Worldend Syndrome isn’t going to change anyone’s minds about visual novels. That’s not the developer’s goals. This is a title aimed squarely at existing fans of the genre. For the forgiving segment of that audience, this is a must play. Worldend Syndrome is a highly-enjoyable read and the story goes places, but it feels like the uninitiated would need to do some homework before jumping in to get the most out of it. Those without a familiarity of the genre can still get some enjoyment out of it, but they would be better served waiting for a sale price. Those that don’t like the genre in general will simply use this as another example of how these games aren’t really “games.” That’s not the point, but there it is.

This mashup should work extremely well, but instead it comes across more as an interesting, but not always enjoyable, dungeon crawler with an oddball storyline. This tale becomes its saving grace as it slowly reveals each character’s backstory. Of course, the death and revival element is unique as well, though at times it proves frustrating more than anything else. Zanki Zero: Last Beginning provides an intriguing template that Spike Chunsoft may be able to refine into an amazing game with future attempts.

The World Next Door is not a title that’s going to rock anyone’s world, but it’s a good title that would be worth checking out for someone wanting something a little different. The puzzle combat system is enjoyable but could have benefited from further development to flesh it out a bit more. The story isn’t extraordinary but is still an enjoyable journey despite its anticlimatic ending. The game takes about four hours or so to complete, so it isn’t a huge time commitment. The world of Emrys is an interestingly designed world that can be fun to visit but is also not a bucket list destination.

Anyone with a taste for rhythm games in the style of Beatmania or DJMax needs to take Tapsonic Bold for a spin. Its killer soundtrack and tight gameplay make for a great combination for players of all skill levels. The massive amount of songs included in the base package is also far beyond what most modern music games offer. The developer’s continued updating of the game post-Early Access release also inspires confidence that they’ll continue to improve upon lesser aspects of the experience. Tapsonic Bold is simply one of the best pure rhythm titles you can get on PC.

As pleased fans will be to see Gradius and company (most of said company anyway) return in pristine, faithful fashion in such a welcomingly retrospective admiration — add to this the barebones features and basic presentation — beyond the most embedded of shmup enthusiasts, the Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection doesn’t quite come across as celebratory as you might think.

A satisfying streak of action-platforming madness together with some great world-building; the intentions and executions may not always come across fulfilled or impactful, but Katana Zero at least is a game that will attract on its narrative substance, as much its dynamic pixel-art style.

Like the winding roads of Farewell Wilderness that contain both serenity and danger, Days Gone is a journey with a winding range of emotions. Though the game borrows heavily from other open-world games, Bend Studios has done a solid job melding it together into a package that’s more than the sum of its parts.

Held back by one too many erroneous factors unfortunate that may be, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is still by far Image & Form’s most fascinating and mechanically-impressive entry in the series to date.

Mortal Kombat 11 provides a solid if unremarkable cast of characters to choose from and plenty of ways to customize them. It’s just a pity that much of the activities and rewards revolve so heavily around grinding and microtransactions.

Dangerous Driving hits the perfect melody at certain points when focusing on what the team set out for it to do: be a spiritual successor to Burnout. At its peak, it feels like a Burnout game. The controls and visuals are fantastic and are properly tipping the cap to late 1990s arcade games along with the Burnout franchise. Collisions are massive and there’s a good bit of variety of cars and game modes. What the game does bad really hurts the experience. The AI lacks basically anything and the return rewards of unlocking new modes and cars feels all for nothing.

One Finger Death Punch 2 is an epically huge arcade two-button brawler that shouldn’t be anywhere near as good as it turned out to be, but if stick-men are going to die by the thousands for our personal entertainment, they’re determined to put on the best show possible while doing it.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain may be a different type of EDF but its heart is powered by the epic bug-blasting, kaiju fighting combat that has always been the hallmark of the series’ incredible combat.

The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a title that everyone who loves a great well-written story should have and one that current fans can still enjoy returning to once more.

Islanders is a relaxing little builder more concerned with letting you get right to making the town than bogging you down with the details. There’s a learning curve, of course, but it’s a gentle one that lets you pick up the details at your own speed without feeling like it’s a failure when you can no longer advance.

The concluding chapters of Clementine’s journey remains as emotional and stressful as ever, but rarely feels purposeful enough to be a worthwhile finale for longtime fans. The key improvements to the gameplay and presentation sets them at an all-time high for the series, and the path AJ takes as a result of Clementine’s choices is truly impactful, but they are hindered by a lackluster cast and a meandering story that pales in comparison to previous seasons. While the real-life series of events that needed to occur for Clementine’s story to see its finale are certainly worth appreciating, it is unfortunate to see such a lengthy adventure end on such an uninspired note.

Diamond Dynasty has enough to keep you coming back for more and this is fueled by the Moments missions. The Show should always be considered as one of the top console exclusive games on the market as MLB The Show 19 is the definitive baseball game of this generation.

It’s extremely difficult to recommend Hadaka Shitsuji to visual novel fans out there due to two key reasons. The first is that the content included in the game is varied and quite extreme on occasion. Secondly, the routes are confusing and difficult to get right on a blind playthrough. The game is intriguing in its depiction of cruelty, but that’s certainly something of an acquired taste. Check the game out if you’ve got a taste for the extreme, sometimes absurd content, and an appreciation for butlers.

In terms of gameplay itself, Crafted World is a great step-up from Woolly World. It feels closer to the original Yoshi’s Island, with some brand new quirks added in along the way. Every single stage in Crafted World feels like an entirely different idea come to life, which makes it all feel like a brand new adventure the moment Yoshi jumps in. While the music is a bit of a disappointment, it’s still enjoyable and light-hearted the whole time which fits the soft adventures of the wonderful crafted Yoshi. Anyone who enjoys the Yoshi series or is looking for a laid-back platforming adventure should consider taking a trip into Yoshi’s Crafted World.

Xenon Racer is a good game that so desperately wants to be great, but it falls short in too many areas to reach that status. Cars feel a bit too weighty while tracks lack life due to low-quality trackside details. The game’s tough learning curve won’t be for everyone, but does offer a greater sense of reward than most games when it comes to making a victory feel like a true accomplishment. Unfortunately, visual problems and a mundane soundtrack hurt the overall presentation. The end result is a game that comes as a mild recommendation for racing fans until some of its issues are hopefully fixed with patches down the line.

This title is basically a celebration of twenty years of Atelier titles, and while it may not be the strongest entry in the franchise catalog, it’s a must play for longtime fans. Judging this title strictly on its gameplay merits would simply be a good game and nothing special to write home about, but the inclusion of so many past Atelier characters make this an enjoyable game for fans.

Nova Drift is a big, endless, beautiful universe of arcade combat, fusing the modern indie gaming style with the deepest roots of gaming history.

Take Us Back is a well-constructed but ineffective conclusion to Telltale’s The Walking Dead series. While the gameplay and presentation remain well-suited for the final hours of this journey, the waffling narrative holds back some of the episode’s final decisions from being truly meaningful. Although Take Us Back is not the lowest point in the series by any means, having the series finale falter in these crucial concluding moments makes each misstep seem that much larger as both Clementine and Telltale’s lengthy adventures reach their end.

Set against the backdrop of a gorgeous Japanese aesthetic, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice combines what makes a From Software title special into an excellent, solid package that fans are going to love. Death may be a constant in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but it’s worth getting up each time.

One Piece World Seeker may not be the game it wishes it was, but the thing it actually became is a perfect example of how much fun a mid-tier game can be if you approach it from a forgiving perspective.

Going from frustrating, to enlightening, to comical and back again to frustrating, all in such a short span of time. To incur — revel in even — all these emotions, yet still be so consistently intriguing and engaging an affair marks Baba Is You down as one of the year’s most thoughtful and entertaining releases thus far.

Some who want a deeply-engaging story for a memorable solo gaming experience may feel let down, but someone who wants competitive and team-based gun battles could easily get several dozen or maybe even hundreds of hours of enjoyment from this title. The RPG elements allow players to make their characters truly their own and allows the freedom to build within their preferred playstyle.

With so many narrative, technical and gameplay issues that pop up at almost every turn — all wound up within some of the worst third-person stealth mechanics imaginable — Left Alive is both a horridly-conceived experience and a fundamentally unenjoyable product to even attempt to immerse one’s self in.

Despite nailing the feeling of flying around in its Javelin suits and crafting a beautiful world, there’s nothing in Anthem to hold a player’s interest. It all gets old quickly thanks to bland encounters, dumb enemies, a borderline empty world and a dull story. Add to that a general sense of technical instability, loading issues, non-existent end-game and utterly boring loot, and the result is a game that feels unfinished, underdeveloped and wholly unsatisfying. Maybe check it out a year from now, but don’t even bother otherwise. There are many other games that offer a similar experience and they all do it better.

While the story feels rushed, and a couple missions could have been compressed into a singular one, Capcom has crafted a well-designed and finely-tuned structure that encourages exploration and experimentation.

Visual novel fans simply must play Steins;Gate at some point in their life. Whether it be the original or Elite is up to personal preference for the game’s initial artwork versus its totally animated visuals. Fortunately, animated scenes in no way hinder the excellent storytelling at work in the game. It expertly weaves scientific concepts, humor, drama and even horror together in one package. Thanks to Steins;Gate Elite, many more people will finally get to experience the incredible world of Steins;Gate for themselves.

Unruly Heroes is superb action game destined to go down as one of this year’s sleeper hits. Mind you, in a just world, it would be more than a sleeper. But high profile or not, this is still one expertly-crafted burst of action that surprisingly comes in many flavors. Between the absolutely gorgeous artwork, fun combat and platforming, varied gameplay, and an immense amount of charm that creates an amazing take on a classic legend, this is a title you shouldn’t miss. It truly is a case where our misfit heroes smashed their way to the top and did it with style.

The four albums’ worth of content (plus bonus EP) offer a huge amount of ape action, tossing guards around like blood-filled dodge balls in one new scenario after another and ending with a perfectly-themed final level. Combine that with its unique, iconic art style and amazing soundtrack and Ape Out is simply the coolest game with the hippest tunes 1959 can supply.

Dead or Alive 6 doesn’t make any drastic deviations from the previous titles, but adds just enough new features to feel fresh and exciting. The changes that were implemented in the training mode help make what is traditionally one of the most boring game modes enjoyable and helps a lot with mastering the fighting mechanics.

Trials Rising is a fun spectacle that puts the best of the nearly twenty-year-old series into one package.

While it may not be the first of its kind or groundbreaking, RemiLore brings the potential of even more to come in the future and starts in a great place that makes it well worth giving a try as it’s the perfect balance of challenge without being frustrating. RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Lands of Lore is a fun adventure with enjoyable dialogue and characters in addition to some great combat that makes it fun to replay again and again.

While it can be enjoyable, Jump Force’s power level is nowhere near 9000. This is unfortunate, as the concept for Jump Force is a good idea at its basic level and it’s clear the developers are passionate about the source material but the title ultimately does not live up to the idea’s potential. The story fails to really explain what’s going on and who all these characters are, but also is able to do so in a way where you don’t really care that you’re missing out on what should be pertinent information. The gameplay itself is enjoyable though not groundbreaking, and while there’s a fair amount of fun to be had here, there are more worthwhile options out there.

There are moments of tedium in Death End re;Quest, but there’s a compelling story and entertaining gameplay as well. This title doesn’t always shine, but there are flashes of brilliance when it does, in particularly adding a pinball-esque mechanic to battle. Imperfections aside, this is a worthwhile game to look into, especially for fans of other Compile Heart/Idea Factory games.

Dirt Rally 2.0 may just be the most complete racing experience of this generation. The physics and handling model will be a treat for hardcore racing fans, even if it pushes away casual racers. The improved lighting engine brings an utterly realistic and beautiful dynamic to gameplay as the cars look fantastic inside and out. Replays are truly a marvel despite some visual issues hurting the immersion. Yes, there are some things behind a seasonal DLC paywall, but that doesn’t affect what is being offered at launch. Dirt Rally 2.0 feels like the true racing game to test everyone’s driving ability.

The game isn’t the visual masterpiece one would expect from a AAA production, but it isn’t without its charm. It’s with Wrecking Zone that Sumo Digital stretches their wings thanks to the chaos of destructible environments, but the glaring lack of content and missing features makes it more of a curiosity rather than a fully fleshed out mode.

There’s a lot in Steam Prison’s favor from the onset. It features a gorgeous, lush design and intriguing setting. The murderous intro hooks readers in immediately. Of course, all the pursuable men (and even those that aren’t) look darn handsome. The darker content may leave a bitter taste in the mouth of players looking for pure romantic fun. With that said, the world of Steam Prison comes across as more realistic due to showing the best and worst in people. Players are in for a sweeping journey through the Depths if they’re ready to dive in.

Far Cry: New Dawn is an unexpected but welcome continuation of Far Cry 5. Hope County was an enjoyable setting, filled with memorable characters in conflict against one of the more compelling Far Cry villains, so it’s nice to return to it and help clean up the mess from the disaster Joseph Seed orchestrated.

Metro Exodus is an appropriate evolution of the series, leaving some of the linear restrictions behind and branching out into a more open-ended direction without losing sight of the importance of the story.

God Eater 3 is a good if unremarkable title in the monster hunting subgenre. This is a game that doesn’t excel in any one area, but none of its shortcomings are damning to the point of ruining an enjoyable experience. There are attempts at giving more depth to combat with the characters engaging each other and having burst attacks, but using these actions strategically doesn’t greatly alter the battle outcome from just button mashing. The repetitive mission structure paired with a story and characters that feel as if they could have been lifted from any number of games prevent this title from being exceptional, but for fans of the genre, there’s a good game hiding beyond these shortcomings.

Fans of the first game will ultimately love the changes, but the casual rider will have difficulty adjusting to the way the physics work and the actual racing. Learning the track and knowing when to accelerate and brake will require time to master. The online experience needs more of an investment to not only correct but also progress. Also, the game is still based on the previous season, and is missing fan favorite Ken Roczen. Capturing the essence of the sport for the fan is something Milestone has gotten right, but the game still lacks in the most important area, and that’s the racing.

Episode 2: Rules is a fantastic experience and continues to build on Dontnod’s reputation as the king of episodic gaming. Life Is Strange 2 has the potential to mesmerize players with its three remaining episodes and become a worthy contender for 2019’s GOTY (despite the first episode being released in 2018, of course).

There’s something incredibly satisfying about creating a map and feeling as though the exploration is just as important as the combat when every little thing matters.

Unfortunately the considerable lack of polish, indecisively wonky aesthetic and utterly dismal implementation of random events both visually and structurally — of which can leave your six/seven/eight hour run feeling wasted for nothing — leaves Genesis Alpha One feeling like an early build with far too many a hole to plug. There are some pleasant joys and novel moments to be had amidst the mundane and the cumbersome, but in the end, Radiation Blue’s multi-genre spanning venture — ambitious its intentions may be — delivers both an underbaked and amateurishly constrained effort.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the best entry in the series yet and provides a near-perfect blend of action and strategy. Those looking for something to fill the void of the long-gone After Burner series will like the quicker pace offered here. Longtime AC vets will love the quicker pace and increase on craft customization. Dogfights are a rewarding challenge and every part of the presentation is impressive. Its graphics are the best ever seen for a flight-based game and the soundtrack is outstanding too.

We’re only a month in and while we may already have some notable highlights, even to those heavily invested in this branch of explorative puzzle games, Vane feels like the first dull low of 2019.

It’s the type of ending so few stories get these days, and it’s told with strong performances from talented actors and gorgeous graphics that capture all the spectacle.

The first several songs are good fun to play but then the difficulty wall chunks itself into place and instead of playing the music you end up flailing away, hoping to clear away as many outer notes as possible while guarding the center ring against the advancing missed ones. You can survive that way, but it’s not particularly musical, and that’s a problem for a music-rhythm game.

Gameplay is far more superior to any other episodic title on the market, with Big Bad sending an important message to other developers that this aspect should never be overlooked in episodic gaming. From the opening moments of The Mad Ones, it’s clear as day that the RPG mechanics would bring forward an engaging experience over the story. The developer didn’t hold back from introducing a new mechanic in the later stage of the title and it seamlessly worked in harmony with the features that have been there since the opener. While it doesn’t boast mind-blowing visuals or sounds, The Council has a simple art direction that makes it feel right at home in the period that it takes place.

Capcom has not only recreated Resident Evil 2, but entirely redesigned it to be a bigger and more robust horror experience. The sense of dread and tension they created is unwavering throughout each of the six-hour campaigns. The choices they made only help expand upon the characters and the overall universe, along with making the gameplay a little easier for more people to survive this unforgiving world.

It would have been nice if Pikuniku was longer and had a bit more to its story, if only because it means spending more time with its interesting and charming world. Still, what we have is a fun blend of physics-based gameplay, traditional platforming, exploration, eye-catching art and a fun cast that makes for one cute, highly-enjoyable experience. It’s a quick little romp through a gleefully bizarre world that you won’t regret checking out.

As the final season of The Walking Dead is brought back to life by Skybound, the narrative plot continues to shamble aimlessly like the zombies that inhabit its world. A few emotional chats between Clementine and AJ and a finale-prepping conclusion makes the journey worth continuing, but Skybound will need to go above and beyond to provide Clementine the send off she deserves and make the fourth and final season one worth playing.

While many are coming to the game as a BL experience, it would better be classified as a pure horror visual novel. The fact that men have intimate relationships with one another is key to the plot, but it’s not a particularly positive or pleasant representation. The key thing that Sweet Pool has going for it is the unusual themes it presents players with. This is one of those games that you’ll end up thinking about even after you’ve finished it. Just be sure to go with the complete version if at all possible. The Steam edition is cut in such a way that it’s impossible to recommend playing without obtaining the patch.

Bowser Jr’s Journey is easy to overlook and it’s a shame it wasn’t a more thought-out experience that could have been enjoyable given a good shake up instead of just being a glorified mobile title. There’s a lot of things done right here, but also some missed opportunities that could have been better executed overall. Anyone who wants to dive back into the Mario & Luigi RPG series will likely enjoy their time with Bowser’s Inside Story, but it’s an extremely relaxed experience that won’t be too memorable outside lots of chortles along the way.

Despite a few wonky issues with combat at times, YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG more than succeeds in delivering a fascinating and unique tale that isn’t afraid to get bizarre and humorous while still making you sympathize with its cast and keeping you on the edge of your seat. Between the quirky visuals, stellar soundtrack and fun gameplay, Ackk Studios managed to polish the gameplay of late ’90s polygonal games while not losing sight of what made RPGs from that era fun.

A welcome return of Travis Touchdown. Amidst the enjoyable gameplay is great storytelling and dialogue set in imaginative game worlds. Fans of previous No More Heroes games and Suda51 games in general will find a lot to enjoy here. Going through the different game worlds watching the story unfold through an old-fashioned computer is highly entertaining and collecting the T-shirts from your favorite indie games gives treasure hunters something to occupy their time. More still, each different game level has enough variety to keep the repetitive combat from getting stale.

It may sound like I’m being tough on Onimusha: Warlords, but it’s still a solid experience with entertaining mechanics; just don’t go in expecting a whole lot.

Tales of Vesperia as a whole is a masterful game that deserves to be played by anyone who enjoys a good story. It’s not only one of the best Tales games, but it’s up there in the pantheon of impeccable RPGs. With so much new and enhanced content on an already impressive base, Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition starts 2019 off with a bang.

The daemonic theme took over far too much of the story’s focus. When coupled with technical issues, it has reinforced that The Council has lost potential written all over it. Despite the many negatives, there are positives to take away from the experience. Gameplay is engaging from start to finish, with its RPG mechanics reinventing an episodic experience. Big Bad’s multiple endings offer plenty of reason to revisit not only Checkmate, but also the first four episodes and see the different outcome from making a major choice. Once the finale is all done and dusted, either the player or Big Bad will utter one simple word depending on the final outcome of the story. That word is none other than checkmate.

The legend of Polybius is about a mysterious game that breaks the mind of those who play it, but Llamasoft’s version is somehow exciting and relaxing at the same time, and the result is a shooter that leaves the player in a better mental space than when they began.

Sakura Sakura is the kind of game to play when you’re not in the mood for anything serious. It keeps the mood light and provides plenty of laughs throughout the story. It also features a great deal of content to keep folks interested in seeing everything the game has to offer. The design decision to offer additional storylines and character development as optional is odd, but not annoying. Each character grows over the course of the game, which is more than can be said for many other high school-centered romance visual novels. As long as you don’t try to take Sakura Sakura too seriously, it’ll provide hours of wacky enjoyment.

Battle Princess Madelyn is a must play for fans of classic action titles from the ’80s and ’90s, but may be a tough sell for those who started their gaming career later.

The Minotaur Arcade games may not look like the same high-end product as Polybius or Tempest 4000, but they’re still top-notch games that will embed their voxels deep into your brain.

It might not get the balance right when it comes to deciding when and when not to teach players the rules in place, but for those willing to look past these frustrations and bear the brunt of a grueling introduction, BELOW‘s simplified stylings and anxious trek downward offer up a decent-enough spin on survival and roguelike exploration alike.

Scintillatron 4096 is a unique arena shooter. It’s got all the shiny effects and abstract enemies you’d expect, but demands a very different style of play. The deliberate target selection doesn’t mean it’s sedate by any means, but rather the fast-paced action needs to be more carefully planned.

Katamari Damacy was a unique and bizarre game that offered simple fun in lieu of a complex and twisting narrative. This title may be short and repetitive, but it’s extremely difficult to play this and not have a good time. Whether a newcomer or a fan of the PlayStation 2 version, the odd gem of a game should be included in every Switch owner’s library.

While Dusk is a throwback to an older type of game, it’s excellent in its own right, loaded with content and an absolute blast to tear through from start to finish.

The various mutants met with special skills can all be utilized for specific situations and provide the option to create a well-rounded team. Tactics-wise, Mutant Year Zero knocks those mechanics out of the park. Gameplay inconsistencies and forced grinding can wear one down, however, and keep the title from reaching its full potential. Overall, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is deserving of attention and provides solid entertainment for tactics fans.

GRIS is, simply put, one of this year’s masterpieces. Both in the sense that it looks like a work of art and plays like an absolute dream.

Desert Child eagerly attempts to pay homage to these influences and while isn’t so indulgent it wanes on the delivery of the gameplay itself, sadly what offer of gameplay there is ends up both repetitive and eventually drab to the point of boredom. Helped little by the disappointing lack of explanation or context for many of its objectives. And even at such a brief run-time of around four to five hours, Desert Child still ends up taking far too long at delivering what is, in actuality, so very little.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the biggest accomplishment in the series thus far. It leaves a lasting impact and is hard to put down for even a second when the smashing seems to beckon fighters back. Smashing opponents has never felt so fun, fluid and easy to pick up. While there’s places we can hope to see improvement, such as online, it’s still the best smash title in the series for party players and competitive alike. Ultimate is likely to stay around for a long time to come, as it’s hard to imagine any other Nintendo fighting title topping it for in a good number of years.

It’s strange to see that a follow-up that is in theory better wind up being less fun than the first, but that’s the case with Gear Club Unlimited 2. The game needed a bit more time in the oven and it’s evident in the final product.

Calling in powerful weaponry and vehicles to blow up bases of enemies rarely ever gets old. Traversing the distinct biomes while swapping between the wingsuit and parachute remains a fun way to get across the world. On the other hand, the terrible enemy AI quickly turns combat into a real bore and the redundant objectives strip the game of what makes it a blast in the first place. It also doesn’t help that, aside from the supply drops, the game’s signature features never live up to their potential.

What makes Earth Defense Force work so well is its complete commitment to the lunacy, presenting its aliens and flying saucers in a completely bombastic fashion that never once admits its all tongue-in-cheek despite being completely obvious that everyone involved is having a blast stuffing as much cheesiness as possible into each level and plot twist.

Despite its issues I kept on plugging away at Crimson Keep, not just to review it, but because it feels like if I can just figure out how to work around its shortcomings there’s a great dungeon crawl waiting to be found. When the random drops come together to provide a balance of food, weapons and health, Crimson Keep is honestly fun, even with the stiff combat. Get a few levels and choose the right perks and you can build a nicely powerful character, tough enough to survive the excellent variety of monsters if only you can remember to use all the abilities as they become available.

Fallout 76 tried to take the series in a new direction, and while Bethesda has done great things with the franchise in the past, this ultimately feels like a misstep. Fallout has always excelled as a single player experience, so hopefully we can see a proper Fallout 5 in the near future.

For an odd spin-off to an RPG series, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is very well executed. Its song library is more than a little sparse considering how many of the tracks are remixes, but each song offers its own challenge and is fun once one gets into its groove.

In the end, though, it’s the gameplay and music that’s king here, and both together make for a very enjoyable experience. It’s not worth the for $60 price tag for non-Persona 3 fans, but is worth trying after a price drop.

It’s the perfect title for longtime fans who want a relaxed experience, anyone who wants to try a Pokémon title for the first time or is just looking for something on the easier side to try with a younger relative. Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee! might not be a look at what to entirely expect for Pokémon’s future on console, but does a wonderful job as a first step moving forward from traditional handhelds.

It’s the perfect title for longtime fans who want a relaxed experience, anyone who wants to try a Pokémon title for the first time or is just looking for something on the easier side to try with a younger relative. Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee! might not be a look at what to entirely expect for Pokémon’s future on console, but does a wonderful job as a first step moving forward from traditional handhelds.

It’s true that the single player portion is a let down considering the massive amount of potential that peeks through, but the high-quality multiplayer manages to make up the difference. The only real question is in how quick and efficiently the final glitches can be resolved. Even with these present, the title is well worth a player’s time. Once the wrinkles get ironed out, the Battlefield V will be required playing for anyone with even a passing interest in throwing down online.

By no means perfect and at brief moments falling victim to its own expansive vision, Tetris Effect remains a welcome surprise to those appreciative to the series’ longevity and versatility of content. A fitting referral for that go-to saying: greater than the sum of its parts.

The Spyro games were legitimately great for the time, though, and thanks to an near-perfect balance between preservation and updating, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is every bit as excellent by today’s standards.

What exists currently is more than enough to make Cheap Golf worth a play, helping an AI grow from its initial self-awareness thanks to the amazing instructive power of endlessly creative minigolf courses.

Taiko is one of the greatest rhythm titles to ever exist, and although playing on a controller doesn’t quite replicate the true drumming feeling, Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum Session! is a masterful rhythm title that will hopefully continue to reach all fans for years to come.

The Quiet Man is nothing short of a shoddy, broken, incomplete, tonally-deaf chore of a few hours. Even some of the worst releases this year alone could, arguably, be deemed more ambitious and more focal to their aims (regardless of the end product/direction), but The Quiet Man doesn’t even rustle up the effort to at least try and explore its prime concept of a deaf protagonist. Worse, it doesn’t respect the players’ very presence and instead strips most of its reasoning and room for exposition away, leaving us with some of the most indulgent and confusing storytelling you’re likely to bear witness to.

Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition is a respectable spiritual successor to a legendary game. Yes, technically Dynasty Edition is added DLC, but it is the first to come out on a physical format and also on the Nintendo Switch. Even though the football action is a 1-to-1 representation of NFL Blitz, the strategy involved from the Dirty Tricks and field traps add a deeper and strategic experience to football. The Dynasty Mode is a worthy edition as has enough elements to make it stand out on its own. For $29.99, the package that is here is worth the price for a football fan of any level. Football nerds will all enjoy the name and team parodies where casual football fans will enjoy the action and comedy on the field.

Hitman 2 is the proper evolution to the Hitman formula. It may not be a monumental step forward for the franchise, but the number of features and adjustments that are made only help create a more gratifying and highly-captivating experience.

The bottom line with SNK 40th Anniversary Collection boils down to whether or not someone has fond memories of the included games or at least those style of games from the ’80s. The collection presents these games in a manner that should please any fan of these titles, but there doesn’t seem to be much here to convert someone who is only interested in modern games.

Black Bird is a wonderful, sad, strange, funny, cute and bizarre shooter that can’t quite make its gameplay match the quality of everything else.

Gal Metal’s fun, silly story is a super-cute gateway to the driving rhythms of metal drumming, and once you’ve got a few rhythms in your head, it pays off in a way that makes you want to learn more.

For anyone still having avoided or otherwise missed the original release a decade ago, a willingness to look past the temporary frustration of its controls notwithstanding, The World Ends With You: Final Remix remains, in both gameplay and story, as splendid a JRPG as it’s always been.

GRIP: Combat Racing is a must-buy for anyone craving non-stop racing action, going far beyond just being a modern-day version of Rollcage while offering a wide variety of gameplay options.

Simply put, Call of Cthulhu is a game of wasted potential. Its investigation system is fun, and something that could have easily carried the game on its own, working perfectly with the world of Lovecraft. And even any of the other gameplay elements could have made for a good adaptation. But when they mix together, the end result is a mediocre, cluttered mess that’s over too soon for anything to make an impact. Maybe hardcore fans of Lovecraft or the tabletop game can get some enjoyment out of things, but you’re better off waiting for The Sinking City instead.

It’s an amazing title that exceeds all expectations, and even during some of the more difficult sections is hard to put down for more than a few minutes. There isn’t a single recent title that comes to mind that truly captures what made retro titles great while also managing to be outstanding all by itself. Save Me Mr Tako! is a title that is for anyone who loves amazing platformers with a perfect balance of puzzles, combat, challenges and story.