Samurai Warriors 5 is a great way for newcomers to jump into the long-running series. With a redesigned cast and amazing new gameplay mechanics, this marks a new era for the franchise.

When you return to a return, you risk drowning in sentiment to the detriment of the experience. Instead, Return to Dream Land Deluxe skillfully channels its sentiments to refresh Kirby’s legacy and add something new on top of it. It is perhaps the most Kirby game to ever Kirby, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I wish Pirates of the Caribbean was easier to get in to than it is, but it's worth your time if you're willing to hang in there.

Remedy games are about the experience, and the team nailed that with FBC: Firebreak. While I wouldn’t say it’s in the upper echelon of their titles, Firebreak succeeds in being an entertaining cooperative adventure into the depths of the Oldest House. It’s fresh in a way only Remedy can make; a worthwhile experiment. Thanks to them, I’ll never look at sticky notes the same again.

The main benefits are the intriguing single-player scenarios and the tweaks to make warfare a more feasible strategy.

An authentic reimagining of the first act as a 30+ hour action-oriented thrill ride with new sub-plots, characters, and an elegant, modern interpretation of the ATB combat system. The remake is still best experienced on consoles, however, where solid performance and controls can be guaranteed.

Massive in scope and improving on its predecessor, Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a triumph in every way that matters. While certain aspects are underdeveloped, or simplified to embrace player choice, the Nemesis 2.0 system, combat improvements, and genuinely engaging combat system keep things fresh for the 40 hour adventure. If only they hadn’t followed the movies and extended the ending well past its welcome.

While a few levels can be frustrating, the rest of the game’s ingenuity, cleverness, and execution more than make up for it. If you’re willing to go through the initial slog, Professor Lupo has something truly special in store for you.

Whether you’re a Zelda fan or a Dynasty Warriors gamer there’s a lot to be happy about in this mash-up title.

The definitive way to experience the forefather of the survival horror genre. There may be some elements that are frustratingly outdated but the game is still terrifying and plenty of fun to play.

The Nintendo Switch is steadily increasing its plethora of party games, and The Jackbox Party Pack 3 is a perfect addition to zany multiplayer experiences. With five unique titles from which to choose, its charming presentation and hilarious challenges more than make up for its sometimes uneven mechanics. You’ll be screaming all night… in laughter, of course.

Shooty Fruity is a strange, delightful VR game which combines the stress of simulation with the catharsis of a shooter. Rounds are short, frantic five-minute affairs which will test your ability to multitask, identify a threat, prioritize, and your aim. A hilariously fun and challenging title, Shooty Fruity is just as much fun for the VR fanatic as it is for the casual player.

Keeping the beat in Jungle Rumble is a short but enjoyable experience. Those looking for a quick rhythm or puzzle fix on their Vita will find it here.

You might forget the STROL virus, or that you are tackling insurgents and mutants, but you won’t forget just how much fun you have, solo or with a local co-op friend, with the non-stop action of Solstice Chronicles: MIA. While there are still some areas to be polished, and online multiplayer is unfortunately missing, Solstice manages to translate the souls of games like Alien Breed and Helldivers into a challenging two-player or solo adventure.

A deceptively difficult shooter, Lovely Planet Arcade mixes adorable graphics with addictive action and a great soundtrack.

Greedfall is a highly ambitious step for Spiders, and one that shows that they are hitting their stride. With excellent voice acting and gorgeous environments, Greedfall serves as a grand adventure in a genre that is sorely needing a fresh face. There are still some bugs to crush, but once those are gone, only a memorable RPG capable of filling the open world RPG void will remain.

Anthem’s rich storytelling and engaging combat lays the foundation for Bioware’s newest adventure. While there are plenty of quality of life improvements to be made, Anthem’s ambitious approach to the looter-shooter genre is encouraging given the development team’s steadfast community engagement. With a roadmap stretching far into the horizon, we’ll be flying around the world of Anthem for a long time to come.

As furry visual novels go, Winds of Change is in the upper echelon. Leaps and bounds from its predecessor, this follow-up boasts a charming cast of characters, wonderful character models, and some great storytelling. If you want a fantasy tail… erm, tale to sink your teeth into, this is one you should check out.

Overall, I’ve had a great time with Fate/EXTELLA thus far. The presentation is a bit rough around the edges, the story is incredibly confusing (I’m only really understanding bits since I’m familiar with the universe — I can’t imagine what it must be like playing this game with no context at all), and of course, Warriors-type gameplay can get repetitive and rarely is anything new done to shake up the general formula. However, the game provides plenty of ways to break up the monotony of the basic combat, and even if I need to take a break between sessions, I still have a blast just feeling like an overpowered one-man-army and defeating scores of enemies at a time. At the very least, it will tide me over until the more polished Fire Emblem Warriors arrives later this year.

Gravity Rush 2 is a charming and fun game. The impressive AI does a fantastic job of building bonds between players and characters. A wonderful soundtrack alongside a wide variety of mission types come together to create a vivid and large open world. The game is hampered by poor camera controls and some hiccups in the story, but overall, the experience is one that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be playing again.

Nicalis’ marriage of puzzle and fighting game elements in the fan service-heavy Crystal Crisis coalesces in a largely satisfying experience. While the roster can feel unbalanced, loading times can be long and the story mode feels trite, the overarching, nuanced gameplay will keep players strategizing and returning to Crystal Crisis time and time again.

The length of the missions works well for a portable game, and having relatively short load times helps.

Dave the Diver is a whacky, 2D/3D game that mixes several genres to form a fun adventure with silly characters and never a shortage of things to do. Each trip into the mysterious Blue Hole is different, and you’ll have plenty of quests and upgrades to work on. Spend your days diving, and your nights running a sushi bar. If you are looking for a great balance of not too hard, not too easy, Dave the Diver is it. While some of the missions can get kind of hairy, managing your resources is what it’s all about. The story is fun, and I really enjoyed the MarinCa app that gives us facts about sea creatures we catch!

Pato Box takes the Punch-Out!! fighting style and gives it a Madworld aesthetic, resulting in an unexpectedly wonderful combination. The 3D sections aren't the most exciting, but the boss fights more than make up for that. Pato Box offers an intense challenge that will put your gaming skills to the test, but also potentially frustrate you at the same time.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a charming platforming with tons of variety in its theming and level design that, while short and easy, will put a smile on your face and remind you of classic platformers like Spyro the Dragon.

The depth on offer in Cities Skylines is staggering, which is why being able to pick that up and take it with you is so exceptional. There is a limit to how successfully the console version is able to emulate the PC experience, but it does a good enough job that I can’t recommend the game enough to the Switch owner hankering for a city building game for their favorite hybrid console.

Godfall is a godlike load of fun to play. I am a firm believer in giving games a second chance and this one is no exception. Gameplay is smooth and uncomplicated, as is really the rest of it, making it easier to get into, and it’s oh-so-satisfying.

The newest installment in the Far Cry franchise runs into a few hiccups, most namely its tiring combat system. The new taming/companion system is well executed and Ubisoft has crafted a respectable amount of detail with their sculpture of 10,000 BCE. While it sometimes feels like just more Far Cry, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.