Nobody Saves the World is an enticing adventure through and through. The first time I stumbled upon a decaying dragon corpse or the rusted remains of a giant robot and knew I had to fight baddies inside their guts, I was sold. But DrinkBox Studios transformed the combat of a top-down adventure game into a magical experience by literally allowing the player to transform into the most typical and bizarre forms imaginable. Who knew an action game would allow players to become an egg that helplessly rolled through cat warlocks or a horse that could only attack when facing away from danger? These unique forms make for equally unique combat that merely ask the player to constantly experiment with the tools they are given. And who can say that isn’t fun? Nobody.

A strong release for 2D fighting fans and an overall successful return for one of the genre's most legendary franchises.

Ultimately, Tales of Berseria fits into the franchise quite, well fittingly. It weaves an interesting, often touching and sometimes cringe-worthy story, although this time the premise of the story (revenge, initially) is much darker than you might have expected. A familiar yet even more freeform battle system is a plus, while layered battle mechanics throughout provide for both accessibility and depth. Well animated and generally very good-looking visuals match a solid voice-acting effort and musical score. Like most any JRPG, there is repetition, but the story and battle system and general charm of the game, even in spite of a not-so-likeable protagonist, give way to a good JRPG experience.

All in all, Squadrons is a great encapsulation of what it feels like to be a star fighter in Star Wars, but only if you can experience it in VR. I find it hard to recommend if your only means of playing this game is on a standard monitor or TV, but an opportunity to play Squadrons in VR is an experience worth having. Doubly so if you’re able to play the game with a flight stick.

Above all else, Arctic Edge still feels like a MotorStorm game. While that won't do much to rope in an otherwise ignorant or uninterested consumer base, fans of the series should be positively delighted with how well the portable entry turned out.

Although the game can feel a little underwhelming when it comes to rewarding you for collecting all of the Grenkins and got a bit glitchy towards the end, the real reward from playing I Am Dead rewards you with good storytelling and a life lesson about life, death, and knowing where you come from.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is an amazing remake from developer and publisher Square Enix. It takes an already beautiful classic and properly retools it with a modern look and gameplay backbone. While not everything is perfect, it still maintains its charm and the structure that made it memorable back in the day.

Overall, I think the intensity and value added in terms of power-ups, how the design of the game works (moving Pac-Man quickly, while making tough strategic decisions on the fly) makes Pac-Man 256 a fantastic experience, as well as a replayable one. Drop the dough on this one, folks. It’s worth the price of admission and then some.

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes – Definitive Edition from DotEmu is a decent game thanks to a clever mixture of RPG, puzzle, and strategy structure. It has a compelling storyline that reminds you of an 80s/90s RPG gaming world, and it has plenty of characters to play around with on the battlefield. It falls short with unbalanced gameplay that always leans towards enemy advantage and the control mechanics that can be incredibly finicky at times.

TAMASHIKA is borderline experimental. Therefore, it won’t be for everyone. A pure first-person shooter that holds no ambitions of plot or extended play. Developer quicktequila asks little of the player outside of growth. Whether that growth comes from patience or hardened reaction forge from repetition, the result is the same. Its kaleidoscope of feedback, colors, sounds, and stuff smother the player, gnaw at them. Like a chant, it summons you. Stay a bit, leave, come back. Things will be different but the thrill will be the same.

LEGO Voyagers‘ child-like sense of play is the perfect mold for not only the LEGO format but an inviting cooperative experience that players of all ages can enjoy. Despite the thin runtime and a lack of intense challenge, the gorgeous world Light Brick Studios constructed isn’t any less fun. LEGO Voyagers is brimming with charm, like a proud parent watching their child pick up a controller and laugh with giddy excitement.

Those that fall into the thin sliver of hardcore Xbox and hardcore RTS fan on the video gaming Venn diagram, this should probably be your next purchase.

The Nintendo Switch version of L.A. Noire maintains everything good about the original release, while adding a few new tricks to the mix to make the game a little bit more interesting, including ‘touch’. Beyond the Switch tricks, L.A. Noire is still a game I enjoy playing, especially in a portable form. It’s like a violent Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego mixed with the open world structure of a Grand Theft Auto, both intelligent and dumb fun.

Cookie Cutter is hyper-violent translation of old-school Metroidvanias that gracefully does not allow itself to get bogged down with convoluted modern flourishes. Exploration tools drop the player into a satisfying progression loop that doesn’t rely on random elements and combat is not overtly punishing. But it’s Cookie Cutter‘s unique visual palette and uncompromising absurdity that truly leave a bloody impression before ever allowing itself to grow stale.

NBA 2K25 from developer Visual Concepts and publisher 2K has a lot of intriguing and fun modes it offers from MyCareer to MyTeam, and MyGM, if you love that sort of control. It seems to have a nice spread of goods that caters to almost every basketball interest out there. Sadly, its need to stay online for single-player experiences and its need for smoother less animation-locked gameplay mechanics hurts the experience considerably.

While it may have kicked my ass to kingdom come, Anger Foot is a creative approach to a chaotically simple FPS that’s light on the shooting and heavy on the kicking. Despite the simplicity of its controls, it is a refreshing take on an FPS that encourages players to do something other than mindlessly shoot enemies. I cannot wait to see what else Free Lives and Devolver cook up.

Paper Beast allows players to lose themselves inside pastel daydreams of soft shapes and delicate zoology. They could also lose patience with some tedious mechanics and suspicious tests of logic. Paper Beast is full of gratifying ingenuity, beautiful optimism, and elegant communication. And maybe an overabundance of zealous whimsy.

Alan Wake has aged well and still offers a compelling thriller story with some fun gameplay to keep you entertained for a dozen or fifteen hours. Whether you missed the game way back when it first came out, or just haven’t played it in a decade, it’s a worthy addition to any collection.

Overall, Tanglewood is a solid game that shows there is still life in a video game era long since forgotten. I highly recommend it, if not just for the puzzles and visuals. It’s a well-made game.

The Capcom Fighting Collection brings some unique titles that most U.S. gamers haven’t laid eyes on before. While not all the games in the collection are worthy to be in it, the Darkstalkers-centric theme makes it worth a look.

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.

Observer was a fine game three-plus years ago, but this re-make is head and shoulders above the original thanks to an awesome presentation, three new side missions, and a price that’s hard to pass up when compared to many games being more than twice as expensive. While we all look forward to Bloober Team’s next one, The Medium, you can’t go wrong with Observer: System Redux if you’re looking for a captivating cyberpunk mystery thriller.

As it goes for a Switch game as a whole, this is certainly one of the better releases on the system from a third party company. While you get just the vanilla version of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the fact that you get it on the Nintendo Switch in amazing form is something to behold. The game looks solid, the intensity of the original release is still intact, and the gameplay doesn’t drop off much when playing it portable. It’s a must-have for Nintendo Switch owners dying for a first-person shooter.

Not all of Metamorphosis' disparity necessarily works in Republique's favor, but it's at least emblematic of Camouflaj's focus on simultaneously managing progress and refinement.

The art for the characters and environments are absolutely astounding, but with a dated gameplay style, it’s difficult to say this remake is fully realized. Yes, purists will love that The Dragon’s Trap is a nearly 100% replica of the original with updated art, but I feel as though the love given to the art of the game should have been given to the gameplay as well.

Unless you fall squarely within the niche targeted by Band Hero's formula, you'll likely find that, primarily thanks to the musical selections, the experience is lacking the same sense of authenticity and grandeur typical of its pedigree.

The Darkness II is a fun romp for the brief duration that it lasts. Multiplayer is clever, but not enough to make up for the short, mediocre campaign. Definitely worth a serious look if you played and enjoyed the first Darkness game but note that a weekend rental might be all you need out of it.

Overall, this is a game that is made for its fans and crowd. It’s beautifully made, the control scheme is really good, and the story is honestly a really intriguing one for me. I just couldn’t get past the idea of ‘farming’ things and trying to manage people while being strategic. Granted I’m not the best at these types of games, but still. It felt super hard to figure out which way to start.