Patient racing fans will find things to enjoy, but everyone else should weigh both the game's pros and cons before making a final decision on whether or not this one is worthy of a purchase.

The combat in Tails of Iron excels. The brutal, methodical mechanics never stop being satisfying, but I wish that I felt like I was doing it for more vital reasons. I can appreciate the artistic choice behind keeping things dialogue-free, I just wish the rest of the game felt as vital and interesting as the melee does.

Ultimately, Moonlit Farewell is a game that excels at what it sets out to do, though it doesn’t try to achieve anything too surprising or outside the norm. Even so, it kept me glued to my console from start to finish, and no fan of this genre will find much fault with it.

Despite a few rough edges and minor issues, Moonlighter’s satisfying combat and enjoyable shopkeeping made the 15-hour playtime fly by. I wasn’t ready to leave its charming world, so I immediately began planning my next playthrough with different gear and at a higher difficulty level. I don’t use the phrase delightful romp very often, but it fits Moonlighter to a T.

I love the Shovel Knight world, and I enjoyed my fling with Dig. The roguelike itch got scratched, I liked the new knights, and the sound and aesthetics are all there. There’s just not enough of it with a potential runtime just shy of two hours. If I hadn’t played the original, it would be a great gateway into Yacht Club’s creation, but having played through most of it already, I was hoping for something that would tide me over a little longer.

While Far Cry 5 doesn’t reinvent the wheel and is not a massive change of direction for the series, it does fix many of the problems I had with earlier entries, and it jettisons a lot of unnecessary baggage that had accumulated over the years. The end result is a lot of mindless enjoyment with memorable characters that go to waste thanks to the disconnected plot. It’s not going to be my game of the year, but as a fan of this formula, I still found it worth the time I put into it.

Although the sadistically-steep challenge will crush anyone expecting a simple platformer, players who press on into the meatgrinder that is 1001 Spikes will find a top-tier production worthy of respect despite the fact that it makes absolutely no allowances for anything less than perfection.

The empowerment and novelty of toppling gods made me look past the fact that Neon Abyss might be a bit too easy for vets familiar with this style of play. On the other hand, this makes it a great starting point for those craving a more forgiving difficulty curve, or newcomers wanting to begin their exploration of the Roguelike genre.

Users won’t see a true next-gen NHL title until late 2021 at the earliest, so it’s refreshing to see the developers making a concerted effort to deliver a strong experience for current gen fans — EA did an admirable job here.

While Void Sols is not as ‘deep’ as Dark Souls, it successfully does something that the influential original did as well — it finds an identity of its own. Anybody in love with soulslikes should check it out, and anybody who’s fallen out of love with them should check it out double quick. Great stuff.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an adventure with a whole lot to do, and a whole lot of ways to do it. I cherished exploring this bustling world, and experimenting with the stellar combat system provided hours of entertainment. I just wish the developers focused a bit more on the strong fundamentals, rather than creating countless systems for the player to digest. Nevertheless, Revenant Kingdom is an exceptional title deserving attention from fans of almost any genre.

I very much enjoyed the thought and balance that obviously went into the creation of this new mission, and as a true Mass Effect fan, this attempt to return to form is probably the most welcome thing I could possibly imagine.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin isn’t a shining exemplar of the monster taming genre, but it does successfully mesh the iconic aesthetics of its mainline counterpart with no-fat collect and battle systems that are as easy to approach as they are satisfying to master.

All in all, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a must for fans of the series and those wishing to explore its roots. Even with some redundancy across titles and control hiccups, the overall package is stellar. It’s no small feat to pull off a true retro port of this size, and Digital Eclipse has done laudable job of it.

It's a must-play for Visual Novel fans, and those who enjoyed the first year of the deadliest high school ever will find that the return trip is even better.

The handling of the tribes in Green Hell is a shame because it’s one of the most mechanically compelling and balanced survival titles I’ve touched in years — it’s well-realized experience that offers a sincere commitment to placing the player into a harsh environment. But given the script in story mode? Stick to survival mode instead.

Rainbow Billy and The Curse of the Leviathan was a great surprise. It’s an experience that refreshes the soul and left me feeling uplifted through an entertaining mix of genres, fantastic graphics and an addictive premise. They don’t make them like they used to, but Rainbow Billy sure does feel like the good old days.

Death of the Reprobate offers both artistic complexity and simple humor. It’s a journey full of laughs, jeers, and disgust — and at the end of the day, isn’t that all someone could want from a trip to an art museum?

I had a lovely time with Constance. It’s not a lore-intensive metroidvania, it’s not particularly difficult unless the player wishes to test themselves, and it never outstayed its welcome. Among the titanic release of Silksong and other metroidvanias, Constance still managed to make an impression on me. Don’t let this one pass you by.

It may not be the most original or inspired product I've seen, but there's something to be said for nailing the content and pulling it off beautifully.

There's nothing "next gen" about this title other than the graphics and sound. The gameplay would barely pass as mediocre on the last generation of consoles.

In the end, my gripes are small and Necrobarista is a fascinating experience that I was both sad (and glad!) to see through to its end. It might seem strange to be happy when something great is done with, but many philosophies, from Zen Buddhism to the aboriginal beliefs held in Necrobarista‘s native Australia, acknowledge that transience and eventual passing is a key part of life itself. Everything moves on, most especially our physical selves. The insistence of staying past one’s time, be it as a spirit living on borrowed time or a game trying to become a part of an overstuffed daily routine, can feel toxic. It’s refreshing to play something that doesn’t want me to stay with it forever, and that’s the kind of passing I raise a nice cuppa to.

Sine Mora EX looks amazing, plays like a dream, and has a story that will leave players feeling bad about themselves and the world. That third thing may not sound like a selling point, but it’s so strange that I couldn’t help but be impressed by the audacity the developers had to include it. Horizontal Shmups don’t come smoother or better-looking than this, so it’s an easy recommendation for anyone with an interest in the genre.

Ultimately Ninja Gaiden II retains everything from the original, for better or for worse, and makes a few small but very noticeable improvements.

Overall, The Darkside Detective is a wonderful experience that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a Switch, whether they’re a point-and-click fan or not. It comes in easily digestible chunks, the laughs are great, the devs avoid engaging in stump the player, and it has charm for days. Winner!

The gameplay is tightly-constructed, the narrative elements add a layer not often seen in deckbuilders, and both halves are wrapped in a fantastic, semi-abstract art style that recalls elements of cyberpunk, collapsed civilizations and Indian theming with bright strokes, chunky colors and bold lines. Visually, conceptually, and in its gameplay, Nowhere Prophet is gorgeous.

It’s a shame for something so beautiful and pure to leave me so emotionally cold, but it’s a tight, wholly unique platformer nonetheless. At five dollars, it’s an easy game to recommend… just a difficult game to truly love.

I was immediately hooked by Great God Grove because the mechanics of taking someone’s dialogue and using it on other characters is something I’ve never seen before, and so it fueled my curiosity. I went out of my way to see as many interactions as I could, and I’m glad I did. Everything in Great God Grove comes together to make a great (albeit short) experience that is well worth getting into.