The effort put forth here is readily apparent and absolutely noticed, and that has to count for something. Get-A-Grip Chip is a fun and occasionally frustrating platformer that feels like the first step to greater things down the road. The addictive “let’s play another stage” aspect applies here, so don’t let that short runtime deter you. While it isn’t perfect, it’s worth a playthrough (or two) for the asking price they’re setting here. Here’s hoping for a sequel.

While I have some minor quibbles here and there, by and large this is very good at being an educational tour of a historical period with a few fanciful elements to support beliefs. Ultimately, it’s not for me to decide who the target audience is supposed to be, but to tell you if this is worth the purchase price. And at $20 for the educational content it provides? Yes, it delivers enough information to be worth it. Just be aware of what you’re getting, because this is much more a pop culture tour of Norse history than it is an actual game with compelling gameplay.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is very much a release where ambiance and exploration are top dogs of the experience. Whether you’re in a more lax state of exploring the map or trying to surmount a challenging sequence of whirling saws and pitfalls, moving around MIO’s map is a great time thoroughly enhanced by the game’s impressive rendering of its world and an immersive soundtrack. Unfortunately, these successes overshadow the title’s combat and progression mechanics. There will be a lot of familiar elements to those with prior metroidvania experience, and while they’re all implemented serviceably, they simply don’t do as much heavy lifting as the platforming, world building, and music.

For all my complaints, Aragami 2 does pull off making you feel like a ninja rather well. Planning just the perfect route to ambush everyone one by one or slip in and out without disturbing anyone felt really satisfying. It manages to tread that fine line of letting you get away with more than is realistic while still making a perfect run challenging that makes a great stealth game. I just can’t help but feel they took a few gambles with changing things up from the original, and took a step backwards as a result.

While not every pack is loaded with hit after hit, Naughty Pack brings enough solid content to players that some might excuse the fact that they’re leaning into reliable properties. It may not be an evolution of the concept, but it is a fun and goofy aside to the main games that will satisfy those looking for a little spice in their party game repritoire. My hope is that this will be a jumping off point for more spicy shenanigans in the future.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons isn’t dragged down by the classic problem of doing too many things at once and not succeeding at any of them. Instead, we’re left with a solid experience that can stand alongside the best in the series while also being a good entry point for those who might want a less demanding roguelike in their lives. Having accessible entry points into new genres is good. Having fun multiplayer experiences are even better. Don’t ignore Rise of the Dragons, because there are some classic-laced-with-modern shenanigans here that are worth checking out.

I admittedly haven’t played any of the older Star Ocean games from back at the peak of its popularity, so I can’t say for certain whether Divine Force is a return to form. But for fans disappointed with the previous entry, there’s plenty here to make a dive back into the franchise worthwhile. Here’s hoping tri-Ace gets another shot with a bigger budget next time, because I believe they’re on an upswing.

While it certainly exceeded my expectations in a number of areas, Of Blades & Tails still has quite a few areas it could improve on. It’s an awfully rough start and the middle needs some work narratively, but it nails the landing. With over 20 hours to beat, a charming aesthetic, and a variety of ways to tackle combat, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here. I just wish this wasn’t a case of “Yeah it gets good ten hours in.”

Returning Gunvolt fans will find plenty to love here, and I believe this game can act as a great entry point for newcomers as well. Whether you want to master the systems and chase high scores, or just feel like a god smiting every obstacle in front of them, there’s still plenty to enjoy.

I came away from this with the impression that I really didn’t miss out on much. Turok 3 is a game that lost its identity, and it now comes as no surprise that the next game was a reboot where Turok was changed into a space marine. In trying so hard to be like the other big name franchises, it became little more than another copy and sadly faded into obscurity. That all said, it’s only just mediocre at its worst, and you still get to shoot grenades at dinosaurs, so at least it has that going for it.

The successful execution of these elements is almost enough to distract you from the game’s highly basic and low-impact gameplay for a while, but not entirely. Even with the introduction of more minigames and narrative situations, the game remains a highly consistent experience for better and worse. Still, if Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town looks like a game for you, chances are good you’ll have a great time settling in and immersing yourself in its simplistic charm.

There’s an awful lot of content and mechanical ambition in Outlaws with its reputation system, and it’s fun enough to experience most of it, but it still isn’t able to prevent things from blending together once you’ve spent an extended amount of time with Kay and her crew.

Some of the pain points can be owed to the fact that this game really targets fans of the challenging shooters of yesterday rather than people exploring the genre today. A few others, like the unexpectedly low Switch performance and the honestly unnecessary save-scumming prevention system, aren’t so easily excused. The game works fine, but if you can, play it on PC. This game deserves a mouse and keyboard and 60+ FPS.

So: Do I recommend it? If you like games with anime looks, and you feel like the popular MMOs today are just too clunky for your taste, Tower of Fantasy looks to be a solid option. It’s kind of rough around the edges, but more than makes up for that with the fun factor and potential for long term playability. Perhaps not for everyone, but it is a surprisingly good entry into the F2P MMO space, especially among those with a mobile version.

Overall, I’m not quite sure if I liked Life is Strange: Reunion. I liked certain things about it, like Max and Chloe being back together, as well as the little bit of closure I got to see from my specific ending. But as I mentioned before, it didn’t feel grandiose or complete enough to be considered final game material. I think it should have been built up better, and we should have been given more time in the world and with the characters. Maybe then the payoff would have felt worth it, and I would have cared more about the outcome. Still, if you’re a fan of Max and Chloe like I am, and want to see what becomes of them, I recommend picking up this game. It will at least give you some really wholesome interactions between them, and you’ll get to see the conclusion to a decades-long story that was more than overdue. Sometimes nostalgia is all you need to carry you through, and I think perhaps Square Enix banked on that this time.

If you’re looking for a quick and simple multiplayer game on the cheap, you can definitely get by on what you get here. Tip back a cool drink and hang out with some friends for this one, because that’s where you’re gonna have the most fun.

It’s buggy, the balance is off, and a good 80% of the locations only really serve as random sidequest destinations. But the storytelling drew me in, the stealth worked rather well, and on the occasions when I felt like I had resources to burn it was just so dang satisfying to slow motion dive out from behind a corner while blasting a barrage of shotgun shells.

I like The Alters. It sells its premise in a way I wish more science fiction games would. We need more of them. But the watering down of its gameplay elements makes it hard to recommend. If you’re willing to slog through tedium and gameplay filler there is a wonderfully fun story to experience.

I think given its replay value and strong narrative foundation alone, this is an easy recommend from me. I just hope that Big Bad Wolf Studio eventually does go in and iron out the evident bugs in the game, both visual and otherwise. I also can’t wait for them to release more narrative games of this caliber. I genuinely think they are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise saturated market.

If you’re a fan of stunning art design and cyberpunk aesthetics in general, Anno: Mutationem is a no-brainer. If you’re just going in curiously like I initially did, I still think you’ll have a fun time here. Just be ready to be a bit confused for the first hour or two.

Neptunia x SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars succeeds at being a fun crossover and a decent enough game to play. It’s solid enough to satisfy fans and newbies alike, has a solid gameplay foundation, and isn’t afraid to let loose when the time calls for it. There’s enough here to keep you busy, and everything involved is at least competent enough to keep your attention. So long as you aren’t expecting Game of the Year material, you’ll find yourself having fun with this one. If your aim is to coast and relish in a little bit of cheesy ninja action, this definitely fits the bill.

This is a solid game no matter what. And I’m willing to bet that if you are a fan of Fairy Tail, you’re getting rewarded with a fun and solid RPG that keeps the spirit of the original and adds on more besides.

The story is engaging and filled with noir goodness, the gameplay added to the feeling I was a memory hacking detective, and the visuals felt straight out of one of my favorite 80s movies. But the absolutely relentless and aggressive lights and patterns that invade the game a few hours in made it a hard game to finish. Because of this I still recommend it, but with a large and bold asterisk.

If you really can’t stand puzzle games like this, then Röki is not going to be what changes your mind… but I definitely encourage you to take a look at it. This one will use your time in a rewarding way. And I had a blast with it.

There’s some great scenes, and the aesthetics are absolutely on point, but at the end of the day I simply can’t find myself recommending this to anyone except those who’d look at the trailer and immediately know it’s their jam.

If you’re a fan of beautiful artwork, good music, and good voice-acting, I would definitely pick this up. However, go into it with realistic expectations. The MC can be a bit bland and the writing can feel childish at times, but this isn’t to such an egregious point that you won’t be able to find enjoyment in the series as a whole. It also has great replayability with seven routes, each with multiple endings.

Its adherence to the cartoon is also its saving grace, as excising the IP from this title leaves you with little more than a simplistic, passable platformer. If nautical nonsense be something you wish, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake will absolutely deliver enjoyment on par with the cartoon itself—just don’t expect there to be much of anything you haven’t seen before.

Given how hard the last few years have been, I have to admit that it felt nice to play a game with low stakes. I had forgotten how great it is to just enjoy titles without worrying about putting in countless hours or gaining levels. I was truly just there to enjoy a visual novel that had all of the necessary components for success; a well-rounded cast, a short yet engaging story, and beautiful art. Perhaps to some, Aquadine will come off as lacking any real urgency or sadness, but this is an opinion I would attribute to the game’s more mystical setting. If like me, you don’t mind the mythical and have a few hours to spare then this is exactly the right game for you. Just beware of its $20 price point (I do feel this is a little much given how short it is) and the grating voice acting

Unless you’re really into this game’s subject matter (Hey, if you like decorating housing in Final Fantasy XIV, you might just be one of these people), you’re probably going to pass on this. The game does try its best to give you the full experience without making it feel too much like real work, but for me at least, I spend enough time cleaning that I don’t really need to do it in a video game. Having said that though, I cannot deny that the experience is well-polished, and absolutely worth a buy if being a house flipper is your personal fantasy.

The story here is intriguing and occasionally shocking, but it isn’t particularly affecting. I’m sure this story would’ve hit me more had Schmied spent more time developing the world and the characters, giving the audience a better chance to connect with them.

Ultimately, I can’t be too hard on Gecko Gods. It is a soft, gentle little thing of a game, not too expensive and offering exactly what it says on the tin. My issues with the game and how it makes use of its protagonist (or doesn’t) is not a fatal flaw. But it does mean that the game that I was hoping for turned out to not be the one that I got, and that means there’s kind of a harder ceiling on it than there might otherwise be. If a chill sort of adventure game wherein you happen to be a gecko sounds like a good time to you, then you are going to enjoy this game. It provides exactly that. Just be aware of what exactly you’re queueing up when you start in on the game.

If you can look past the occasional bug and some decidedly un-PC humor, Reprobed offers up a good time. A bit shallow, yet still somehow satisfying.

Sludge Life feels like the video game version of being under the influence, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While it feels like it might be a little too wrapped up in its own aesthetics at times, it still remembers that it’s a game first and not a video from the weird part of YouTube. Having it available for free for the moment means that there’s little excuse for you to not at least wade in the smoggy muck for a spell.

If your group of friends is looking for a new party game, you really can’t go wrong with what’s on offer here. If you already own What the Dub?!, though, there really isn’t all that much new here to justify double dipping.

Considering the largely uncharted waters (sorry) of the shark simulator genre, it is hard to fault Maneater for its flaws. On the other hand, open world design has been a staple of gaming for over a decade and it is a shame to see such repetitive quest design. Along with a few too many claustrophobic environments, I have a hard time giving Maneater a blanket recommendation. That being said, I had a lot of fun playing it, and I think there is a lot to like if you can deal with a few annoyances.

Overall, Crown Wars: The Black Prince is a pretty solid experience with a few stumbles. It is definitely a worthy title especially considering it’s not from the likes of Nintendo or Square Enix, and I think anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre can find themselves a pretty enjoyable tactical RPG. Further other people may also enjoy the game thanks to its historical inspiration, which reflects a team with strong attention to detail.

It’s still a good time rolling through the city in this Remastered take. Even with the performance issues I experienced, which did hamper the experience sometimes, I found myself having a fair amount of fun being the wackiest criminal I could be. In its current state, it’s not the most polished version of the game, despite being better looking than its original version. But the gameplay here is fun enough to forgive that to some degree. If you’re looking for something outside Los Santos and would rather hit people with a dick bat, this isn’t a bad way to spend some time indoors.

After the relative failure that was Duke Nukem Forever, it is great to see a game which rekindles that old classic Duke feel with a new (if not overly similar) IP. It has a number of stumbles, but if you want to take a 25-year blast-to-the-past, Ion Fury doesn’t surpass the FPS games of the age, but it does stand well against them, making it a good choice both for veterans of the age and for those new to the classic shooter style.

Radical Rabbit Stew isn’t a long game, it isn’t a super complex game, but it IS a fun game, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The levels are perfect little bite-sized chunks I can pick up whenever, and it hits that mix of challenging enough to be engaging without being frustratingly so. My only real criticisms can basically be summed up as them not being quite punishing enough. Some real incentive to find the solutions to puzzles would have been appreciated, but I always had my standby of smacking everything with a spoon until everything sorted itself out.

More than anything else, Season is about the vibe it cultivates. Asking you to pause, actually look and listen to your surroundings, not just as a way to work on your journal but as a way of life. It is certainly a beautiful experience, one I couldn’t help but reflect on even after I’d put it down. But outside of that, it is a little bit short, and there doesn’t seem to be too much in the way of replay value. If you’re down with that vibe, you’ll find this a very relaxing experience with some entertaining worldbuilding and a few mysteries for suspense. However, being pretty much a one-off experience more like a movie may rub a lot of gamers the wrong way.

At the end of the day, how you feel about Silent Hope will depend on how big a fan of classic isometric dungeon crawlers you are. At it’s heart it’s a pure experience that encourages experimentation and learning a variety of playstyles, but this comes at the cost of all the extra bells and whistles.

Mega Mix will likely be a fun entry for those newer to the series, but for veterans, it really doesn’t have much to offer. Stick to Future Tone instead.

Still Joking has quite a few positives but I would say it also has equally as many negatives. The story is unique, rich, and quite enticing. It has fun, loveable characters, a very witty MC, and a world worth immersing yourself in. The gameplay is uncomplicated and straightforward but it does force you to think and can be pretty fun to play around with. On the other hand, the visuals are choppy, the audio non-existent, and it’s riddled with spelling errors.

Putting an actual number to this is more difficult than for most games. I enjoyed my time with Komorebi, but was left disappointed at the same time. Everything I loved had some small detail to criticize, and every criticism I had was tied to something I loved. Overall I would say it all depends on your perspective. Some people like the bottle episodes more than the season finales after all. If you prefer hanging out and getting to know people with a splash of sci-fi dystopian-ish intrigue to give them something to talk about, this will be right up your alley. If you’re here primarily for the sci-fi dystopia and seeing the characters bond over their shared struggle is just a bonus, you’ll probably find it a bit lacking. Still, at the end of the day, if my main criticism is simply that I preferred the previous entry… that’s probably saying something.

It’s such a shame that that serenity is broken by frustration when trying to plan roadways and neighborhoods. This may not seem like much of an issue for some, but for someone who finds odd satisfaction from having complete control of how my society will look, it kept me from falling in love.

Those who already enjoy the series or this style of action-RPG meets dating simulator will still have a fun experience and find a good game to play here. Despite the faults with pacing or mechanics I may have discovered along the way, it won’t be enough to scare away this existing audience. But in a more general sense, unfortunately, Sakura Wars fills a need for a part of its player audience that, no matter how I look at it, isn’t something that feels right. Especially when you consider the decades of hard work the women of Takarazuka have put in, only to be attributed to this. It makes me hope that somewhere, someday, there can be a Sakura Wars without so much of those other moments. Maybe it could still be a dating simulator, just a more consensual-feeling one.

I reiterate many times that the real question should not be what a game is about but how it is about it, and to a certain extent, it's unfair to mark Mirage down because it's trying for a solid base hit. But I do think it's fair to mark it down for not just playing it safe but playing it way less than it could be. I characterized Valhalla as a game well worth playing even if you aren't generally fond of this franchise, but Mirage? It's just another Assassin's Creed game with no ambitions of being more. Far from feeling like a loving tribute on the anniversary, it feels like coasting…If you've loved this franchise since the first game, you're going to have fun with Mirage. But just like its namesake, there's less here than there appears to be, and beneath the surface it's lacking. Not enough to be bad, but enough to be just rote. And that, ultimately, is a letdown even if the game can play the hits well.

The folks at DotEmu obviously cared about what they were doing here, and that by itself is worth consideration. They wanted to put out at least a worthy sequel, and I feel like they did that at bare minimum. This game is not a drastic evolution of its forebears, nor did it have to be. Those looking for a fun pick up and play game will find a lot to love here, and with good reason. Windjammers 2 is a worthy sequel, and a damned fun multiplayer experience.

Really, Hella Remastered is probably the best example of a video game that knows that it’s a video game and runs with it to the point where it almost falls off a cliff. The involvement and expertise of Mikami and Suda prevents it from careening towards the ground, but it’s still a solid game at the end of the day. The gameplay has aged surprisingly well, and the visuals have finally outgrown the limitations of its seventh generation console bretheren. Just be sure to leave any high brow notions at the door and enjoy the ride.

It leans in on exactly what it wants to be and makes its gameplay comfortable and fun with a nice look and a solid soundtrack. So it’s the sort of game that fans of management games will look at, perhaps shrug about, and say “I can’t believe I’m buying another one of these” as they click through the purchase.

Scorn is still a journey worth taking for its appearance and environments alone, but I would have traded away every single repetitive combat encounter for just one more puzzle to sink my teeth into.

Comic book games are certainly having a moment lately, and Hellboy: Web of Wyrd does little to deter me from thinking otherwise. While it may not hit as high as some of its more lauded contemporaries, it’s still a good game. If you can endure some of the rougher edges it has, you’re going to find yourself with a game that is simultaneously a way to wedge into more involved roguelikes and another example of what developers can do when you stay true to what makes it work in the first place. Sometimes you just need something a little less intense, and games like this fit the bill nicely.

If you’re a fan of space combat and can push your way through the first couple hours, I’m fairly confident you’ll find a lot to like in Chorus. The core dogfighting is just plain fun, and the setpiece fights are something to see. If you’re not already a genre fan, however, I’m not entirely sure this will be the game to win you over.

I’m in a weird spot with A Highland Song. On one hand, the game didn’t provide me with the kind of experience I was expecting from the trailer. On the other, what actually is here was an interesting and engaging experience. Exploring and finding the various ways forward constantly kept my interest, even through occasionally frustrating moments. The rhythm runs, while disappointingly uncommon, provided nice breaks from the core gameplay flow and some wonderful tunes to listen to alongside. While it wasn’t what I expected, it was a journey worth going on. The Scottish Highlands are calling, and it’s a call that you may just want to answer.

Overall, I’d say if you haven’t played Saints Row IV before to give it a shot. I honestly had a blast going through this. If you have, well, the novelty of having it portable might not justify the price tag. I have heard from Volition that the bugs ARE being worked on but, at the moment, there’s no definite time frame for when the DLC will actually be available for Switch players, and I can’t help but be a little disappointed at that.

The story works but it has some notable flaws, and if you’re familiar with the property lots of it feels like familiar ground. The gameplay is solid enough but it’s very much about following a very strict path rather than going off in new directions. The visuals are afforded far too much weight and don’t actually work all that well beyond seeing quick snippets in trailers.

I’ll end this by saying that I didn’t entirely hate my experience with Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly and am glad I made it through because experiencing the characters really was a treat. There are a lot of heart-warming moments and lessons in this title and I am happy I got to learn a few. I just wish there was more to do, especially because the game is not that long to begin with.

If you don’t mind slogging through repetitive gameplay, there is an interesting narrative to be found here, so don’t let me discourage you if your desire is to simply enjoy the story. I just felt it was my duty to offer a fair warning that, despite the destination being worth it, the journey itself is rough.

For fans of Uchikoshi’s works, picking up Never 7 is an interesting experience to see where he got his start, so long as you’re prepared for a twenty-year-old game with some questionable design choices. If this would be your first visual novel, though, I would recommend passing on this one for now. Pick up Ever 17 instead.

Overall, I would recommend this title…just maybe wait until the official English patch releases. It’s cute, has good art, and the characters and stories are likable enough to where you won’t feel like you wasted your time. The romance can feel sweet and hard-earned in some routes, but you always end up feeling glad you got to know the characters, and for a visual novel that’s all you can hope for in the end even if the path is bumpy.

Unfortunately, I feel that while it’s a very good *simulation*, it isn’t a very good *game*, and I can really only recommend this to the hardcore skate fans who don’t like all the arcade-style skate games out there. While I did have some fun with it, there was just way too much frustration with even basic elements that shouldn’t be as difficult to understand as they were.

Cupid Parasite: Sweet and Spicy Darling should’ve been a DLC. I don’t think it’s a bad game by any means, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have enough world-building and character development to stand on its own.

I’m told from other people who’ve played ArcRunner on PC that the game is a lot better in multiplayer. I believe it, but I don’t really consider that a saving grace. Any game is more fun in multiplayer; the whole point of a game that is not always online is that it can be played solo. That’s part of the point. As it stands, ArcRunner is not a bad game. I don’t think it’s truly dire by any stretch of the imagination, even with the font being kind of awful. But it’s just not a very good game either. It’s fine. And just fine doesn’t get much more than a tepid recommendation. There are a lot of games in this genre, and a lot of those are more fun to play with.

If you like the genre, you’ll like Kunai. If you don’t, this won’t be the one to convince you otherwise, but it’s got a great aesthetic and some real bright spots just the same.

For people who are really big fans of games that are light horror/adventure game mixes – games like the long list of RPG Maker titles that are clearly meant to be primarily horror titles with some inventory puzzles like Ib or The Witch’s House, for example – I think this game is going to really sing. However, for a lot of other players, the mix isn’t quite going to carry a tune. That’s not a bad thing, and the game knows what it wants to be, but it does mean that the game is perhaps as unwelcoming as its title might suggest.

Some of the difficulty is good, and some of it is bad. If you’re into games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, you will probably have a good time with this. But if you’re new to the “Soulslike” genre and looking for a challenge, you might want to start with one of those games first, lest you be frustrated too easily by the unfortunately fairly numerous stumbles Deathbound takes. It leans more good than bad, with a creative party system and mostly satisfying combat, but ultimately, I think only existing fans of the genre are going to last long enough to complete it.

If you’re looking for a metroidvania game to play that you haven’t played before, this game is going to deliver. It’s not without charm and it’s not wildly incompetent. But it’s a C- effort and that’s all the worse when you know that the studio is capable of delivering much better. Unless you’re in dire need of a new metroidvania or a big fan of the series it’s based upon, I wouldn’t rush to grab this one.

Classic gaming enthusiasts will definitely applaud this game seeing the light of day again, but it doesn’t come out of the era unscathed. Shinyuden’s work done to do just that is worth complimenting to some extent, but it doesn’t erase how rough this game can be for some. Aero the Acro-Bat shows flashes of a good platformer, but the foundation laid by its original developers might be too big of an obstacle for some modern gamers. The door price may be low, the rest of the franchise is on the way, but this game isn’t going to please everyone. If you can stomach the rough edges it comes with, there is enjoyment to be had. Just don’t go in expecting it to meet the level of the more legendary platformers of the era.

If you are a big fan of tower defense, you will get a kick out of the game. You’ll probably have fun with it for a bit, and if you make sure to just have fun until you’re bored, step away, and then come back to it a couple months later? It’s probably going to keep your affection. But it’s perhaps not as fully-featured as it being a standalone game might suggest. While Flash is gone, it doesn’t mean you can just port games that worked in that format all into being standalone titles. Terrorformer TD has a fun gameplay loop for brief jaunts, but it goes from excitement to tedium faster than I would like.

There are good bones here, and ones that could easily lead to a strong title were they to get beefed up over the course of balancing and patching the game. With things as they are, however, Foamstars just doesn’t make as large of a splash as it needs to.

As a big fan of the original and of Tetris in general, it really pains me to give Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 this score. I really want it to be higher, but the persistence of the sensitivity problem had me throwing down my controller and cursing in rage too much to not be a factor. If you aren’t a serious Tetris or Puyo Puyo veteran, this probably won’t matter to you and you absolutely can have a blast. But if you are, there’s a good chance you’ll experience some frustration alongside the fun. It’s still worth playing, but the issues are too significant to ignore.

I know this sounds contrary to the rest of my review but, despite my complaints, I still would recommend at least one playthrough of this game to fans of the studio and the genre. There is some charm to be found here, even if it’s only occasional glimpses when you make the right decision, and just visually you’ll be in for a treat.

It’s rare that I say this, but this video game probably should have been a movie instead. Honestly that’s the biggest thing I felt during this whole experience, between the live action stars, the way the cutscenes are shot and paced, the way the gameplay felt almost like an afterthought, it truly feels like they were basically trying to make a movie but decided it must be a game instead. Now, that’s not to say there’s nothing to enjoy, far from it! I really enjoyed the writing and performances, but it likely says something that I had a lot more fun just rushing through on a second playthrough on easy to see the story differences than I did on my initial go on normal where I actually had to explore.

Iron Harvest seemed like a promising game, even to someone not really into RTS titles like myself. In some aspects, it does deliver. The story is surprisingly good, the design and usage of the mech units is top notch, and I personally appreciate the streamlining of base and resource management (the bane of my existence in most RTS games) to focus on combat. The act of performing combat and moving troops around, though – the core of the game – is weirdly uneven. Moving units is awkward, and the pathing issues the units have make what should be simple skirmishes often risky and sometimes infuriating. KING Art did state that they plan to watch for community feedback and continue updating the game. Perhaps all of the above issues will be fixed. However, as the game is right now at launch, Iron Harvest is rough. Promising, but rough.

Ultimately, RoboDunk is a pile of pieces that all work together in the strictest sense, but they don’t enrich one another. I enjoyed it well enough, but I never felt compelled to go back by anything in particular. It’s just… if you want a basketball-ish roguelike, this is definitely it, and it does everything right enough. But I can’t see you being blown away by it.

If you do enjoy the idea of what amounts to a never-ending survival horde defense mode and are willing to do quite a lot of playing before you earn other characters? There’s stuff to like here! This is not a bad game. But it’s a game that looks a lot more charming than it winds up being. It’s an all right game masquerading as a good one, and while that doesn’t make it bad, it does make it less than the sum of its parts.

As it stands, it’s a quintessential example of style over substance. If Cris Tales fails to grab you by the end of its opening few hours, it won’t do anything to change your mind in the time that follows.

Voron: Raven’s Story is certainly a flawed game, though to be fair it is an indie game largely made by one person and costs a mere $10, so one can only expect so much. The one thing the game truly has going for it, and what will determine whether you’ll enjoy it or not, are the unique flight mechanics. While I personally enjoyed it, I can definitely see it being a hard sell for most. I found the game was at its best during the challenges where I had to dodge obstacles and push my speed to the limit, but things fell off whenever I was simply traversing a large open area and gliding for long stretches. Still, if you’ve enjoyed the freedom of flying around in games and want a more relaxing and charming game about flight, Voron is certainly worth taking a look at.

If you’re already a fan of Supermassive Games or Dead by Daylight you’ll probably have an enjoyable enough time here. There are some exciting sequences when you’re playing The Casting of Frank Stone, but even for their positives, they never coalesce into a strong experience in the long run.

At the end of the day, if you’re a genre fan, Deiland will provide you with enough bang for your buck that you won’t feel your time was wasted. But it’s kind of a lightweight thing, and between the short duration and the lack of long-term hooks it’s more a case of genre fans wanting more than it is of a new game to really sink your teeth into. That doesn’t make it bad or disappointing, just perhaps a bit more slight than you’d hope.

The overall gameplay is quite decent. But the bizarre design decisions regarding flight, settlements, and NPC interaction, coupled with some annoying issues, like lack of fast-travel or tutorials, leave you with with a blend of both fun and frustration that just doesn’t quite payoff in the end. I can see a niche audience for a game like this. But to have a broader appeal, I think Airship: Kingdoms Adrift needed more time in the oven to expand its feature set and create a good on-boarding experience.

Simply put, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma did not live up to my expectations. However, I don’t regret my playthrough. As tedious as it was, it was still nice to be back in the land of Woolys and Earthmates as everyone’s favorite amnesiac, even if just for the nostalgia.The truth of it is, you’ll probably have more to do in this game than you’ve had in any previous Rune Factory title. But that comes with the understanding that the journey may not be as fun, and the scripted moments not as emotional. For die-hard fans like me, that can come with disappointment. But for more casual enjoyers of the genre, you will find all your farming sim staples in this title. It truly gives you the opportunity to build the world as you see fit. In fact, you have 120 hours of content to get your villages just right. And because I want to end on an optimistic note, I do feel like with the right fine-tuning, some of the foundations laid out in this game could serve as a great jump point for expanding the future of Rune Factory in a very promising direction. I just hope that future doesn’t take as long as this game did to arrive.

I’m going to be honest and say that I kind of expected more out of the title, which is unfair to the game on some level. I’m the person who always says that it’s not what a game is about but how it is about it, and in that context it’s not really fair to have negative things to say about the story being a bit of a shallow wisp full of fan service and game references. The problem is that in light of that weakness, you’d expect a strong game to back it up… and instead, what you have is a game that feels kinda archaic and making up for its weaknesses via volume. None of that makes the game bad. Indeed, I could find myself easily falling into a routine with the gameplay despite its generally bland elements. But it didn’t really stick to the ribs despite that. If you’re a fan of this franchise, I can understand why in the broad strokes, and I think this is going to prove to be an entry in the series that you will like because it is an entry in the series. But for people who aren’t into the series already or are generally neutral toward it, this isn’t the spot to start.

Dread Delusion offers an interesting universe and a gorgeous art style, but both are thoroughly wrapped up in a mechanically thin and ultimately unsatisfying RPG experience. The Oneiric Isles capture the spirit of the RPG worlds of the past, and there’s a wide breadth of content and characters to learn more about throughout them, but Dread Delusion’s decided lack of difficulty, one-note combat, and widespread balancing issues actively distract from its highly enjoyable world.

South Park: Snow Day!’s most prominent issue is one of fundamentals. The game’s namesake is very much intact and handled exactly in the way you would hope as a fan of the show, but the meat and potatoes of the actual gameplay leave much to be desired. Its humorous, surprisingly robust roguelike elements and attention paid to its source material simply aren’t enough to offset the detriment its simplistic combat and repetitive structure.

As a fan of the Story of Seasons franchise and a long-time player of farming/life simulators, I would not recommend this title to fans right now, but maybe in the future with more additions and fixes it’ll be worthwhile.

All in all, I wouldn’t completely label this game as not worth playing, but I do suggest tempering your expectations so that there is minimal disappointment as you progress through the story. That isn’t to say I regret playing it, but I don’t think I would’ve missed much if I hadn’t.

Overall, it all comes back to the length of the game. In spite of my own preferences, being a little over an hour is far too short and this length drags down both the narrative and the difficulty curve. What is here isn’t bad per se; there’s some decent world building, the levels toward the end are genuinely fun, and the vibes are fantastic. But they don’t compensate for everything else feeling rushed.

Tragically, I was hoping to enjoy my time with Moros Protocol more. Despite satisfyingly weighty FPS mechanics, active boss fights, and a nostalgia-tinged pixel aesthetic, the scales are tipped for the worse by a very basic roguelite progression system and the absence of capitalizing on its more interesting science fiction story beats.

Summer in Mara isn’t a bad game. Shockingly, I would actually recommend it…for children. It is definitely “baby’s first crafter” IF it can solve its direction and instruction problems. Everything is so simple and easy that it is perfect for a child. Without the need for combat and violence like other crafting games have, it’s perfect for young people. For the rest of us who have been playing crafting and survival games for 10+ years, there is nothing in this game for us. For almost everything this game does well, there are other more complex games that do it just as well or better. I can tell lots of love was put into Summer in Mara, but there are some tweaks that need to be made to support the audience they seem to be going for.

If all you want is fluff and an easy but very long read, Celestia: Chain of Fate may be something worth looking at. Personally, I do not think a replay is in the cards for me. Once was more than enough.

If the premise sounds fascinating enough to you that you want to muddle through it? I don’t blame you. I don’t hate the time I spent trying to muddle through it, and in contrast to a lot of visual novels which I feel lean far too heavily on the “novel” part it felt like a fun game to play from start to finish. Just be aware that as it stands now, you’re going to have a rough time with the localization.

All in all, this was actually a very bittersweet review for me. I am a huge Rune Factory fan and have been excitedly waiting for this new entry in the series. Unfortunately, I can’t say that it met my expectations. The good news is Rune Factory 5 is a familiar experience for those who are used to the genre. The love interests are a bit cringy, and it has god-awful graphics, but if you have a bit of patience and don’t nitpick as much as I do, it will be a mostly enjoyable experience. The combat is easy enough to get into, there are a ton of things to do, and some of the supporting cast will make you smile. I clocked about 64 hours into this game and I’m pretty sure I could have done more, so it’s at least a bang for its buck if anything. I’m just hoping that if Marvelous Inc. makes us wait another ten years for a new entry, it is of a higher quality.

I don’t want to come off as overwhelmingly or unnecessarily negative about KarmaZoo. At its core, this is a weird game trying a weird new idea in a way that I can respect. The problem is just that I think most of its swings don’t actually work, and the net result is more mildly frustrating than innovative. It keeps unfolding new ideas, but each new idea strikes me as kind of mid-tier. It grows in depth, but none of those new depths ultimately work for me. I think that if you have a dedicated group to play the game with, you might get a fair bit more out of it. If you don’t have that, though? You can probably keep this one locked in its cage.

Thanks to sparse placement of save rooms and challenging enemy locations, the player will be constantly hitting walls to their progression and replaying the same paths repeatedly (and in both directions). Tragically, the only reward for triumphing over these is often a predictable, meager upgrade or another equally difficult stretch of rooms, thus forcing Astronite to be a monotonous experience. The quality boss fights simply aren’t plentiful enough to make up for its shortcomings.

The game isn’t terrible, but it’s a bit forgettable. It comes out on the right side wherein you can have some fun with it, especially if you really like strategy games, but it doesn’t really feel like it works very hard to do more than just be good enough. If you’re in the mood for a strategy game but don’t want quite so much strategy, it’ll fill you up, but it’s not going to delight you in the process.

While it’s not much of a game for solo play, if you have the right kind of group who wants to play something frantic on the couch together, Fueled Up is the kind of game you can really enjoy for a good long while. It’s not perfect, but it offers all the frantic patch jobs you could ask for.

I want to like this game, I really do. When it works, it works really well. The core gameplay loop is satisfying, the two ideas mesh believably, and figuring out how best to manage the species on a given level is like a fun little puzzle. Actually reaching later planets makes me feel like Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a hill, with the content I’m repeating feeling no different than it did an hour ago when I started my last run.