As someone who likes the show and the concept, it checks most of the boxes I’d want from a licensed title – if the combat was solid, I’d have been totally content with One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows as fanservice for a series I enjoyed. Instead, the part that players will be spending the most time on is also the worst part of the experience, and no amount of callbacks or cameos can carry it.

Atelier Ryza knows that it’s the start of a new franchise, and it ends with the promise of more to come. It’s dangerous to assume that the developers can keep up this level of quality, but after getting through the story and a robust assortment of side quests, I’m as excited about as I was after completing Atelier Sophie. Ryza isn’t the best in the series, but it certainly has the potential to be the jumping-off point for the best trilogy yet.

Stela’s world decay, the desperation of its inhabitants and the environmental connotations that come along with them strikes a fine note and it’s supported by an engaging playstyle and attractive aesthetic — the problem is that several other games have walked the same path before it, and many of them do it better.

When all is said and done and everyone has had the chance to play it for themselves, I have no doubt that Alyx will be held in the same lofty regard as the first two Half-Life entries. It really is that good. Of course, I still want Half-Life 3, but it turns out that I wanted this even more and didn’t know it.

Overall, The Foundation is a satisfying package that delivers more of what players got from the original campaign, and this is a good thing. The combat scenarios are tense, the locales are interesting, and it’s between four to six hours of new content for those looking to spend more time with Jesse Faden. It might not advance the storyline much and it doesn’t do anything radically different, but there’s no question that those who enjoyed Control should jump in and see what’s happening in the basement.

I don’t think that The Pedestrian has a grand point to make, and that’s okay. Even without a message or an emotional hook, this is a beautiful, fiendishly clever little puzzler that surprised me at every turn, and that’s more than enough.

It’s great that four years later Street Fighter V is still receiving updates and continues to have a decent online community. I can’t recommend that owners of the previous versions pay for the upgrade since the new characters can be earned for free within the game, but for anyone who hasn’t played Street Fighter V yet, there’s no better version to pick up than the Champion Edition.

While I’m sure some players might find the basic premise of Curious Expedition to be distasteful — and it is problematic, to be sure — the design is thoughtful and challenging, and the turn-based exploratory approach brings a fresh, welcome angle to the combat-heavy roguelike genre. It’s likely to incite some tough conversations, but roguelike fans and boardgame fans should check it out.

Coffee Talk might not be for everyone and the lack of overt gameplay will likely give some players pause – as it did with me — but my time in this faux-Seattle café was well-spent, and I genuinely hope that the cast returns for a sequel.

It took the better part of a decade to happen, but I’m finally in a position to say that when everything was said and done, Kentucky Route Zero came together beautifully and has solidified itself as essential for anyone interested in games that have plenty to say and share their message in a beautiful way.

Some dialogue options lead to sluggish sequences in which ten text boxes deal with the question of whether or not to pick up a phone or open a door, only to ignore the player’s choice in the end. The lack of a ‘skip’ button during replays is also annoying. Rough edges like this and others hint to its status as a small-budget indie, but SELF remains a solid text experience and I found that its narrative stuck with me long after finishing all possible routes. However, as I alluded to at the start, this game isn’t really about finding all the endings — each branch on its own provides a unique look on contemporary society and an individual’s weakness… or strength.

It’s unfortunate that Blacksad: Under the Skin fell prey to these foibles because it offers a story worth seeing to the end, even if a lack of optimization gets in the way. With a little more technical polish, these great characters in a great setting will be able to shine.

All of these issues in design and execution are really a shame, since they mean that Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is not enjoyable for any amount of time. The dialogue is clever and witty, and I enjoyed seeing Alpha Complex come to life in videogame form, but aesthetics can only carry something so far. While I can’t recommend this iteration. there’s always the pen-and-paper version for those who need a fix.

On a non-VR platform, Eclipse would likely come across as empty-feeling and slight, but between the smart implementation of motion controls and a visual style that’s conscious of its limits, Eclipse makes enough of the right decisions to be worth a look for anyone who owns a headset. I continue to root for this technology, and I savor opportunities that transport me to the sorts of bizarre worlds that games like Eclipse can.

Williams Volume 5 is a welcome addition to Pinball FX3 that contains two great tables, and one decent one, and all three can be had for less than it costs for a night at the local pinball arcade.

From start to finish, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr is an outstanding dungeon crawler that checks all the boxes I want checked and then goes on to polish up all the other details as well. It might not win over those who aren’t already fans of the genre, but players looking for the next great dungeon crawl can’t afford to miss this one.

Journey to the Savage Planet is the definition of a mixed bag. The goofy live-action bits, cute creatures and overall aesthetic have a ton of charm, but the satire feels oafishly delivered and underdone. The first-person platforming is a cut above, but the combat is tedious and unpleasant, and the exploration is hamstrung by an unwieldy teleporter system and the absurd absence of a map. There’s a lot to like about Savage Planet, but I was also more than ready to be done with it long before it asked me to shoot dozens of GWPs on its engagingly ugly final boss.

Exploring and appreciating a visual novel with writing as good as this one shouldn’t be tiresome. With luck, future patches and updates will address these minor concerns because Coteries of New York is something well worth sinking one’s fangs into.

Roguelikes always involve repetition, but the difference between a good roguelike and a bad one is whether there’s a sense of momentum from one run to the next – some feeling that I’m slowly chipping away at a discernible goal by gaining the right tools or learning the right lessons. Katana Kami occupies that space for a while, but then keeps going for no good reason. Players with the self-discipline to call it quits when the final boss is felled may find value here, but as a whole, Katana Kami is a solid eight-hour roguelike stretched and distorted into a thirty-hour grotesquerie.

I expected something more from Mosaic when I finished it — some sort of revelation or point to it all, but only credits followed. It’s ironic that a game trying to educate the player on individuality and ‘breaking the cycle’ has no significant message or meaningful character development. Instead, Mosaic relies too much on presentation and drags the player through its narrative, forcing them towards a perfunctory conclusion that was obvious from the first five minutes of gameplay.

Sparklite is probably best suited for younger players and those looking for a delightful (if somewhat insubstantial) romp through a gorgeous world. It probably won’t be something I look back fondly on in a few years, but it’s entertaining and whimsical enough to be worth a purchase.

Getting a few things right just isn’t enough when the core of play — the platforming — is this troubled. Jet Kave Adventure was so awkward and problematic that I had to stop playing. When I see games with problems, I usually want to offer suggestions on how things could have been fixed, but the issues here run too deep — all I can say to the developers is that I wish them better luck next time.

There are dozens of Dragon Ball Z games and Kakarot represents only the latest attempt to fully retell the manga’s story in videogame form. However, the quality of the experience makes a strong argument for this entry being the last one since the cartoon graphics perfectly recreate Toriyama’s visuals and the story hits every beat far better than the anime managed to. By presenting a great story with such perfect fealty, it’s safe to say that (for now, at least) Kakarot is the definitive Dragon Ball Z videogame.

Iceborne simply cements Monster Hunter World‘s position at the top of the Hunting genre, providing one of the best and most fully-featured expansions in recent memory for a title that would already gleefully suck up hundreds of hours even in its original iteration. Anyone who’s a fan of the series should be all-in on this expansion already, and for anyone yet to check it out… well, now may very well be the best time.

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.

Super Crush KO is a gentle entry into the world of twitch-based combo brawling action — a safe, warm pool for people curious about the genre to dip their toes in before attempting to walk hot coals with Dante or Bayonetta. Also, and I can’t stress this enough, it has a really, really, really cute cat.

Having multiple buttons for in-game confirmations is a frustrating design decision that had me silently swearing. It’s unfortunate to have these control issues, because I appreciate what Construction Simulator 2: Console Edition has achieved. The developers have delivered a decent port of a game type not often seen on consoles, but if PC gaming is an option, I recommend playing that version instead.

Despite the absurdity of the narrative and the disappointing anticlimax of its ending (not spoiled here!) Black Future ’88 is an impressive title with interesting weapons, spot-on controls, creative unlocks, and entertaining action. I wish the visual accessibility was as robust as the rest, but fans of 2D action will enjoy it as a single-player experience, or with a buddy in local co-op mode.