Fans of the anime will still want to play Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, but do so with caution. The main draw for new fans will be exploring the abyss and seeing all its layers. There’s just a lot of garbage to sift through to get to the good stuff.

Islets is a lot of fun, but it can’t quite match up to Hollow Knight’s sharp controls and design. Perhaps true to its setting, Islets feels a little floatier. There were times where I just couldn’t figure momentum out and I biffed the same jump again and again. The hitboxes on the characters feel a little wide to me; sometimes I would contact with an enemy I definitely should have missed. But different isn’t necessarily bad! It’s as if the game is incredibly easy or way too hard. The level of challenge feels like it’s just in that Goldilocks Zone. There’s enough cleverness in the level design that you can’t help but admire it. I think there’s still plenty of room left in the hand-drawn indie Metroidvania genre. (Silksong isn’t even out yet!) Islets is another standout in the genre, fun and charming.

Hard West 2 is a great game for skilled strategy fans. It has a mixture of familiar western elements and supernatural accents, an energetic narrative, and fun characters. While it’s a challenging game, Hard West 2 usually gives you the tools you need to succeed. You’ll need patience and determination, but then, life in the old west was hard.

Midnight Fight Express captures the action synonymous with films like The Raid. Combat feels great and includes enough depth to pull off technical combos but is also simple and accessible for newcomers to the genre. The story is a miss-fire and lacks the cinematic flair which is within the gameplay. Whilst the aesthetics are basic, it does feel like a fight through a seedy underworld. The addictive gameplay loop makes you want to replay levels to achieve the highest score. Ultimately, Midnight Fight Express achieves what it set out to do: make you feel like an absolute badass.

Tower of Fantasy has some strengths and several annoyances. Its attractive world is populated by a generic story and forgettable NPCs. Its exciting combat is hampered by time-gated exploration and an overly complex, fussy gacha system. For fans of the Asian MMO genre or recent converts to Genshin Impact, the game might be worth checking out. I don’t think Tower of Fantasy is a good introduction to gacha games, and there are generally lots of better MMORPGs to invest your time in.

I think it’s no exaggeration to say that Immortality is often brilliant. The acting, writing, editing and videography are meticulously intentional and if the path through the woods isn’t always clear, the trees are unfailingly interesting to study. While it isn’t perfect, I’m glad that games like Immortality exist. There are so many games that are sequels, copycats, reboots, remakes and retreads that you forget what originality actually looks like. All of Barlow’s games have been excellent but Immortality is probably the richest and most thought-provoking of the three.

I’m not sure how I feel about this collection. I didn’t enjoy most of the games I played. And yet, this release does an admirable job gathering up so much Turtles history and memorabilia. You’ve got the games, the box art, the concept sketches, the music, and the TV stills. You have a clear snapshot of the Turtles hype train running at full speed. The effect is so complete this collection feels like a curated museum exhibit. On the other hand, the games are mostly bad. The action is repetitive, the difficulty balance is busted, and the stage design is mostly an afterthought. If you’re looking for a thoughtful essay on Ninja Turtles history, then look no further. If you want a bunch of fun games, The Cowabunga Collection is not for you.

Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed is not hard to recommend for gamers who missed it the first time around, or remember it fondly and want to play it again. It looks, sounds and controls like a current title, and most of the jokes hold up just fine. Not all the gameplay mechanics and mission designs feel that fresh anymore, and it can feel simplistic and repetitive against the backdrop of recent action games. Like the remake of the original Destroy All Humans!, it’s hard not to wish that Black Forest had gone further into actual reboot territory, because the narrative bones, characters, and style could be something special in a more open-world, contemporary game.

Cursed to Golf is a great idea for a game. It’s a very difficult 2D golf game with precise controls. Although it’s a Roguelike, I enjoyed it less like I enjoyed Hades, and more like I enjoyed Super Meat Boy. I just can’t believe there are no multiplayer options! And there are some bugs that need fixing. Playing Cursed to Golf was great fun for a few hours, but as a single-player-only experience, I’m not sure how many players will be captivated long enough to try to conquer all 18 holes.

If you’re a fan of Persona 5 with a dash of Yakuza, I can certainly recommend Dusk Diver 2. The characters are incredibly likeable, the environment is bright and vivid. Despite not knowing the full context of the story from the original game, the story in this title was still intriguing. JRPG fans and fans of the hack-n-slash genre should definitely add this one to their playlist.

Tinykin is a joyous trek through the 90s. Full of charm and wonder, the game manages to add to the foundation laid by Pikmin to build a lovely adventure. Every area has lots to find and do which fleshes out the relatively short runtime. While the game lacks challenge, it makes up for it with a bucket load of character. The simple controls and intuitive design reduces any frustration and allows you to freely command your troop. Due to this, you can’t help but smile during the entirety of the game and will enjoy each second.

Tyrant’s Blessing is a bit of a blessing in disguise. On the surface, the game feels like a copy of another popular title, just in a different setting. As you play through the game though, the differences become apparent and Tyrant’s Blessing soon finds its own niche. However, there is a sweet spot for this game between learning the game and becoming too familiar with it. Overall, its gameplay will keep players coming back for as long as they can stand it.

There are people who will enjoy the dedication to making Way of the Hunter an ultra-realistic hunting simulation. Though I fear those people will instead be spending their days actually hunting. If you play video games to get some immersive feel and still have fun doing that thing you wouldn’t normally do in real life, you might not be as appreciative of the dedication to realism. While I fell into the latter camp, I know there are certainly people in the former camp. You’ll have to decide for yourself if Way of the Hunter is for you.

Saints Row is an ambitious reboot of a popular franchise. Its open world is expansive and entertaining to explore. There is always something to keep you occupied, most of it served up in bite-sized missions that are fun to check off. The game rewards you for almost everything, so your time is never wasted. Unfortunately, the main campaign is a little less successful, often falling back on repetitive action, gunplay and set pieces that go on too long. Despite some tech issues and inconsistent mission design, this kinder, gentler incarnation of Saints Row is probably a step in the right direction.

While the game does a good job of establishing the agents of Aion as emerging AI, Soul Hackers 2 tells a deeply human story. This isn’t a shock to me, as Shin Megami Tensei spin-offs have always been more character-focused than the mainline games. I like Soul Hackers 2’s anime noir approach to character building. I recommend it to anyone who likes RPGs or cyberpunk.

When I previewed Dream Cycle nearly a year ago, I connected with the game’s premise and still-in-development combat mechanics and movement. Those promising elements remain, but in the full game, they’re obscured by some technical issues and the need for a lot more polish and refinement. A third-person, Lovecraft-inspired action game is a great idea. Dream Cycle comes close to making it happen. It’s not quite a nightmare, but not the sweet dream I hoped it would be.

My only major gripes with Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince are highly subjective. It’s a game that needs to reach the kind of people who play mods of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which provide the player with more challenging combat and puzzles. Blossom Tales II has a very good world map to explore, and its dungeon puzzles and combat are perfect. It starts like a game a parent would want to get their young daughter but becomes one that will impress any old-school Zelda fan who gives it some time. So give Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince your time.

Roll7 is to be applauded for putting together this unique shooter skater game. I really dug the 1970s vibe of the game both in the art direction and especially the score. This makes the game stand out aesthetically from other games. The only nit I have with the 2D art style, is that it makes judging jumps difficult due to the lack of depth perception. With a little practice, I was able to acclimate to it. Rollerdome is a blast to play, tailored to appeal to players of all skill types.

Thymesia is for anyone who believes that a game like Elden Ring is too accessible or that FromSoftware has lost its edge. It distills the Soulslike formula down to challenge and difficulty, adding a few new mechanics to the familiar staples. Yes, Thymesia is grueling and can be fun for hardcore fans of the genre, but it's also pretty highly derivative. Unless they're absolutely brilliant, copycat games almost always make you wish you were playing the original.

I’ve played dozens of survival action games and MMORPGs but Chimeraland rests on one of the lowest rungs of the ladder. It looks primitive, with tons of technical problems. Nothing about its moment-to-moment gameplay hasn’t been done before and much, much better. The big, open world is a land of blocky textures and monsters that aren’t fun to fight. The goofy character creator and pet system can’t redeem Chimeraland. Even they’re not worth the price of admission. And the game is free.

All in all, Digimon Survive knows exactly what it’s trying to be and does it well. Unfortunately, this means it’s not a very interesting strategy RPG. If you’re a Digimon fan, you’ll either love or hate it. And if you’re looking for a fun, story-heavy title, I definitely recommend checking it out. But strategy RPG fans may want to find something else with fewer cutscenes.

Despite the latter half of this review being mostly criticism, Arcade Paradise, at its core, is a very good management game, with tons of very well-parodied arcade games to play. The mix of genres works incredibly well. I really wish there was a version of Capcom Arcade Stadium in this style. Or an NES Remix. Arcade Paradise’s inauthentic aesthetic, and lack of polish bring it down. But anyone intrigued by the game’s premise should give it a try.

I loved Lost Epic. If a physical copy becomes available, I’m going to buy one. For anyone who is a fan of action RPGs, Metroidvanias, or the Vanillaware visual aesthetic, Lost Epic is a must-play. If the Developers can fix the poor in-game explanations to smooth out the beginning of a first playthrough, Lost Epic could easily go down as a genre classic.

Bottom line, just about anyone with a relatively recent PC and GPU can find a performance and graphics sweet spot. When it comes to options, this port was done right. For anyone who missed it on PlayStation 4, or doesn’t have a PS5, the PC Remastered edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man is essential gaming. PS5 players who already own the Remastered Edition won’t get anything new. At launch, Marvel’s Spider-Man was a great game with some minor flaws. It still is. While I wish the PC version had just a little something extra, it’s hard not to recommend it.

Although I have several issues with this game, my complaints ring somewhat hollow. I wish that my followers were more useful, that combat felt less random, that failure wasn’t so costly. These are all problems you can solve with progression. Pour on enough devotion, and you can overcome any obstacle. Cult of The Lamb looks evil, but it also feels that way. Your people are tools to be used and discarded. Your power over them is absolute. Even in death, they can continue to serve your cause. Though the Bishops might seem overwhelming, your disciples can even the odds. If you want a roguelite with a sinister twist, you’re in luck. Cult of The Lamb is just the game you’re looking for.

Hindsight struggles to find a place within traditional expectations of a video game, but aside from some finicky controls, it achieves what it sets out to do. It’s up to you to decide if that journey sounds like a worthwhile endeavor.

Unfamiliar with the franchise, I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by Sword and Fairy: Together Forever. Although its pacing may frustrate impatient gamers, its story is worth telling. With outstanding art direction, music, and combat mechanics, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever should appeal to fans of sprawling RPGs. While the player can sometimes feel like an observer rather than a participant, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is welcoming to newcomers. It may still be a niche series, but Sword and Fairy Together Forever cements the franchise’s viability for a larger audience.

If you’re looking for a complex city builder where you need to stress over sewage systems and power grids, Two Point Campus isn’t it. However, if you want to spend some happy hours creatively building the college that you wish you had attended, mission accomplished. Two Point Campus is first and foremost a lot of fun. It doesn’t thumb its nose at higher education so much as use it as a jumping-off point for silliness and a relatively deep building sim. Two Point Campus is a warm-hearted and good-natured take on college life, an engaging sim that’s accessible and entertaining.