Now, I’m not saying this game will be for everyone. There’s quite a few rough edges that are just part of the classic FPS genre, but this is still a sterling example of how to do a remaster. Everything from the original has been kept, made easier to access, and optional new content has been added. What’s not to love?

Some repetitive storytelling moments drag down the pacing here and there. Also, for a studio so lauded for its visuals, the horrifying slowdown during the strategy battle segments is borderline offensive. Even with these issues, though, 13 Sentinels is an absolute must play, especially for those seeking a good narrative in gaming. This is the kind of story that’s going to stick in my mind for weeks to come, and easily stands up with some of the best stories I’ve experienced in any medium.

Beyond the reset confusion, it’s hard to find any flaws in this game. The puzzle concept is a lot of fun, the visuals are just about perfect for a retro styled game, the 8-bit synth audio experience is on point, and it manages to stump you without overtly frustrating you – a crowning achievement among puzzle games. Give Deleveled a go, I highly doubt you’ll regret it.

It may be more initially intimidating to genre newcomers than, say, Guilty Gear Strive or Dragon Ball FighterZ, but being fun to pick up yet challenging to master is the hallmark of any great fighting game. It’s part of the appeal, even, and when you take the consistently deep gameplay of KOF and combine it with greatly improved graphical presentation, solid rollback netcode, and mechanical changes that allow for more player freedom, you get something that truly does “shatter all expectations” as the tagline implies.

It may have been a five-year wait, but I am so happy Arcadia Fallen got a second game. The charm from the first game lives on, but elevated with new tricks, and honestly, it really scratched my itch for a fun and immersive VN. As I mentioned above, the story itself isn’t grandiose or crazy, but it is a fun read, and you’re bound to love the cast. If anything, the abundance of choices you have to make will keep you busier than most other visual novels out there. On top of that, you’ll have a few challenging puzzles to keep things spicy. I’m honestly so sad this game is over for me. I truly enjoyed myself with this one and can’t wait for what’s next from Galdra Studios. Hopefully, the wait isn’t another five years, though. I want more Elias NOW!

Tadpole Treble Encore is certainly what I would call “content dense.” It’s not a long game by any stretch – one of the unlockables is a mode where you go through the whole game in one life with no saving – but it delivers a lot in the time that it has. Every level is determined to knock it out of the park, presenting something fresh and new before dipping out to make way for the next level. If you like precision dodging to avoid obstacles or strong soundtracks, you really need to pick this up.

Whether you’re a hardened veteran of the genre or interested in trying it out for the first time, Mewgenics is a roguelike well worthy of your time. What starts out as a decent SRPG difficulty curve expands in lockstep with the complexity of the game expanding as more and more content becomes available and new challenges present themselves. It’s all about slowly learning the ins and outs of its systems as you play. Whether you’re sitting down for a single run or locking in for a longer session, optimizing your play style while uncovering new synergistic combos through passives is the special sauce that keeps you playing. And, y’know, it lets you be a hoarder and take care of a bunch of cats. What more could you want?

It’s obvious that Endwalker is going to be a favorite of many Final Fantasy XIV, while for others, it might not have hit that high bar that was raised with Shadowbringers. Regardless, Endwalker is still a fantastic addition to a game that was originally one of the worst received in the series. It truly is the comeback story of video gaming. Naoki Yoshida and his team should be commended for the incredible amount of world building and story telling that they’ve been able to pull off for, now, over ten years. Final Fantasy XIV continues to be a game that we would recommend everyone experiences. That is, as soon as the game stops being so popular that it’s able to resumes sales.

NeverAwake is a truly polished gem, an absolute pleasure from start to finish. The short levels, simple controls, and satisfying challenge all combine to make it oh so tempting to play “just one more level” until you’ve binged the whole game. While there are certainly a few areas here and there that feel less polished, they really focused on the core that makes for a great shooter.

While this game is largely an incremental upgrade to past versions, its improvement make Supercross 6 the perfect time for newcomers curious about the sport to hop on board. I somewhat wonder where the game can go from here, because it really checks all the boxes now and carries my recommendation for fans of real racing experiences. Given how I have so little negative to say, I feel it has most certainly earned a score bump.

No Longer Home tackles the issues it presents in a natural, unobtrusive way that allows the player space to muse on them themselves. Even if you’re not sure you can directly relate to the situation that Ao and Bo find themselves in, this title comes highly recommended. It will absolutely remind you of experiences in your past, and it just might help make the stresses of the future seem a little less daunting.

It’s a fun time if you’re a fan of farming simulators. Its beautiful visuals will draw you in, and its wonderful cast will keep you there. Not only that, but this game does a great job of giving you a goal and providing you with the tools to get there. I can’t think of a single time when I felt like I wanted to put my switch down from playing this because I was bored. I will be honest and say that it can feel repetitive in some bits and a little bit easy/simple in others, but that is more so a byproduct of the genre than any fault of this specific title. All in all, if you’re itching for a good farming simulator to sink your teeth into this fall, I recommend you pick this up. I promise you won’t regret it!

While it may not be as truly groundbreaking as the original, The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is a must-play for fans of the original – and if you’ve never experienced the game, it’s the perfect place to learn what made the original so brilliant while finding a number of new twists.

Resident Evil Village is what you get when you take the first-person horror of Resident Evil 7 and combine it with the more action-focused gameplay of Resident Evil 4. Ultimately, it ends up being a love letter to fans of the series, or even just fans of specific games like RE4 and RE7; a fitting title to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary this year. Clocking in at around eight hours for my first playthrough, I never felt bored as I explored the village. There was always something new to discover and each new piece of the story had me yearning for more. After the story, The Mercenaries mode and completing challenges to unlock weapons and infinite ammo have more than kept me entertained as I work my way through my third playthrough.

If for whatever reason you really didn’t care for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, this is not the expansion that is going to change your mind. However, it’s hard not to rate it highly despite that fact. If you already own and enjoy the game, it’s easily worth the asking price and delivers a nice meaty slab of content with motive and entertainment to be had whether you’re just starting the game, you’ve beaten the whole thing and explored every nook and cranny, or you’re somewhere between those two extremes. In summary, Wrath of the Druids is more Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. And considering how darn good the base game is, the DLC being more besides is exactly what it should be and a whole lot of fun.

The gameplay feels well-polished and each character will have you wanting to learn more about them. The very few hiccups I encountered as far as gameplay goes were nothing to keep me from enjoying the game immensely. It would be great to have just a few more quality of life changes, sure, but as far as what’s already in Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, you can expect on the most enjoyable RPGs I’ve ever encountered. If ever there were a time to get away to a farm and lost in the mines, it’s now, and with a game like Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town you might just find exactly the escape you need.

Neversong is nearly the perfect game for the genre. Aside from the few issues that I mentioned, and few they are, it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with side-scrolling puzzle game mechanics. The story is dark, beautiful, and haunting in a way that only a few games have been able to capture before. If you’re thinking of the next title to pick up and scratch that psychological narrative itch, Neversong is the clear choice.

There are plenty of remakes and rereleases of the classic Final Fantasy titles within relatively easy reach, but it’s hard for me to sit here and say the most recent stab at improving these games were a bad attempt. It respects the source material enough to not make any drastic changes, improves the presentation in the best way it possibly can, and sticks the landing as the definitive way to experience a well-established classic. Even with the fan favorite VI finishing up this batch of remakes, this is a game that’s still well worth your time. They hold up for a damned good reason. If you’re on the fence about picking this one up, don’t be. You’re going to enjoy yourself.

I was a little bit skeptical of this game when I first started it, despite being published by Devolver, whom I know to have put out some excellent games recently. But Loop Hero delivers, both for retro and roguelike/lite gamers alike. It is clearly a lovingly crafted game that compromises on nothing. It offers creative story, game, and progression mechanics, and a wonderful overall aesthetic.

It takes a lot to be noticed in this sea of remakes and remasters, and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined mananages to stand out in the crowd with relative ease. This game easily stands above its original release and its 3DS remake, and gleefully succeeds at modernizing itself while also staying true to its roots. I doubt this will be the last we see of the modern takes on other classic entries, but this game and Square Enix’s prior efforts as of late give me confidence that this won’t be the last modern remake we’ll see from them. I just hope that if they do, they’re just as good as this. This remake is a triumph, and you shouldn’t think twice about buying it.

Simply put, this is the return that fans have been waiting for. Streets of Rage 4 delivers in so many ways that the $24.99 price point seems more than reasonable with all the included content, even with the short story mode. It may prove to be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with what it brings to the table, but you can’t deny how much love was put on the screen for beat-’em-ups and this franchise in general. If you can take the heat, you should absolutely jump in and send a signal that this is a game worth playing.

Atlus clearly decided to mark their 35th anniversary with a bang. With Metaphor, they took one of their most fan-favorite formulas and transitioned it to an engaging, top-notch fantasy experience, with only a few, quite minor, stumbles along the way. JRPG fans the world over will delight in this well-crafted experience, even if a few of the most die-hard Persona fans might find issues with the battle system. I’ll take that a step further and say that this is a great JRPG entry point for Western players who are more used to the RPGs made in the States or Europe. It’s worth a play for almost anyone who can spare the potentially triple-digit hours needed to get through it.

The Talos Principle: Reawakened is a great chance for people like me who skipped out on the original to get a look at the game for the first time, and for fans of the original to have a good reason to re-explore the game along with seeking out new mysteries. It is a calm, serene experience of puzzle-solving that will also twist your brain along the way. And I quite enjoyed it, and just like the original? Yeah, it’s an excellent game almost everyone will enjoy.

Potionomics is one of the best new games I’ve played this year, and I highly recommend that anyone and everyone who looks at this and says “that looks interesting” give it a shot. This is a game that deserves to go on to big things, and it has thoroughly won me over. Or, to bring over a catchphrase from the game that clearly informed at least some of this game’s substance? Capitalism, ho!

I absolutely had a blast, even as a fan of the genre who wishes that things had been done differently in a number of areas. Whether you’re a long time fan or new to the series, I have to recommend checking this out.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a wonderful game that’s sure to stand out for fans of the series and beyond. It reinforces what longtime followers love about the series, and is one of the best examples of a “tough but fair” game. It could possibly be overshadowed by its 3D counterparts, but be sure not to overlook this gem of a game. It stands out well enough on its own that it would be foolish to miss out on this well-crafted experience.

At its core, Woolhaven feels more fleshed out than the base game did when I initially played it, and we saw that get plenty of free content updates over the years. With similar postgame additions, I’d love to see where Woolhaven goes from here.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a stunning game and absolutely worth your time, so long as you go into it with an open mind and don’t expect it to stubbornly adhere to a nearly 25-year-old tale. I, for one, am rabidly excited to see where future entries will take this story.