Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days is technically impressive and filled to the brim with content, but it's considerably massive length stretches both of those features a little too far for comfort.

Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town from developer h.a.n.d., Inc. and publisher Neos Corporation, is a wonderful introduction to open-world games for a younger gaming audience. It features beautifully drawn animation, fantastic environments, deep gameplay, and plenty of exploration to keep players engaged and locked in.

It's always encouraging when a classic series gets revisited and the result is this good. Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time is an excellent game for the whole family, and it's being offered at a stunning value.

In a world full of remasters, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit doesn't get first place. The adrenaline that goes into each race or chase is super high. But the lows of the game loading and car handling weigh the game down. Hot Pursuit stays true to its roots and to that it deserves a nod. It's a fun racing game the developers can hopefully improve upon for future remasters.

While I would have personally preferred the addition of three player support, or even extra stages or modes, Natsume and Project Tengo did a great job of resurrecting a classic for modern audiences and adding two new playable characters. Other cool features include a timer to encourage speed runs, with online leaderboard support, and being able to unlock the soundtracks from the original and the ’94 games. Beautiful sprite art and animation, and a nostalgic-inducing soundtrack add wonderfully to the experience as well.

The Medium on PlayStation 5 feels like the best version of the game and one worth trying if you have yet to experience it elsewhere. While its unique dual-reality perspective lifted the game up, players expecting an outrageously different spin on psychological horror may have seen these scares before. But it’s hard to deny that Blooper Team aimed for the fences with The Medium and payed homage to the classics while crafting a new universe that they may wish to refine further down the line.

An intriguing release for genre fans who have yet to play this iteration of Guilty Gear.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie from DON’T NOD plays like a proper branching narrative visual novel should play. The acting, writing, and general presentation are the icing on the cake to make this type of gameplay work very well. While it won’t be for everyone, it certainly is top tier for those who are looking for a good branching narrative journey.

No More Heroes 3 is the obvious product of an auteur’s vision and a team looking to bring a series back from the brink of vaporware. You may come in wanting a story that makes no sense while shattering the fourth wall. Plenty will flock to an action game that isn’t greedy with challenge and presents a bizarre kind of fun. Or maybe you just really want to cut some damn digital grass like the shovelware from the Wii era. Many parts of No More Heroes 3 are brilliant. Brilliant because their nonsensical parts create a joyous harmony that can only really be found in games. Sure, it might seem like SUDA51 is doing his damndest to not make a game. But I guess he failed because when you cut through it all, you’re left with a juicy good time.

An obvious must have for those who have cleared The Assignment and are eager to continue the story, but if you aren't in that position, you might want to wait for a probable 'ultimate' edition later this year.

ATLUS has outdone itself with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army. Middling story and wonky camera angles aside, it hits the sweet spot of monster taming and action combat without compromising on the complexities that make JRPGs captivating. Here’s to hoping that ATLUS reinvents and reinvigorates the RAIDOU series, as it’s a breath of fresh air for this Persona fan!

The Silver Lining is about as good as DLC #1, and it’s worth the three hours or so it takes to play through. With the recent price drop on Marvel’s Spider-Man, it’s a good time to pick up the game and the content if you haven’t already, as this was certainly one of 2018’s finest. The DLC did a fine job overall adding worthwhile game-extending content. Clearly, the future for Spider-Man videogames has never been brighter.

Overall, the hours you want to spend in Shenmue I and Shenmue II will be there. The amount of patience you have with the controls and visuals will depend on your expectations of these releases. For me, it was nice seeing the games in full form on a modern system. I just wish there had been improvements to make it feel like a current generation release. As it stands, you get classics, and a hopeful outlook there is more to come in the third installment of the series.

Overall, No Code takes sci-fi survival horror in a different direction using clever gameplay design and a powerfully uneasy story to drive the experience. It’s not perfect for all gamers, but for those brave enough to stick with it, they will find some special.

Though I could extend this article with more information and thoughts, the bottomline is that this is the type of game you’re either into or you’re not. The genre is fairly niche and from the little I have played of it in the past and from what I have read this week, there’s nothing really new here other than the crossover with Doraemon. That’s cool and all, but is it enough to get players otherwise not enamored with the gameplay loop of these type of games to buy in? That’s something you’ll obviously have to answer for yourself, but for me, I found the game to be too boring and too tedious to spend a great deal of time with.

Stardock hits it out of the park with Sorcerer King. Turn-based strategy at its finest.

Swords and Soldiers II is a unique take on real-time strategy gameplay that permutes the established formulas equally as much as it simplifies them. The result is an accessible—yet satisfyingly challenging—game which feels just as frenzied as the typical RTS title, but which can be enjoyed in bite-sized portions.

Despite the wait time to get the games going with real players, if you've never had the pleasure of playing a MOBA, then let Guardians of Middle-earth be your first. It has all the fast-paced insanity that comes with the genre, a wealthy amount of options for loadouts, and a nice dash of Lord of the Rings personalities and species to boot.

If you like your survival horror experience to have more combat and co-op play, Revelations 2 is a great pick. Played solo, it's not nearly as fun, but regardless it offers a good story, interesting characters, and a good amount of content for the price.

Carrion excels at creating realistic tentacle locomotion in the shape of a bloodthirsty nightmare. It falls behind when it requests precision from a monster only capable of blunt violence. As mad science grants sentience to raw brutality, articulation must be sacrificed for overwhelming power. It leaves Carrion as a mesmerizing concept overcommitted to its code.

Flight School Studio’s Stonefly is a lovely game that features a creative story, a gorgeous art style, and gameplay that is more relaxing than it is intense and frustrating. The only knock is some finicky controls, but that isn’t an obstacle that is going to get in the way of your enjoyment of the game.

Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition is the best chance Nintendo Switch players have at experiencing a truly innovative game, albeit one that isn’t best presented on Nintendo’s little console that could. There’s quite a lot stacked against Outer Wilds thanks to how quickly it lets players do what they want and the clunkiness of the early game. Acquired tastes aside, it’s worth a try and even worth to complete. That said, if you want the best experience, you’re probably better off choosing the PC/XB/PS versions.

Flock from developer Hollow Ponds is a unique, relaxing, and fun adventure that doesn’t require too much effort to enjoy. The game is slanted towards discovery and environmental positivity through simplistic controls that allow the player to focus on finding and identifying animals while traversing a large landscape. The only bump in the road is the occasional feeling of a lack of content.

Godbreakers makes the most of its fluid, flashy combat. Killing gods and stealing their powers and doing that with friends is an undeniable thrill. While solo players may also find appropriate challenge, there is a distinct feeling that had Godbreakers given us a few more worlds to explore and a few more unique paths of progression, it would have broken past deluge of roguelikes gnawing for attention.

Designing a multiplayer game with inherent asymmetry is quite ambitious. To make it a white knuckle action title geared towards seriously competitive players could be considered lunacy. Yet, this is what Turtle Rock attempted, and, for the most part, made work.

Saying it's the most fun I've had in a Sonic game in 15 years isn't actually saying a whole lot, but it's certainly a great start.

FragPunk from developer Bad Guitar Studio has a lot going on, most of which is positive. The game is easy to jump into, there are a variety of modes to play to keep the gameplay fresh, and the game just looks and feels cool. Not all of it is gold, but it’s certainly close.

If you already love this franchise, you’ll love this remaster/remake too. If you’ve never experienced this franchise before, or you are coming from a modern context, it feels like a relic of a bygone era. And ultimately rather than the simpler nature of its underlying components radiating a universal appeal, they come off as outdated.