For all the flaws I’ve dragged out, I still love this game. The powerful music, the ethereal visuals, and the fascinating plot all deserve special attention. And yes, there’s a lot of weird, dense mechanics to wade through. But this just requires some patience and planning. To that end, Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition isn’t for everybody. But if you’re looking for a unique 32-bit RPG that will stick with you for years to come? You’ll want to check out Chrono Cross.

With all of these upgrades and extra content on top of an already rock-solid game, picking up Romancing SaGa 3 for many is a no brainer. Granted, the combat and leveling up might not be for everyone, but if you are a fan of Western and Japanese RPGs I highly recommend jumping into this classic that took way too long to make its way out west.

It’s fun, looks great, elicits a lot of tense moments as you run into an empty room to reload your shotgun before a small band of soldiers comes marching through to their death.

Eclipse isn’t going to bring Black Ops 3 owners who have stopped playing the game back into the online arena, but it’s certainly good enough to keep things moving until DLC number 3 drops.

What stands out to me in this case, is that between how terrible the initial release was, and how the folks at Wolf Brew had to literally crawl out of the abyss to turn Slain into a competent title. Slain: Back From Hell is truly metal in very sense of the word.

The whole thing was breathtaking.

I had a blast with Narita Boy. It’s not perfect, but what is? Indeed, it started slowly, though, it doesn’t take long before you’re capable of exhilarating feats. And the ending is brilliant, paving the way for a sequel that will seemingly be an entirely different genre. Whatever that may be, I’ll be there, at the front of the line. It’s up to you to save the world. So get to it.

Although it can be played solo, surviving The Outlast Trials is better and more fun with friends, although they’ll need pretty strong stomachs and a taste for extreme imagery. The Outlast Trials has strong survival puzzle mechanics, a good bit of macabre humor, and a confidently over-the-top presentation. It’ll need some additional content over time for real longevity, but the foundation is strong.

Because of the lightness in content, Everybody’s Golf feels like an early access version of the game. At least the game is priced accordingly. Fortunately, the paucity of content is offset by the strong technical and gameplay aspects of the VR presentation. Further, the VR mode really captures the finesse of setting up a shot. You can take practice swings which will project how the ball will fly before you switch to address mode and ‘really’ hit the ball. Everybody’s Golf VR is another shining example of a VR implementation of a game that has to be experienced to feel how immersive it is.

Fans of the Reigns franchise are likely to enjoy this Witcher iteration. It retains the staples of the series while developing elements that successfully blend both worlds. However, if you’re new and looking for a deep, immersive, ‘choose your own adventure’ experience, this isn’t it. While the scenarios are interesting and there are plenty of branching paths, the experience often feels disjointed, as decisions lack real impact. Though the short runs can be addictive, the basic gameplay may ultimately leave you swiping left on this one.

Bladed Fury looks like an action game you’d want to play, but I’d recommend action fans do something else with their money, as there are other 2D games in this vein that do satisfy on the gameplay. If you’re really in a pinch, you won’t hate it. Bladed Fury is short, affordable, and a very cool art show with questionable fan service. As for me, I’ll be polishing my fighting skills elsewhere.

As a “spiritual successor” to Descent, Overload accomplishes what it sets out to do, bringing it twenty years into the future with new graphics, weapons, and gameplay. However, it seems to have skipped many of the lessons that game developers have learned along the way, failing to adjust the game for modern expectations as it succumbs to the repetitive level designs that so characterized past limitations.

While the core mix of action platforming and city building is a thing of beauty, this Renaissance version of ActRaiser is bogged down by motion sickness-inducing framerate drops, ugly prerendered character models, and far too frequent tower defense sections. If ActRaiser Renaissance is your only way to play ActRaiser, then please do yourself the favor, but I would highly recommend getting a Super Nintendo with a game cartridge, or a Wii with the virtual console download installed.

Despite the technical issues, my displeasure with the voice acting, and the addition of the hints in the conversation tree, underneath it’s still very much the Gabriel Knight I fell in love with back in 1993.

For the real gamers out there, the ones who want to consider the whole history of the medium, this collection is a wonderful gift. To people looking for classic design, for inspiration, for history, there’s a lot to like here. I’m told that it’s a horrible night to have a curse, but any night spent playing this collection feels great.

Greak: Memories of Azur is a heartfelt, thrilling adventure. With three leading characters, the game has managed to carve its own identity within a crowded genre. The jaw-dropping visuals and intricate soundtrack ooze atmosphere, enticing you to explore every inch of the world. Although controlling several characters at once can be troublesome, it takes nothing away from this fascinating, methodically paced, puzzle-platforming quest about family, home and hope.

Titan Souls was a tough and a well-fought battle that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Even though it had me raging at times, the thrill of taking down the Titans one by one gave me an immense feeling of satisfaction.

RAD is a fun, weird, rogue-like game that is incredibly approachable for all players. Whether you love the challenge of sudden death or you just want to branch out, Double Fine has made a game that caters to both sides and has fun doing it. The heavily 80’s inspired content is refreshing and quite enjoyable from the soundtrack and over-saturated colors to cassette tapes and floppy disks as currency. Every death is met with joy and curiosity as to what horrible cartoonish monstrous limbs I’ll mutate in my next run and I could easily play for hours on end.

Alien: Rogue Incursion is a faithful adaptation of the iconic series, capturing the panic-inducing dread and relentless action synonymous with the movies. Each step through the dark, metallic corridors is nerve-wracking, thanks to a suspenseful score and the meticulous attention to detail. While more action-heavy than Alien: Isolation, the game’s weighty, tactile weapons enhance the immersion, delivering a visceral and satisfying experience. The balance of tension and combat makes Rogue Incursion an essential addition to any VR library.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles is as good as it ever was. The Switch version doesn’t add anything for people who have the game on other systems. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm fans, who might be excited for another similar game, should dial their content expectations way back. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba fans don’t need their teeny narrative summarized, the way Naruto fans might’ve wanted theirs. Merging these two franchises wasn’t the right decision. It would’ve been the definition of “a renter” in the 90s.

Stealth Inc 2 might seem like a standard *shudder* Metroidvania experience on the surface, but it actually offers a unique and very entertaining experience.

While the basic gameplay mechanic gets it right, the lackluster story and cement-headed AI keep this title from greatness.

Semblance is a decent puzzle platformer with a unique take on the platforming portion of the genre. While the game’s linearity provides a better flow to the game, individual level checkpoints would have been appreciated.

The more time I spend with The Thaumaturge, the more I settle into it. When you spend more time with any game you are bound to notice the edges of things, the literal and figurative invisible walls. But The Thaumaturge was more like a pair of shoes. As I learned the restrictions of what you couldn’t do in the game, it focused me towards things I could do, and they were all awesome. If you have been craving a dark fantasy RPG where you get to play as a John Constantine type, I have good news, The Thaumaturge is it. Anyone looking for their next interesting and original RPG, this is it!

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a fast-paced and gorgeous space adventure that offers the toys to life option for collectors and a strong digital edition for those who just want to play. With fantastic controls and epic music, the game is marred by a drop in texture from time to time and unfortunately repetitive and stale dialogue outside of the campaign. Building and leveling up ships is a lot of fun, and some of the battles can be truly epic. Starlink has quickly become a game hard to put down and I hope this is the beginning of a growing franchise.

The Alliance Alive is an easy recommendation to make to my RPG-loving friends. If you’re not intimidated by dense menus and the concept of micromanaging your team to perfection, all while not being able to count on level grinding to brute-force your way through difficult sections, you’ll enjoy The Alliance Alive. For everyone else, come back when you’ve got a bit more experience.

Despite the simplistic part-time job mini games and the randomization of being able to upgrade tools, Trio of Towns hits all of the main points to have a successful daily game loop.

If 22 very well done tracks are worth your ten bucks, then yeah, Awesome Max DLC will appease; you even get a weird unicorn thing as added value. But if you’re coming to the package solely for The Awesome Adventure, I think you’ll be let down as it’s not nearly as absurd nor engaging as I had hoped.

If you’ve enjoyed previous Artifex Mundi games, then you know exactly what you’re getting into and more than likely you’ll enjoy this one too.

This is a game where the ending sequence saved it. As a platformer it barely stacks up to a lot of the competition; some portions of the art aren't that good; the combat is very wonky, with a "bouncy" feel; and, finally, the story doesn't deliver until the end. Adding some badly designed puzzle sections all pull Neversong down. The ending and the idea the title puts forth is powerful enough - even with some plot holes in retrospection - that is worth checking out if someone is into platformers, and has a few hours to try out something different.

Total War games spent so much time trying to do more. There are countless clever strategy games out there, but this series always prided itself on having a massive scale. Pharaoh totally changes that formula as it scales down and rethinks the gameplay flow of the series. Everyone has their favorite Total War game (mine for the record is the original Rome Total War). I’m sure that someone out there will be quite unhappy with some of the Total War changes. But from where I sit as a long-time player, Pharaoh is a total blast, and has me more excited for the future of the series than ever before.

If you are a Zen Pinball fanatic then you have likely already downloaded the new tables. Those new to the franchise may want to look elsewhere unless you want your first experience to be a CastleStorm experience.

Super Mutant Alien Assault has a long name and a lot of heart. The challenging gameplay mixed with sharp looking graphics and fairly good sound, all work to create an entertaining but short-lasting game. In the end it is an enjoyable little distraction when you just want to jump into a game and have only a small amount of time to do so.

An original gameplay mechanic is hard to come by, and these shapeshifting puzzles feel like nothing else. The parts of the game that are derivative aren’t bad, just second best. The parts of the game that are original are extraordinary. And which aspect is more important? Though it may be cliché to say it, Superliminal is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a clever game and the more I play it, the more I think about it, and the more I love it. That’s worth a whole lot.

I won’t say that Dragon is Dead isn’t sometimes a good time. Its system of upgrades and progression mechanics can lead to powerful characters. At the same time, rarely are repetitive runs through the same areas memorable. I think ultimately Dragon is Dead would have been a more enjoyable game framed as a traditional hack-and-slash Souslike ARPG, where its combat and character building could shine. In its present form, the roguelite elements, repetitive runs, generic setting and dull writing overshadow the genuinely enjoyable elements.

After many hours, I felt like I had seen what there was to see. The story remains compelling, but the gameplay loop starts to grow predictable. There are only so many mission types, and another kind of lumbering beast doesn’t drastically change what you are doing. But Alder’s Blood stuck with me in a strange way that few games do — I credit that to the imaginative story and the eerie tone. God has been murdered in this world, and I still feel compelled to understand just what that means. I’ll probably return to this world when the leaves are changing and I’m in the mood for an ethereal scare. I just hope I can remember to tread lightly and not have to reload so much.

It turns out I’m an absolute sucker for a well-crafted metroidvania. Crunchy combat, smooth progression, and gorgeous aesthetics all keep me locked in place for a complete playthrough. It took ages to get a grip on that bloody dodge-roll, but I eventually got there. Also, the bosses too often felt either padded out or pointlessly dense. It never felt like they hit that balance. But the rest of the experience was so compelling, I didn’t mind that much. If you’re in the market for a pretty excellent metroidvania, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has got your number.

You’re not going to get blown away, but you’ll certainly be left with some fond memories and a solid experience.

Insurgency is a game that doesn’t have any big problems but rather it has a bunch of little ones that culminate.

Omensight is an enjoyable indie adventure with a compelling murder mystery that unravels several layers of depth and deception. Replaying levels and altering events of the game can be interesting if a bit repetitive as you experience the same locations and areas with each of the supporting cast members.

Mighty Goose is an absolute blast. The solid mechanics, stunning art direction, and underlying humor make for a truly thrilling experience. Although the runtime is short, you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

An homage to the amazing JRPGs of the 90s, I Am Setsuna is a love letter to your childhood written with passion and penned with respect by equally passionate developers.

Tangle Tower is a very excellent presentation of a very short game. It feels like a mobile game, and has a very short play time of 5 hours, with no incentive to replay. If this was a $5 game it would be a lot easier to recommend, but as it stands, Tangle Tower can’t justify it’s $20 price point.

All in all, Ring of Pain is a different enough take on the card game genre that it’s definitely going to be a good time. While not perfect, it has enough lurking in its depths to keep you thinking “Okay, well just one more run!”

Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 5 should please fans of the series. The additions make the game more accessible than ever and is more fleshed out thanks to the new content. The main drawback is the lack of haptic feedback in relation to the track surface.

The Tale of Bistun has an engaging narrative and even stronger ties to Persian mythology and storytelling. Few games are so thoroughly respectful of their source material and culture. As a game, The Tale of Bistun has acceptable but very limited mechanics and a structure that’s a bit repetitive. Still, at only three hours of playtime, it isn’t a huge investment and worth it for the unique window into little known mythology.

A story David Lynch would be proud of, great music, and twitch-action gameplay are even more reasons to pick this up and give it a shot.

Not a Hero is a game that will immediately grab your attention within the first few moments of playing it. By the time you make your way to the middle of the game’s story, some of the charm will probably wear off as you start to see some of the game’s more glaring issues including a ramped up difficulty, no checkpoint system, no auto-reload or missing a piece of cover to be killed by enemies once again.

I’ve played Pendragon dozens of times. I’ve unlocked most of the characters (I still can’t see to get Branwen the archer to trust me) and I know there are stories I haven’t pursued to their conclusions (Excalibur is out there, and I will find it). So rather than a traditional RPG or strategy game, Pendragon plays like an impressionistic take on a classic Nintendo formula. You’ll tell your own stories and if you play them right, the dream of Camelot will live on.

3D platformers can still be done well, it turns out. All you have to do is focus on the action, fix the camera in place, and fine-tune the controls. Things like the narrative still need your attention, just not as much of it. I was pleasantly surprised by this game. Penny’s adventure is well-crafted, colorful, and tons of fun. The challenge level gets pretty high, sure. And the controls are still built for speed. But this is all part of the package. If you’re looking for a new 3D platformer, Penny’s Big Breakaway should be at the top of your list.

The Yakuza/ Like a Dragon series has become one of the most beloved video game franchises on the planet. They’re a combination of cinematic crime drama, fun third person brawl combat, deep open world exploration, and insanely wacky sidequests and minigames. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best version of the second game in the series. Cutting the Sotenbori is a major loss, but the new content more than makes up for its omission. Overall this is an excellent version of an all-time great video game.

A great game that doesn’t bust the bank and will give your hours of enjoyment as you plot, craft and deploy your plans for your great prison break.

Biped is well worth a look, especially if you like cute, lovable little robots (and who doesn’t?). Grab your buddy, your sibling, or maybe get lucky and find someone online, and get ready for some crazy, chaotic co-op fun. This is one time where two legs are definitely better than four.

So I turned off my Switch and booted up my PC. I started a new game of Battle Brothers on that. And you know what? It’s as good as it ever was. A truly superlative strategy game made better with mods. I could not recommend Battle Brothers enough, but do yourself a favor and avoid the Nintendo Switch version. You’ll avoid one tragic end to meet a much more satisfactory one.

There are things to like about Nobunaga’s Ambition. On a technical level it does what it promises and if you’re looking for that very specific thing you’ll probably really enjoy the game.

There’s a lot to love about Where The Water Tastes Like Wine, from the beautiful and surreal 2D hand-drawn imagery that adds an air of eeriness. In combination with the blues and roots music, it makes for a perfectly atmospheric game with a ton of great catchy tunes.

Expeditions: Viking finds an excellent balance between historical realism and RPG mechanics.

While the magic system that is the core of Mages of Mystralia is outstanding, the rest of it can use some of that creativity as well. It is a game where a sequel may be due, to add to what Borealys Games has made here and really bring this world to life.

Gord is a richer and more complex game than it first appears. There are interesting layers of moral ambiguity and mental health to consider. Gord is a dark Slavic folk tale in survival/RTS-game disguise. Its mechanics and systems add up to an engaging gameplay experience. For a modest entry price, Gord provides a lot of entertainment, an engaging story and plenty of replay value via customizable scenarios.

Sure, there are some technical bugs now and then, the Play Set missions can be mundane at times, and it may be expensive to ‘buy-it-all-to-collect-it-all’ giving you a bit of “sticker price shock”, but in the end how can one not enjoy what is offered here. The ability to create your own Disney-esque world in the Toy Box is truly amazing, the figurines are very well done, and the thought of future Play Sets is exciting (HELLO…Star Wars, Marvel, or classic Disney worlds).

If you are familiar with the genre, you know what to expect with Phoenix Point. Little flourishes, like letting you manually aim your shots, inject some new life into a fairly predictable genre. It is the plot and the aesthetic that make Phoenix Point truly shine though; the world is so strange and immersive that you will love playing the game over and over to learn everything you can — which is precisely how the game is meant to be played. Even though it doesn’t shine technically, Phoenix Point has it where it counts — in an engaging gameplay experience.

Overall, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a phenomenal experience. It has truly unique gameplay wrapped in a Triple A Kingdom Hearts presentation. The music featured is among the most memorable scores in video game history, and the amount of content will keep players getting much more than their money’s worth. If you’re at all curious about Melody of Memories, rest assured that it’s a must buy.

Jotun is a well-crafted experience made for anyone fond of great storytelling mixed with satisfying combat.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story successfully delves further into the lore of the franchise while offering a new experience that will appeal to newcomers. The high-tempo combat and engaging narrative, make this an enthralling action RPG that will keep you hooked throughout. Although the side missions and some of the hub world extras feel a little unnecessary, the slick gameplay will keep you coming back for more.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is a remarkable piece of interactive horror history. The nuanced storytelling and atmosphere immerse you in its strange, haunting world, while the Camera Obscura offers a unique mechanic that adds tension to every encounter. However, although the remake remains close to the source material, it doesn’t provide the significant upgrade that other modern revivals of iconic titles have delivered. Much of the original era’s DNA remains, with some clunky controls and awkward animations hindering the experience. Regardless, this is still a remake of a classic. Despite its flaws, fans and newcomers can immerse themselves in a pillar of the survival horror genre, one that continues to haunt with its eerie village and tragic story.

Saints Row is unrealistic in the best way possible, and what it lacks in substance it makes up for in outrageous antics and a priceless, middle-school sense of humor. It’s an absolute riot, and it never seems to draw its boundaries. Steelport is an adult playground for blood, gore and sex, and there’s no consequence for the violence and chaos you can induce. Almost everything about the remaster is fantastic, from the catchy soundtrack to the buttery smooth combat. It’s not a game you’d want your children to play by any means, but for everyone else of appropriate age and discretion, it’s a wicked good time.

Sora succeeds in providing a satisfying toolset for players to mix and match playstyles and attacks. The sheer number of mechanics adversely gets in the way of consistently fun combat as players are bound to forget the dozens of weapons and dash combinations triggered by an insane number of button commands that are introduced.

Overall, the Rogue One addition to Zen Pinball 2 is one of the best ones yet. Beautiful, detailed and brimming with Star Wars tibdits, this table is a great take on one of my favourite movies from last year. With it’s addictive gameplay, surprising length and advanced play style, Rogue One is a top level table to add to your collection. The only drawback may be that it might be a bit of a learning curve if this is the first time you sit down with Zen Pinball 2.

All around, Super Cloudbuilt took me from a baby just learning how to walk all the way to an angsty teenager yelling at the screen. A full blown adult who’s in full control of his movement? No way—I’m barely that in real life, but I reached a level of confidence that brought excitement and not apprehension when I leaped for a platform that might just be too far out of reach. Super Cloudbuilt isn’t a perfect experience, but a fun one without a doubt.

That comparison between ChromaGun and Portal has come up a lot, but the game doesn’t suffer for it. In fact, this brazen admission of influence written all over the game works to its benefit.

Old fans of the series will most likely enjoy this entry just as much as the previous ones and any newcomers will be able to pick this up quite quickly and will have a good understanding of what the series is about.

While the story itself is pretty sub-par, the characters are really quite likable, the gameplay is a lot of fun and the need to have a 100% complete map of Celceta is a huge drawing force.

Thanks to its new weapons, excellent characters and nuanced narrative, Dawn Of Ragnarök comes closer than ever before to breaking free of AC Valhalla’s template. Though it can’t entirely escape some over-familiar mission types, Dawn Of Ragnarök does a great job of pulling together several strands from the main game and prior expansions. Svartalfheim and Odin’s quest give AC Valhalla renewed energy and should please both fans and maybe entice some newcomers to dip into the franchise. Dawn Of Ragnarök is a substantial and overall impressive addition to the series.

With some fine-tuning of the AI, the game could own the sim racing manager game niche. This is a good start for a game that seems poised to be the start of a new franchise. Despite current shortcomings, F1 Manager 2022 does make you feel like a manager of an F1 team.

All in all, Marisa of Liartop Mountain is a cute little game that pretends to be complicated than it is. If you’re a Touhou fan who doesn’t mind restarting if necessary, you’ll have fun. Everyone else is likely to get annoyed and drop it.

My five or so hours with Chapter 5 was an enjoyable experience. There were only a couple sequences throughout the game that gave me some real challenges, including the previously mentioned chase sequence that was incredibly frustrating. The game crashed on me once. My oldest son played through the entire chapter too, and it crashed on him once as well (in a different area). However, in my time with Chapter 5, the game was updated four or so times, so clearly the developers are actively ironing out any reported issues and bugs. Chapter 5 is an excellent continuation of the Poppy Playtime saga. Even though it’s likely a year away, I’m eager to see how things play out in the next chapter.

Toukiden: Kiwami has an intricate and expansive system of armour, weapons, mitama and power-ups to keep the gameplay interesting. That said, I couldn’t help but feel that the amount of button mashing was excessive considering the detail put elsewhere.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles does its best to present you with a steady stream of breathtaking vistas, serene escapes and idyllic moments that snap to a picture frame with flawless ease. The core game has all of its slight flaws that came with the other versions, but I found that taking time to frame and save some of what I saw gave me a deeper appreciation of Yonder’s many high points.

There’s plenty to like about Marble It Up! in its current form, but if you’re not a diehard fan of the genre, it may be worth waiting for a sale due to how short Marble It Up! feels. It’s absolutely a well-crafted experience that looks, sounds, and plays great. It’s just a little frustrating to see another indie game on the Switch eShop that feels a little light on content, especially with its price point.

This time around the development team made the decision to mix the new DLC maps with the existing ones which stinks for those who just want to get into the new maps. Regardless, this small annoyance doesn’t take away from Black Ops III’s strong first batch of DLC.

Castlevania Requiem is a decent port of two classic, beloved games. At $20, PS4 players are getting a lot of value for their money. Both games have a lot of content with optional levels & a secret playable character in Rondo of Blood and a massive, open-ended map in Symphony of the Night. Castlevania fans wouldn’t be making a mistake by purchasing this collection.

Few games have been as effective as Clustertruck at making me want “just one more try”. It’s bizarre, wacky, skill intensive, tough as hell, and you could end up needing a new controller or two before you’re through.

White Shadows is a unique title that is a strong argument for the notion of games being art. Not only does it find its individuality with its creative design, but it also has a clear message about societal issues. While some may find sections quite distressing, Monokel’s commitment to tackling sensitive topics is commendable. With this daring release being their debut title, I’m excited to see what the future holds for this talented team. Despite its short runtime, fans of narrative-focused puzzle platformers will adore this insatiable title.

While it may borrow from games we already know and love it does so with its own flair and separates itself from other less than spectacular zombie themed games out there.

Fans of the genre will find plenty to love about this game as it keeps enough of the genre staples while still trying to keep you on your toes with some variations. I, however, think I have to hang up my Musou holster. I can respect that Omega Force has made strides to stand out from all of the other games in the genre, but after so many years, it isn’t enough to keep me interested.

Where Winds Meet is over-ambitious, messy, opaque, and inconsistent. It has too many gears that don’t mesh, a lot that’s poorly explained, and it refuses to give the player a moment of unproductive time, even at the cost of coherence and comprehensibility. For all that, Where Winds Meet is a lot of fun. It often looks incredible and the world is certainly filled with content, whether for a single player or in a group. Even without touching the cash shop, Where Winds Meet provides a huge amount of free game play. Right now, Where Winds Meet is a little shy of greatness, but with some technical improvements and time it could get there.

Under normal circumstances a title like this wouldn’t have been worth a $60 price tag, but free is an entirely different story. It has a surprising amount of content, but ultimately suffers from lack of variety.

Bye Sweet Carole is a promising adventure that needs some refinement. Platforming and general movement feel slow and clunky, making traversal a chore. Each area features a range of strong puzzles, though some bugs affect your ability to complete certain tasks. Narrative inconsistencies further diminish the enjoyment of what should have been a magical adventure. Despite its stunning presentation, with beautiful hand-drawn visuals, smooth animation, and a lovely orchestral score, it ultimately struggles to deliver an experience as magical as its visuals suggest.

Scott Pilgrim EX takes a beloved formula and boldly restructures it. The blend of interconnected exploration, refined brawling, and engaging RPG mechanics creates an experience that honors its roots while feeling distinctly modern.

Journey to the Savage Planet provides highly rewarding exploration and discovery bundled with a genuinely funny sense of humor to make for a worthwhile first-person adventure experience. The game is clearly a labor of love and is only hindered by a few unrefined elements that don’t significantly detract from the overall enjoyment. Though the planet is a savage one indeed, in this case, the risk is absolutely worth taking.

Mordheim manages to create a turn-based experience that is not quite like the now seemingly industry-standard XCOM but which finds its own way to tweak the genre.

God Eater 3 is a middling experience of ideas and gameplay that paradoxically work and don’t work. It can be a lot of fun and it can be a slog of dialogue. It can be an intense firefight and epic battle, but only last less than a minute before returning to base. Somewhere beneath the tangled web of ideas lies a wonderful game but for now, in its current state, it’s a serviceable experience to pass the time on the go if you ignore the narrative and stick to the hack and slash chaos. I had hoped for more out of the level design and overall presentation but sadly it feels like something from the late PS3 era. Hopefully Marvelous will learn from this experience to make God Eater 4 everything we could ever want in the end times.

Disney Speedstorm is a solid racer that ties a number of franchises together in one fun experience. Seeing fan favorites share a racetrack is a thrill, however, a variety of issues stop this from reaching the greatness of its influences. The restrictive nature of its character selection and the confusing number of currencies hinders the enjoyment. Mix in the performance issues and this racer narrowly misses the podium.

With so much to see and do, Swords of Ditto is a heart-warming adventure I simply can’t get enough of.

If you’re looking for some serious tactics fun and have been craving some of that late 80s or early 90s campiness, do yourself a favor and pick up Chroma Squad on just about any platform of your choice.

Tachyon Project does enough things to make itself stand out against the bigger names in the genre and be competent, but falls short on doing much else to really rise above and beyond the kings of the category.

Rescues and level subgoals add a lot of additional meat and challenge, but this is a very simple shmup. There is no interesting key gameplay mechanic, no waves of bullet hell, no fast speeds, and no interesting setting. In a world where Bug Princess is 13 years old, Ikaruga is 16 years old, and 1942 is 33 years old, there is absolutely no reason to play a shmup so basic.

The sense of humour and simplicity make it sort of a slog for veterans of the genre. But the flexibility of the terrain system and the breeziness of the writing make me think this would be a great way to introduce someone to this style of game. They can work their way up to those more complicated experiences. For now, they get to live in a world where everything is simple, and magical wind can blow your problems away.