I'm glad Capcom released the Arcade Edition and gave buyers a choice to get it via DLC or the full retail release ($15, $40). For avid Street Fighters, this is a solid purchase, but everyone else can do just as well holding out for a price cut.

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.

Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer from developer Clifftop Games brings to life a classic point-and-click construct featuring a difficult mystery, minor puzzle solving, and superb presentation to complete the adventure.

At the end of the day, the upgrades from the PS4 version aren’t massive, but they are significant. If you’re looking for a solid sniping FPS on PS5, not only is SGWC2 you’re only choice, but also it’s a great one.

Samurai Shodown (2019) still feels like the game it was when it was released on the console last year. The gameplay is sharp and the essence of the classic series is still very much intact, including its unforgiving brutal nature. The big upgrade with this release is the visuals, which look much sharper on PC than on consoles.

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.

I got to a point where I was not enjoying playing Death Stranding, but I was enjoying watching Death Stranding to see what happened. For me, it would have been better, probably, if the game were much shorter, because I got to where I wanted to experience the story without having to deal with the gameplay. I rarely find myself in that situation! Even still, I recognize the sheer quality and accomplishment Death Stranding is, and the value the Director’s Cut offers, so I find myself still recommending this game. If you are at all curious, you owe it to yourself to try it out, and odds are, you’re going to enjoy it more than not.

Ghost Recon Wildlands takes the series to the (vast) open world and largely succeeds. Like its predecessors, it’s best played with friends in co-op, and while it sacrifices some realism, it adds a lot of new opportunities for fun and mayhem against the bad guys.

Lunar Remastered Collection from developers ASHIBI Co., Ltd and GAME ARTS is a sight for sore eyes in a sea of modernized turn-based and action RPGs. It’s a firm reminder that old-school gaming is still fun after all these years, and it’s a definitive reminder that the Lunar series is some of the best turn-based RPG games ever.

A wonderful story mixed in with entertaining and truly original co-op experience. It was such thrilling time to be playing a game that required teamwork. The main story is good, but then a major twist that pushes the story even deeper makes the game even better. Leo and Vincent's polar opposite personalities come together and offer for fun dialogue. A Way Out's beautiful design and thrilling gameplay bring back the fun times of binge playing a game on the couch with your best friend.

In sum, Judgment on the PS5 is a must-have for those that haven’t already paid or played through it on PS4. Unfortunately, previous owners cannot get a free upgrade, but, at least the MSRP for Judgment on PS5 is $40. This release does not offer anything new as far as gameplay, but, it is complete, runs like silk, and reminds us all how good of a game this was two years ago and still is today. Not to mention, its arrival is likely foreshadowing the imminent announcement of a sequel.

Crysis Remastered Trilogy is a must-have for any fan of the games or of the FPS genre in general. This release represents the best way to play three of the best shooters from the mid-2000s. The absence of Warhead and multiplayer is unfortunate, though. Still, for the price, the amount of quality content that you get here is well worth it.

While I think Scarred Stars’ story could be a bit more refined, the intensity of the gameplay and how airtight the world is by design truly helps to make this horror survival from indie developer Tuomo’s Games something to look forward to in the spooky month of October.

Overall, it's one of the best portable survival horror titles I've played in a while-even if it's not all survival horror.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is an amazing way to pay tribute to not only the music of the series but also the story. It is a great way to prepare fans for the newest chapters in the series while also taking a look back at the journey we’ve all had with Sora and the others. Although there is a lack of new content, customization, and the pacing was a little off, the creative rhythmic gameplay is worth trying out if you love rhythm games! But if you don’t and are just wanting to buy for the story, it’s best if skip this one.

courgeBringer can be maddeningly difficult in the best and worst ways. It will shove players through the meat grinder and be completely unapologetic. But it’s in this crucible that I learned to love the frantic, deadly simplicity of its combat and the agile nature of tackling tough challenges. For genre stalwarts, ScourgeBringer may not offer anything entirely new but hones its enjoyment through sheer skill and the hopes that players won’t give up until the brutal end.

OPUS Prism Peak from developer SIGONO, INC. brings one solid narrative to the gaming table. It features humor, drama, compelling characters, and a worthy journey for the player to take on. All of this is wrapped in simple gameplay elements that don’t take the adventure too far away from the story.

This is a unique product because it has toys-to-life elements but refuses to push players down that path if they don’t want to. Though the gameplay loop can grow repetitive over a long play sessions, the fact that players have so many customization options and a beautiful world at their hands keeps most frustrations away. Ubisoft Toronto has a vision for this game and it’s apparent there are more stories to tell since each character of the Equinox brims with personality. Space is a vast expanse, full of new worlds to explore and toys to make.

Borrowing from greats like Binding of Isaac and Dead Cells, Neon Abyss throws every type of weird ability and gun imaginable at players, making for a roguelike not lacking in substance but strangely missing a touch of style.

Making Destiny more accessible in this way is a welcome addition to a game built around its cooperative environment. This remains a game best enjoyed with friends, so the more people playing, the better.

Arkham fans can expect to really enjoy Origins, so long as they don't go into the game expecting to experience sweeping changes to the gameplay that made Asylum and City so great. Origins is a great game that can proudly stand outside of the shadow of its predecessors.

I saw this experience as Monster Hunter meets Pokemon (which are two of my favorite series.) and if you consider yourself a fan of either of these, then you will probably find joy in giving this title a try no matter what age you are.

Overall, while I still have a lot of WKC2 ahead of me, and more online to partake in, WKC2 has done something for me that many JRPGs have not been able to: it's kept me playing and pleasantly entertained.

Halo 3: ODST brings enough to the table to make it easy to recommend to anyone, including people who have purchased Halo 3. Oh, and the inclusion of a Halo: Reach beta code is pretty sweet too.

Sonic CD's obtuse level design and time travel gimmick remain as divisive as ever, but for $5 it's easy to pull the trigger for fans and newcomers alike.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is translated well from its big brother. While there is a drop in visuals, the gameplay design and delivery that make this JRPG great is still very much intact. The added 3D visuals, superb story and voice acting will make this game worth your time and effort.

In sum, Lamplight City is a bit of a departure from a typical point and click adventure, but it more than holds its own. While a little bit light in terms of gameplay and difficulty, it’s well compensated for with good characters, stories, multiple endings per mystery, and a fine presentation. Any fan of the genre or a good mystery should give this a serious look.

High Moon Studios did a great job with Transformers, finally bringing gamers a vision of Cybertron and its popular inhabitants that we've long wanted to see. Both the campaigns and multiplayer sides offer a lot, making the total package impressive and one I happily recommend.