Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles manages to take one of the most beloved fantasy RPGs of all time and update it for a modern audience, without losing the soul of what made it so special in the first place. This is a near-perfect remaster of an already near-perfect game, and I found myself marveling more than once that it even exists at all. The overhauled graphics are gorgeous, but don’t diminish the character of the original release. The story is more relevant today than ever before, but it isn’t a response to our current times, it was a warning from the past about what would come to pass if we allowed things to continue unchecked, as they have. The updates to the writing and the addition of voice acting are almost always a welcome change, and the quality of life improvements go beyond simple UI updates. Everything that you could ever want from a Final Fantasy game is here, and it is one that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Even with controls and camera work that feel slightly like a relic, there’s nothing here that would make you think the world got it wrong 15-20 years ago as far as these games are concerned. They were pinnacles of 3D platforming then, and they remain that way today as well.

Not many games in recent years have come up with something as thrilling as taking on massive robot monsters like you find here, and it’s a mark of how well it’s done in Forbidden West that every time you see one of those familiar flashes, you’ll feel your adrenaline start pumping as you draw your bow and arrow and take aim. Obviously, it’ll be even more fun if you have a PC that runs the game without any compromises. But even if you just want something for your Steam Deck, Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition delivers.

I absolutely enjoyed my time with Ara: History Untold, and I think anyone that’s enjoyed a round or two of the Civilization series will feel right at home with this. It also has a solid tutorial to help on-board new players, so even if you’ve never touched a 4X game before, I think you’ll find that Ara is friendly towards new players too. There’s a ton of different ways to build out your empires, and the use of a Prestige system as an option to victory, wherein you gain points for various actions taken, is a solid way of deciding a winner even if you have multiple nations still standing at the end of a game. Definitely check Ara: History Untold out when it launches this week, you won’t be disappointed.

Playing While Waiting made me look back at my own life and reminisce about the good, the bad and the things I’ve yet to or maybe will never accomplish. While the game is accessible for ages I feel like it certainly would help if you’ve got some years in to fully appreciate the game’s message.

All-in-all, these re-releases are the best ways to experience the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen games. The censor inclusion is mostly whatever, and you do have to buy each language separately as a unique game, but you do get the upcoming support for Pokémon Home, access to legendary and mythical Pokémon not available anymore in the original games, and a significantly larger screen than the 2” screen of a Game Boy Advance to play the games on. Whether you’re a longtime fan looking to relive that nostalgia from when you were younger, a newer fan looking to experience the classics, or someone who’s just now looking into playing Pokémon for the first time, these ports are a great option.

All-in-all, these re-releases are the best ways to experience the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen games. The censor inclusion is mostly whatever, and you do have to buy each language separately as a unique game, but you do get the upcoming support for Pokémon Home, access to legendary and mythical Pokémon not available anymore in the original games, and a significantly larger screen than the 2” screen of a Game Boy Advance to play the games on. Whether you’re a longtime fan looking to relive that nostalgia from when you were younger, a newer fan looking to experience the classics, or someone who’s just now looking into playing Pokémon for the first time, these ports are a great option.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Pragmata. It does a great job of breathing fresh air into the third-person shooter genre, while offering up an interesting story, great lead characters, and some fantastic looking designs throughout. I certainly hope to see more from the Pragmata universe in the future, as it seems like there’d be plenty of room for a sequel down the road, and I think players will really have a great time with this one when it launches at the end of the week. Definitely check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

All in all, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic co-op game with lots of content (and arguably the best structure to live service I’ve seen in a long time) wrapped up in a nice $40 package. The price point is right (even if you take into consideration the additional $20 “upgrade”), the content is plentiful and it feels like a game that respects your time. I genuinely have a hard time saying anything negative about the game, especially now that the servers are stabilized and the developers are active on Twitter (X, if you care about that detail) updating the community about game updates and stability hiccups. It is a bit on the difficult side if you’re not playing with at least a friend, but I highly recommend a full group of 4 for the best experience. There are a good few types of missions, and some of them are very challenging as a solo player. If you don’t mind a good challenge, however, or have friends you can party up with, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic time and I sincerely believe you will enjoy yourself.

If you’ve been wanting to see more real-life Williams tables represented in Pinball FX, this is another really great pack of games that’s well worth checking out. If you’ve never played Banzai Run or Earthshaker! before, then you’re certainly in for a treat.

I will not pretend that Marathon is a game for everyone. I don’t even think it’s a game for most people who enjoy FPS games, but… that does not stop it from being a great game in the end. Marathon offers a lot to give people the ability to experience a hardcore looter shooter in a more well-designed and refined environment than has otherwise been available before its existence. Tarkov or Delta Force might look good, but what they are both missing is that casual friendly polish that you can only get from a studio with a long history like Bungie. In my opinion, both of the aforementioned games suffer from being unpolished in the grander view in a way that, while not necessarily making them bad, definitely makes them hard to approach. Marathon’s UI might be a bit wild, but it’s not the crazy patchwork that you’ll find in its competitors. It does what every other extraction shooter before it has done, but more polished and cohesive. There’s always clear goals and expectations, and upgrades are easy to understand and progress. Marathon is, in my opinion, the clearest winner of the genre to date that offers the kind of experience it does.

Was Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves worth the nearly two and a half decade wait? Absolutely! Despite the wild ride the game has promotionally (The uproar over the “real people” inclusion as playable characters, then having said real person, Salvatore Ganacci show up to open this year’s WrestleMania), the game is certainly one which will stand the test of time. My only hope is that the support is there which will help SNK further bolster the roster and features so that the streets of South Town will never be too quiet. I mean after all, we still don’t know what Cristiano Ronaldo would do with the Jin scrolls…

Once again, this second IREM collection is solid, with three great games that are fun and challenging. Players old and new will definitely find something to like here, exactly like the previous volume. I hope these collections continue as IREM has a wide library of great games that will no doubt make for some more great collections. Great games, great challenge and a good price, IREM Collection Volume 2 is highly recommended.

Parasol Stars is a fantastic, single screen game that challenges while it charms. Easy to learn but hard to put down, this game is what classic gaming is all about. I only played this a small amount during its initial release, but only after a few playthroughs with this release and I have a new favorite classic. It’s even more fun when 2 players take on the challenges together! Definitely give this one a try if you can, you won’t regret it.

Overall I would highly recommend checking out both games in this collection, whether you’re picking it up as a bundle or as separate releases. Both games are great, and even if Monster Hunter Stories is a little dated compared to the sequel, it’s still a lot of fun. Even if you’ve never played a traditional Monster Hunter title before, Monster Hunter Stories Collection offers up such a different take on the series that you’ll have no trouble starting here. It is very much its own thing, and something that I hope we continue to see more of in the years to come.

WWE 2K25 is certainly not without its glitches (of course not on the level of the dumpster fire that was 2K20), and for the most part they’ve already been improved via patches. In my opinion, 2K25 is a must buy for a current or lapsed wrestling fan. It’s better than last year’s release, which is still saying a lot, and it’s miles better than the AEW release which feels like an eternity ago.

The music in Roboquest is fantastic with the synthwave Carpenter Brut-inspired soundtrack amping me up as I ran and gunned my way through each biome. Although the gameplay can get somewhat repetitive after a while, there is still so much variety to discover. If you’re looking into dipping your toe into the Souls/rogue-like pool, I would strongly recommend giving Roboquest a look.

If you’re a fan of JRPGs or looking to dip your feet in, Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Definitive release on the Switch is an excellent start and comes back boasting new features, new content, and updated quality of life to truly make it worth your while. It is an absolute gem and is a game to keep on your radar, even if the story leaves a little to be desired.

Lunar Remastered Collection is a fantastic collection of two of the greatest early ’90s RPGs to ever be released for home consoles. Even with the subtle changes that were made to the voices and some of the dialog, you will never find yourself hating your experiences with either of the games included. Definitely pick this one up if you love classic RPGs, have already experienced the world of Lunar or are looking for a pair of fantastic games that offer experiences that will stay with you for a long time.

It’s an absolute blast to play through, with impressive visuals, an appropriately metal soundtrack, and some really wild set-pieces that deserve to be seen. Absolutely pick this one up when you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.

The Invincible stands out as the best space exploration game of 2023, and yes, I understand the statement that I am making there. It is not a dig against any other games that may have come out this year and also focused on space exploration, but rather a celebration of what the team at Starward Industries has managed to accomplish with The Invincible. 2023 has been a juggernaut of a year as far as incredible game releases go, (while also being an awful year for the people making games, with over 6,000 layoffs in the industry and counting) and it would be easy for The Invincible to get lost in the shuffle. I am here to beg, to implore you, to INSIST that you take the time to check out The Invincible if it looks like something you would even be remotely interested in. I have not stopped thinking about this game since finishing it, and I think it deserves a place at the top of any “End of the Year” list for best games.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D walks a tightrope of appealing to a brand new audience while also remaining true to the original that helped shape gaming as we know it today. This endeavor could have ended up a disaster in so many ways, but it ended up being nearly perfect. I fell in love with this series all over again and find myself more appreciative of the time-saving mechanics than ever. This is the best way to play one of the best games of all time, and it has catapulted my excitement for the upcoming HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest I & II into the stratosphere.

If you’re like me, and were initially a little lukewarm on Cyberpunk 2077, then definitely give Phantom Liberty and the new 2.0 patch a shot. It makes for a much better experience overall, and the Phantom Liberty storyline is a blast to playthrough. This gives me a lot of hope for what the next entry in this series will end up being, and has reignited my interest in a possible follow-up in a way that I didn’t think was possible.

The biggest selling point for me with the Separate Ways DLC is how much I wanted a game centered around Ada and her mysterious story. We always get her with background plot points and the story has indeed aged like fine wine, but still so little is known about her. I feel Resident Evil 6, which I hate to talk about, gave her the most screen time, but I think it’s time. If this remake and the DLC is any indication we are in for a solid remake of the next game or sequel in the series. I’m looking forward to it regardless as always.

Rolando is filled with a great cast of characters, each of which have their own abilities, and it makes a real effort to ensure you’re using those abilities to their full extent – whether it’s a hyperactive ball who can’t stop moving, a lazy king ball who needs to be rolled everywhere, or a ball that sticks to surfaces (among many others). The game is a riot of colour, and it knows how to create different worlds that mix things up enough to keep it interesting, both in terms of design and in terms of visuals. Rolando was a triumph of mobile gaming on its first release, and Rolando Deluxe shows that it’s every bit as great now.

I know I really hammered on the Showcase mode, but I really did enjoy my time with WWE 2K24 as a whole, I just expected better from that mode especially based on its history. Regardless of that mode this is the definitive wrestling video game of this year or even the past five years! The enormous roster and multitude of match types will leave you with many hours of dream matches or fantasy bookings. This is an absolute buy, so grab a copy and FINALLY finish your story. Also let’s go McIntyre!

Arc Raiders does more than any other game I’ve seen to deliver an experience to the extraction shooter genre that allows everyone to feel good. This is a release that you shouldn’t miss, and even if you’re afraid of extraction shooters, Arc Raiders is worth your eye if you’re even generally interested in shooter games. At a $40 day one price, it’s more than fair for the quality delivered, and Embark has proven with The Finals that they are reliable with keeping fresh updates dropping regularly to keep the experience fun for regular players. The numbers don’t lie; there’s a reason Arc Raiders is sitting in the top 5 games for player count on Steam since launch day.

CYGNI: All Guns Blazing is a very surprising release. These kind of games usually aren’t done well enough to garner attention from today’s gamers, but Konami really hit it out of the park with this one. It can be difficult and seem a little unfair at times, but that is what makes a great vertical shooter. The challenge is real here, and you feel accomplished when you finally make it through that difficult area. If you are a fan of these classic style, vertical scrolling shooters, or just looking for a solid challenge, then CYGNI: All Guns Blazing has you covered. Definitely check this one out anyway you can, you won’t be disappointed.