Resident Evil 4 was a marvel when it was released back in 2005 and Resident Evil 4 Remake follows the same path. It’s pure perfection from beginning to end and groundbreaking with its backend improvements and details. Capcom has hit another home run with this one.

All things considered, Have a Nice Death excels on just about all fronts as a roguelike. Playing as Death himself lets the player experience power with the sheer number of combinations spanning weapons and spells. The fact that these combinations allow for seamless chains of attacks is the icing on the leftover cake in the office fridge. Its charm and writing are fantastic, and I cannot help but want more from the world of Death Inc. Magic Design Studios’ appreciation for a good roguelike is evident here, as I am struggling to stop playing this game. If you’re looking for something incredibly refreshing to play while on the job, look no further than Have a Nice Death.

Spongebob Squarepants: Krusty Cook-Off – Extra Krusty Edition is a fun game that is built on a casual gaming backbone and runs well on the Nintendo Switch. While it will never reach the impressive gameplay heights of the Overcooked series, Spongebob Squarepants: Krusty Cook-Off – Extra Krusty Edition delivers fun levels, good controls, and enough reason to return to it over and over again.

In sum, Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a cool game with a lot to offer for those curious about the series or those who love it but want a fresh take on the characters, setting, time period, and combat. Much of what makes RGG Studio games so great is here, and there is no shortness of characters, story, and content for players to sink themselves into if they so choose. I enjoyed my time with Ishin!, and while I prefer the more modern settings the series is known for, I tip my hat to RGG for stepping out into this time period to take a fun look at a piece of Japanese history.

The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is the quintessential The Outer Worlds experience that I’ve wanted all along for my PS5. With the immense graphical upgrades, Halcyon and the rest of the galaxy look better than ever and visually immerse players in stunning spacescapes while you attempt to navigate a universe that’s effectively ruled by corporate overlords. For new players who are also PS5 owners, the Spacer’s Choice Edition is a no-brainer given the additional QoL upgrades and the DLC packaged together. However, those who’ve faithfully done their time in supporting Obsidian and Private Division’s franchise from the get go may feel like they’ve been left in the space dust because of the lack of cross-generation save transfers.

Catan: Console Edition has some design issues but can be manageable when desperately looking for a CATAN fix on current generation consoles. It certainly needs some work in its default setup, speed options, and dice-rolling mechanics, but for the most part, it still does the trick.

Powerwash Simulator does not try to hide its true nature. What might barely feel like a game is more of an expression of that part of the brain that just wants to feel some kind of satisfaction. Whether it’s watching a person peel a large part of dried glue off their hand, seeing a massive pimple being popped, or using a controller to wash off an unrealistically dirty suburban house, there’s an audience here. Those who have already played Powerwash Simulator won’t find anything particularly special about the PlayStation 5 version. Undoubtedly, there’s varying levels of reward here but if you’re looking to relax, this may just be the ticket.

I am very pleased with the co-op experience offered by Casus Ludi’s hand-drawn Blanc. The short story of the fawn and a wolf cub is indeed an emotional one, and it will leave you feeling complete by the time the credits roll. Yes, this title is an incredibly short one, but it’s worth playing on a snowy evening or on a date night. If you’re looking for a co-op title that will offer you some simple yet emotionally effective gameplay, look no further than Blanc on the PC.

Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line revisits music-driven gaming experiences with classiness and potent powerfulness that will make any Final Fantasy music-lover happy. It contains a fair amount of challenge, sometimes an impossible amount depending on difficulty, while also allowing you to enjoy decades of musical enlightenment the Final Fantasy series has created.

Hogwarts Legacy is mostly everything it promised it would be. The main story is quite good, the side quests seem endless, and the magical mystery that most know in this wizarding world from books and movies is ever present in this game.

Rhythm games are often evaluated on their complexity, soundtrack, and replayability. Rhythm Sprout succeeds in just about all of those categories while also capturing players’ attention with some of the funniest writing and story I’ve seen in a recent game. Despite not taking itself too seriously, Rhythm Sprout is a treat for multiple audiences, especially console players who lack a good rhythm game to get their feet wet into the best of the genre. I sincerely, dare I say desperately, hope that SURT does more with the Rhythm Sprout universe, as it’s currently one of the better (if not one of the best) rhythm titles I’ve played in recent memory.

Fashion Police Squad (FPS) is a delightful first-person shooter that’s in on the joke of policing obnoxious neons, socks in sandals (who DOES that?!), and the faux pas of ill-fitting suits. Its DOOM-esque shooting and platforming hearkens back to a time where games were less serious, more simple, and in some ways, more fun. If you’re a fan of shooting in style, Zoolander, and DOOM, look no further than FPS on the Nintendo Switch. Overly baggy jeans be warned — Sergeant Des will slap you right into shape.

Wild Hearts is a massive single-player and co-op hunting game with an RPG backbone supporting it. The mixture of story, creative mechanics, thick strategy, and beautiful visuals makes this a top-tier hunting experience. If the controls could be improved a bit and break from traditional stuck-in-the-action sequences, it would be nearly perfect. Overall, it’s a great first go at a genre that is severely lacking in competition.

Metroid Prime Remastered is a solid return to one of the best games in the Nintendo library. Its upgraded visuals, outstanding audio and controls, and timeless adventure is worth the revisit.

Returnal is still a perfect game in my opinion. It hits all the right notes, even when it feels impossibly difficult. The gameplay structure is complicated, precise, and entertaining. The PC upgrade makes the experience even better with superior visuals and a plethora of ways to play the game. This is a superior version of a superior title.

Mahokenshi is a fun game. It contains a healthy amount of tabletop strategy, an addictive deck-building component, and a dash of RPG elements to keep some motivation going. Its gameplay is challenging and brutal at times but in the end, it works more than it doesn’t.

Dead Space is a remarkable game, and surely one of the bigger surprises that will come out of 2023. EA Motive has done a great job in remaking one of the best horror games from the mid-to-late 2000s era; going as far as making certain segments feel wholly new again. As a player who never played the original, this remake feels like the definitive introduction to the franchise. I’m clamoring for more of Isaac’s story, and even perhaps beyond.

Hi-Fi Rush lives up to the hype it has received. It’s a fun experience with a musical backbone that works perfectly with its action platformer roots. Definitely a huge plus for the Xbox family.

Life is Strange 2 on the Switch is simply that. Are you a person who has managed to not touch the series or this particular entry yet? Do you only have a Switch? Then this is the version for you. The core game is an excellent narrative adventure full of emotional ups and downs. On Switch it may be inferior to PC, PlayStation, or Xbox but now all players can enjoy the full Life is Strange trilogy wherever they would like.

The Pathless is still a fun game after all these years. It is driven by a deep story and simple gameplay mechanics. While I would have loved to see a bit more life in the world, the gameplay is still very much engaging and endearing.

Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale from Gaming Minds Studios and Kalypso is a solid pirate simulator. It gives you a good dose of action and a large dose of complicated backend elements to keep your intellectual simulator side satisfied. While there are some hiccups with the repetitiveness of tasks and a camera with a mind of its own during battles, the game is still entertaining and fulfilling.

One Piece Odyssey is a great RPG when the story isn’t getting in the way of its pacing. There is so much to enjoy about the gameplay with its action and creativity, as well as the turn-based structure that is typical of this genre. On its own, the story isn’t too bad either. It is fun and light-hearted with a small sense of good drama to keep it engaging. But the unbalanced space sharing between both gameplay and story causes such a stop-and-go pacing problem that in the end the gameplay experience is so heavily disrupted that it is tough to enjoy the game.

Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition is a perfect slice of game for players looking to enjoy a few hours of eerie narrative in an uncommon setting. The surreal, demonic setting of Sintracorp’s hellish corporate office is contrasted wonderfully with Brian’s slowly decaying optimism. For players who have already dived into the game, the Executive Edition is a perfect compliment that further expands on the world and offers just enough new content to feel fresh. First days are always hell.

Kingdom Rush from Ironhide Game Studio is a casual and fun gameplay experience that doesn’t do too much to entertain but does enough to keep you coming back for more.

The Legend of Tianding is more than just a side-scrolling action game. It lives within a larger world and does its best to separate itself from the rest of the side-scrolling action genre. It mostly does a good job with its gameplay design but stumbles in some areas to keep it from being perfect. In the end, it’s one worthwhile action game when you need a little bit more than just punching and kicking.

Forspoken is on the precipice of something great. Behind the funneled narrative beats and the obese, sprawling world is a game that simply wants players to engage with its every part. Past the eye-rolling dialog and self-serious narrative is a potentially interesting protagonist and universe that occasionally mesh well. Each puzzle piece of Forspoken is so close to fitting and so often I could see the picture clearly, especially when bounding across the seemingly boundless landscape, making the screen quiver and explode with Frey’s awe-inspiring magic. Perhaps in another place, in another time, Forspoken will speak to everyone.

On paper, Cyber Hook taps into several gameplay elements that are innately appealing: It encourages high-speed gameplay, it blends parkour platforming with precision, and its retrowave environments look really freaking cool. But, its PlayStation implementation is somewhat buggy, hindering the momentum further beyond progression decisions that already prevent players from blazing through the games. I want to believe that Blazing Stick will continue to support the PlayStation version and iron out some of the kinks (and hopefully release new content, too), as its current implementation leaves much to be desired.

Persona 3 Portable remains the definitive version of Persona 3, albeit a relic of Persona‘s past. Compared to the star quality of the entire Persona 5 series, I can see a world where a newer Persona player may be confused about the lack of animated cutscenes, a battle system that is focused around solely controlling the main character by default, a point-and-click-esque navigation system outside of dungeon-crawling, and a forgiving-but-still-simple Social Link system. I can also see a world where veterans may be expecting a remaster that incorporates the media from Persona 3 into the skeleton of Persona 3 Portable, breathing new life and character into a classic RPG. Looking past these quibbles, Persona 3 Portable remains a stellar JRPG, and it looks, sounds, and plays better than I remembered.

Capcom’s Monster Hunter Rise is an entertaining game. It has enough depth, action, and crafting to keep you and your team occupied for a while. It’s not perfect in some respects, but it’s good enough when you’re looking for a team-based game that is more coop than not.

HEROish is a fun MOBA-deck-building adventure. While it does have quite a bit of mobile personality to it, including a short gameplay time, it is still entertaining in its simple strategy and action execution.

Judging The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition on its entertainment value is easy – it’s perfect. It has an unbelievable story, compelling characters, solid gameplay, and a properly thought-through backend that shows the developers are all-in on delivering an unforgettable experience. On the next-generation upgrade side of this release, it’s just not complete. While the performance mode takes the experience up a notch with visuals and frame rate, the Ray Tracing mode is unplayable and incomplete. It hurts the experience more than it helps it.

Hindsight is still an experience that feels real, brings out the best and worst emotions, and provides an accurate portrayal of the grieving process. The longevity of the experience is a blessing due to the emotional strain it puts on the gamer, and also a curse as it isn’t replayable for any reason other than personal choice. It’s a great tale and one that everyone should experience.

For an indie title, Kukoos: Lost Pets offers players a taste of charming 3D-platforming that has a potential for something much greater in the future, and I’m interested in seeing what more Kukoos has to offer in the future. Its ability-based platforming encourages folks to exercise precision, dexterity, and thoughtfulness, but I can’t help but want more from PetitFabrik’s charming universe that is the Kukoos. Sure, the Switch may not best accommodate precision compared to other platforms, but the platforming proper and successful charm of Kukoos is definitely enough to hold you over this holiday season.

The majority of games featured in the NEOGEO Pocket Color Selection Vol. 2 are fun, while some fall flat. Overall, I think SNK released a solid selection of titles for volume 2 of this series with some added extra to boot, but they really do need to rethink that price point.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me uses a piece of real history to deliver a B-movie-level horror show experience. The H.H. Holmes backdrop makes for a devilishly uncomfortable story experience, while the gameplay design falls in line with the DPA game series. The game does have some technical hiccups here and there, but it should satisfy those who enjoy the previous iterations of the series.

Need for Speed Unbound is what we all needed. In a world full of racing games trying to be the next iRacing or a sim in general. Unbound says, ‘Hey, I’m really just here to have a damn good time,’ and hands you the keys.

The Callisto Protocol is an enthralling horror experience when all its best elements combine. Few games have captured the sheer atmospheric dread and terror that The Callisto Protocol communicates just through sound and atmosphere. With an ambiance that seeks to get under the skin, the game constantly shifts gears, never showing its hand to the player. A few technical hiccups and lack of enemy variety will leave the player hungry for those few scares that could have been. But The Callisto Protocol is a must for horror fans yearning for a new IP that may eventually grow into a new, deadly universe.

Thy Creature is a beautifully woven horror show with a balanced puzzle and bullet hell component. The addition of an unsettling narrative brings it together to make for a more robust bullet hell experience. While more hardcore fans of bullet hell games might find this an easy go around, the less seasoned gamers will get right into the game’s balanced design quickly and without much fuss.

Like Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, Sunday Gold is criminally underrated for MANY reasons. Outside of its gritty and gruesome portrayals of a dystopian London, it executes a well-blended mix of RPG and point-and-click adventures. The great voice acting, sleek comic-book aesthetic, and grungy music offer players a neat and unique package that’s not only worth a try, but worth completing. I can understand that some may not be down for point-and-click gameplay, but please–give it a shot. You won’t regret it.

The best version of Spider-Man: Miles Morales resides on the PC. With a powerful story, compelling gameplay, DualSense compatibility, and a load of customizable options to get the best visuals, you’re going to be happy that this game came to this platform. It’s an absolute gem.

Sonic Frontiers from Sonic Team has all the right moves with controls, level design, looks, feel, and structure. What it needs to work on is making the game more pointed in its narrative and flowing without interruption. This game has a great skeleton, now all it requires is some solid content to fill some of that narrative disconnect. It contains some great elements, but it’s far from perfect.

Atari 50 from developer Digital Eclipse provides a proper path down memory lane with video interviews, old commercials, and a cornucopia of information to dig into about Atari’s history, the good and the bad. The inclusion of early Atari games, arcade experiences, the Atari computing systems, Lynx, and Jaguar are just icing on a well-baked, delicious cake.

Terrible Toybox and Devolver Digital’s Return to Monkey Island hit all the right notes that proper homage to the original. It brought classic humor, a great story, and a new way to play the game to make it faster. It’s one of the brighter spots of a skimpy game release year.

Sifu remains an excellent third-person roguelike that taps into classic kung fu combat. With its multiple free updates thus far in 2022, patient gamers should be assured that now is the best time to try one of the most accessible but still challenging roguelikes of the year. Sure, the Switch’s port is probably a suboptimal experience compared to the PS5’s hardware. But, it runs pretty well on the Switch, and it’s quite fun despite the graphical quibbles one may expect from the Switch’s hardware. SLOCLAP has done a pretty good job with this port and free updates, making Sifu a shoe-in for those wanting a souls-like experience on their Switches.

Old Moon’s Ghost Song has all the markings of a good metroidvania game, literally giving a tip-of-the-hat to the Metroid series, and works to make the experience deeper than a replicated version of a Nintendo classic.

iLLOGIKA Studios’ Atari Mania tugs at the heartstrings of old gamers in a good attempt to reignite interest in Atari 2600 games. The way that the game uses older titles to create mini-games is genius, if not straight from the pages of Wario World. The only caveat is that you get some of that 1980s unforgiving difficulty with it, which at times can make the game a bit unfun. It’s still a solid attempt at creating something new with the Atari brand, and certainly one you should check out.

There’s a reason (err, several) why It Takes Two earned its Game of the Year accolades in 2021, and Switch owners now have the opportunity to play one of the best co-op games of late. The story remains meaningful, the puzzles innovative. The title continues to succeed in navigating interpersonal strife long after its release and the title’s ending being freely available to find online. Even though I knew of some of the events that occurred before reviewing, I was often surprised by its powerful storytelling. It runs incredibly well on the Switch, to boot. Some of the typical Switch-based quirks may be coming with, but it still delivers on a compelling and emotional experience without the compromises that usually accompany a Switch port. With Friend Pass baked into the game, Switch owners are able to play with those in the same room as well as afar. I would personally recommend using a voice comms platform should you play remotely, though.

Though not the same tectonic shift as its predecessor, God of War Ragnarök represents one of the finest pieces of interactive entertainment available. By expanding on all the ideas set forth in 2018, Ragnarök culminates in an emotional, enthralling finale for Kratos and Atreus.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a continuation of one of the best Call of Duty games in years. Rather than acting as yet another overhaul, Infinity Ward has fine-tuned the standout first-person shooter to provide one of the deepest multiplayer customization options in the space. A campaign packed with highlights boasts a number of missions that spin the formula in exciting ways. Despite many woes at launch, players are treated to top-notch gameplay and movement that continues to satisfy, especially now that weapon stats can be adjust in granular ways. And with more content to come, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is sure to satisfy.

SIGNALIS from Humble Games is a horror fan’s dream. It’s simple and deep, contains a hefty amount of horror in its atmosphere, narrative, and design, and will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

Triangle Strategy is a fantastic tactical RPG, and I’m so very glad to see it ported over to the PC. It offers a near perfect balance of strategy gameplay, active worldbuilding, and passive worldbuilding to get players committed to Norzelia and her inhabitants. While the gameplay may be too handholdy for tactical veterans, its accessible enough to encourage you to spend more time playing the game rather than trying to customize characters to the best they can be. This port doesn’t really offer much of an incentive for those who own the Switch version, but…the game is near perfect as is. Why bother trying to improve on a stellar tactical RPG?

Century: Age of Ashes from Playwing is a good free-to-play game. It is gorgeous, easy to pick up and go, and has some competitive charm to it. The microtransactions and the thin amount of variety in the game might detour some from extending their time with dragon battling, but I think it’s certainly worth a look.

Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope from Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris is a fantastic and better follow-up to its original 2017 experiment. The characters are better, the addition of Sparks changes how the gameplay works, and the overall tactical strategy options the game provides the player in a huge world make for a consistently fun adventure. Beware of the difficulty, though, as it can get infuriating at times.

The Jackbox Party Pack 9 from Jackbox Games has the variety, entertainment, and creativity to make this one of the top-five Jackbox Party Packs to this point. While not everything works perfectly and provides an even amount of entertainment, most of what you get is absolutely spot-on and replayable.

Gotham Knights may not be the Arkham follow-up players were expecting. Yet it is an admirable addition to the Batman universe, striving to forge a path of its own. Multiplayer fuels the experience, allowing for seamless crimefighting with a friend. Growing pains may exist with loot, crafting, and progression but it balances out in harder difficulties that reward calculated play and thoughtful tactics. While some may be lost without Bats, this family has found a way to survive.

NHL 23 is a good step for the franchise this year, and there needs to be major praise for this. They have been great strides up the ice, but overall I just felt myself wanting something more.

The ultimate/definitive version of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection now resides on the PC. If you have the hardware to run it and want to enjoy a good popcorn action adventure, then this is the game for you.

Them’s Fightin’ Herds from Mane6 creates a beautiful and unique fighting experience through their fun characters, simplistic mechanics, and gorgeous environments. While the game does run slow in the scheme of fighting, the rest of it makes for a fun time.

Illfonic completely understands what it takes to fulfill every player’s wish of being a Ghostbuster in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. While some of the gameplay elements could be tweaked a bit better to provide a bit more of a responsive experience, I truly felt like a Ghostbuster the entire time. With awesome story beats placed throughout to keep the leveling-up experience worthwhile and exciting gameplay to keep every job feeling fun, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the realization of the perfect Ghostbusters experience.

There is a lot to like about Pixel Heart Studio’s Airoheart when it comes to harkening back to classic games that made us smile. It has some solid dungeon crawling, a big world to explore, and a fun story that truly does give a sweet kiss to the golden age of action-adventure RPGs. It just needed a bit more cleaning and tightening in some areas before it was released. I think the game can improve with patching, but as it stands now, it still feels like it needs a bit more finish to shine.

I want to believe that the Switch is capable of supporting graphic adventures, compelling stories, and riveting experiences that are expected from other consoles. For the case of Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection, I cannot help but express concern that this remaster is less of a remaster and more of a port of the original 2015 game, graphical artifacts and outdated loading times included. Yes, Life is Strange is an outstanding game and very easily one of the best written games I’ve played in my lifetime. The Arcadia Bay Collection comes with all the content associated with Life is Strange and Before the Storm. Switch owners should definitely play Life is Strange during their lives. But, if you own other consoles/a PC, then maybe you should consider trying Life is Strange on a platform that makes the game look and feel better than its original. If you already own Life is Strange, then this collection becomes much more difficult to recommend.

Black Mermaid’s Moonscars is a tough game that has a thick amount of creativity in both story and presence. Not all its pieces work perfectly, but enough work to warrant a hard look at this title.

Serial Cleaners is an enjoyable experiment. Knowledge of the first game is completely unnecessary, except to appreciate developer Draw Distance’s ability to evolve gameplay and storytelling. Smeared against the backdrop of a dark underworld, the 90s aesthetic bolsters the narrative and style. Rather than a stealth game that shoves against the player, Serial Cleaners creates an almost zen-like experience among the chaos.

Deathloop’s debut on the Xbox Series X is equally as good as it was on the PlayStation 5. You get the same great story and the same perfect gameplay experience. Choose one and enjoy.

Ground Divers! is an interesting specimen, albeit one that looks much better than it ends up playing. On one hand, being a spectator and plotting out mining paths may be an adult’s dream of a nuanced Dig Dug. On the other hand, the grindiness of replaying levels and creating gacha-esque weapons with random perks can detract from a strategic experience. The world of Ground Divers! is a charming (but desolate) one, sure, but I want so much more from this game. Should you take the plunge and try your hand at Ground Divers!, I recommend playing in short bursts to avoid burning out on the grind.

No Place for Bravery is endearing if not exhausting. This broken world harbors countless deadly foes that players will have to rip and tear through. At times it may feel needlessly dour but through the muck and the mire is a beautifully visualized title that pulls no punches at its hardest junctures. But inviting difficulty sliders ensure that no hurdle is too sharp and that every challenge can be conquered, driving Thorn and the player ever-closer to salvation.

Soulstice from Reply Game Studios brings a strong story, a good amount of action, and paints a perfectly drab world to tie it all together. The backend gameplay design helps to add more value to the experience while motivating the player to keep exploring and pushing forward. The only caveat to the experience is the locked camera that will frustrate and hinder the gameplay at times. Overall, it’s a fun game, but it could use a fully controllable camera to make it even better.

Regardless of which mode you play, you can expect to an intricately deep and rich simulation experience of NBA basketball for the given era that you’re playing in. Visual Concepts have the passion, the funding, the skills, and the time, year to year, to push their product to new levels of detail and depth. The differences in the raw gameplay aren’t massive this year, but they didn’t need to be. However, the Jordan Challenge and the Eras modes make this an especially standout release in this long-running series. Frankly, I don’t find any fault with VC and 2K are doing other than the push for microtransactions, it just feels slimey; call me old school, I guess. Still, if you’re looking for your NBA videogame fix, you can’t go wrong with NBA 2K23. Lace’em up.

Long Live the Queen from Ratalaika Games is a simple and unpredictable simulator that offers up a minor amount of branching narrative moments and an attribute juggling extravaganza. It keeps it simple, somewhat fun, and at the same time mildly infuriating. While it acts as a choose-your-own-adventure novel, it does offer up the same amount of replay value one of those novels contains.

Wayward Strand is a delightfully grounded game, despite its foreign setting. In this small, cozy space there is genuine hope, sadness, anger, and love. These are real people and Casey is a young girl learning how to grasp the world in new ways. Players have the ability to be an active part of this experience and let the world envelop them, or buck responsibility for personal gain. Like Casey, like Tomi, or Mr. Avery, or Dr. Shen, or Esther, or like Joe, I wish I had more time to see and do everything all at once. Alas, in life you do not get a repeat performance. At least here there are bountiful opportunities to make friends, to be compassionate, to listen, to sit, to breathe, and to exist. Each day and each run a chance to do something more valuable than the last.

Regardless of the mode you play in, expect better-than-the-original-2003 graphics, but still rather underwhelming graphics quality overall. This is not a beautiful game, and I thought a lot of the general appearance was a little muddy and lacking crispness. Now, some of the larger, static structures and things look great, but on the whole the graphics were a disappointment, personally. You just have to remember this is a straight-forward and probably low-ish budget “remaster”, and not a full reprisal of a great game.

Broken Pieces ultimately leaves an impression on the player. The setting and tone are undeniably intriguing and will spark the curiosity of willing players. Presenting a massively fascinating web of narratives, developer Elseware Games aimed high but definitely got a little lost in the weeds on delivering a satisfying conclusion. But the exploration and puzzle-heavy gameplay may begin to wear on players seeking more action than backtracking. Broken Pieces has its moments but never manages to capitalize on its initial promise.

In sum, there’s a lot of good to Steelrising, I had a great time doing a thorough playthrough, but a few significant drawbacks temper the overall experience and keep it from getting into that upper tier of greatness.

Although some of the unique elements like the Ooblet collecting and the dance battles may be surface level approaches compared to other games in this genre, I see a great amount of promise in Ooblets’ ability to provide a relaxing yet satisfying experience for players who have enjoyed farming, raising cute creatures, and occasionally deckbuilding. Your life may have been a giant toot before now, but Ooblets will definitely charm you to Elswair and back. Give Ooblets a chance — it’s absolutely worth it!

The Last of Us Part 1 is the definitive version of one of our medium’s defining works. Nine years ago Naughty Dog crafted a masterpiece. Now, they have updated it for a slightly more modern sensibilities, putting Part 1 in line with The Last of Us Part 2. The wealth of accessibility options remove numerous barriers of entry for players so that an even wider audience can appreciate this story of loss and triumph. The emotional gut punches sting even harder with overhauled visuals, bringing these tragic characters closer than ever to their astounding real-life performances. The Last of Us Part 1 is the timeless game we have all loved for years, now shining in an even brighter light.

Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed is a fine remake of a largely unnoteworthy game. Amounting to what is ostensibly more of the same, fans of the original or even 2020’s remake will probably be able to extract some fun for a few hours. Everyone else should probably just check out or replay through the original Destroy All Humans! And its 2020 remake, as it’s by far the better experience.

There’s an immense value in preserving classic titles in their original forms, mainly for the better. For the case of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, it is so easy to relive the glory days of arcade gaming be it in playing any of the thirteen titles it offers OR by perusing the sheer amount of extra content in the Turtle’s Lair. And, having online play that works with little issues is the cherry on top. As a fan of TMNT, the Cowabunga Collection is a no-brainer: This is the collection best shared over pizza.

Pac-Man World Re-Pac brings a classic back to life and then some. While the locked camera and tricky angles might frustrate some, it is still a fun game that expands the Pac-Man universe and reminds us that this old power pellet eater still has a lot of life left in him.

River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is an interesting and fun direction to take the characters and series. It has so many pieces that work but is hampered by inaccurate controls that cause frustration. If you can live with those controls, then you’ll find a fun game underneath that had a lot of thought and love put into it.

Madden NFL 23 proves that content is indeed king, as the modes included drive the experience and do a good job more than not. There are some glitches in the game, especially in some menus featured in some modes, but for the most part, the gameplay has improved considerably in this year’s title for those not to get in the way of the experience.

Bottomline, Thymesia does not stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the giants of the genre, but it’s a great game in its own right. Though it falters some in areas like presentation, story, and level design, the combat and upgrade systems are a lot of fun, even if the enemy variety gets to feeling a little thin by the end. Personally, I hope we see a lot more from Overboard Studios and Corvus in the future as there is a lot of potential to be realized yet.

Cult of the Lamb is perfect example of an innovative indie that proclaims to be one genre, but assumes multiple identities and delivers. The game’s charming yet disturbing theme lends you freedom to play as you want, and have your actions make sense on the lore-front. Yes, this roguelite is most likely the easiest and most accessible compared to its competitors, but that accessibility comes at a cost of some gameplay, like combat, lacking depth and complexity for genre veterans. Knowing all of this, should you sacrifice your time to the altar of The One Who Waits? To this, we say yes.

Rollerdrome is one of the most unique combo-building games in years. Its combination of Tony Hawk-style skating with Max Payne-esque gunplay is a joy to play. Nailing combos while taking down a swath of diverse enemies does feel nice, even if it does get a bit overwhelming at times. Plenty of players will find a ton of challenges in repeat playthroughs of levels to achieve everything, and will assuredly be able to pull off some sweet moments. Unfortunately, I ended up being pretty terrible at the game; but it’s hard to deny that Rollerdrome is something special.

Insomniac’s Spider-Man: Remastered for the PC is the superior version of the game when compared to its previous platforms. It brings the best visuals, and the most compatibility options, allows you to play this with a DualSense and brings all the nifty content that you want to make this a long adventure. The optimization features of this game on the PC are crazy good, as well as allowing you to play the game how you want to play it. The PC elitist out there will be thrilled.

MultiVersus from Player First Games is a good fighting game. It does a good job of competing against the likes of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series. While it may not yet have the longevity of Nintendo’s golden child, MultiVersus’ characters, maps, and welcoming atmosphere are enough to convince any future wannabe fighter to give it a try.

Hindsight is effective with its emotional intentions, powerful in its storytelling, and light in its interactivity options. You may not play this more than once, but the impact of the game’s purpose will resonate for a while.

I cannot help but appreciate how Arcadegeddon hooked me into this really player-friendly loot shooter. The arcade-y elements are replayable, rewarding, and worth playing with friends. Arcadegeddon hits the spot as an MMO with roguelite elements with an awesome arcade aesthetic. But, I want more. Much more. If Arcadegeddon is to succeed in the MMO/roguelite space in the longer term, some of the advancement mechanics (such as preserving progress of longer runs) and lategame gameplay needs to be refined and expanded. I want additional modes like time trials that can easily and reliably completed in a single sitting. At the same time, I want some additional variety to make a three hour gauntlet exciting to reach. If you’re wanting a co-op loot shooter that’s easily picked up and played, look no further than Arcadegeddon. If you want something deeper, wait around a bit. Hopefully Arcadegeddon can hit that sweet spot, too.

Bright Memory Infinite is an impressive feat for a lone developer, but even at $20 it’s not without some hesitation that I recommend it. I thought the game was fun and worth the less-than-three hours it took to get through, but I don’t see myself ever going back to play through it again. If you’re an avid fan of FPS action games and are willing to overlook some glaring issues (AI, repetitive textures and design, crashes, linear level design), BMI is worth checking out.

Escape Academy is a good game. It emulates the structure of an escape room while allowing the idea to go beyond real-world confines. It might be quick for some players, but it’s nonetheless enjoyable, especially with a group of friends.

PowerWash Simulator is fun, ridiculous, and engaging but also a game that could run out of steam quickly when played too much.

I’m so glad that Namco Bandai re-released these games during Klonoa’s twenty-fifth anniversary year. They hold up remarkable well over time and have aged beautifully. I sure hope we see more of Klonoa going forward.

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is one of the most expertly crafted pieces of DLC available to players. What is offered here is not only new, nerve-wrecking content but the opportunity to drastically change the base game and how players tackle its intense challenges. Ms. Chalice is a significant addition to the game with her additional abilities and may take the sting out for newcomers. But where The Delicious Last Course truly becomes a feast is in the truly stunning boss encounters that will challenge every available reflex and absolutely dazzle with complex, gorgeous animation. Simply put, this is a treat.

If you can deal with the randomness of enemy rolls and somewhat unbalanced gameplay resulting from that randomness, then you will find an entertaining and quick game with Legends of Kingdom Rush that does enough to keep your attention but isn’t meant for large bites of your time.

Gordian Quest is a trio of genres that show what a good and balanced game looks like. It is certainly one of the better gaming experiences I have been through so far in 2022. It does have some minor issues, but nothing that will distract you from its terrific and balanced gameplay.

Witch Strandings is an intriguing experiment that underdelivers on complexity but excels in atmospheric emulation and simple gameplay. I cannot help but want more from Witch Strandings, and I hope that Strange Scaffold continues to build on this experiment.

Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is a spectacular follow-up to its predecessor. It is packed full of different arcade experiences covering a variety of genres and years, while also introducing some new features that help bring a bit more fun to the journey. As with any journey, it’s not always smooth sailing, but for the most part, it’s good.

Stray’s strength is delivering a fun gameplay experience in playing as one of the world’s most adored animals. While its story isn’t going to be attempting to say anything new about the world, it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to play as a cat.

Loopmancer wants to be the new sleek, stylish roguelite on the block. Using a veneer of cyberpunk action and frenzied combat, the game often gets by on looks alone. In short bursts it possesses addictive combat that suddenly breaks down when strung together with rudimentary level design and unfulfilling rewards. The narrative has all the charm and trappings of movies so bad they’re good but even that is hindered with frequent breaks in pace. Loopmancer attempts to break out of its genre’s endless cycle but often finds itself shackled to avoidable flaws.