If you have been eagerly awaiting the continuation of the story from The Fall, then the next chapter of that story is easy to recommend. It doesn’t, however, have the same emotional impact as the first game, nor does it provide explanations that tie up all of its loose ends. The game’s subject matter is not entirely fresh, but its unique take on the ethics surrounding artificial intelligence at least keep it interesting.

Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash is unashamed fan service for sure, but more importantly it’s a damn good game. Fast-moving and smooth-controlling water tagging action is satisfying and addictive. It’s best played in short bursts, though, as long sessions in a one go can get a bit repetitive. However, there’s so much to play, so many plush girls to play with, and tons of things to unlock and choose from, that you’re most likely coming back to the game for a long time. A few words of warning: PBS is absolutely not for the humorless or uptight persons out there. If you can stand the heat - and take the game as it is - it's unadulterated fun.

The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is both enchanting and incongruent, engrossing and annoying. The best moments are the quiet ones, when you’re just drifting among massive kelp forests and futuristic ruins. The sense of loneliness is masterfully implemented - you really feel like the last of your kind. There are plenty of messages in the subtext, some subtle and others obvious, but there’s a general trend of bad choices compounding on each other until humanity loses trust in itself. If the boss fights were replaced with more of this interesting lore, we’d probably have something great. Regardless, if you can handle a lot of trial and error in the name of a good story, go ahead and take the - wait for it - plunge.

Sky Force: Reloaded was a game that truly surprised me. Despite being several years old, everything feels modern and polished. While it can be challenging, it never deterred me from playing thanks to brilliant design choices that kept me motivated rather than frustrated. It’s an easy game to recommend and one that I see coming back to for a long time to come.

Everything in the game adds up to the overall experience, making The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II one of the best in the genre. The third part of Trails of Cold Steel saga has seen the daylight only in Japan for PS4. I hope the western PC conversion doesn’t take too much time to arrive. I want to see what’s stored for Rean and Class VII in the future!

It took a rocky trip through hell (both metaphorically and in-game) to finally appreciate what Fear Effect Sedna tries to do. It’s clumsy, controversial and at times even ugly (not Hana, though!), but if it was too perfect it wouldn’t be Fear Effect; rough around the edges and morally dubious. In the end, the game did respect its characters and origins, opening a possible future for the franchise.

Dragon Quest Builders is an engaging sandbox craft game that appeals to players who desire a more structured Minecraft campaign. It’s satisfying to build entire towns, and the RPG elements and addictive feedback loop may keep some playing for hours on end. Although I was disappointed with the segmented chapters and limited free build mode, I still had plenty of fun with the core campaign. The Switch version may not be the ideal version for everyone, but it’s still an excellent option, especially for newcomers. My only wish is that Square Enix can craft an even better experience with Dragon Quest Builders 2.

Overall SteamWorld Dig has a lot of potential for some fun. Unfortunately, due to the tedium of going to and from the town to make money just isn’t for me. It’s a very well built game though, so if you like grinding, or if it doesn’t bother you, you like can’t go wrong with SteamWorld Dig. However, if you’re like me and tedious tasks tend to gnaw at your attention very quickly maybe give this one a pass and try Spelunky instead.

Though later levels offer different and more challenging obstacles, it won’t take you long to settle in. I wish the practice of targeting and interacting with people was less reliant on the headset, but if that had been the case, there’d be no reason to make it a virtual reality enabled product (though to be truthful, it doesn’t need to be). If you’ve played any of Dakko Dakko’s previous games, you have a fairly good idea of what you’re getting into; a simple and straightforward game that bubbles with personality and is effective at passing the time.

Overall, Metal Gear Survive is a great game. No, really. I don’t blame anyone for taking issues with the company that produced it, but it’s clear that the developers really put in the time and effort to make something worthwhile. There are some obvious issues with the story and one blatant microtransaction cash grab, but Survive has a ton of genuinely enjoyable content for its budget price. If you’re looking for a Metal Gear fan service game with a tacked on survival mechanic, this isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a survival game with a Metal Gear paint job, it’s well worth looking into.

Terra Feminarum is like a handwork. A unique take on a well-worn concept and turned into a piece of art, quite like no other. It takes some nerve, though. It can be frustrating to lose a life to a momentary lapse of concentration but rarely it’s the game’s fault. Basically, I’m saying; buy Terra Feminarum for that itching arcade shooter fix! I might be biased but I have all the reasons to be so.

Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is a welcome addition to the adventure genre. While its minute-to-minute narrative lacks the complexity and pull of classic adventure games, its open-world design and unique approach to storytelling make it something unlike anything I've ever played before. For those looking to lose themselves in an atmospheric world with phenomenal music and voice acting, Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is worth experiencing. It's certainly an acquired taste, but the water tastes pretty good here.

Ripped Pants At Work is a fun and wonderfully inexpensive game that’s great for a group of friends to pass the controller around. The numerous puzzle pathways to each pair of pants are cleverly designed and offer a good challenge. The soundtrack is pitch perfect, as an acoustic guitar plays a jaunty and gentle tune that runs counter to the stress and terror typically associated of running across busy streets in your underwear. While this won’t command much of your attention for too long, as you could easily collect the entire of pantheon of legwear in as little as half an hour (or less if you challenge yourself), it's still a pretty fun distraction from boring computer work. Ripped Pants At Work takes an instantly relatable premise and fills it with personality, easy to understand mechanics, and silly visual humor.

Progressing through the levels felt way too slow, finding collectible candles frustrated me, and I wasn’t particularly fond of the camera. The story failed to grab my attention due to the bland protagonist and the boring narrative. The gameplay mechanics stay somewhat interesting throughout, but the level design, platforming, and puzzles hold it back from greatness. Candleman is a decent experience, but it’s not a game I’d recommend without a few warnings.

Super One More Jump is a simple single-button game with an excellent execution. What could have been a generic mobile port is a well-crafted autorun platformer instead, with sleek presentation options. The fast pace of the game may not appeal to all, but hardcore players who seek an adrenaline rushing 2D roller coaster ride may want to seek out this hidden gem. This is an addictive experience that leaves you wanting one more jump.

Strikers Edge is a pretty pixel art game with a very focused design and a well-developed experience. Unfortunately for the game, the fun is only there for the first couple of hours and the luster sadly quickly wears off. I appreciate the simplistic design but the unforgiving AI and limited roster/arena scope makes the game feel less then it could have been. I enjoyed Striker’s Edge and could even see this game becoming a breakout hit if the developers were able to expand the game's roster and loosen up the difficulty a bit.

I will admit that there is a sizable chunk of content here as my fifty five hour playthrough was made up of about ninety five percent main story and five percent of late game sidequests. But when the game feels chore to play, some brevity would have been welcomed. It's a shame to see a title with so much promise feel so flat, but I guess Lost Sphear's main characters' optimism has rubbed off on me. I still think the folks at Tokyo RPG Factory have the ability to make a truly outstanding game. Here's to hoping.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a game I hadn't expected to enjoy as much as I did. Its shallow story failed to hook me, and its initial levels had me wondering if that is all there is to the game. However, the more I played, the deeper and more enriching its mechanics became, and the more I looked forward to each successive puzzle. While a bit unrefined and lacking a coat of polish, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a challenging and entertaining experience for those looking to kill a few hours on their Switch.

Oh... Sir! is mostly a delight, a fun little game about just insulting your opponents until you've humiliated them enough that they concede. Though some of the writing isn't to my tastes (and of course, more words would be appreciated), the actual back-and-forth insult trades are really enjoyable. It's fun to string together just the right words to take the opponents down. It's going to be one of my go-to games for when I just need to kill a little bit time, and I hope to see the developers improve on this concept.

The presentation is of a high-quality throughout, even if some cutscenes are technically a bit muddy. The graphics paint sinister yet colorful vistas of the pirates’ immortal realm. I also liked the representations of Davy Jones and the ghost girl. They were easily better illustrated and rendered than characters in most other Artifex Mundi games. I’m almost certain, though, that the backing music was already heard in the first game in the trilogy! Within Artifex Mundi’s staple, and casual adventures in general, Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones is an enjoyable and relaxing diversion to daily chores. No sudden deaths or time limits, just an involving mystery with plenty of ghost pirates. That’s quite a nice mix, I’d say.

Bleed 2 is like its heroine. Short, sweet and mad. The game can be an unadulterated bliss when you manage to get in the groove; glide across several smooth-scrolling screens, taking no hits as you go, dodging and blasting your way forward. I advise to play the game in a lit room with well-rested eyes. Otherwise its action can get dizzying, as I firsthand experienced after the first session with the game (a late evening after watching a movie). Bleed 2 achieves just that what it sets out do. It’s a short-lived but tight package of intense arcade action with no extra frills or cheap padding. Simply put, it’s fun as hell!

While the first game shows its age a little, Bayonetta 2 looks as if it were released last year. The graphics are better, the gameplay has more nuance, and the presentation is even more outrageous. And best of all, both games run like a dream when taken off the dock. It still blows my mind that Nintendo was able to get high-end games like this and Skyrim to run so well when played on the go. If you haven’t played Bayonetta before, then this two-game collection is the perfect opportunity to get on board. And for those anxiously awaiting the release of Bayonetta 3, there’s no reason to not dip back into the well with this fully featured, amiibo supported, and now completely mobile, Switch reproduction of Platinum Games’ best franchise.

Made possible by Kickstarter funding, The Station accomplishes what it set out to do; tell a story built on the foundations of progressive science fiction. The length might be an issue for some people but the journey to the finish line is what ultimately counts. An easy recommendation for those that appreciate the visual storytelling of games like Gone Home, The Stanley Parable and Dear Esther.

Despite some of the shortcomings I found in the narrative and its inability to simply impress when it came to the conclusion of most cases, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker’s Memory manages to hold its weight. It's saying something when compared to other RPGs in the fighting monster team genre. The true stars of the show are the digimon, as they indeed should be, and there’s enough zaniness in the rest of the game to keep you entertained throughout its long running time. There’s room for improvement, though, and should the developers choose to keep this side of Digimon series going, we could see something truly amazing in the future. As it stands now, Hacker’s Memory is not a bad way to hang out with some of my new favorite digital friends.

While there's no denying that we need to be reminded that living in harmony with the natural world gives us strength, Fe's gameplay mechanics and moment-to-moment action are not always rewarding. Its emotional arc lacks the clear structure and coherent ending that some of its cousins -- like Journey or Ori -- have done better. Fe's world is aesthetically pretty but pretty frustrating to navigate, given the imprecision of its platforming and while its use of music --both in gameplay and as an underscore -- is unique and lovely, it isn't quite enough to carry the game for its handful of hours.

Little Red Lie is depressing and misguided. However, it curls up so much in its self-pity and vitriolic hate towards everything that you can’t take it seriously anymore. And the game is meant to be taken very, very seriously. Not all entertainment is meant to make us feel good, but Little Red Lie pushes the envelope. At the very end, the game even falls into mocking at the player who has suffered the self-indulgent boredom of it all. I’m not sure that’s a good sales pitch for Will O’Neill’s future projects… I played this game through for you, and I hope you won’t ever make the same mistake. I’m sure the author meant for us to go all reflective on ourselves at the end but the game didn’t make me look into the mirror. I’m better than that - and so are you. And I’m not lying.

As it currently stands, The Escapists 2 isn't a bad game. Those able to overlook its flaws will find something wholly unique and immersive, and even those who aren't should find things to enjoy within the first several hours of gameplay. At the same time, however, it's painfully clear that a few more quality of life improvements would have made the game so much better. For those looking to become the next Andy Dufresne, The Escapists 2 will certainly whet your appetite. Unlike the movie, however, don't expect it to be smooth sailing.

Although Dynasty Warriors 9's hack-and-slash fighting is fun for a while, and it contains a deep roster of characters, a sprawling story and an even larger landmass to explore, it's hard not to conclude that the franchise is in need of a more radical re-imagining than this installment provides. While there is challenge to be had in the boss fights and the carnage of the large-scale battles, Dynasty Warriors 9 feels awfully familiar.