This is the purest recreation of these games to date.

The one thing that all roguelikes and rogue-lites need to get right is convincing the player that the next run is going to be rewarding in some new way. In The Rogue Prince of Persia, this most often comes from increasing mastery of the game’s traversal, which is both accessible and challenging. Procedurally generated levels sometimes inhibit the flow and create frustration. At this point, The Prince of Persia is more a vague character concept than a game franchise, but it keeps inspiring developers in new directions, and that’s a win for gamers.

If you crave more after Arcane you’d do right by Airship Syndicate’s latest RPG outing. Even if you aren’t a League aficionado, you’ll feel right at home here it’s friendly to new players. You’ll just notice a bit more fan service here and there if you’re familiar with the universe.

For all my little grievances, this game is still incredibly fun to play.

Rogue Aces is an absolute treat. The gameplay is addicting, the visuals have a surprisingly deep level of detail to them, the controls are solid and fully customizable, and there are enough game modes to keep things interesting.

While the game is just as fun and addicting as ever, the awkward dialogue feels shoe-horned in and the stark difficulty drop off in the mid-game is unfortunate to say the least, making the latter half of the experience a breeze. It’s still an enjoyable experience and a treat to explore the Galar region. It may not be perfect, but it is a strong step in the right direction to giving us the ultimate Pokemon experience.

Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings is a good arcade style game with some great physics and gameplay mixed in to make it a fairly fun baseball title for all gamers of any skill to get into, thanks to the Ego system.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was worth the wait. Every mechanic is meticulously crafted, resulting in a deep, multilayered fighter. The systems in place encourage strategic thinking and quick adaptation, making each battle feel like a thoughtful, tactical encounter. While the single-player campaign lacks the imagination that imbues the gameplay, SNK has delivered a game that not only honors the legendary legacy of the franchise but also confidently moves it forward.

This game is made for score-obsessed fans of shoot em ups, and endless runners only.

A completely unexpected wonder. Its use of witty dialogue and strong focus on characters can easily rival that of Undertale. The story, though slowed somewhat by one or two finicky puzzles, will pull at your heart strings constantly. You definitely won’t want it to end.

Overall, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a fantastic game and should make many puzzle game aficionados happy with this crazy combination. Excellent tutorials help newcomers and old fans refresh their memory, and as a game on its own, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 does not fail to entertain players for hours. While the concept may not be exactly new anymore, there is no denying that this second installment still provides great Puyo-popping and Tetrimino-clearing action.

Capcom Arcade Stadium is an essential purchase for fans of retro gaming. Loaded with a ton of content, this game will keep newcomers and returning gamers entertained for hours. Although there are a few titles and features missing, this collection is still a fantastic addition to your Nintendo Switch library.

World War Z’s story was, and remains, a background element whose task is to move the player from episode to episode. Aftermath’s two new episodes are set in interesting environments, and the game’s additions and fixes will be welcome to those returning to World War Z as well as to those just starting out. The first person mechanic has potential but remains incomplete, and the new Vanguard likewise might appeal to those wanting to level a new class. Like the base game, Aftermath sans human players might not be a hard pass, but it isn’t the experience the developers intended. With some friends, or at least competent random homo sapiens, World War Z Aftermath provides a unique take on a familiar enemy and does a great job of translating the terror-inducing swarm of zombies mechanic from film to videogame.

The Red Strings Club is a vehicle for some of the most engrossing cyberpunk stories I’ve witnessed in recent memory.

At the end of the day Tactical RPG fans and Pokémon fans alike should give this title a try as it can be quite fun.

Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a major undertaking, one that demands much, and rewards much more. Your enjoyment of Cold Steel hinges heavily on your attitude towards anime storytelling tropes. For me, they turn bitter in large doses. I need a lot of play to break up these dramatic encounters. On the other hand, the mechanical elements are a sumptuous feast. There’s just so much to do at any given moment. Better still, these systems are handed to you at a steady pace, one that allows you to take in so much more than you could otherwise. This game is a lot to take in, but rest assured that Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is worth your time.

Before playing Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, I was intrigued by a new Capcom IP, but had no desire to play a tower defense game. I ended up being pleasantly surprised with the creative way Capcom fused tower defense with third person action. The combat itself wasn’t a highlight, but the unique way the gameplay was structured really pulled me in. If you’re at all curious about Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, definitely give it a try. It completely exceeded my expectations.

Unfortunately the gameplay aspects of Grim Fandango have not aged gracefully. Even saying poorly is being kind. Yet the world, the characters and stories it contains are still top shelf. Go for the adventure, stick around for the laughs.

In the end, I can easily recommend WWE 2K25 to new players and fans. This is a gigantic entry in a venerated franchise that won’t steer you wrong. For more familiar fans, I can’t be so certain. Hopefully, my outsider’s viewpoint is still a useful one.

Buried beneath these weird outer layers is a string of tough, glittering Mega Man games, all starring the elusive red swordsman of my youth. If you’re a fan of Mega Man, or even action platformers in general, the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is worth checking out.

Certainly an improvement over its predecessor. By no means is it a perfect game as some of the technical issues did cast a shadow over the experience to a degree. That said, Stardock has been hard at work ironing out the wrinkles and the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Empire of the Ants is an excellent game. This is one of those games that seemingly come out of nowhere but will likely be a beloved favourite for many gamers for years to come. While a lot of these gameplay aspects have been seen before in other games, the way they’re included here, through the eyes of an ant, can be quite unique. The visuals are outstanding and the music is brilliant. There are some challenges with controls and the camera, especially in confined spaces or when your ant is upside-down. And unfortunately, I didn’t get an opportunity to experience the multiplayer aspects. Fortunately, the single-player experience is overall so well done that I’d consider the multiplayer mode a nice bonus more than anything. If you’re looking for a unique gaming real-time strategy experience, then you really can’t go wrong with Empire of the Ants.

Experienced platformer and puzzle game players will have seen Planet of Lana’s mechanics before, maybe executed with more style or depth. What they won’t have seen is art quite as affecting or heard music that’s so in sync with the visuals. Planet of Lana is only around six hours long. More than that, and the lack of combat or missing originality in the puzzles might be an issue. Planet of Lana is an artistic, beautiful game with just enough satisfying gameplay to keep the player moving from one lovely scene to the next.

Although Metro: Last Light does have a ‘been there and done that’ feeling to it, this is not a bad thing as developer 4A Games has managed to smooth out all the rough edges from the first Metro game. Last Light’s sprawling mix of shooter, combat, stealth, survival horror and exploration all manage to do the job, but the visuals and story-driven narrative in many ways steals the show. This is not to say that the actual gameplay itself is not enjoyable because it is; I just found that some of the issues I experienced along the way somewhat dampened the game a bit.

While I do wish that Octopath had a bit more off-the-wall ambition the fact is that it definitely accomplishes what it set out to do. They really don’t make games like they used to, and this is the most playable old-school JRPG I can remember in forever. The turn-based combat is very engaging, as are the soapy stories. The style is confident, from the music to the character designs, to the lighting and motion blur, this is a game that knows what it is about. And while some of the writing and voice acting stumbles in places, that’s kind of part of the charm. For good and bad, Octopath Traveler evokes the games of the past, and for a lot of us, we miss the bad as much as we do the good.

When compared to other games, Telling Lies is a massive accomplishment, bringing unheard of levels of talent. But when compared to movies or TV, the performances and production design feel a little bit lacking. I’ll certainly be playing future Barlow games — the ideas are too cool to ignore. But in the future, I’d be keen to see him try his hand at something campier, or maybe let a more experienced director handle the actors. Sam Barlow presents Command and Conquer: Red Alert? Yes, please!

Persona 3 Reload is an authentic modernization of a landmark JRPG. For newcomers, it offers an unforgettable adventure with fantastic combat and a rich, intrigue-filled narrative. Returning players will find the classic revitalized on Nintendo’s hybrid, with locked, steady performance that makes it a perfect title to experience on the go. Altogether, it’s a faithful revival that ensures Persona 3 continues to resonate with both old fans and a new generation of players.

The catching mechanics, the upgraded box system, the new HMs and the effortless min-maxing are all excellent additions to a timeless classic. The combat isn’t as feature complete as other modern Pokemon games, and the gen 1 pokedex might turn some people off, but this is a fantastic rendition of Red and Blue that I can easily recommend. Whether it’s your first time or fortieth, Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee are a trip to Kanto you won’t want to miss.