Earth Defense Force 6 doesn’t shy away from the franchise’s roots; instead, it embraces them with a tongue-in-cheek narrative and signature frantic combat. While some may groan that it doesn’t revolutionize the genre, it is a heartfelt homage to classic arcade shooters that, simply put, is a blast to play. From its engaging battles and improved visuals to its charmingly ridiculous story, this title is a worthy addition to any action game lover’s collection. Whether you’re tidying up your local city by exterminating massive alien critters or teaming up with friends for a co-op frenzy, Earth Defense Force 6 delivers an adrenaline-filled experience that champions the spirit of fun in gaming.

King Oddball is a quietly charming, explosive puzzler. As an indie title, this game works incredibly well and is an enjoyable way to kill some time. With over 120 stages to beat, unique challenge modes, achievements, and an enjoyable playstyle, King Oddball is a game that should not be overlooked and deserves a chance. The controls are simple, the gameplay is addictive, the audio is fantastic, I couldn’t stop playing. While it might not break the mold of simple mobile gaming, King Oddball stands tall as a friendly challenge enjoyable by all.

CastleStorm takes the tower defence genre and adds elements of physics destruction, real-time strategy and role-playing games, making for a very interesting mix that works quite well. It is a casual yet complex game experience that is delightful to play, alone or with a friend, something that this tower defence hater truly enjoyed.

Should you play REYNATIS? Yes. Should you buy it full-price? Probably not. Unless you’re a fan of weird but fun PS2 titles, you should wait for a sale. But when that sale comes, I do recommend you check this game out.

All in all, this is a much more relaxed experience than the PC version, for better or worse. It’s still incredibly satisfying to one-shot an enemy as the rogue, tank as the warrior, and unleash armies of the dead as the necromancer. If you didn’t get the opportunity to play Loop Hero the first time around, I heartily recommend checking it out on Switch. But if you can play this game on PC, you probably should. There’s nothing overtly wrong with the Loop Hero Switch port, especially given the game’s control scheme. It’s just hard to beat the original.

I really enjoyed Rushing Beat X: Return of Brawl Brothers. The core beat ‘em up combat is fantastic, and the goofy story gives the game a unique flavor. I never thought we would see another game in the series, and the devs obviously have great love for the source material. Unfortunately, Rushing Beat X: Return of Brawl Brothers is lacking in features, which puts it behind all the modern genre greats. But I easily recommend the game to anyone who’s a fan of beat ‘em ups, or in the mood for something nostalgic.

All in all, Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a fun idea with a cute aesthetic and an addicting gameplay loop. Unfortunately, its implementation of Online Mode is incredibly frustrating. I sincerely hope the developers polish that element up in the future. At least it has enough substance to make its single-player campaign worthwhile.

Rather than a coat of paint, this DLC is more like an extra room added to the ground floor. Whether you want to build a couple houses or a whole map full of them, the Happy Home Paradise DLC has you covered.

A Memoir Blue has a beautiful, varied visual style, emotionally resonant music, and a sincere — if not terribly deep — narrative. The changing and mysterious relationship of parents and children is relatable. It’s a wonderful story to experience, told via haunting, surreal images. Where A Memoir Blue collapses is in its arbitrary and often unnecessary game mechanics. I get that the main character is trying to make sense of her puzzle-like memories. Pixel hunting and awkward object manipulation don’t make me feel invested or immersed. I’d argue they work against it. A Memoir Blue could and should have been a touching short animated film.

The Knight Witch is an intriguing amalgamation of genres. Flying through stages and battling foes feels great. The unique approach to special attacks and the Metroidvania style progression work extremely well. While the narrative intrigues and includes some innovation, its presentation is simple. Regardless of this, the game is a blast and freshens up the shmup genre.

While it didn’t scare me as much as I wanted it to, it packs plenty of tense moments and interesting situations into its somewhat inflated length and is definitely worth investigating for its atmosphere alone.

Sadly, too much of the game’s experience continues to be a passive ride, lacking in gameplay and challenge. But as they say, what a ride it is.

As I said before, Days Gone feels like bad TV. It has no substance, but goddamn is it nice just to relax and follow along with the story and its hypnotizing gameplay loops. There are definitely better games out there, but without a doubt, Days Gone is a perfectly entertaining title to waste a week in.

Elex demands a certain species of patience, a particular brand of mental acuity.

It’s got an addictive gameplay loop and a charming atmosphere.

The Weaponographist won’t be the most memorable game you will play but its strong elements do overshadow its shortcomings.

No Straight Roads is a wacky adventure with loveable characters. Mayday and Zuke just want to show the world that EDM isn’t the only kind of music out there – that rock is most certainly not dead. From the bright visuals to the hilarious dialogue and fun gameplay, as well as the option for couch co-op mode, it’s an easy pickup. While I, of course, had a few issues with the game, it’s all mostly forgiven with every quick and heavy whack of Mayday’s guitar.

Phantaruk is a solid game that makes a great first impression but like that annoying party guest that does not know when to leave, the longer the game goes on the less terrifying it becomes. The game mechanics stay the same throughout which cause the player’s anxiety to become numb like a dentist’s anesthetic prior to filling a cavity.

The general vibes I got from playing Phogs! are almost identical to those I felt with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle as I felt like anything could be around any corner and I never knew what to expect. If you’re looking for a puzzle game that will cheer you up through hard times, Phogs! will put a smile on your ‘phace’.

Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 5 should please fans of the series. The additions make the game more accessible than ever and is more fleshed out thanks to the new content. The main drawback is the lack of haptic feedback in relation to the track surface.

Hunter x Hunter: Nen Impact is, at its core, a phenomenal fighting game. The fighting system is near-perfect, and easily stands beside the best triple-A modern fighters. Other than that, the game is a low-budget affair. Hunter x Hunter fans are guaranteed to be disappointed by the sparse roster and awful Story Mode. But there are more characters on the way, and because the core game is so strong, Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact could become one of the best fighting games of this generation. Hopefully, future updates will provide plenty more content, and maybe eventually bring the Story Mode Hunter x Hunter fans deserve.

The story, especially at first, is a bit sparse, and does not necessarily hook you in right away, but the game’s fun action keep you playing long enough for the more interesting narrative aspects to kick in.

The Capcom Fighting Collection is a reminder of a time when Capcom was the king of making fighting games. It’s great to finally have the opportunity to enjoy the entire Darkstalkers franchise. It would be a damn shame if Capcom didn’t follow this release up with a brand new Darkstalkers installment. While I would have preferred updated visuals, the gameplay for the most part still holds up today. I hope Capcom adds the ability to quick save in each game individually, as opposed to a shared quick save among all 10 games. While this collection only features a small fraction of the fighting games Capcom has released, it’s still a worthy release and I imagine most fighting fans will want to add it to their collection.

For the most part, Shock Tactics is a solid strategy game that takes inspiration from a plethora of titles but is steeped in a unique world with Prometheus-like vibes. Its superb ability to weave gameplay and story together through its narration keeps the game going and environments have a unique look to them. Strategizing with multiple team members as they scour across the planet is addicting, and side objectives help with give the player an added challenge. More focus on exploration would have set Shock Tactics apart, but what is there is enough to warrant a playthrough.

I don’t play Octopath games for the plot. This is more true than ever before with Octopath Traveler 0. This story spends several long hours being a gigantic bummer. It’s bad enough to mess up the pacing and sap my enthusiasm. On the other hand, the mechanical systems at work are as intricate and rewarding as they’ve ever been. I love tuning up my gigantic party, tweaking their skillsets, and unleashing them on the world at large. If it’s a little too easy at first, that’s okay. The music and the visuals are as excellent as I hoped for, and there’s a whole town to rebuild as well. Like the previous games, there’s a lot to love about Octopath 0. It all comes down to what you’re looking for.

I was impressed with its fresh and original vibe.

The production value isn’t as high as I’d hoped, but the game knows what it is and every mechanic and feature works together in tandem. A supreme variety in level and mission design paired with thoughtful stealth gameplay makes this a strong entry into the shooter genre, even if the overarching narrative isn’t all that interesting.

Serious adventure game fans will probably be disappointed with the shallow puzzle design and the game’s short length, but someone looking for a light-hearted romp through a wacky prehistory will find something to like in Fire.