These minor quibbles aside, and in an industry that is seemingly allergic to any form of historical preservation, titles such as Alisa should be celebrated as an interesting alternative to the real deal. The choice to stick so closely to the aesthetics and mechanics of yesteryear makes Alisa feel like a game out of time, but it provides a perfect means to engage with the past in a genuine, more digestible way. At the risk of sounding wistful, for me Alisa is a window back to a period in my life that feels safe and warm, where the scariest thing is what lies waiting behind a digital doorway.

FFA would have easily gotten a 9.5 if only it included "FFV"; the game is so good by itself that it warrants such a high score.

Saviorless isn’t perfect, but this beautifully animated, enigmatic world offers an incredibly artful and engaging experience that I would ultimately recommend.

Despite this light narrative, DYSMANTLE remains an accomplishment — it’s a crafting adventure that doesn’t just have a destructible world, it makes destroying that world important and satisfying. DYSMANTLE may just be a gimmick stretched out to full-game length, but it’s a hell of a gimmick, and it certainly deserves praise.

Descenders is a great experience, and the only thing that makes me scratch my head is why it’s in the Game Preview (a.k.a. Early Access) section. The title is both stable and fully-featured enough for a proper release to seem perfectly reasonable, and I’d like to see it in the main store page instead of relegated to the section that suggests a promising but incomplete product.

The Surge 2 is a thrilling ride from beginning to end. The foes are a joy to battle, the maps are built to invite and reward exploration, and the story offers just enough intrigue to keep the player hooked until the final battle. It’s wonderful to see developers taking a hard look at the successes and failures of their previous effort and ensuring that the sequel surpasses it in every way.

That said, those are extremely minor concerns—Broken Steel is an absolute necessity for any Fallout 3 player and certainly justifies the cost of the download.

All in all, Croc: Remastered is a lovingly crafted, updated version of a high-quality 3D platformer that should please players even without the nostalgia factor. While there are no gameplay changes or new levels, the phrase “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” holds true here.

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.

That Death’s Gambit is beautiful and rewarding enough to be worth the struggle is what makes it a more successful homage to Dark Souls than most. It’s not the most creative game, but that doesn’t matter when so few developers are capable of pulling this kind of trick off.

Great presentation, (mostly) great gameplay, and an above-average set of characters combine to deliver what I see as the most diverse, entertaining Trauma game to date in a series that really doesn't have a weak link.

I'm really glad I decided to take on Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited despite the steep, steep learning curve and the "fend for yourself" approach. I'm guessing that its audience will likely be fervent series fans and very few newcomers (like me!) but it has a lot to offer to any fan of SRPGs.

In short, Rise is a great iteration on the classic Monster Hunter formula, making things more approachable and getting rid of some of the series’ less desirable elements. They may have made sense in the past, but the removal of much busywork is a net positive in my eyes. It’s a shame that Capcom didn’t include the massive Sunbreak expansion with this release given that it’s already out on Switch and PC, but it’s not like this package is lacking in content or value. For hunters of any experience level, Rise is a great entry in a storied series.

Situs Inversus also ties the season together excellently by not only being a satisfying mission on its own, but by featuring several callbacks for longtime series fans. Some of the assassination options mirror those from older games, and thorough players might notice some special cameos. IO taking the time to provide these little nods to fans was great.

Not only is Ape Out primed to be one of the most stylish games of the year, but it’s a strong argument for how far style can elevate material.

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.

Though I can’t tell if The Lion’s Song is any better on Switch than it is on PC or mobile, I can say that it’s a unique and brilliant narrative adventure that offers an artistic journey into the hearts and minds of creators amidst a singularly dynamic time in history.

Paratopic‘s unique approach to storytelling and its unsettling content come together in a lo-fi, short experience that left me wanting more of this world and this story. But seriously, don’t watch the tapes.

For those who haven't completed the game, or for those who who eat, sleep, and breathe Mass Effect, the information in Mass Effect 3: Leviathan is a must-see. For players who've wrapped Commander Shepard's adventure and long since moved on, there's nothing here that truly warrants reopening those old wounds, although it remains an interesting, well-crafted quest in and of itself.

The Color of Madness is another welcome addition to Red Hook’s tough-as-nails Lovecraftian horror RPG, and in contrast to the way the previous DLC,The Crimson Court, was implemented, this new content is mostly self-contained and doesn’t bleed out into the main campaign — a plus for newcomers who aren’t ready for it. While the add-ons in other titles can often feel superfluous or like a grab for cash, The Color of Madness delivers a strongly-realized idea that improves the core content while also adding to it.

Samorost 3 is an excellent point-and-click adventure game for those looking for a slow, surreal experience.

While getting up to speed with Rebel Galaxy Outlaw takes more trial and error than it should, the experience ultimately becomes an addicting mix of combat and micromanagement that I never thought would hook me the way it did. In a time where I am seemingly taking on any odd job I can in real life, I never expected bounty hunters/delivery person/space pirates to be some of them. I might never get the chance to live out my dreams of flying into space anytime soon but I’m happy to know Rebel Galaxy Outlaw has my back for the time being.

Apex Legends is fast, fluid, and quite possibly the best battle royale game yet.

It’s not overstating the case to say that overall, Dying Light has aged like fine wine. There aren’t many parkour-focused games to begin with, and and of those, the ones containing zombies are even more scarce. So, Dying Light is still a unique experience and I’m glad to report that it still holds up. It may have gotten a bit lost in the shuffle when it first debuted, but there’s no better time to play it than now.

I was more than glad to revisit Knights of the Old Republic, despite the no-frills port. It’s a great way to experience (or re-experience) what remains one one of BioWare’s best RPGs, and one of the strongest narratives in the world of Star Wars.

Playing Draw Chilly isn’t complicated, but it has just enough nuance to keep it interesting. The story isn’t particularly deep, but absolutely no one will be able to predict the bizarre zigs and zags the script takes. The graphics are bursting with humor and charm, and even now after rolling credits, I’m still pleasantly confounded by this nearly inexplicable project. There were a few moments between unlocks when slaughtering monkeys lost some shine and a couple of bosses had me pulling my hair out (PROTIP: upgrade worm milk capacity ASAP) but I couldn’t stop playing Draw Chilly once I started, and as soon as I finished it, I bought the developer’s previous game. If that’s not a solid recommendation, then I don’t know what is.

Overall, Dark Deity may not have the polish or reach the heights of those classic ’00s Fire Emblem games, but I wouldn’t expect it to — it’s an indie title with a development team of six, but the passion of that team for the genre is apparent throughout the finished product. This is a love letter to classics that’s still accessible enough for those who may want to give the genre a try. And for those of us who miss a TRPG uncluttered by slice-of-life mechanics? It’s a much-welcome addition to the library.

As wonderful as Gone Home is, it mostly demonstrates that there's still a long way to go.