characters who follow relatively different routes, RE2 is gorgeous, thrilling, and intense. This remake is for both fans of the 1998 original and players who have never stepped foot in Raccoon City.
Control: Ultimate Edition
Remedy’s Control is an action-packed sci-fi game set within the Federal Bureau of Control, a place that is home to many unexplained phenomena. Armed with empowering abilities that are a blast to utilize within battles, Control‘s Jesse Faden explores this unnatural building in search of her brother.
Outside of combat, which is comfortably the best in any Remedy game to date, Control arguably shines the brightest when focusing on side content that plays into the FBC’s strangeness. While the vanilla version is also part of Amazon Luna’s Luna+ channel, players should go with the Ultimate Edition since it comes with all the game’s expansions.
Dusk
Amazon Luna might not have Doom, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, Quake, Blood, Heretic, or Unreal Tournament, but it has something just as good: Dusk. Modern throwbacks to old-school classics have become fairly common, and while there are a few impressive retro shooters out there, Dusk is a step above most of its contemporaries.
Split into episodes, the campaign guides players through ominous landscapes dripping in occult and horror imagery. Dusk‘s environmental design is top-notch, and the project succeeds in using its inspirations to find a unique voice. The gunplay might not hold too many surprises for FPS veterans, but they are unlikely to be disappointed. The game has a fun arsenal of weapons, some of which are pretty unique for the genre.
Saints Row The Third: Remastered
Saints Row has lost a lot of steam in recent years, and 2022’s reboot did little to spark a change in momentum. Even if open-world releases are not in short supply, Volition’s franchise did carve a niche for itself during its heyday. Saints Row: The Third marked a serious shift in the license’s history as the sequel ramped up the wacky humor and over-the-top gameplay, a change that divided fans upon the project’s release. Taken in a vacuum, the 2011 game offers an impressive sandbox designed to facilitate the player’s chaotic actions.
Saints Row: The Third is undeniably dated, but that is not necessarily a negative thing. For better or worse, the remaster plays like an open-world game released in the early 2010s, and it is charming in a nostalgic way. However, if someone did not grow up with the early Saints Row projects, they might lose interest quickly.
Alien: Isolation
It took a while for it to happen, but the gaming industry finally succeeded in producing a terrifying Alien game. Except for the 1979 movie, an argument can be made that Alien: Isolation is the scariest release in the beloved sci-fi franchise, a feat accomplished by emphasizing the fact that a Xenomorph is a powerful predator who can tear humans without breaking a sweat.
As Amanda Ripley, players are stuck in a space station with the iconic monster, and hiding is the best (and often only) course of action. While there are a handful of weapons, Ripley is generally too weak to put up much of a fight against the Xenomorph, forcing her to use stealth in order to survive. Alien: Isolation is long, intense, and faithful to the source material.
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Since 2008, Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles has quietly established itself as one of the best war-themed franchises in gaming. Following two PSP-only sequels, including one that never left Japan, and a misguided spin-off, Valkyria Chronicles 4 saw the license return to prominence in a big way.
For the uninitiated, the game blends turn-based tactical combat with third-person shooter elements, although the former is prioritized over the latter. Each entry is also very story, with battles being separated by extensive cutscenes that focus on world-building and character development. These components combine to create a package that is unlike anything else on the market, and they work well together.
Sonic Mania Plus
Sega’s Blue Blur has had a polarizing two decades, but if there is something nearly everyone can agree upon, it is that Sonic Mania is fantastic. A throwback to the franchise’s classic 2D era, the 2017 release not only pays tribute to these titles by incorporating iconic levels but also modernizes the gameplay in a way that enhances the overall package. Sonic Mania is a love letter to Sega’s property, and Plus enhances the package by adding new playable characters.
Regardless of whether someone grew up with the hedgehog or not, Sonic Mania is a game they need to play, especially if they are fond of platformers. It is comfortably one of the best games on Amazon Luna’s Luna+ channel.
Read original article here: gamerant.com
News Summary:
- Amazon Luna: Best Games On The Luna+ Channel (& Every Game Included With The Subscription)
- Check all news and articles from the latest GUIDES updates.
- Please Subscribe us at Google News.
