With its wealth of content and comedy, Monster Camp establishes itself as the year’s premier dating sim. Fans of the original will feel right at home; the gameplay remains relatively untouched, save for a number of adjustments.

Tinytopia is a casual city builder that hits all the fun notes without asking too much of the architect. About a dozen hours of pure fun, only a few bugs, and an easily-gamed happiness meter hold it back. It’s good city-building comfort food.

No Man’s Sky is an unforgettable adventure, one plagued by lack of direction and lack of meat. It brings about one of the most incredible worlds ever seen in a video game, but it doesn’t always take advantage of that. Despite the issues, No Man’s Sky is a milestone in video game development.

Elex II is a blast, both literally and figuratively. What Piranha Bytes was able to achieve in Elex I they were able to build upon, expanding on a world that lives and breathes independently and because of your character. Aside from those little technical issues, the game is sound. I feel like you could also easily get into playing Elex II without having played the first game. However, if you want to understand all of the references, maybe at least watch a recap video first. Either way, this game holds a lot of promise, especially when you consider all the different routes you can take on your playthrough. Who knows where you’ll end up?

This year, the changes to the defense and boost in presentation slide it away from “minimal” and feel much more substantial. But unfortunately, I find the player aspect of Connected Franchise to be one of the biggest parts of the whole Madden experience, and it being a husk of its former self is more than a little disappointing.

Eagle Flight transcends its simple concepts, bringing the world of flight to life in a way I could not have expected. With incredibly intuitive controls it is accessible by any audience, and all without nausea. If you own a PSVR, Eagle Flight is a must-have.

In the end, Suicide Guy is a surprisingly goofy romp through the dreams of a typical slob. The story isn't the deepest, but it gets points for subverting expectations and not being a cliche. The variety of level designs and clever methods of completion are refreshing. It provides a fun little challenge without becoming a chore.

Party Animals presents an overall fun and chaotic experience that will have players laughing with their friends. The characters are cute, the boards are fun and the multiplayer aspect is a plus. However, since the release date, not much has been added which makes the game short-lived with content and can demotivate players to pick this title up again.

While Tchia's story doesn't find the steadiest of footing, its world and portrayal of culture are outstanding. The gameplay is also a lot of fun, even with a decent amount of padding to keep you busy in the gorgeous open world. New Caledonia is certainly worth the visit in this digital representation.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot on Switch is a stunningly uncompromised port of last year’s massive RPG. It looks and runs fantastically, while also including all three DLC chapters in a perfectly portable package.

Midnight Deluxe is a cute little platformer that relies on golf-like controls to reach your goal. It isn't the hardest game, but it offers a nice challenge for a casual gaming session.

Sea of Thieves is a disgustingly enjoyable game that is endlessly entertaining among friends. That said, it has an incredible deficit of organized content, too few customization options, and needs a bigger, more varied world map. I have no doubt that as the game grows and evolves, it will become an iconic, phenomenal title, but for now it remains deeply flawed even while being relentlessly fun.

So is it worth playing? Actually, yes, though you’ll want to watch some footage first, or be aware of the limitations of rally racing. There is no traffic or simultaneous opponents, and the lack of precipitation takes away the fun and unpredictable elements of rally. With no snow, ice, rain or mud, the times you’re racing against feel fixed rather than based on the day’s conditions.

If you aren't expecting much in terms of graphics or sound or are looking for an old school RPG playing experience on your PSP, you won't be disappointed by PoPoLoCrois.

Escape from Ever After is a simple, enticing turn-based RPG with a great sense of humor. It features storybook worlds many of us are familiar with and bends them in a way that keeps the characters new and fresh. If you’re a fan of comedy, Paper Mario, or RPGs in general, you should give this a go. Whether you’re 7 or 70, there’s a good time to be had here.

I found So Many Me Extended Edition to be extremely frustrating. It requires laser precision and a psychic amount of forward thinking that makes its skill floor very high. However, if you enjoy throwing yourself at puzzles over and over, bending a game’s mechanics until they succumb to your will, and collecting everything you possibly can, you’ll find a lot to love in this small, adorable package.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a delightful update to a classic, and just the kick in the pants the series needed. It’s a return to what made the spinoff so beloved in the first place, from the emotional story to the difficult resource management and boss fights. With a gorgeous watercolor art style, the world of Pokémon has never looked better.

Battletoads (2020) keeps the soul of the notorious original game intact while revitalizing it with interesting minigames, hilarious writing, and couch co-op that makes this a worthy reason to revisit Zitz, Pimple, and Rash. While the absence of online co-op is pretty disappointing and the beat ‘em up gameplay can become dull by the end of the campaign, this short ride is one I can full-throatedly recommend.

While Knack remains an uninspired protagonist, Knack II’s gameplay more than makes up for his bland character. Vast improvements in combat, visual fidelity, platforming, and the addition of cooperative play realize much of the potential the original Knack was meant to achieve. Knack II is a fine example of how a sequel can improve on its predecessor in nearly every way.

Romancing Saga 2 - Revenge of the Seven is a brilliant culmination of many of my favorite aspects of JRPGs. While I have some complaints about technical issues and details about implementation, the quality of mechanics and exploration easily blow past them. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed with this sprawling narrative full of secrets and challenges.

Mortal Shell is an action RPG that uses the sleeve of the soulslike genre to create something unique enough to stand on its own two feet. Though its campaign is short and predictable, the beautiful world, interesting body-swapping mechanics, and strong technical performance more than make up for how liberally it borrows from other games.

This standalone expansion to SUPERHOT is a welcome addition to the formula. What it lacks in bespoke puzzle elements, it makes up for in a completely fresh and vastly expanded approach to the central concept.

While it still has many issues, Rune Factory 5 on PC is leagues better than its console counterpart. There are a decent amount of graphics options and full keyboard and mouse support so you can farm, fight, and fall for characters at a far more stable frame rate.

Weedcraft Inc. is an interesting tycoon game that focuses on the weed business. The premise may be controversial to some, but it offers an experience not typically known by people. The resource management can be challenging and fun, though the soundtrack may get annoying.

Disgaea 4 is charming and light-hearted with a fun battle system with depth that is less on the surface than some might be looking for. If you’ve never played it before, the price and content packed in make the Vita version the right choice for those looking to try it out.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the best representation of the series’ storyline in over twenty years of games. While animations in cutscenes may be too stiff and there are occasional bugs, the simple yet difficult to master gameplay and the sidequests that succeed in building a world we’ve already come to love make this a must-play Dragon Ball experience.

If you are looking for a challenging RPG that gives you plenty of options, then give Stranger of Sword City a good look.

Telltale’s take on Batman is fresh, and shows a side of Bruce Wayne most games shy away from, and that’s enough to make it interesting as we head into the rest of the season.