A steady diet of musou games would most certainly lead to nutritional deficiencies, but now and again playing a game like Samurai Warriors 5 is a great reminder of how much fun the genre can be. There’s almost always a least a hint of repetition in these games, including this one, but with its balance between well-told story and fluid action, memorable characters, and epic battles, Samurai Warriors 5 is both an excellent way to dive into the franchise and a welcome new direction for longtime fans.

I didn’t really have any expectations on Beat Cop when I first played it on PC back in 2017. Even two years later now on the Nintendo Switch it manages a quite pleasant surprise playing it. The story is quite addicting and I’m always eager to see what is next or even replay to see what else could have happened. Beat Cop is a pretty decent length as well and should clock in for most somewhere between seven and ten hours. The non-linear story, along with the multiple endings, means there is a good amount of replayability as well. All in all, this is a great homage to 1980’s cop shows that shouldn’t be missed.

All in all, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is as fun as it is difficult. If you can put up with the dated graphics and endure the grueling boss fights, you’ll have a good time. Even if you can’t, go listen to the soundtrack.

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR improves on every aspect of Rush of Blood to create an essential horror title for the PSVR 2. The innovative use of the headset adds to the immersion to create memorable moments of terror. While the story takes a back seat, the heart-racing ride through the grotesque is not to be missed.

Atelia Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy is a highly enjoyable JRPG. Returning fans of the series and new ones should be delighted. Ryza has an infectiously bright personality and her relationship with the other party members meshes well. The combat is fast, and the story is intriguing. The heavier focus on exploration, as well as alchemy, is a welcome change.

Although Mosaic’s gameplay is simple and the play length short, it boasts a powerful story with many unique elements you won’t find anywhere else.

All in all, The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon is a great entry in the franchise. It sounds good, looks good, and the narrative is truly kicking into gear. New players will definitely be confused, but this is the thirteenth game in the series. Just play the rest, I promise they’re good too.

Samorost 3 is surreal, magical, and one of the warmest and most delightful games I’ve had the pleasure of playing.

Thanks to its art direction and genuinely creative use of Sims-like mechanics, Closer the Distance gets your attention. What keeps you enthralled, emotionally engaged, and frequently discomforted is its pitch-perfect exploration of some very difficult subject matter. It’s a heavy game but absolutely worth your time.

There is no doubt there are times that Episode 4 does feel a little stale, and frankly the combat sequences do come up short, but at the end of the day fans of the previous three episodes will walk away dying to find out what happens in the final installment to one of the better video game experiences of 2012.

In a landscape littered with copycat games, Blacktail’s originality make it a winner. Set aside the game’s mechanically frustrating and probably unnecessary boss battles. Blacktail’s world, characters and narrative are easily worth the very reasonable price of admission.

On a machine like the PS4, it feels like so much of the power available is just being ignored. If you have the PC version of Terraria, I wouldn’t jump on the PS4 instalment, but a handheld version could definitely be a nice addition to your library of games.

Part murder mystery, part visual novel, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is an audacious experiment. Happily, it pays off in a unique video game experience. There aren’t many games that use songs in a theatrical way. Being able to direct the flow of the music in real time is exciting and engaging. Pacing issues aside, it’s a concept that’s definitely worthy of continued development. I hope Wintory and Gaider continue to iterate on this new IP.

It is not often that a game attempts to fuse elements from so many genres. Usually, the result weakens the overall experience but Tribes of Midgard is that rare exception, a game in which all the disparate parts resonate and reinforce each other. The early levels can grow a bit repetitive but exploration, crafting, and combat continue to engage throughout. Tribes of Midgard should appeal to fans of action RPGs, survival games, co-op PvE and of course, the rich tapestry of Viking combat, lore, and culture.

Anyone who played and enjoyed Ghostwire: Tokyo the first time, and has Xbox Game Pass, will certainly want to make another run at it and check out the improvements and new content. For those who missed it at release, it’s maybe even easier to recommend Ghostwire: Tokyo now. Be warned that the first few hours ramp up fairly slowly and the supernatural combat is both creative and a little unpolished. Still, the narrative, world-building, lore, and unique approach to the first-person action game help make Ghostwire: Tokyo both successful and a bit different.

All in all, AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is another complex and twisting murder mystery with a strong cyberpunk flavor. If you crave bizarre philosophies, high-tech conspiracies, and mind-bending puzzles, add this game to your list. Just make you aren’t photosensitive first.

Despite the fact that it's looking in the rearview mirror at least as much as it's looking forward, there's no denying that Age of Empires IV captures the addictive gameplay and mechanical accessibility of the earlier games in the franchise. It looks great, if not entirely new, and the flow of building, combat, research, and resource management is enjoyable as always. The documentary-style campaigns are engaging and immersive. What holds Age of Empires IV at arm's length from masterpiece status is its determination not to rock the boat, its slightly underwhelming feature set at launch, and some very minor annoyances from previous titles that really should be a thing of the past. Will I be digging deep into Age of Empires IV? Absolutely.

Crimson Desert is a remarkable achievement in open world design, with an inexhaustible number of things to see, do, and fight. It's a miracle that it never collapses under its own weight. It isn't perfect. By both accident and design, there are times when clarity and user-friendliness temporarily disappear, and the game's rough edges and opaque mechanics overshadow the fun. A lot of games over-promise and under-deliver. Crimson Desert is not one of them.

DiRT 4 is a highly-polished and well-thought-out title that could truly succeed in pulling more players towards the genre. It looks great and with the new optional arcade-style handling model, the barrier for entry is low. Even with that in mind, hardcore players are served better than ever before with increased options at the top end. If you like your racing fast, filthy, and challenging, there’s no doubt that this ticks all of the boxes.

Tempest Rising comes at a great time, with few classic-type RTS games making an appearance. Tempest Rising easily recreates the fun of those early games and their addictive mechanics. At the same time, it looks and runs like a current title. Two impressive campaigns and the potential for endless enjoyment via skirmishes equals an impressive and exciting return to a regretfully absent genre.

Kaze and the Wild Masks merges elements from great games of the 16-bit era in order to create a fascinating 2D platformer. Although its influences are clearly visible, these aspects have been developed with modern-day principles to alleviate some of the issues that plagued titles of that period. With an incredible pixel-based art style, euphonious soundtrack and perfect precision-based platforming, Kaze and the Wild Masks is a must for fans of the genre.

While it doesn’t have the shock value novelty of the first game, High on Life 2 makes up for it with ambitious level design, polished movement, and a more grounded, coherent narrative. All the fun of the first game’s talking guns and wicked humor remains, entertainingly voiced and paired with engaging combat and interesting environments. There are moments when High on Life 2 feels a little over-caffeinated, and it can be exhausting over long stretches. Overall, though, High on Life 2 demonstrates that the first game’s concepts and mechanics were more than one-off novelties. High on Life 2 keeps a good thing going strong.

EA Sports rolled the dice by going all in with a new engine and single player story mode. For the most part, they pulled it off as it features interesting characters and a compelling story. While it is predictable, a little too short and contains some goofy quick time events, it's a hearty addition to the franchise.

Living up to its name it is an unrelenting punishing experience. Yet just as difficult as it can be, it is equally rewarding.

Reanimal takes its cues from primal childhood trauma and the deep-seated fears that most people carry through life. It adds layers of familiar-feeling puzzles and terrifying monsters to a game that looks a lot like a Little Nightmares sibling. With the ability to play the game with another terrified human, Reanimal is all the more scary and memorable.

The Sinking City is paradoxically teeming with life and things to do while atmospherically making you feel alone and unsafe. The revamped investigation systems rely on your own powers of deduction and the combat is both tense and nerve-wracking. Save for the graphical issues, The Sinking City is heart-pounding, unrelenting, and addictive. Its powers of immersion and fear are not to be overlooked, and fans of eldritch horror, Cthulhu, and things that go bump in the night will definitely be satisfied playing in the dark.

Alien: Isolation on the Switch is fantastic, and is most definitely a game that deserves a spot on your shelf. Even five years later, Isolation continues to be a horror tour-de-force that will have you wishing you could play something rated ‘E’ for everyone instead. Bring a pair of headphones and do your best to get over that input lag, and you’ll find yourself in the midst of the best port this console has seen to date. You may also want to bring a portable charger as this thing is an absolute battery killer, but hey, when you look this good and feel this good, I don’t mind.

A variety of fresh mechanics, some excellent music and writing, and a generally entertaining cast of characters and scenarios help remind us why we fell in love with this bizarre little series back in 2005.