A tip of the hat to Codemasters for trying something new with the Story Mode. While it doesn’t enhance the game in the way intended, it does make for a useful tour of the game’s offerings. Grid Legends is a lot of fun and that’s what really matters at the finish line.

It was fun, especially if you enjoy Metroidvania style games or Greek mythology. I’m excited to see more from Alientrap in the future.

For those who find puzzle games interesting but the point-and-click genre a little dull, this is a fantastic middle ground that you will happily get lost in.

Still, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town gets it right in all the important areas. The characters are definitely serviceable and are full of personality. I’m still absolutely in love with the aesthetic, and I can admit that I’ve definitely stayed up too long playing this game. It is missing any online functionality though, but if you are looking for a new solo farming game, definitely take a look at this one.

Reignbreaker is a solid action roguelite that will feel familiar to fans of Hades. Its fast-paced combat is enjoyable, and the variety of power-ups encourages experimentation with different builds. While the art direction is creative, other aspects of the game adhere closely to genre conventions, rarely breaking away from its inspirations. Though undeniably well-crafted, it may struggle to distinguish itself in an increasingly crowded genre.

In between some of the most frustrating moments I’ve had with any sort of game in quite some time, PGA Tour 2K21 flashed with hopeful, brilliant optimism. As long as it worked, hitting the links and knocking down a few holes felt as good as it ever has. And the course creator is one of the best things I’ve seen come to a sports game in a long time. But it’s hard to recommend something that chewed up and spit out nearly a day of my life, leaving me with nothing to show for it. Either way, it’s without question that the newly invigorated, and now former, Golf Club series is sitting at the base of a mountain made from potential. Though, it may be a hell of a climb getting to the peak.

I think that whether you enjoy Sable will very much depend on your mood and expectations. Some gamers will appreciate it for the chill, Zen-like, conflict-and-combat-free, emotionally resonant story that it absolutely is. Other gamers may grow impatient with its lack of real incident, and weary of the pace and absence of challenge. I tend to land in the latter camp. Sable is a beautiful game, but it needs to rev up the dramatic engine or raise the stakes for the player to keep fidgety gamers like me engaged.

It’s apparent that Contingent99 knows what they are doing, and they’ve confirmed that there is post-launch content on the way as well, so be sure to give these two gentlemen an honest shot, as you may end up as pleasantly surprised as I was, if not more so.

I wanted to love EA Sports PGA Tour. Though I find myself as disappointed as Bart Simpson was when he got Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge for Christmas. The initial gameplay showcase had me as excited as a kid in a candy store. There’s no denying it’s a gorgeous game. Course flyovers and commentary are also superb. But these fleeting moments of brilliance make PGA Tour’s missteps all the more frustrating. Until EA gets under the hood and performs the mountain of work required to get it up to snuff, I’ll be sticking to PGA Tour 2K23. At least that game works.

INMOST was a pleasant surprise. The game was a short experience with a powerful narrative with effects that can last so much longer. As for the gameplay itself, the fun puzzles and collaboration with the story helped to bring the game to life. Speaking of which, the game’s audio and visual elements also worked well together in setting the tone of the game. Overall, all the elements of the game come together in the end, much like its narrative, to provide players with a strong package.

ScourgeBringer is a roguelike (or roguelite, whatever) that came out a month after Hades set the gaming world on fire. A lot of roguelike games are fine. Hades set a new gold standard. And ScourgeBringer doesn’t quite manage to rise to that level. Your progress is too slow and simple. There’s a skill tree, and you spend Judge Blood on it; you make Kyhra more powerful. It works. Still though, I never felt that excited to unlock a new capability, and it took far too long before I felt like I was making any progress. Maybe I would have felt better if I was making progress across multiple fronts, but character development feels mostly linear.Still though, I never complained about character development when I was playing Sunset Riders on that emulator. I played it a zillion times, trying to beat the next boss or get a high score. That game could entertain me for hours, simply because it was nice to look at and felt great. And that feeling, where the controls help make the drama… you can’t fake that. That’s why you’re going to play ScourgeBringer and you’re going to enjoy it.

The sheer unit variety presents some interesting new ways to take on opponents, but the Elves playstyle is both its biggest draw and possibly its biggest drawback as well.

At the end of the day, though, I’m able to look past WWE 2K22’s shortcomings in ways I haven’t been able to with this series in over a decade. And why? Because 2K22 is a ton of fun. It strikes a tremendous balance between its quick, arcadey gameplay and smooth, simulation-like animation system. Plus, the Showcase and MyFaction modes are fantastic, with the latter offering hours upon hours of gameplay. This is one I’ll be wrestling with for a long time. 2K finally put some proper chefs in the kitchen.

All in all, Kaiju Wars is not a revolutionary experience, but it sure is a good time. I recommend it to fans of challenging SRPGs, retro gaming, and the kaiju genre alike. Plus, it includes several public domain giant monster movies, including multiple Gamera films, the 1925 film The Lost World, and the North Korean monster film Pulgasari. If you’re interested in old-school monster movies, that alone might be worth the price of admission.

With mind-bending challenges, an audio treat, and stunning visuals, Q.U.B.E. 2 is a feast for the senses.

WRC 10 isn’t going to be for everybody, but I think the ones that love it will really love it. The driving is excellent, and the sound design is next to none. Plus, it features a deep career mode and several historical scenarios for you to sink your teeth into. One minute, it’s frustrating the hell out of you; the next, you’re pumping your fist in the air over the milliseconds you were able to shave off a run. And that’s what racing is all about.

To all the Soul Reaver fans out there, I apologize. Perhaps there’s some essential flavor that nostalgia adds to the soup, but I’m sadly missing it. For me, coming into these games cold was a dreadful shock. The big stretches of empty space are pretty painful. Fighting enemies is easier than I expected, but still not terribly engaging. The puzzles are stretched out over the same bizarre layouts, which makes them more frustrating. The visuals are a major improvement over the old games, however. I like the narrative’s premise well enough, but it was hard to get into the swing of things. Again, mostly due to the archaic gameplay. If you’re a fan of the old games, then Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered will be a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, new players will likely have a very difficult time with these games.

Overall, Resonance is a highly entertaining game. It has a first-rate story, great aesthetics, and the intangible qualities that make a game hard to put down.

Disney’s Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a wonderful remake that remains faithful to the original whilst adding new elements to improve the adventure. Mickey is now much more mobile and the revised controls remove frustrations that engulfed the Wii release. Though the game lacks challenge and includes rather basic combat, its stunning visual overhaul and new features give it a new lease of life, making it a worthwhile revisit for both newcomers and longtime fans.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a well-made Metroidvania with an intriguing and culturally unique narrative and setting. It doesn't try to reinvent the genre, but there's nothing wrong with sticking to a familiar path if the result is polished and fun. Tales of Kenzera: Zau has a colorful, welcoming vibe with a mythic story to tell and enough action to keep players engaged.

In Gunpowder’s case, it’s a matter of quality over quantity, with more quantity on the way via updates and DLC. If you’re looking for a quick and simple puzzle game to play on your laptop during breaks in class, or simply want a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the day, this is a decent buy.

Overall, the new port is solid in execution and the indie title is perfectly suited for the Switch. The frame rates are speedy, the loading screens are quicker than a blink of an eye, and the controls are intuitive. Though the narrative and direction of Hob can be unclear at times, unraveling the mysteries of its charming world on a handheld console is a true delight.

I’ll be playing Green Hell for a long time to come. With multiple modes, including multiplayer options and different difficulty settings, there’s a lot of fun to be had here. Its world is beautiful, albeit a bit rough around the edges. But I can’t imagine it’ll be long before we see things fixed up. It’s not like the bar has been set very high, but for what it’s worth, Green Hell is the best survival game I’ve ever played.

If you have been wanting that extreme survival adventure experience on the Meta Quest 2, Into the Radius is your game. It’ll have you alone, outgunned and loving every minute of it. But even for the rest of us, there’s a fun time to be had — provided you can weather the initial frustration.

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged enhances every aspect of the original, making it the definitive version of this already incredible adventure. The reworked visuals breathe new life into the world, while the refined UI and added accessibility options ensure that anyone can enjoy this classic. With its masterfully crafted story, witty dialogue, and rewarding puzzles, it stands as one of the finest examples in the genre.

Junkyard Jam is a pretty short DLC, all things told. On the other hand, it’s priced appropriately. A new heavy hitter and a much better third section is totally worth the asking cost. And the expanded artifact selection is a nice bonus as well. And yet, Casey Jones himself is a mixed bag of sorts. He’s powerful, but said power comes with some drawbacks. You can get through a standard run well enough, but he’s a real liability in the endgame. On balance though, Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam is a perfect excuse to play more Splintered Fate. If you’ve been looking for a reason to jump back in, this DLC is a good one.

I’m trying to examine Awakening through a more objective lens. I know that a real Nobunaga head would see this game very differently. But it’s just so punishingly dull. The density of material, the pacing, the interface, all of this smashed against my limited attention span with incredible force. If you’re a fan of the series, Nobunaga’s Ambition Awakening Complete Edition will be a worthy addition to your Nintendo Switch 2 collection. Otherwise, I can’t recommend this game.

All in all, I had fun with Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta. If you can look past the dated visuals and annoying map mechanics, it’s a slick action-JRPG with something interesting to say about memory. But it’s far from flawless.