Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a product of its time as both a hardcore-adjacent PS1-era JRPG and as a host to several problematic romance mechanics. Its plot is exciting yet generic and is wildly insistent about how certain characters should end up together. But beyond that, you'll find a brilliant and modular character stat-building system, glorious battles, some fabulous character portrait art, and a wonderful 32-bit-inspired world for you to explore.

This is a fun yet bare boned tribute to Naruto’s long history and adventures. Almost all the features are mostly carried over from previous games.

WarioWare: Move It! utilizes the Joy-Con to its full potential, delivering the quick-paced, quirky fun you'd expect from such a brilliant franchise. While Story mode is a blast, the game only offers a few hours of content outside its clever but somewhat disappointing multiplayer. Move It! won't replace a certain red-hatted plumber's party and family game staples any time soon, but Intelligent System's creativity is something to be applauded.

The ultimate Risk of Rain experience, featuring quality new content that makes this game extremely entertaining and replayable.

In a landscape utterly crawling with horror games that hide beneath a cute aesthetic, Little Goody Two Shoes sets itself apart from it's competition by binding charming romance simulation elements, a resource-management system, and heart-stopping horror into a satisfying tome that you'll want to keep in a nice spot on your shelf."

If you don't mind a bit of idle time and trying to find something to do in between missions that may or may not mean days more of waiting for the right resources for your side task, the old-western bandits and those darn Geeglers really did keep my time at Sandrock interesting.

Despite its lost potential, Iron Marines Invasion might succeed in satisfying your craving for something close to a Starcraft campaign. Just don't go in expecting a deep RTS experience.

Despite missed potential in terms of its main story, Like a Dragon Gaiden makes up for it with incredible combat and fantastic side content. Hopefully RGG Studio continues to expand on the beat-em-up style instead of going all-in on turn-based combat, because Gaiden offers one of the most fun gameplay experiences of the franchise.

Despite a few things that might feel off, Robocop: Rogue City is likely the closest we'll ever get to the original movie. Like Murphy, the game sometimes malfunctions but ultimately gets the job done.

EA Sports UFC 5 fulfills its premise and sets a new standard for the franchise through a huge leap in overall immersion and the debut of the game-changing Real Impact System. But the lack of attention given to other areas may underwhelm those who were hoping for something more.

Overall, Ripout is a decent experience for its price, but only if you're on board with everything it's trying to accomplish. [Early Access Provisional Score = 60]

Everything, down to the puzzles, feels appropriately placed. That's before even acknowledging the gorgeous cast of actors involved in the project and the truly compelling story that unfolds for Alan as well as Saga, who each gain an interesting presence in Bright Falls and the world beyond. It doesn't feel like the most satisfying combat, and it's rather easy to beat, but this is also exactly what I wanted and more from an Alan Wake sequel. It is also the best original horror game of 2023 by a wide margin, and a damn fine video game overall.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder sets a new standard for the world of 2D Mario games. The new features provide more creativity than ever before, with the unique effects of Wonder Flowers introducing their own challenges while helping make up for the game's few shortcomings. If future titles continue to improve on the systems introduced in Wonder, the next 2D Mario game could fully surpass even the most beloved NES and SNES titles.

The best additions are the new forms of traversal, creating the most exciting missions of both the original and sequel combined. However, the time you spend with these is short-lived. Also, I can't help but feel the bosses were a missed opportunity, where only one stands out and makes a name for itself. Nevertheless, more of a good thing is always nice, and if you found yourself a fan of the first, you'll enjoy Ghostrunner 2, especially for the low 40-dollar price tag.

Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is full of style and runs perfectly stable as is typical of roguelite games. However, unlike the greatest games from this increasingly popular genre, it lacks enough of a hook to have players wanting to experiment with its mechanics. While the story can be entertaining, it's nothing too special.

Endless Dungeon excels in blending various genres seamlessly and providing an engaging, constantly fresh, thrilling experience to anyone who enjoys innovative games.

In many ways, Cities Skylines 2 is addictive, but the word 'addictive' should be taken subjectively. The game has good addictive potential, like the runner's high after intense exercise or a delicious cup of coffee. But it also has bad addictive potential, like a narcotic, as you grind through the performance issues because you know it'll get good again soon, and you know your rig can totally handle it, as you promise to your friends.

Not only is this a great Disgaea game, but it is also the best introduction to the franchise or even the genre.

Despite the combat being marginally better, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is peak Spider-Man thanks to better UI, better villains, a better story, a bigger world, Web Wings, and two Spider-Men.

Most of what fans of Soulslikes want are at the maximum: masterclass-level design, unforgettable bosses, and extensive freedom toward build creation. The combat can feel rough at times, and there are way too many enemies in certain levels, but these downfalls don't negate the fact that Lords of the Fallen reaches for a spot in the highest tier among the genre's greats and finds itself right at home.

Outside of its stunning setting, Assassin's Creed Mirage doesn't have anything exciting or new to offer. It's a mixture of the worst parts of classic and modern Assassin's Creed, sacrificing both storytelling and exploration in an attempt to appease fans from both eras.

Forza Motorsport is an addictive, shockingly fun, extremely impressive visual showcase for the franchise. I was amazed by how often I wanted to play more, get more slick cars, and keep striving to perform better.

EA Sports FC 24 can be considered the perfect start for the next chapter in EA's franchise, as the game improves upon the foundations left by FIFA 23 while also adding a few game-changing and truly welcome features. Being on the pitch never felt better!

Phantom Liberty has some great moments, but it’s ultimately a by-the-numbers spy thriller with an uninteresting cast that can’t be saved by celebrity star power.

Party Animals is a simplistic, chaotic mess that can be fun for anyone. Its wide variety of maps and modes allows for each round to feel unique, and its list of options is quite vast despite the game itself being forced into online play. It's far from a defining title in the industry, but Party Animals is still one that few players will want to miss out on.

NBA 2K24 offers an extremely polished experience, given its unrivaled on-court feel and a few welcome additions, but questionable decisions and an uncanny push toward microtransactions hurt what could otherwise be considered a natural step forward for the franchise.

Mortal Kombat 1 is one of those rare legacy games that manages to improve very element it inherited from it's predecessors. Superb graphics and a rich combat system come together to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave fans of the fighting game genre begging for more.

Out of all the games that have attempted to master a Soulslike, Lies of P stands in a league of its own and should be experienced by anyone who is a fan of the subgenre.