I thought I was going to love Hi-Fi Rush, but I didn’t. There is the kernel of something interesting here. Maybe if they used house music and had the player blending tracks during attacks it might have been more musically engaging. It’s a game that would have worked much better for me in arcade-y, short bursts, because playing through the levels was a slog. The gameplay is so simple that it actually might work well as an intro action game for someone new to the genre. But there are way better rhythm games, and way better third person action games out there. I know a lot of people love Hi-Fi Rush, so if you’re curious I would still give it a chance, but my experience was underwhelming.

If you’re a Switch owner, you probably put a pretty hefty premium on portability. And honestly, the game’s performance is otherwise exemplary. For me, the load times and the game’s performance make this a good experience in short doses. If you want epic, fast-paced combat in a portable package, definitely give Dragon Ball FighterZ a chance.

Atlus RPGs are not for everyone by any means. This one, in particular, is even less for everyone than most of them. And yet…! If you are a Persona fan who hasn’t played one of these games in a while, who also missed out on Golden, then this game will be perfect for you. If even one of these conditions isn’t met, I can’t promise you’ll enjoy this ride. If you’ve somehow never played a Persona game, then welcome! This is a prime place to start. Golden is the superlative version of this entry in the series. There’s nowhere else you’ll find such an expert mix of ruthless battles, lovely social interactions, and awesome music. First-time players of all varieties would do well to snag Persona 4 Golden on the PC.

If you love fantasy worldbuilding, sidequests, and worlds you can get lost in, you will love this game. If not, you probably won’t get the appeal. Either way, play Trails from Zero first and then come back. Trails to Azure will be waiting.

There’s a lot to like here if you’re the right kind of person. The combat is tight and precise, there’s a ton of variety, and the challenge is mighty stiff. At the same time, Nioh 2 is mechanical on a level that’s a few layers too deep. I see what the goal was – differentiation – but it overcomplicates things where it doesn’t need to. Souls die hards: buckle up and get in there. Souls haters: you’ll hate this too. If you’re somewhere in the middle, give it a go, but beware you might end up like me: appreciating Nioh 2’s craft, but not actually enjoying it.

Should you play The Witcher 3? Absolutely. It’s one of a handful of games from the past decade that you simply can’t miss. Should you play The Witcher 3 on the Switch? Honestly, probably not.

At first glance, this game seems like everything I love in a retro RPG. There’s a unique combat and progression system, detailed pixel art, and a fascinating narrative. But most of my biggest issues are in these same areas. The graphics for this release are ill-suited to modern TVs. Progression is obtuse and murky. And the combat quickly wears out its welcome. If you missed out on this game when it first dropped, you’re in luck! It’s been perfectly preserved. But if you’re going in blind, you may be somewhat disappointed with Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth.

Despite the insidious roguelike trappings, this is a Shovel Knight title to its core. Dig is a nasty slog with no shortcuts to slump against. Spend your money as you might, only your skills can get you further. Like the original games, you can only throw yourself into the meat grinder until your muscle memory spits you out the other side. Although it looks and sounds great, I found myself tangled in the roguelike mechanics. If you’re incompatible with that genre, you might have to pass on this one. But Shovel Knight Dig hides a pretty decent game under all those frustrating outer layers.

If you’re looking for a proper Warriors/Musou game for a portable console, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is exactly what you need. The battles are snappy, massive in scale, and crammed with cool mechanics. It’s perfect for a quick session whenever the moment strikes you. On the other hand, the writing and the English voice acting are shockingly bad. Plus, the frame rate gets a little slippy when the battles get big enough. Personally, my heart belongs to the spin-off Musou games out there. But who knows, maybe these epic historical battles are exactly what you’re looking for.

Suggestions that the collection was rushed to the shelves is also evident by the fact that nine games are not in the Rare Replay files, instead, they’re Xbox 360 games ported over through the backward compatibility emulator on the Xbox One. As a result, instead of booting up instantly like every other game in this collection, it takes you out of Rare Replay, starts the Xbox 360 game you selected, waits for the 360 logo to play, and then begins the game.

A strong narrative and stellar cast manage to hold together an experience that is absolutely rife with bugs and downright questionable design choices.

Fantasy Zone is an excellent, and difficult shoot ‘em up. For fans of any Gradius-style game, I highly recommend you play this classic that still holds up. Its cartoony visual aesthetic gives it a charm, and its difficulty will keep fans shooting for a long time.

PES 2018 is great off the pitch, but its very foundation begins to disintegrate when the whistle blows for kick-off.

Darkest Dungeon is a grim game. The tactical strategy of both the combat and resource management comes with tension and complexity. This is not a foray into casual gaming, even dedicated Dark Souls players will find Darkest Dungeon a nightmare at times. It is, however, a rewarding experience and one that is full of character and excellent narration.

Though the mechanical elements are rock solid, the look and feel of the game is still off. At least for me, this campaign content feels subdued and a little lonely. Taken as part of the complete experience, the single-player content is something of a safe house. A quiet space where you can sharpen your skills and experiment with new weapons. Even so, the solo campaign for Splatoon 3 had me longing for the chaos of the online arena.

On its own this is still an excellent story, albeit one bogged down by all the most insufferable visual novel tropes. But without the first two parts, the story still feels incomplete.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is a technical improvement over Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. It still has some problems that should have been flagged during quality assurance testing. The cursor should just be dropped from all sections that aren’t point-and-click. But the narrative is fantastic, and the “Choose Your Own Adventure” chapter structure makes the experience feel more like a game, and less like a novel. The stylistic visuals mask Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse’s low budget, and the music is constantly phenomenal. I’m not sure if the first game has been patched, but Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is enough of an improvement that I might give it another try.

While I didn’t think there was quite enough that was new about Star-Crossed World, I still had a lot of fun. The new stages are well-crafted and full of optional goals. The new enemy designs are cool and clever. And I ended up getting sucked back into the base game. On the other hand, the Switch 2 of it all is lost on me. The game looks and performs just as it did back in 2022. I hesitate to recommend something so expensive, but the game is still a lot of fun. Returning fans won’t want to miss this one, however. Star-Crossed World is a delightful addition to an already excellent Kirby game.

A good remaster should preserve the original game while shining it up for modern audiences. In this case, I could've used a few more mechanical upgrades. The graphics have been majorly upgraded, which rules. And I appreciate having two different control schemes to switch between. But certain moves and skills still feel floaty and/or magnetic. Worse yet, there are core design elements that can't be smoothed over with a remaster. To be clear, this is the superlative way to play the first Dead Rising. But honestly, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is still the weakest entry in the series, at least for me.

I may not be the target audience for LISA, but I recognize quality when I encounter it. The mechanics subvert the usual RPG tropes, leaving you tense and scrambling the entire time. The world itself is both funny and awful, with a heavy dose of post-apocalyptic tragedy thrown in. The level design left me feeling disoriented, but I think it was meant to. The graphics get your guard down, setting you up nicely for the brutal writing. The game is tough too, which feels appropriate. I have no idea what to score this game. Although I hated playing it, I can tell it was a well-crafted experience. I can’t honestly recommend LISA: Definitive Edition, but some of you will check it out regardless. To you I say, have fun! You will not soon forget this game.

Ever 17 – The Out of Infinity and Never 7 – The End of Infinity Double Pack should get a much better score than I’m going to give it. Unfortunately, narrative-heavy visual novels can’t afford to be unedited. I sincerely hope the developers return to these remasters and fix the translation errors. Until then, my criticisms stand.

Credit where credit is due, this is a charming game with a lot of love poured into it. When I got into the flow, it gave me a unique experience I’ve never quite found anywhere else. But I don’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t already a fan of the Atelier franchise. At least, not until people start putting their item crafting spreadsheets online.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Reverie is not a good place to start the Trails series. This is not a short game, it starts very slowly, and it’s effectively a sequel to every previous game. If you’re a fan, however, you can’t miss this. Especially since it has enough replay value to keep you busy until the Calvard games are localized.

From a technical standpoint Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask is a decent game. While some puzzles are enhanced by the 3D capabilities of the hardware, the gameplay formula has changed very little save for the new investigation mode.

The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection has a little something for everyone: adventure, rail shooting, bullet hell, and even a few sports games. Each one has that original arcade feeling you really can’t reproduce on home console anymore and for anyone who grew up with these games in the 80’s you are sure to have a blast. While these games were iconic trendsetters for their time, only a handful of them hold-up to today's standards of playability, ingenuity, and fun. While the library size is large, so many of these games feel like reskins that it doesn’t quite reflect the broader scope of SNK’s accomplishments over the years.

So often developers create a game using the kitchen-sink approach and it isn’t always clear how or why disparate mechanics deserve to play together. In the case of Tainted Grail: Conquest, deckbuilding, roguelike progression, and action RPG-type exploration feel compatible with each other as well as the dark fantasy setting and story. Less successful are the punishing, protracted battles that take too long and lack variety over multiple runs. With some additional balancing, classes, card types, and adjustment to pacing, Tainted Grail’s fundamentally solid concepts could shine through the darkness a little better.

The Spirit and the Mouse is a relaxing dawdle through a lovely French village. Playing as the cute, electric-fused Lila is a joy, however, the lack of options available to traverse does hinder the expedition. While the premise is packed with possibilities, the tedious and formulaic mission design makes this an arduous trek.

Clearly the developers went in with a lot of new and ambitious ideas but the execution of such in some ways fell short. What made the first Joe Danger game enjoyable is simply not found this time around.