Frankly, I think HunterX would make an much better side-scroller with linear progression than the subpar Metroidvania that it is — I may come back to it after a few more patches and when my frustration dies down, but I really can’t HunterX right now, especially with so many other better titles to choose from.

Revita is not one to overlook, especially for fans of this genre. Things feel perfectly balanced, the combat is satisfying and the platforming is smooth, the relics do a lot to keep each run fresh, and using health as currency all come together to make Revita sing.

Evil Dead: The Game pleases the Evil Dead fan in me as the perfect love letter to Sam Raimi’s horror masterpiece. As an actual game, however, it’s disappointingly bare-bones, with a multiplayer mode that gets stale way too soon and a dreadful series of single-player missions– qualities that are a serious concern for online-focused games like this one.

Despite the various flaws and stumbles, it does something few, if any, RPGs even attempt in its ambitious stab at creating a combat-free RPG. Its embrace of the deliciously edgy lore of the Vampire setting also lends an inimitable sense of flavor and style, even if the graphics don’t always do it justice. In the end, while the final experience is two courses short of being a banquet, it’s good eating for fans who are starving for vampire videogames.

There are a lot of good things going on in Winter Ember. Its ambiance is strong, the freedom to move through levels in multiple ways keeps progression interesting, and the stealth mechanics are solid. However, these positives are consistently overshadowed by performance issues, clarity issues, or weak combat. I enjoyed sneaking around with Arthur, but unfortunately, Winter Ember still has a way to go before it can be considered an easy recommendation to stealth fans.

While its bleak nature might be a turn-off for some, I enjoyed my time with the short but bittersweet journey that is Best Month Ever! Any game that has me thinking of my mortality long after the credits roll is clearly something special.

Citizen Sleeper isn’t harsh or punitive despite the pressures and perils the player might face. No, it ultimately feels like a slow, incremental triumph over adversity in a way that I wish was as easy to accomplish in the real world. This genius array of interlocking circles and Swiss watch gears is flawlessly synchronized with every piece spinning as it should, and it ultimately delivers not only a top-tier Sci-Fi tale, but a larger commentary on community, friendship, and the experience of life itself.

It’s an intense experience easily played in a single (or very few) sittings that delivers with an engaging story via fascinating narrative progression. I do feel the overall quality of the game was compromised by the lackluster ending, but the thrill of the promise has enough momentum to carry a player to the end.

When The Cleaner sticks to gunfighting and slow-mo sequences, it’s a winner, but the platforming and overly-long levels destroy everything it gets right. I want to adore this game and I was more than willing to meet it on its own terms, but it’s just asking for far too much — it’s frustrating to see how badly its flaws undercut the rest.

As someone who plays all the roguelike deckbuilders that come to console, Rogue Lords is the best one to cross my path in quite some time. The art, characters and theming are all great, the mechanics are intricate and interesting, and although there are a few rough patches, the campaign can be completed without devoting hundreds and hundreds of failed runs to it. For anyone who enjoys the genre, this one’s fangs are satisfyingly sharp.

Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia delivers an entertaining world and a story full of diverse and vibrant characters, all built atop competent world-conquering strategy. The complexity may make it a bit less approachable to genre newcomers, but strategy buffs and longtime Brigandine fans need look no further.

To be honest, I bought this game on a whim thinking its homage to classic survival-horror and deliberate Playstation 2-era graphics would coalesce into a somewhat janky indie experience with a lot of heart but little technical prowess. I’m happy to be proven wrong as Nightmare of Decay scratched that itch from horror games of my youth in a way that is just modern enough to feel good but not so updated that it loses its nostalgic flavor. It lacks the length of classic horror games as it only clocks in at about 3 hours, but it still feels complete. People looking for a quick and clever trip down survival-horror memory lane likely won’t be disappointed.

Overall, The Force Unleashed is a fairly ordinary game that is bolstered by its IP. If not for the Star Wars connection, it would have been forgotten long ago. Going wild with force powers does have its charm, but that’s not enough to elevate it into must-play status, by any means.

For those not put off by the gory subject matter — and ye gods, brace for the “steak table” animation — it’s a petite, dark delight.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a joyous blast from the past that not only offers a healthy serving of plastic-coated nostalgia, but also provides a light-hearted, refined, and content-packed adventure. I had a great time revisiting this galaxy far, far, far away, and I know many fans — like me! — will too.

Retro players starved for a Shinobi-like title who also relish mastery through repetition will surely see this as the perfect opportunity — just be sure to get anything other than the Switch version. For everyone else, Ganryu 2‘s try-and-die learning curve is repulsive, and the trial-and-error design harshly punishes the player for every little mistake. It’s one of those rare titles that I do not wish to go back to.

Weird West is a truly special experience. While each one of its stories is compelling in its own right, when put together they transform into something fantastic. This is a game that shows its monsters and asks the player to be disgusted, and then turns them into a monster and asks if they feel the same way. As such, every one of the journeys contained within is worth taking, but it’s only once players have trod all of those roads that they’ll appreciate just how amazing Weird West‘s accomplishments are. It’s deep, it’s fascinating, and it’s full of the kind of storytelling that resonates for a long time after credits roll — truly an incredible experience from beginning to end.

Far: Changing Tides is the perfect example of a sequel that largely repeats what the first one did, except now it’s longer and more complicated. Maybe some players will admire the additional challenge and length, but I spent most of this adventure frustrated with the tedium. I will admit that the ending does tie a nice bow on things at the end, I just wish it got there sooner, and with less fuss.

The price may be a deterrent, but for fans of the movies (and of course, pinball!) Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure comes highly recommended.

After the last few installments, WWE 2K22 succeeds in bringing the zest back into this long-running franchise. Each match is intense and exciting, and I couldn’t stop myself from exploring different play styles and re-enacting some of my favorite encounters. Even if the whole WWE circus only exists to present a cheap power fantasy, games like this one triumph in highlighting the best side of the affair.

Year in, year out, the Atelier series never fails to top itself. Atelier Sophie isn’t just a check-in with beloved character — it manages to meaningfully increase our understanding of that character by giving her the chance to interact with her closest companions in an entirely new context. For fans of the franchise, this is one of the most satisfying experiences that Gust could have offered, and for anyone looking for a chill, accessible JRPG, it doesn’t get any better than this.

With streamlined and engaging mechanics and gameplay, it does the games it was inspired by proud and is a worthy addition to any tactics game library.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is relaxing and pretty, and spending time exploring its rain-soaked metropolis is almost worth the price of admission by itself. It is also, however, a disappointing game that fails to fulfill its own potential with a repetitive combat system, too much checklist-ticking busywork, and an undercooked main storyline that fails to live up to its promise and contains no notable secondary characters. Ghostwire: Tokyo isn’t a bad game — it just feels like it could have been so much more.

Malnazidos is awful in every way a game can be. I’ve played countless free titles with better controls and combat. The Unreal Engine offers tutorials on how to make games that play better than this in just a couple of hours. Literally the only good thing I can say about it is that when zombies are shot in the head a few times, their skulls explode in a decently disgusting manner. When that’s the only positive a game offers, it’s safe to bypass it entirely.

Submerged: Hidden Depths is the definition of wasted potential. The setting is a rare treat that deserve to be experienced, but the world is too empty of significant content and the gameplay is too straightforward without any challenging aspects. This ocean might be quite beautiful, but it’s far too shallow.

What Lies in the Multiverse is a wonderful game that brought something new to the table. The instant multidimensional travel is a brilliant idea that breaks the monotony that 2D platformers can often have, and Vicente Aguiló and his team are to be congratulated –judging by their game design skills here, I can’t anticipate anything but a bright future for them.

Sacrificing tone on the altar of entertainment has made Not Tonight 2 somewhat less of a “bold, politically charged dark comedy” that publisher No More Robots bills it as, but despite that it remains a beautifully-realized, genuinely enjoyable adventure.

Overall I think it’s fine for a puzzler. However, I resonated with In My Shadow on an emotional level and walked away feeling like I got something out of it despite my frustrations with the gameplay.