While Sumire was a short game, I truly enjoyed what it had to offer. The themes and characters were interesting, some of the minigames were fun, and the ending I got was pretty wholesome. It does have some minor flaws, among them its limited world and the nature of how some of the darker themes were handled, but for the low price-point and engaging experience, I wouldn’t let those things keep you from giving it a try. I am certainly glad I did, and look forward to future titles from GameTomo.

Layers of Fear 2 is an enjoyable experience, if a bit flawed. There’s not a single part I didn’t enjoy, but neither is there any section that avoided serious criticism. As a relatively cheap game, I’d say definitely pick it up if you’re a fan of spooks and scares, but don’t expect it to especially move you or last more than a few days. I’d also say that despite this being a review for the Switch copy, to try it on a different platform instead, since it doesn’t capitalize on any of the system’s strengths and it suffers from its flaws.

It’s not only the kind of game that you can finish in an afternoon, it’s also the kind that doesn’t leave much of an impression on you after the fact. While it’s able to roll down the road, it’s doing so holding things together with zip ties and a dream. It’s the kind of hot mess where the best experience would be to just give the album a listen on Spotify, because everything else just doesn’t do it justice.

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.

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.

I loved the original. I love this remake. And if you’ve never played the original or you did, you owe it to yourself to give this one a check. It’s a game that was always good made that much better, and it’s going to stick with you a long time after the credits roll on the final ending.

I can’t say that what I played is a bad game, but saying that the audience for this isn’t somewhat narrow in scope would be doing it a disservice. Then again, Inhabitants just wanted to make something that’s serviceable, and I feel safe in saying that it succeeded on that front. It’s not very often you find yourself doing stealth in a 2.5D game these days, but it’s here and it’s doing its thing with reckless abandon. If you don’t mind the slow burn pace of the gameplay, you’re going to find yourself helping Abe stick it to the man to be an enjoyable experience.

Ashwalkers really just isn’t an interesting experience. It takes the post-apocalypse and manages to make it soporific. I can’t really recommend it unless you’re looking for a unique way to cure your insomnia.

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.

Demon Skin definitely needed a lot more work. It’s a buggy mess and a number of features mentioned in the help section or announcement trailers are just straight up missing. At its core, it has a plot they seem to be trying to do something original with, and a combat system that makes blocking more engaging. They could have done so much more, but at the end of the day I cannot recommend getting this.

It’s not terrible, and I can understand why people would gravitate toward it on mobile devices. But on your desktop? There are better uses of your computer.

What the Dub?! knows what it wants to be, and it does it well, straight-forward and with very little frills. If you have a friend group that already enjoys the Jackbox series and other quick and easy party games, there’s little reason not to add this one to your rotation.

Monster Hunter Rise thus exceeded every expectation I had. It’s just as, if not more fun than World, and that’s saying a lot. Whether you are a veteran hunter or you’ve never laid eyes on the series before, you owe it to yourself to at least try it. It is absolutely among the best games on the Switch. It’s also a technical achievement for the platform and a system seller. You could wait for the PC version, but why? Play Rise now, and play it again then if you’ve got a gaming PC. A game so nice I’d buy it twice!

At the end of the day, Undermine is almost exactly what it looks like – a very solid and well-presented roguelike game in which you dive into a mine and try to pilfer the treasures within. That’s exactly what it’s trying to be, and that’s also what it succeeds at being with aplomb. For some people, that’s not going to be enough, just because… well, as mentioned, this is not an underserved genre at this point. It’s not hard to find a variety of roguelikes out there, and I’m sure there are people who will take a look at what the game has on offer and determine that they hardly need another one in their library. But if you like this genre? Well, you’re in for a solid treat, because it does what it’s trying to do well. What more could you ask for from a game?

If you’re looking for an emotional ride that will likely elicit a tear or two, Lost Words is something that should be on your list. Hiding under the basic gameplay is a story worth experiencing.

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.

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.

Everhood is nothing if not memorable. There’s flaws here and there, but they pale in comparison to the fun and unique time I had. It’s not a very long game, taking around six hours or so for the true ending, but there’s plenty of different choices to make and self-imposed challenges to try.

All in all, I have to say that, while brutally difficult for me, Monster Supercross 4 was still a lot of fun to play because of the overall quality and completeness of the experience. The game is a thrill, that much is certain. I imagine fans from the previous entries and people who real know their Supercross are past the learning curve and will get into this game instantly. While the experience is epic, even for a total noob at realistic sports games like me, I have to dock points for the rough on-boarding experience in this otherwise excellent title. A persistent beginner will have the game grow on them and potentially make them an even bigger Supercross fan. But if you’re totally new and curious about the sport, the weak tutorial and lack of explanation of terms in the sport is a significant barrier.

Nearly everything about Neputnia Virtual Stars just feels like half-assed fanservice for the sake of fanservice. The gameplay – while somewhat competent – feels undercooked, the story is flat out boring, and the presentation doesn’t do much to salvage the first two. The inclusion of VTuber content is dim bright spot, but it’s not bright enough to bring this game up to any sort of recommendation. Prospective players should just skip this one, and Neptunia fans deserve better than this disappointment.

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.

In some ways, Natsuki Chronicles is a slight thing. It’s certainly not going to be the game that makes people who never play shoot-em-ups reconsider that stance, nor is it the sort of thing that you’re likely to devote months of play to unless you have a burning desire for a new shooter and this is the extent of your options in that regard. However, there’s nothing wrong with it being slight in that regard. What the game seeks to do, it accomplishes well and with aplomb, missing some minor technical issues with its presentation. And it certainly has more than enough content to keep you engaged as you challenge higher difficulties, grinding your stage level up for a little more defense, trying to earn up the credits for a new primary weapon. So it’s a little thing, but it’s a fun little thing. That’s what it wants to be, and it deserves good marks for aiming at a simple target but hitting it with notable skill.

Mechanically, visually, and immersion-wise, Altdeus: Beyond Chronos is a massive step forward for visual novels in the VR medium. While the genre still has a way to go, this title shows that it can be successful in virtual reality. The writing here, though, leaves a lot to be desired. I’m used to visual novels having slow opening routes, but completely foregoing any real character development for hours made this game incredibly difficult to get into. Once over the hump of the initial route, though, Altdeus managed to provide an entertaining story, one that I didn’t mind strapping my Vive headset on for. It’s not mind-blowing by any means, but it’s still a worthwhile read.

On the bright side, what Romancing Distance tries to do it does well. Exploring the colorful environment and making decisions was enjoyable, although I wish there had been more of it. Serenity Forge also did a great job in creating characters that are fun to read about. Robin and Stephen’s interactions kept me engaged and I was curious to see how their quarantine romance would develop the entire time. Ultimately, I am glad I gave Half Past Fate: Romancing Distance a try, but I am also thankful that it was short and hope that maybe in the future there is an update where the couple gets their in-person happy ending.

Nioh 2 is a refinement of an already great game. The biggest flaw in my opinion of the previous title was that it was difficult to hop into. Truly getting to know a moveset required an investment that wasn’t always easy to recover, and trying to put together a build felt foolish for anything you’d replace down the line. Now it feels a lot more open to experimentation. Everything I loved about the original is still here of course. There’s more stylish moves than ever to learn, and the bosses are more than happy to slam me to the mat any time I start getting overconfident.

Overall, despite all of my complaints, I did have a great time playing through Ys IX. Despite the boring setting and the frustrating continuation of tower defense segments, the core of the game is still Ys. Battles are fun and frantic, and the new exploration mechanics just feel amazing and satisfying to use. The problem is the game feels like a major step back from the previous entry in the series. The stilted storytelling, boring setting, and just decent soundtrack all feed into my feelings of disappointment. Lacrimosa of Dana was one of the best games I played in 2017, and the fact that Ys IX doesn’t reach that high is frustrating. If you’re in the mood for more Ys, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is still worth a play. This isn’t a bad game in the slightest…just a disappointing one compared to the highs of recent series entries.

It feels like someone put a lot of heart into Habroxia 2, but heart only goes so far. It’s a decent enough attempt at a side-scrolling shooter, but lacks the polish I’d expect from a game these days. A bit more balance considerations, some more context for why you’re fighting the things you are, and some longer music tracks, and it would be an alright retro throwback. As it is, it’s a bit mediocre.

Disjunction offers a solid, fun take on the stealth action genre. While it stumbles at times with the feel of its stealth mechanics, it is still satisfying and fun to play, aside from the one time my game progress mysteriously got deleted and I had to start over (though it hasn’t happened again). If you enjoy action stealth experiences like those found in the early Metal Gear games and games like Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (except being 2-D) and you like new retro-styled games in the modern era, chances are good you can enjoy this game, even if it doesn’t have the most realistic stealth mechanics.