If Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has the same success found with Maiden of Black Water's port to modern platforms, then remasters of other Fatal Frame games or even a new game would have a better chance of being released. There is a lot of potential for renewed interest in the franchise, and despite gripes to be had with Mask of the Lunar Eclipse's remaster, the game itself still holds up as a solid horror game.

When all of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s systems are going, they masterfully work in harmony to make the player want to see more, fight more, and challenge themselves. When players are pushing their limits and conquering the game's mechanics, Wo Long becomes a hard game to put down. It doesn’t totally reinvent the mechanics that Team Ninja has been building since Nioh, nor does it fully flesh out concepts from Sekiro that inspired it; however, Wo Long takes enough from both to make something engrossing.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line scratches a particular itch, which means the game is unlikely to hold a great deal of immediate appeal for people who aren’t already familiar with the Final Fantasy series. That franchise has produced some amazing music over the years, though, and the fans who already love it will likely welcome a fresh excuse to listen to some of their favorite compositions once again. The combination of music and visual assets could also help franchise newcomers see what they’ve been missing. A little more variety in the compositions included would have been nice, but otherwise, the package contains the right bells, whistles, and nostalgia to keep players busy and happy for a very long time.

Unless one is really desperate to unlock a bunch of easy achievements, there is no real reason to play Scars Above. It's like a video game rough draft. Some games have been accused of being half-baked, but Scars Above is like raw dough. It has some interesting concepts and weapons, but it never grows into anything resembling a full-fledged gaming experience. Its budget price of $40 is still asking way too much, even for the most diehard third-person shooter enthusiasts. Scars Above may mimic games like Returnal and Dark Souls, but it is highly unlikely to please fans of either game.

Elderand is not a bad game. In fact, it's a competent Metroidvania and fans of the genre might enjoy it. It just doesn't go far enough in any one direction, either thematically or mechanically, to leave a strong impression, and it's hampered by lackluster combat.

Atomic Heart's story, gameplay, and world design have promise, but the payoff is lacking across the board.

Like a Dragon: Ishin is a joy to play for many reasons. It has a compelling story dealing with revenge and identity, combat that is incredibly satisfying despite being a bit dated, and a setting filled with many fun activities. Unfortunately, there are technical issues that grind the pacing to a halt and can take players out of the experience. Still, when looking at the game as a whole, it is an easy recommendation, and the extended wait for fans to play it in English seems well worth it.

Dust & Neon makes a strong debut as a unique twin-stick shooter rogue-lite. The moment-to-moment gameplay requires thoughtful decisions and patience, which results in epic shootouts, satisfying gun mechanics, and a solid progression system. While the boss fights might leave some players asking for more, the overall experience of leading a legendary gunslinger to victory is one most won’t forget.

It is safe to say, however, that Wild Hearts is a wonderful new IP in the hunting genre that not only stands on the shoulders of Monster Hunter but can also meet it eye-to-eye. It isn’t the most fleshed-out hunting game compared to its progenitor, but it proves that it doesn’t have to be. A razor-sharp focus on combat, player progression, and Kemono hunting is more than enough to make Wild Hearts an excellent palette cleanser for fans that need something new to sink their teeth into. Add in the game’s fun Karakuri crafting system, a flexible and versatile weapon upgrade system, and beast designs that inspire both awe and horror, and Wild Hearts can proudly stand tall as a new pillar in Omega Force’s diverse catalog of games.

Returnal on PC has all the content on day one that was released for the original game in the year after its launch, meaning that it's debuting on PC in a better state than it was in when it first came to PS5. Developer Climax Studios has hit it out of the park with this port, so any PC gamers curious about Returnal can feel confident picking it up, but they might want to consider getting a DualSense to go with their purchase.

Wanted: Dead has glimpses of greatness but is held back by mediocre systems and design choices that keep it from flourishing. Brief flashes of brilliance can’t help but be overshadowed by combat that feels repetitive, and voice actors that sound bored despite the surrounding chaos. Its difficulty, combat style, and visceral style will bring it some attention, but it more than likely won't be enough to keep most players enthralled for long.

Avalanche has created something truly special with Hogwarts Legacy. It succeeds at being the dream Harry Potter game that many fans were hoping for, and if nothing else, it creates a rock-solid foundation for future Wizarding World games to be built upon. Hogwarts Legacy lives up to the hype, and we can confidently say it's the best thing to come out of the Harry Potter franchise since the original books and movies.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a solid game for true fans of the TV series and a way to introduce young gamers to the platforming genre. While its graphics and design improve on SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom-Rehydrated, the lack of diversity in the Jelly enemies and Wishworld designs will be a turn off to some. All the same it's worth checking out for the endless references to the show.

The Dead Space remake improves on the 2008 original in every category, offering quality-of-life improvements, new story content, side quests, and dramatically upgraded graphics. It's Dead Space, but better, and many fans will be happy to see this classic survival horror experience get the modern makeover it deserves.

It probably won’t appeal to those who have a hunkering for a more action-oriented experience. But for a relaxing evening on the couch, without much thinking required, the adventure title definitely delivers. It’s simply a beautiful game, both in terms of graphics and the story that it tells, and will leave players with a pleasant sense of wonder, curiosity, and vague nostalgia.

One Piece Odyssey is a rousing adventure thanks to its engaging combat, liberating character customization, and beautiful environments. Sometimes, design choices limit player agency, but the effect rarely lasts long. The end result is a mostly satisfying JRPG that should keep fans hooked, provided they make it through the forgettable first few hours and take advantage of the various systems. After a few initial rough patches, the game lives up to most of its potential and is easy to recommend as both a One Piece experience and a JRPG.

So much of the design of Forspoken takes a starting template and duplicates it ad nauseum to the point the biggest incentive to do anything is to flesh out the magic. By the time the credits rolled after 15 hours of story (and a decent amount of side activities), there weren’t any compelling reasons to keep going and cross items off the checklist. Instead, it felt better to appreciate the things that were enjoyable about Forspoken and leave it at that.

Monster Hunter Rise is an absolute joy to play regardless of the platform chosen. Console players who do not have a Switch and have been eagerly awaiting this port can finally rejoice because they now have the opportunity to try out this wonderful game. The gameplay improvements found here can make it difficult to go back to World and while it does not have the same overall graphical quality as that game, this newest version is an absolute blast to play and was well worth the wait.

Considering the hubris of Chained Echoes, it should not work, but it does, and beautifully. Matthias Linda has created a broad world that is ripe for further exploration. The only worry now is that the bar is set too high, but it's hard to imagine the team creating anything with less passion and polish. After playing through a creative, familiar, yet distinct game that engages players in nearly every way, one can only hope that there will be more from the brilliant team behind Chained Echoes.

Overall, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a stellar homage to 16-bit action platformers of the 1990s. Every detail in the game successfully recreates the feeling of playing an SNES side-scroller that demands high levels of concentration and technical skill. Aside from a few boss fights, the gameplay feels quick, fast, and exciting, despite being intentionally dated mechanically. The fact that this game intentionally limits itself to an imitation of older games might bother some players, and while more effort could have gone into expanding certain areas of the game, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider stands on its pitch-perfect aesthetic and gameplay design and will most certainly appeal to die-hard fans of old school action games.

Too often early access games are barren shells of pushed-back promises, Knock on the Coffin Lid is already a great game and is constantly receiving updates. We look forward to a full release and a dark future filled with character, interesting storylines, and lots and lots of cards. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

If Dragon Quest Treasures didn't insist on forcing players to engage in its bland combat, the experience would be much better. Thankfully, the world, exploration, and treasure hunting system is a lot of fun. Investigating every nook and cranny or poking around each new landmark does not get old through the game's over 55-hour runtime (with completing most quests and extras), and the rush of discovering new treasure and watching your gang's value grow is satisfying and exciting. Despite its failures, the ways in which Dragon Quests Treasures succeeds outweigh them, if only slightly.

Ultimately, Crossfire: Legion is a competent if generic Command and Conquer style game. It will appeal to those who enjoy the nostalgia of C&C, but given its largely forgettable campaign, limited map choice, few buildings, and small unit roster, it likely won’t have the same long-term appeal as other RTS games.

Melatonin works smoothly without any bugs and the controls feel crisp. The visuals are dreamlike, and the color palette is conducive to making people sleepy. With all the music to discover, it's kind of like an interactive album. Towards the end, it felt like just automatically pressing the space bar to the beat from level to level wanting to hear the next song.

Taking a fairy tale about a witch and turning it into a video game could have easily been a cheesy turn, with a cliché spooky forest that is dark, without a lot of detail, full of owls, and a cackling hag witch. However, The Parasight took this story and added its own elements that give some context to a classic tale and give it a rebirth. The ending was a little bit predictable, but the adventure of young Yaga added something new for fans and those new to the Baba Yaga lore. Dark, entertaining, original, and bewitching - Blacktail is a solid choice that plays on the same level as some of the best RPG games.

Few would argue that the original version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a bad-looking game that was rough to play. In many ways, it's still among the best games in both departments. However, by simply including ray tracing, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is now a step above what it already was, and beyond that, the smaller improvements that CD Projekt Red has created in-house and in collaboration with the community all amount to this update being a significantly enhanced version of an already great game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is worth revisiting for series veterans who eagerly await the next entry in the franchise or new players who want to see the game in its best light.

Kukoos: Lost Pets has personality, some funny dialogue, and looks gorgeous, but can’t seem to find its footing as a new platformer with its myriad of issues. Its intended audience will enjoy how pretty it is and will definitely enjoy using the Kukoos’ pets to traverse the various areas, but the game's technical issues will chase everyone else away. Fighting through the crowded 3D platformer category, its graphics and local multiplayer will only be able to carry it so far, which is unfortunate since the Kukoos could be a breath of fresh air in a genre that can always use new faces.

It's a wild ride that deserves to be experienced unspoiled.