Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact has potential in its gameplay, and it's possible to have fun with the freedom of its combo system and how distinct the characters are from one another. However, fighting games need an exciting presentation to keep players engaged. Add to that the technical issues, lack of content, limited character roster, problematic online, and the extremely high price, and we end up with one of the most disappointing fighting games of this generation.

"Raw" is the word that best describes Music Drive: Chase the Beat. The game's idea is great, as it showcases a product rooted in the realities of many communities while also shining a spotlight on a Brazilian artist. The only thing missing is better polish and more functionality—especially when it comes to exploring the songs, which become the main part of the adventure.

Baki Hanma: Blood Arena lives up to what Baki really is. Inherently campy, a true fan will understand how the game manages to capture the essence of the IP as a huge parody. Cloning Punch-Out!! is a cool proposal, however, it relies too heavily on the player's good faith in valuing the concept over the borderline-acceptable execution. It definitely doesn't serve to introduce the series to a new audience, but at least they captured the spirit of Itagaki’s work.

Captain Blood would already be an average game if it had been released in its original era. The combat is unpolished, the level design is repetitive, there's constant reuse of enemies, and the ship battles aren't exciting. At the very least, the pirate aesthetic combined with the more cartoonish design gives it a charming and unique touch that still stands out even after all these years.

The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time is more intriguing on paper than as a practical experience, even if its brilliance lies in the fact that it is, in essence, a puzzle. There's a genuine fondness for classic RPGs and all the mythology surrounding them, but, like in Tenacious D's music, the game tries hard to discuss them, but it's just a tribute, one that gets lost in its own idea to the point of becoming just another example of what it mocks.

Herdling delights when its setting and music come together to convey calm and freedom in a unique journey of herding creatures, but these strengths do not sustain the experience. The gameplay is shallow and lacking in variety, with simplistic obstacles and puzzles that hinder rather than add value. The focus is on atmosphere and emotions, yet the lack of significant narrative elements and the weak connection with the Calicorns make it hard to engage. In the end, the game offers beautiful landscapes and memorable moments, but without the depth needed to make the journey truly unforgettable.

Considering the concept of a cozy game, any limitation that hinders the natural flow of the game ends up contradicting the ideal of comfort inherent in the genre. High Above fails to live up to this premise. It's a production with a clear idea, but it seems unable to develop it with the completeness that a release outside of early access should.

The supposedly open ending of Assassin's Creed Shadows' main campaign actually made some sense, as it was a way for Ubisoft to make it clear that the game has a long life ahead of it, both narratively and regarding the ongoing support updates. In Claws of Awaji, however, this vagueness felt a bit mocking. Even so, while the island of Awaji itself doesn't offer inviting elements, the DLC isn't entirely bad, as the inclusion of the staff, the straightforward mission progression, and the boss fights manage to add value to the overall experience.

Dragon Takers is an RPG that doesn't stand out in any aspect. Its story is predictable, characters lack depth and the gameplay, despite being reasonably functional, is limited and hardly strategic. Though it may entertain fervorous fans of the genre looking for a quick adventure with no big challenges, it will hardly leave a lasting impression.

Pizza Delivery has an interesting message that suffers from annoying problems. Some updates could fix the gameplay and translation issues, but even so, the narrative could have been richer with the many possibilities that could have been explored using its background elements.

With a duration equivalent to a single TV show episode and very limited interactivity, DETECTIVE – Rainy Night positions itself as a title meant to be observed rather than deciphered, which directly conflicts with the implicit promise of its name, functioning as a curious pastime ideal for those looking to consume a short story without much effort or commitment.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance arrives at a delicate moment for the franchise. After years of silence broken by the positive reception of the remasters, fans expected a high-quality return worthy of the series — but what they received was a title that seems to underestimate the very legacy it carries in its name.

The RENNSPORT format could yield a good game in the future if further developed, as it currently appears to be in beta or early access. Proper attention to its content and some visual, sound, and AI improvements could make it a more appealing product for virtual racing fans.

Destino Indomable is a visual novel with an incredible idea of exploring the Latin telenovela context. Unfortunately, the execution leaves a lot to be desired, with a shallow and poorly directed story and the shame to embrace the silliness of the genre in a non-ironic way. Along with subpar technical aspects, the result is a work that, while it may please some readers, doesn't manage to actually show the beauty of a good telenovela.

Despite laying some solid groundwork, inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories. occupies itself far too much with the platonic, disconcerting conception Nagai Industries has of the Japanese convenience store as some sort of social hub, while at the same time treating the backdrop of the country as mere aesthetics at best and a nuisance to Western audiences at worst. It’s conclusive proof that fascination doesn’t necessarily equal respect.

AquaPazza: Aquaplus Dream Match remains a very fun game nearly 15 years later. Even without being revolutionary, its visual and mechanical appeal still holds up, carrying the distinct style of its era. On the other hand, what Shiravune delivered is downright disrespectful. Bugs that didn’t exist in the original game, no quality-of-life improvements, control issues, an unplayable online mode — and the list goes on. Hopefully these problems will eventually be fixed, but as it stands, this is far from a good example of a re-release.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has no interest in the source material other than trying to adapt it to the tired formula of mass appeal that Masayoshi Yokoyama perfected when he took over as head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. In the process, the game forgets everything that made the original story a landmark of the franchise and replaces it with a thick coat of corporate varnish. Unfortunate associations and certain narrative decisions also make the experience hard to swallow. A true disappointment in the franchise, of the kind that has, unfortunately, become more common over time — perhaps it's time for the end of the annual format.

Shadow of the Orient is nothing we haven't seen before, and its main idea is actually good, but the conversion to consoles ends up stumbling on some important points that end up discouraging players who enjoy adventures of this type. Add this to the visual issues in the HUD and we have a prospect of what could be a great adventure, but one that urgently needs fixing.

eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT is a great idea that could still succeed, but it needs a lot of work. Having a free baseball title with only local games isn't enough, as a paid service is still required to use the online functionality of one of the platforms. Furthermore, the choice to include generic teams is quite questionable, even with the possibility of making them a little less unattractive.

As a gaming experience and sensory stimulation, People of Note does get to satisfy; the real issue lies in the uninteresting, overlooked and empty story the gameplay tries to sustain. To Brazilian eyes, the text gets even worse with a just as poorly done localisation to our language. Those who wish to venture into Note and meet a genuinely well-crafted RPG will have to endure several issues.

City Hunter returns to modern platforms through a respectful remaster of the 1990 PC Engine game based on Tsukasa Hojo’s manga. The release includes quality-of-life features such as save states, rewind, multiple screen options and full localization, making the game more accessible than ever. However, the core experience shows its age. The gameplay revolves around exploring maze-like buildings, fighting enemies with simple shooting mechanics and searching for the correct doors to progress. While controls are responsive and the historical value of the release is notable, the repetitive level design, confusing exploration and shallow combat prevent the game from being more than a curiosity for fans of retro titles or the original franchise.

ReSetna presents an interesting proposal with its dynamic combat, exploration in a science fiction world and mechanics inspired by metroidvania, but its quality ends up being hampered by technical flaws that compromise the gaming experience.

Waiting in the Lime Forest is a stylish text adventure, but it ends up developing the plot poorly in its short duration. For those who love the format, I believe it's worth to explore the game and see what it does, but I hope future games from the developer manage to be more captivating and fleshed out.

NBA The Run had all the makings of a title that could fill a void in a sports niche that once enjoyed great appeal, and perhaps even serve as a successor of sorts. However, an excessive focus on online matches — even resorting to bots to fill teams — ultimately squandered the opportunity to create something fun and truly impressive.

It takes a certain amount of creativity to make your management simulator stand out from the crowd in a genre that has been so badly misfired over the years. Blood Bar Tycoon even gets there in this conceptual aspect, but it proves that a cool idea alone is not enough. What was missing was a more solid execution of the proposal, which has difficulty developing amidst so many technical problems and creative decisions.

Scar-Lead Salvation falters with something that could have been great and delivers a very weak experience. Although it is a game with quite competent controls, the whole thing is compromised by the lack of creativity with enemies, story and levels, which are based on an eternal loop that leaves even the protagonist tired.

It's pointless to make a game that explores a particular theme without actually trying to understand what makes it so special and, consequently, embedding that into the core of its development. The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon is a product that embodies this problem. It's a title that clings to a sterile logic of numbers, algorithms, and volume, like a bland production aimed directly at streaming.

Die by Anything misses the chance to be a creative comedy visual novel due to the lack of care in its graphics and sound. The idea of having a crazy premise, which goes from normal everyday life to a zombie holocaust, suffers because it has to rely solely on the narrative and has no aesthetic support, which is something vital for the genre.