Darkest Dungeon 2 had me feeling mixed at first. Ultimately, this sequel feels more fleshed out, and I grew to appreciate the direction it took, giving our heroes more life by giving them backstories and how they interacted with each other in the world.

For the right kind of player, someone who just wishes to explore and live in a gorgeously designed fantasy setting, this game will offer countless hours of enjoyment. However, if you are like me and when you are presented with a quest to undertake you simply wish to follow that quest in a way that feels fluid and rewarding, this game has some huge hurdles to overcome.

There was a lot of thought and care put into the narrative of Tin Hearts, so much so that players can probably overlook some of the gameplay flaws.

Space Gladiators is the epitome of simple yet satisfying. It’s easy to get going but very hard to master with its rapidly increasing difficulty and plethora of difficulty options to mix things up.

Redfall never manages to be anything more than fine. My time playing through its single-player campaign it rarely wowed me once the skillful crafting of the world itself wore off.

With more refinement, Ravenlok could’ve been an interesting twist on a beloved tale. In its current state, though, it’s just simply okay.

Honkai: Star Rail provides some fun characters and gameplay, despite layering them under lots of unnecessary elements.

Mail Time is a simple game with a simple reminder we often forget to hold onto when the world often can make us feel like we should run instead of walk.

Age of Wonders 4 is a fantastic entry in the Age of Wonders series, giving players freedom and choice. The game is so full of customization that it gives unlimited possibilities that no two games will ever be the same, nor would anyone want them to be.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a fantastic definition of what a sequel should be. Its overall presentation showed that Respawn and the amazing team of developers listened to the criticism. From the improvements to combat, to exploration, to even just finding ways to add more depth to the characters, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the Star Wars game that fans have been waiting for.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp combines two of the greatest turn-based strategy games of all time in one beautiful package.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a good expansion and continues the tradition of giving players a lot for their money. With events, free DLC and monsters that will get added over the game’s life, players won’t ever feel cheated when it comes to spending money on this game.

While the exposition was forgettable, and the combat wasn’t nearly as tight as it needed to be, the art and traversal of Itorah make up for it.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly succeeds in what it primarily sets out to do. It gives the player a chance to peek into an intriguing world where people mingle with members of fantasy races and shows what their lives are like as they stop in at the coffee shop that is always open when they need it to be.

Afterimage is a truly beautiful experience, one worth taking the time to enjoy. There are some frustrating moments like a lack of clarity in direction or forced moments of experience grinding, but a compelling story and fascinating world kept those from ruining the experience.

Trinity Trigger had so much promise. It had great talent associated with it. It looked like it could be a fun and grand adventure. But everything just fell flat on its face. From the story to just about every gameplay mechanic felt more tedious than enjoyable. More mechanics that felt added to try to make it more fun or be more involved instead got in the way of any enjoyment I felt like I could’ve had during my playthrough. Even if you could look past all of its faults, the dumb-as-rocks companion AI will find a way to ruin that for you. The only saving Trinity Trigger I could think of is if you play the entire game and all the extra content in co-op, what feels like its intended playstyle. And even then, I’d wait to get this game until online co-op is added sometime in the future.

While Smile For Me had me grinning for its off-beat visuals and world, ultimately, I could only offer a half-quirked smile by the end.

Easy to pick up and hard to master, God of Rock has to be one of the most engaging games to come out so far this year.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is an excellent example of how to do DLC the right way. If this is just a taste of what is next for Aloy, I can’t wait for the whole meal.

Stray Blade delivers a lot of content in its fantasy journey. While most of the game comes together well, key elements greatly hurt the core gameplay. But, if you are willing to weather these added struggles, this game has some rewarding exploration and combat to deliver to gamers.

For a collection, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is one heck of a deal. Ten games, each being 10+ hours long, in one package?! That can’t be beaten. Plus, from a preservation perspective, this collection is great at making old GBA classics and one of my favorite series from Capcom, playable on modern consoles.

With Dead Island 2’s development history it is a very pleasant surprise to see the game release in as complete and stable of a state as it is. It ran flawlessly on Xbox Series X and looked beautiful to boot, especially its incredible new gore system. While it may not deliver the interesting stories or new concepts of its genre contemporaries, its sharp humor and satisfying combat helps make up for it.

Like a good dad joke, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin may not be for everyone, but it grew on me and in the end, I loved every minute of it.

At its heart, Minecraft Legends presents a fun, new adventure that shows how versatile the franchise can be. It can be enjoyed in a variety of modes, and as long as your friends are along for the ride, it’s hard to resist coming back for more.

MLB The Show 23 does enough to revamp an excellent formula, while the Storylines: Negro Leagues mode serves as an important history lesson within the confines of the game.

Incredibly personal environments and storytelling more than make up for some slightly outdated mechanics to make Rendezvous a thoroughly enjoyable and unique cyberpunk experience.

While featuring some great elements and features, Road 96: Mile 0 fails to flesh them out enough to make the game truly great. However, despite this, it still offers players an enjoyable experience.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story comes together to deliver yet another great off-shoot offering of the League of Legends brand. If an action RPG that forces you to be calculated in your approach that is married with an engrossing story about a social revolution sounds appealing to you then this is one to pick up.