I loved Trinity Trigger. I’m a big fan of JRPGs, and the Mana series though. This is a game for fans of the genre. Its bland dungeon design and sometimes dumb support character AI hold it back from being a full-blown genre classic. But it has a compelling narrative and great combat. And the local co-op option seems too good to be true in this day and age. If you’re not into action JRPGs, Trinity Trigger isn’t going to change your mind. But anyone with any love for the genre should definitely give it a playthrough.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From the Ashes is an excellent return to the world of Pandora, and addresses many of the original game’s minor faults. The new third-person mode makes the game feel brand new. Better pacing, more streamlined progression, and a darker narrative combine with effective combat and exploration. Players who enjoyed the original will want to pick up this DLC, and even if they don’t, the third-person mode carries over to the base game. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From the Ashes made my return to Pandora a pleasure.

Ground Zero is one of the most complete indie survival horror games I’ve run across in a long time. While it may come across as a Resident Evil clone, Ground Zero is more like a companion game than a mere clone. The game keeps itself fresh with its generous mix of combat, puzzles, extra modes, and unlockables. Ground Zero offers a lot of quality survival horror gameplay at an indie price.

Frostpunk: The Last Autumn DLC takes everything you have learned while playing through the brutality of the base game and tweaks the formula just enough to bring you a new feeling of dread, loss, and despair while remaining true to the brilliant mechanics and narrative of the game. You will undoubtedly fail time and time again until you understand how to perfectly manage your time and space – a feature that feels incredibly more prominent this time around. Bringing the focus towards the safety of the workforce is an interesting shift that pays off well against the impending deadline and creates for an effective extension of the game that breaths fresh new life into an already crisp experience.

Gremlins Inc is a smart, stylish online board game with tactics both fun and deceptively clever.

If you are into survival games, then Green Hell VR is definitely worth your time. Nature lovers will also find something in this game to experience and enjoy.

While I, at first, began playing with a bit of wariness, the Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle, really improved on the everyday gameplay. Yes there are a few minor issues with gameplay and the facade of living in a full bustling neighbourhood is a bit disappointing but there’s a ton of new features to be played with and so many new ways you can tell a story with your favourite Sims.

Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth is a great game for those who have played the previous one; however, it isn’t entirely suited for new players. I would definitely recommend picking up the Mask of Deception first to get a feel for the story. That being said, once you have finished Mask of Deception, Mask of Truth will unveil many unanswered questions and with over 80+ hours of story, players will be in for one heck of an emotional rollercoaster.

This is just a very solid purchase if you’re looking for quality content at a low price that offers nearly endless hours of fun gameplay centered around an oft-forgotten race so key to true fantasy worlds. Thank you Triumph, for doing justice to these noble little people and bringing them to the center stage for a grand performance of dancing, singing, and a little bit of blood-letting.

Though the framerate can bog down the experience, Warlords offers a fun game to battle with friends and enemies alike. The controls are well designed and the shredding metal soundtrack sits well with the chaotic essence of the game.

LEGO Voyagers is a delightful adventure that tells the story of two 1×1 blocks. Even without dialogue, it crafts a touching narrative that resonates with players. Each area is beautifully designed, inviting you to tinker with the world, build structures, and overcome the challenges that stand in your way. Puzzles emphasize communication, as you work together to control vehicles and navigate each space. The result is a truly wonderful experience that captures the spirit of the brick-based toy like no other.

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.

All I know is I was thoroughly entertained playing Children of Arkham and am jazzed to play the next episode and see where the story goes next.

Where Ghostwire: Tokyo loses some love is in the overall imprecision of its movement and mechanics, and a few elements that seem arbitrary or unexplained. Ghostwire: Tokyo’s combat is engaging and its environments are impressive, but that same combat can also frustrate and the environments are balanced against less impressive character models. As a new IP or franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo is a great, but rough-around-the-edges step in a really interesting new direction.

For years fans have been yearning for EA to make some much needed changes to their FIFA formula and this year they tried to step outside their comfort zone just a little. Although the game still lacks a real gut punch of a story and there are some weird oversights and glitches throughout, there is a ton of customization and the Volta game mode has injected a fresh new feel to the franchise. Add that to a wide selection of game modes and a better FUT experience than ever before and despite its shortfalls FIFA 20 is definitely one of the better games from the franchise in recent years.

Martha Is Dead offers a narrative that’s provocative, intense, dark, and emotional. And yes, it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s plenty gory. Given that it takes place during WWII the story doesn’t seem out of place either. It pulls you in right away, keeps its intensity and pace, and holds your attention until the very end. The sound and graphical design really fit with the overall vibe and atmosphere of the game. Sure, it’s not perfect, but most of the issues aren’t game breaking. Martha Is Dead is riveting and if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers you won’t want to miss it.

This episode has a good flow and tempo, with lots of visually appealing cutscenes and action to break up the story, and while it reaches the end without feeling rushed, the cliffhanger feels a bit out of place.

It’s deep, but not overly complex.

Darkwood is a challenging and rewarding horror game that will test even the hardcore survival horror buff. The gameplay loop of finding new and better resources by day and fending off horrifying creatures by night is surprisingly addictive. It hardly ever holds your hand and encourages experimentation and exploration of its atmospheric and haunting world. There’s even an engaging narrative with branching paths with plenty of payoffs too. There’s no denying it isn’t the most accessible of games, but if you stick with it, Darkwood is a shining light in an otherwise niche genre.

I don’t need much justification to revisit Final Fantasy VI. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, this is grade A, top shelf stuff. Full of weird minigames, memorable characters, and a compelling story, VI is an excellent RPG. If you’ve never played it before, you’d be an absolute fool to pass this up. Even if you’ve bought it several times already, I still recommend the game. Square Enix has tried to make the definitive version of this game, and I’d say they more or less succeeded.

All in all, RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is an enjoyable update to an already compelling game. Some of the bells and whistles are irritating and the fusion system could be better. But I heartily recommend it to fans of stylish action RPGs and occult mystery titles.

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.

The management and RPG style made me think of a digital board game like Antihero, but really it plays more like a visual novel — a genre that leans hard on player interaction to involve you in the story. And in that, Through the Darkest of Times was quite effective. I did feel for the struggle of these people in a way that felt more personal than if I was watching a movie or reading a book. The choices didn’t lead to branching stories, but the very act of making a choice placed responsibility for the consequences on me. That’s an extremely effective game design!

Toukiden 2 is packed with new concepts, battle mechanics, an open-world and an evolved application of previously existing elements that both fans and newcomers to the franchise will be spoiled with and enjoy.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare does everything fans of the franchise could ever want. You get the triumphant return of the single-player campaign; crossplay that actually works; maps and weapons available to everyone; and a robust multiplayer experience packed with over 25 maps (including Spec Ops maps) out of the box. Modern Warfare isn’t the best Call of Duty game in the franchise as the single-player and Spec Ops modes fall a little short. Yet, at the very least it pushes the series back in the right direction and fans should be plenty satisfied with what Infinity Ward has brought to the table this year.

Making its way to PS5 and Switch, it’s only a little disappointing that Grounded didn’t bring along a lot of new content, though it does include all updates, new ant queens, and a new game+ mode. Grounded is still an excellent and unique survival game. Its big-world crafting RPG mechanics scale down to miniature size quite well and there are a ton of ways to make the game your own. Like their PC and Xbox counterparts, Sony and Nintendo fans of the survival/crafting genre will not be disappointed by Grounded.

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.

It wasn’t anything close to what I expected. But in the end, I wound up being pleasantly surprised. While far from a meaty experience, what’s there is all good stuff. If this is Square Enix testing the water – so to speak – with VR, then I hope there’s much more to come from them on this platform.