The foot chases are a delight, the town of Averno is an interesting location to explore, and there’s a couple of side-cases which actually ask the player to participate in finding evidence and solving a crime. These diversions are wonderful and offer a glimpse of the kind of experience that The Precinct seems to want to be — unfortunately, that potential is let down by too many poor mechanics and a plot that doesn’t do it job.

Overall, Accolade Sports Collection is an exciting, if understuffed, curiosity. As a fan of both retro games and sports, I’m always excited to play something from yesteryear, but I’ve been spoiled by other compilations, and this feels barebones. Regardless, those who have fond memories of playing these games on the original hardware might rejoice in the chance to play them on newer consoles — just don’t expect much in the way of extra content.

City of the Wolves is quite a mechanically deep game, and to my eyes, has an incredibly well considered fighting experience powering it. Such depth will require practice, which means that casual players might have a hard time jumping on for fifteen minutes a day. Basic, simple combos aren’t going to cut it against some of the insanely-lengthy murder chains that even intermediate players can whip out. The difference in damage is just too extreme, and the optional Smart Combo mode for beginners is more of a learning tool than a serious way to play. On the flip side, it’s absolutely worth putting the time in.

While Bloom and Rage was an enjoyable romp through someone’s nostalgia, the frustrating pace of both the drama and the central mystery did not endear me to it. As is, I don’t feel as if I can recommend it the game until I see how things resolve in Part 2.

Some players may love the queer, nostalgic coming-of-age tale that Lost Records is trying to tell. However, even as someone in the target demographic, I found that the structure, choices and consequences fell flat. I loved the characters and their interactions with each other, but the rest was shallow at best and confusing at worst. Lost Records is still an enjoyable experience, but those interested in the material should go into it with tempered expectations.

American Arcadia manages to tell an incredibly compelling story that makes its world feel a bit too close to our own, accompanied by smart gameplay and an incredibly well-written story, along with a stellar cast of characters. Trevor’s wild and suspenseful escape from Arcadia is guaranteed to give him (and the show) a much-needed ratings boost.

The M in Macross – Shooting Insight is not supposed to stand for “missed opportunity,” but sadly, that’s where this title has landed. Fans of the original IP deserve a better representation of the characters, music, and action of the series, and newcomers should be welcomed into the fold by the best the genre and the creative team have to offer. Despite some eye-catching visuals and a fantastic soundtrack, this is not a game I can recommend at its current price without some major overhauls.

While the lack of any meaningful narrative might hold Warriors Abyss from reaching the insane heights of Warriors All-Stars, the sheer volume of characters on offer gives it a huge amount of replayability. It doesn’t matter which character the player is fond of because they’re all here and ready to fight the armies of the dead. This is as charming a celebration of the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors franchises as I’ve seen, and fans should absolutely make it their business to get into it as soon as possible.

Despite the rough edges and parts that need a bit of polish, I’m enjoying my time with Grit and Valor. The mechanics are solid and easy to pick up, and unlocking and trying new mechs and pilots is great. However, the repetition of the content and the slow progression means this war might wear down all but the most dedicated soldiers.

This fresh version of a beloved adventure from the 2000’s is as good as it ever was, and those (like me) who have yet to make the journey will find it well worth the time, even all these years later.

Drop Duchy attempts to ease the hard feelings of a busted run with its progression-unlocking Challenges, but the proliferation of new features feels like it dilutes rather than strengthens subsequent runs. As a consequence, Drop Duchy falls too far into the frustrating regime of RNG-dominated games. There’s an interesting concept here, but Drop Duchy lacks the kind of snappy gameplay or compelling aesthetic that would sustain it through the unfairness of waiting in vain for that dang line piece that just won’t drop.

Sadly, it’s also incredibly dishonest and manipulative in ways that I wouldn’t feel comfortable spoiling here in this review. That doesn’t matter, though, because the goal isn’t to offer the player an airtight story or any justification for a second playthrough. No, the goal is to wrap the player so completely up in this dog’s journey to the place of its youth that by the end of the tale they’ll be feeling exactly what the characters are. As far as I’m concerned, that aim was a complete success.

Ultimately, Tyrant’s Realm executes a gameplay loop that’s rewarding enough to render its minor inconveniences just that — minor inconveniences. It’s another successful, joyful genre-mashup that anyone looking for a retro-inspired soulslike will have a good time with.

Reality Break is simply a blast to play and fight/loot/repeat loop is incredibly satisfying, wheter it’s the first run or the fifth. For fans of roguelikes, shoot’em ups or original ideas, this is one break definitely worth taking.

While it’s got some nice aspects, especially the visuals, Steel Seed feels like it never reaches its full potential because it can’t decide between being a stealth or combat experience, and ends up being great at neither.

Although rough around the edges, Dead Trash is exactly what it sounds like — a dumpster fire of suspenseful moments, shooting, and post-apocalyptic death everywhere. For those who are feeling nostalgic and need something short and edgy, Dead Trash might be the ticket as long as expectations are tempered.

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.

Overall, I enjoyed visiting the world of REPOSE because I appreciate the retro look and feel, but the gameplay loop of stomping around looking for oxygen tanks, running out of stamina and respawning at the last bed before venturing out again is more tedious than it is challenging.

Overall, I can respect the publisher for releasing a straightforward and no-nonsense port of Glover, as fans and purists will probably enjoy having the original experience preserved on modern consoles. Personally, I would have preferred some slight concessions be made to the gameplay in order to be more accessible. Regardless, I’m sure fans of the original and of obscure retro titles will enjoy seeing this four-fingered hero back in the limelight.

Maybe Ground Shatter will get KITS there after a few patches and updates, but right now, anybody picking this one up is in for a rough knight.

MainFrames is a delightful romp set in an era of technology that took place before my time, but thanks to its charm and solid gameplay, I felt nostalgic for that world despite having never lived in it.

Despite those small issues, Mudborne was charming, and offered a level of challenge that kept me on my toes. The beautiful world, fantastic gameplay, and lovely soundtrack were all compelling and kept me moving forward as I kept exploring, discovering, and creating every kind of frog breed. Sometimes, a frog is all one needs to have a truly exceptional adventure.

Overall, I was hooked by the atmosphere and easy-to-learn management of this summer road trip. In a time where games can be a wonderful escape from current world events, Keep Driving brought me back to a younger time when a car meant freedom and opportunity, and a reminder of those good times was more than welcome. As such, Keep Driving is an easy recommendation for sure!

I don’t want to use too many superlatives here, but it’s easily the most addictive thing I’ve played in recent memory. It’s just too easy to say yes to one more run in Star of Providence.

This blend of strategy and dexterity results in an experience that is consistently interesting to see and hear, but not always as engaging to participate in. While the mechanics complement the aesthetics, I never felt as though these elements were as in sync in my hands as they were on the screen. Victory often felt arbitrary in Breakout Beyond, and though my skills did develop over the course of my journey, I never felt as though they factored into my success or failure.

It’s not even like Jedi Power Battles is the most beloved game from its era. Why release it in this state, and an even better question is, why release it at all? If there were at least new graphics, or if they bundled the GameBoy version as a bonus extra, I could at least rate it a little higher, but no. This is not the droid that anyone is looking for.

Atomfall is ultimately what I call a “chimera” game — it incorporates elements from different genres, but keeps their influence on a surface level. It has resource management and crafting mechanics of classic survival titles, multiple endings and choice-related story and gameplay outcomes akin to classic RPGs, and an emphasis on exploration usually seen in action-adventure counterparts. These are all good things at first glance, but the lack of depth in most regards makes it hard to recommend to dedicated genre fans while also making it relevant to any discussion on traditional boundaries of defining genre.

Overall, Split Fiction exceeded our expectations when it came to co-op action-puzzling — we just wished the story had more nuance and depth. If Hazelight Studios were to focus the same level of attention to both gameplay and writing, their narratives could serves to be more than vehicles to experience their action through, and that would be something like no other. However, even as it is, Split Fiction remains something special and one of the best cooperative experiences out there.