Windjammers 2 is far from a revolutionary new take on the original game, but it’s a great sequel and terrific arcade sports game in its own right, continuing to establish Dotemu as masters of the retro throwback scene. They know exactly what made the original so beloved and found a way to refine the mechanics even further and add their own eye-catching visual flair on top of things. The end result is an addictive blast from the past (or a blast that fits perfectly in the past as well) and a title that’s worth taking a spin.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction can be a lot of fun with a couple friends, but the lack of a traditional single player campaign and cohesive narrative makes it feel more like a Rainbow Six expansion than a full-fledged game.

If one were being picky, you could argue Drinkbox’s focus this time on repeated dungeon-crawling may not have the same wow factor the studio’s past projects have garnered on first glance. But while early parts may seem daunting in its implied reliance on needless grind, what players will quickly learn in Nobody Saves the World is that its flexibility with combat and dexterity with character customization is what will keep them happily fixated until adventure’s end. Even if the occasional writing doesn’t hit in the way the studio is hoping. But credit to Drinkbox for not falling into the trap of becoming too reliant on roguelite mechanics in so far as how the world is structured and how players go about rising to the task. Because what truly shines here is the studio’s ability to encourage experimentation without it feeling, like its level progression, too much of a burden to take on. Added to on top by well-suited side-quests, a challenge system that rarely gets tiresome and a general feeling throughout that one’s time never feels wasted, Nobody Saves the World stands as Drinkbox’s most curious but mechanically-satisfying title to date.

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue isn’t necessarily a hot mess or a dumpster fire, but it is a rather unstable experiment made of promising elements that went up in smoke. The basic platforming and firefighting action is enjoyable enough, but the rest of the possible enjoyment is buried under a mound of RNG, bad procedurally-generated levels and a lack of good progression. Unless you’re up for a big challenge, this is one title likely to leave you cold instead.

There’s a lot to love about The Gunk even if the core gameplay rarely rises above being pretty OK. It’s a good adventure through a unique and pretty alien world, filled with character and life. Rani and Beck are a good team and their dialogue is great fun, even as the pressures mount on their relationship. The story of the alien civilization makes sense, and it’s good to play a game where the mysteries have clear solutions rather than get lost in heavy-handed world building. If the platforming and combat had lived up to everything else then The Gunk would be top-tier gaming, but even so it ends up being a playable adventure that will keep you invested to the final credit roll.

It’s something that delves deep into the existential question regarding life and death, and our reason for living under suffering. It also goes in an immensely different direction, one that it felt impossible to see coming. This is all enhanced thanks to the original soundtrack that goes well beyond what we could have hoped for, immersing us in a tale we will never forget. That’s not to say there aren’t flaws, though, as there’s a few moments throughout the campaign that felt like padding, and some of the solo instances, as creative as they may be, killed the flow of events. This is on top of a good chunk of gear being reused assets. Thankfully, all of this pales in comparison to the rest of the adventure, witnessing one of the most well-written RPG stories ever told. Truly, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before, in an MMO or otherwise.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon may seem like a minor yet unexpected twist for the franchise, but it’s a twist that pays off big time. The core gameplay is easy to get into, but you quickly discover that there’s a deeper level of strategy required, and the next thing you know, you’re on a streak of multiple runs, trying to get past that one particular level. Throw in multiple characters with different playstyles that allow for variety, amazing graphics and a nice chuck of stuff to unlock, and you have a true gem, be it roguelikes or puzzle games (or both) that you prefer. Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon might be a pocket-sized dungeon, but there’s a huge amount of fun in it.

After The Fall is yet another zombie VR shooter in the line of zombie VR shooters. The team that was responsible for Arizona Sunshine tries to build upon that with a cooperative experience that succeeds in that regard, but the overall experience isn’t that satisfying. The gun mechanics with the Oculus Quest 2 mostly work great and the PVP is a nice surprise, but the overall lack of current content and annoying bugs hurt the game at launch. The idea of a VR Left 4 Dead would work better if there weren’t already a ton of L4D clones on the market.

Clockwork Aquario is a fantastic action-platformer that blends quick-moving playable characters and enemies alongside an inventive attack strategy. There’s nothing else like it on the market today — despite so many games trying to replicate arcade-style fun. The big key here is that this is a legit arcade game that has been repurposed for modern hardware and that allows it to retain what made arcade gaming so fun, while having more modern quality-of-life improvements thrown in. It plays wonderfully, looks gorgeous and is a blast in multiplayer. The soundtrack is a lot of fun, but doesn’t reach the heights of classics in the genre. Still, for anyone seeking a fast-paced side-scrolling game, there’s a ton of variety offered up here and a lot of fun to be had with Clockwork Aquario.

While Asteroids: Recharged is a decent update of the classic game and is a welcome return for the series, it’s also not as effective at tugging on the nostalgia strings as the previous Recharged games. Asteroids as a formula is well-traveled ground, and it’s hard not to miss the long-gone Spheres of Chaos while playing. It’s a good update to the game with all the same features and pitfalls of the others in the Recharged series (three games in and the leaderboards still need a way to scan through them rather than be stuck seeing just your own score and those around it) but there’s a lot more “been there, done that better” going on here. Ignoring that for the sake of focusing on just Asteroids: Recharged, though, it’s great to see the series live again as a nice bite-sized snack of classic shooting action.

Wolfstride has its flaws, but if you’re willing to get past them, it ends up having a unique charm in its story, characters and combat that’s worth checking out. Sure, the giant anime mech battles may be a main draw, but you’ll stay for the clever bits of character development and glimpses into the history and personalities of these rascals as you get to know them. Wolfstride doesn’t always land with a huge mechanical blow, but it can still deliver a decent hit overall.

Monster Rancher 1&2 DX is a blast from the past, letting fans re-experience a classic while introducing new players to the franchise. The big take away is that these games have not aged particularly well. Mechanically, it’s rough around the edges, at least within the battle system. Raising a monster is one of the more compelling components as fans of micromanaging time and effort will have a blast. The disc system, or lack thereof now, is disappointing as it becomes a gaccha reroll machine that takes out the fun of picking up what you have around and using it. Granted, it’s hard to actually simulate a system that cannot be done today, but it’s just not the same. In the end, Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX has done enough to justify the revisit of two of the most memorable monster games.

The amount of criticism dished out here may paint a negative picture, but White Shadows is by no means a terrible product and so evidently houses a clear visual style and competent-enough execution of puzzle-platforming. Yet for how little it attempts to break from tired conventions or do anything that doesn’t border on aggravating with its pacing, it’s what the game doesn’t do where most of one’s response will likely linger. Maybe the conclusion that it’s all too ordinary and forgettable is bizarrely what is most poignant. That little is offered in the other direction that’s in anyway damaging to the experience or worthy of ridicule, yet neither does anything warrant an expression any better than a figurative shrugging of the shoulders. In the end White Shadows, in all its many off-kilter interspersing of music pieces, plays things safe. A fine, if by-the-numbers entrant whose uninspired delivery we’ve all found ourselves tiredly accustomed to.

The longevity of Halo Infinite will rest with its multiplayer battles as this is the online shooter the world has been needing. Halo Infinite is the defining project from 343 Industries thus far.

There are valid criticisms to be leveled at Chorus, but most of them stem from improvements in game design across the industry as a whole. Were this released a decade or two ago, it would have received myriad accolades. Anyone starved for an arcade space shooter that doesn’t take place in the Star Wars universe should give Chorus a spin. The protagonist is an interesting mess of a person, the action is varied enough and well tuned., and you’ll feel powerful while still being challenged. Chorus isn’t a perfect game, but a wise person once said to never let perfect be the enemy of good. Chorus is great, especially for the lower launch price, and that’s enough.

Archvale focuses on intense fantasy-RPG shooting action and giving the player all the tools necessary to handle it their way, and the result is a game that’s next to impossible to put down until the last arch stone is collected and even then maybe not. There’s never a bad time to test out Hardcore mode’s bigger maps and denser bullet patterns, after all.

Solar Ash is another triumph from Heart Machine, a fast-paced burst of vibrant, surreal science fiction where players get to glide and jump around fascinating worlds with terrific bits of platforming and action spread out across a series of unique worlds with jaw-dropping visuals. Be it gliding across clouds, grinding on rails to jump between buildings, or sneaking up on and successfully slashing at the one wall-based creature that fires lasers at you, virtually everything here is an absolute joy to experience. This is easily one of the year’s most captivating games, and one to not miss out on.

As part of the collection for Danganronpa Decadence, Ultimate Summer Camp is a nice bonus in addition to three solid titles. On its own as a digital title it may not necessarily be worth picking up unless players don’t mind the long grind that awaits them along their journey. The biggest single addition this spin-off could have used would be adding some sort of multiplayer support so at least players wouldn’t feel burdened by going at it alone and could instead take it on with a few more friends. It’s still a fine enough experience, but it’s just a shame there’s not a lot here outside of the board and continual fights. The unique little story scenarios are kind of interesting at first, but it’s quickly apparent that they don’t have a ton of actual substance to them either. Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp has a lot of charm at first, but it falls flat when it comes to the actual lack of interesting gameplay it offers.

Danganronpa is bizarre in the best kind of way. It’s an engaging visual novel that never stops being excessive, but so many of the characters are charming it’s easy to want to learn about what happens and see if favorites will make it out alive or perish at the end. Visual novels as a genre crave more creativity like this and other detective-styled adventures, so it’s nice to see it now made available for more to try out on Nintendo Switch. Although it’s been some time since it released, Danganronpa is a delight and easy to see why it has such a strong following after all these years. Anyone who hasn’t tried it yet but even has the slightest amount of interest can’t go wrong with trying out Danganronpa Decadence.

It’s been a long time since players have gotten to revisit Sinnoh, and all things considered this may be the definitive way to enjoy it. While some changes may seem minor, they really do add to the overall enjoyment experience. Sinnoh was always fun but flawed, and while that’s still a teensy bit true here, it’s better than ever before. Although it’s easy to say it’s a shame that it’s missing the Platinum content, what’s here is still fantastic and will make it more fun to replay for years to come. Sinnoh fans will hopefully be excited to see their region well taken care of while they were gone, and new players can easily enjoy it without having to pick up old systems and cartridges that are now significantly more expensive. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the best remakes we’ve gotten since Heart Gold and Soul Silver and offer up a fantastic, faithful yet slightly re-imagined version of Sinnoh to enjoy before the next entry in the series makes its debut.

It’s been a long time since players have gotten to revisit Sinnoh, and all things considered this may be the definitive way to enjoy it. While some changes may seem minor, they really do add to the overall enjoyment experience. Sinnoh was always fun but flawed, and while that’s still a teensy bit true here, it’s better than ever before. Although it’s easy to say it’s a shame that it’s missing the Platinum content, what’s here is still fantastic and will make it more fun to replay for years to come. Sinnoh fans will hopefully be excited to see their region well taken care of while they were gone, and new players can easily enjoy it without having to pick up old systems and cartridges that are now significantly more expensive. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the best remakes we’ve gotten since Heart Gold and Soul Silver and offer up a fantastic, faithful yet slightly re-imagined version of Sinnoh to enjoy before the next entry in the series makes its debut.

Among Trees is a beautiful, peaceful, serene trip into a fantasy woodland, and if you can just enjoy being there without worrying about the game aspect too much, it’s a lovely escape from the stresses of civilization.

Short and sweet but in no way significantly dented by its own strict vision and run-time, Exo One‘s picturesque voyage through one far-flung planet to the next, though not without fault, is more engaging and novel than it is mildly indulgent.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Anniversary Edition is one of those things that is simultaneously great and yet seems unnecessary. We can all agree Skyrim is a phenomenal game as it’s cited as a personal favorite of the past decade by a few members of our staff. The thing is with this update is nothing about it seems essential. Survival mode is a great challenge for people who enjoy that type of game. Fishing is boring, but ultimately inconsequential if ignored. The Creation Club content is a robust offering, but the questions is does the player feel Skyrim needs more houses, pets, equipment and quests? Anniversary Edition is currently the latest and greatest version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and offers fun content for those still exploring Tamriel, but there isn’t enough to bring anyone back who feels like they’ve finished their time in Skyrim.

These games are all masterpieces and as such deserve a better collection than this. In spite of the flaws it can still be a fun nostalgia trip for old fans or a good way for newer fans to discover the games before Grand Theft Auto V, but between the dated mechanics and inconsistent visual performance, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition is far from perfect.

Final Fantasy V is one of the more overlooked titles in the franchise, but skipping this title would be a mistake. Its story may not reach some of the highs as other entries in the franchise, but it’s still compelling enough to keep players interested. While it might not have the best Final Fantasy story, however, it has one of the best job systems. There’s grinding involved to get some of the exceptional abilities, but the freedom to customize a party however the player wants offers many opportunities for creative party configurations and encourages multiple playthroughs. Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster updates a great classic JRPG in a way that respects the original 16-bit title, bringing enough changes to make it feel updated but keeping it familiar enough to appeal to long-time fans.

The fact that Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a worthwhile game isn’t surprising. Frontier Developments has a fantastic track record with this kind of game, as proven in Planet Zoo or the first edition of this title. What works in this game’s favor is the expanded roster of dinosaurs, the new challenges and the fantastic animations and behaviors of the exhibits. Being a licensed game, the temptation towards being simple had to have been strong. Some would argue the first game swung to hard in the accessible direction. With this newest iteration, the game walks the line of easy to understand but deep enough to remain engaging. Despite frustrations, Frontier Developments, much like life, found a way.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remains one of the best games ever made and arguably the best Star Wars game. Aside from shorter loading times and higher resolution, nothing is drastically changed on Switch, which is perfectly fine as this is one of those games that doesn’t need much tinkering.

Battlefield 2042 should have been a triumphant return of the franchise and developer. In some respects, Battlefield 2042 delivers on its promises thanks to fantastic gameplay, a suite of new features and improvements, and a presentation that looks as good as it plays. Unfortunately, the game falls short just as much, if not more.

Nama Takahashi’s creation here is not the most extravagant nor is it the most lavish in detail, but that marriage of an easy-to-grasp gimmick and reliance on visual suggestion means ElecHead is not only striking, but joyous to play through too.

Sledgehammer Games clearly had high ambitions when approaching their third solo Call of Duty project. Doubling down on World War II was a smart idea to help the studio carve out its own identity separate from Infinity Ward and Treyarch. While Call of Duty: Vanguard doesn’t break the mold, it does succeed on most fronts, delivering one of the better multiplayer experiences in years for the franchise and a simplified Zombies mode that lowers the barrier of entry for those intimidated by past iterations.

Despite its missed opportunities and ideas that don’t gel with the core gameplay, developer Fabraz’s foray into three-dimensional platforming remains a fun-if-flawed hearkening to the genre’s glory days. By far the studio’s best trait in Demon Turf is in its relentless distilling of what made those original 3D platformers not just a joy to play, but a joy to finally see beaten.

Shin Megami Tensei V is one of the best RPGs of 2021. It has an immensely-enjoyable combat system, some of the best and most varied battle music we’ve heard in a long time, and all the demonic creatures we’ve come to love from the series.

Forza Horizon 5 is undoubtedly a visual showcase and technical benchmark for PC and Xbox Series X owners. If you have the hardware to run this game on PC, this is the choice to make.

Mario Party Superstars is a worthy compilation of all of the series’ greatest hits. It has a great selection of minigames with plenty of different ways to enjoy them. The core board game works well for the most part, albeit somewhat hampered by Nintendo’s online infrastructure and some imbalanced design decisions. Online itself is functional enough, but expect to experience lag and the occasional dropped player. Rounding out the whole experience are the various unlockables on offer; all of which enhance the player experience in some way and give fans reasons to keep playing beyond just enjoying the occasional round with their friends. Indeed, Superstars is every bit the game Mario Party fans were hoping it would be, even if it does suffer from minor issues.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars isn’t truly a card game, but a traditional RPG that uses cards for everything. The aesthetic choice doesn’t effect too much outside of the visuals but does give the title a unique identity. The gameplay of Voice of Cards is among the simplest and most straightforward to be seen in RPGs. It may be too simple, as battles end up feeling more like time -consuming chores due to the high encounter rate and lack of challenge or required strategy. But while the simple gameplay may not offer any challenge to RPG vets, the story and fantastic soundtrack help keep the game an enjoyable experience. The relatively short completion time is an asset in this case, making Voice of Cards a great choice when looking for a relaxing game to spend a weekend playing.

Riders Republic makes a strong case as one of the best and most varied extreme sports games to date, with a solid offering of unique vehicles that are fun to use and master. The expansive open world and huge number of events will ensure that players could spend countless hours completing every challenge and finding every secret, all on top of the exciting multiplayer options. There’s still technical issues to iron out, but whether you want the chaotic thrills of Mass Races or the chilling exploration of Zen mode, the accessible and deep nature of Riders Republic makes it a must-play for racing fans of any skill level.

Unpacking is a delightful and charming puzzle game, one that perfectly takes a chore such as moving and perfectly shows how it can highlight the most important parts of our lives, allowing us to reflect upon them and the transitions we go through along the way. It helps that it also has terrific gameplay built around trying to find space by rearranging items as if they were blocks, all while telling a captivating story through each small bit taken out of each box. It’s an impressive little package that you’ll want to dive into.

The visual novel portions are good and offer a change in pace, but feature limited animation and come off as low-rent as a result. That holds true for the similar texture work in a lot of environments, which doesn’t do justice to the impressive character models used and the solid animation across the board. For fans of either franchise, there’s a good amount of content here to enjoy, but this isn’t the kind of game that is likely to make new fans of either series on its own.

While it would have been nice to see Centipeded: Recharged‘s leaderboard and score-reporting issues addressed in Black Widow: Recharged, the twin-stick shooting action provides a great quick-hit arcade rush. Each game lasts for a couple of minutes at most, even the best high-score run, and restarting is just about instant. The free-form arcade mode is complemented nicely by the more-structured challenge modes, and it’s easy to spend a couple more minutes playing than planned by hopping back and forth between them. Reviving Black Widow is a deep cut into Atari’s history, but it’s great to see it given a worthy sequel almost forty years since the original release.

As should probably be expected of what’s basically a port of the Wii U version, this iteration of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water offers a decidedly average horror experience. The story of Mt. Hikami and those tied to it is rather intriguing, and it is able to create a heavy, disquieting and even chilling atmosphere at times.

Age of Empires IV makes up for the misstep of the third game while providing fans of the first two with everything they could have hoped for in a 2021 version. Hours will go by and you won’t even know it, which is the way RTS titles should be.

It turns out that Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy shouldn’t have been written off. Eidos Montreal delivers a strong story filled with comedy and tragedy, great characters and a world that feels entirely unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’ve compiled a lengthy adventure that’ll take players to new and familiar locations and built out a great gameplay system that utilizes all the Guardians’ best attributes.

If you do any type of eSports racing or are a long time fan of racing in general, Circuit Superstars is worth a look. If you enjoyed the classic games of racing’s past such as RC Pro Am and the like, then this will be right up your alley. While the Grand Prix is fine for single player, it’s going to take devoted effort to learn the game and the tracks. It lacks the hook and appeal of Mario Kart, which makes Circuit Superstars less inviting to spend hours on learning everything. This is a fun racing game to play with friends with the same light-hearted approach the developers had when creating the game. For $19.99, this is a great good option to have in your arsenal when friends come over.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows may be guilty of taking from any and every corner of the genre in constructing its challenges. But while it may zip from one set-up to the next — less-than-concerned with the through-line that ties it all together — the perspective-shifting, requiring of balancing overhead and side-scrolling puzzle-solving alike, just about delivers on the promise its set-up initially paints. Not just on the basis of a satisfying series of environments to conquer, but an admittedly-brief fascination on how everything ends up unravelling, let alone solved. It’s not everyday you stop to marvel for a second at the way two perspectives can play out at once, but that very trait is what Tandem: A Tale of Shadows shines on and in the end utilizes sufficiently well.

The Dark Pictures Anthology still needs to iron out a few things before it can produce a truly classic entry, but thanks to a strong and fun story with a lot of twists, welcome difficulty options and stronger choice-based gameplay, House of Ashes shows the series is still striving to make notable improvements when it comes to crafting scary and entertaining tales.

Echo Generation is visually striking, with a lot of intriguing concepts and solid combat and gameplay at its core. Unfortunately, a lack of focus with the narrative holds it back from being a truly impressive RPG. The boss battles alone might be worth the price of admission, and there’s still other bits to enjoy, but those looking for more meat would best be off searching for another tale of adventurous kids from decades past.

NHL 22 on current-generation consoles is the best NHL experience that has released in some time. It also provides the biggest change from last gen to current gen consoles of any EA Sports game yet. It still has its issues at its core with how the AI plays and there are bugs that crop up often, but the overall experience feels fresh and the game looks much improved. The lighting and reflections provide the biggest boost while Frostbite brings more realism to player faces and jerseys. I feel more could have been included with Frostbite on the physics side, but this will come in the future. While the modes remain the same, the updates to each are sufficient and the addition of Superstar X-Factors allows for a game-changing experience. Online, if not getting disconnected, generally works as it needs to. NHL 22 offers the right feel for a new console that a lot of sports games haven’t provided in the last two generations.

While the start of Into the Pit is unquestionably rocky, the follow-through is a blast, with fast action and serious pyrokinetics as monsters turn into blood splats decorating the walls. While the overall theme could have been dark and gloomy, everything lights up and the darkness becomes the backdrop for the neon-magical lightshow to illuminate. The variety of enemies and level types helps each run stay engaging, and while fifteen sets of levels plus the final area can feel like a bit much, there’s no need to try to blow through it all in a couple of days. Into the Pit is about action, after all, with only just enough story to get things moving. There’s a village in trouble and a ton of monsters to destroy by way of magical annihilation, and if it takes a bit to rescue everyone they’ll be fine waiting for a combat mage to do a run or two a day until the evil is finally dispelled.

Squint hard enough and you may latch onto some modicum of intrigue with the mechanics it offers and the objectives it poses. But for anyone inexperienced with Swery’s past work — let alone those who simply don’t take well to ample busywork — The Good Life is unfortunately equal parts unappealing and unsure on just what kind of game it wants to be.

Inscryption manages to combine an expertly-crafted card game, a nail-biting tale of horror and enjoyable escape room adventures into another genre-defying gem and easily one of the year’s best games. Whether you come for the gameplay and strategy, the story and atmosphere, or both, you’ll walk away awestruck at the sheer, brilliant madness you just experienced. Daniel Mullins does it again, and once again, we urge readers not to read the reviews or other coverage as much as possible and just go in blind, experiencing this twisted odyssey for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Overall, Crysis Remastered Trilogy is a great set of remasters and those who skipped these games initially should strap on their nanosuits and give the franchise a shot.

Although the visuals may not be much to look at, the combat and story are the soul of Caligula Effect 2 that holds it all together. The music and characters are far more enjoyable than the first title, with a combat system that feels more fine-tuned and makes it flow at a better speed than the first entry. It’s harder to recommend for those who haven’t played the first as they will miss out on important references to the first, but it may be worth popping open a synopsis of the first or playing through it to get to this sequel which improves upon basically every aspect. There’s so much to love here, but the experience would be improved with amped-up visuals and more English support for some of the smaller dialogue. The Caligula Effect 2 is a unique story that touches on sensitive subjects with a lot of respect wrapped up in a wonderfully-enjoyable RPG that’s the perfect length without overstaying its welcome.

Back 4 Blood delivers the joy of zombie slaying in small bursts, but can become a slog the more prolonged the play session. This is blood you’ll want to return for because it’s fun to slay zombies with friends, just don’t stay too long.

Metroid Prime 4 may still be years away, but make no mistake that MercurySteam and Nintendo’s latest incarnation of Metroid has made the strain of such a wait not just more bearable, but potentially no longer existent. Sure to please longtime fans and general Switch owners/newcomers alike, Metroid Dread more than delivers on a climax two decades in the making.

The world is fun to explore, filled with a batch of great side activities, and never once compromises the story’s pacing. The gameplay is smooth and responsive, though the AI needs fine-tuning to be more consistent. It’s all wrapped up in a beautiful presentation that truly transports players to paradise, at least when nothing terrible is happening. That’s not to say the game doesn’t have its quirks and questionable decisions, and many of its core gameplay loops contradict themselves when a setpiece moment shows up, but there’s still a lot of good to be found here. Yara may be an awful place to live, but playing Far Cry 6 is well worth the trip to the rotten paradise.

JETT: The Far Shore has an impressive world with well-crafted lore, an intriguing story and eye-catching visuals. Unfortunately, you actually have to play through the game to experience any of it, and that ends up being a slow, plodding mess in more ways than one. Maybe those with more patience will enjoy the trip more, but everyone else can rightfully skip JETT: The Far Shore and just remain grounded with better games instead.

When playing the original version of Death Stranding, I would have described it as lethargic with some horror elements when dealing the monsters. With Death Stranding Director’s Cut, this opinion was reevaluated. It’s a game about many things. It’s about society and the role each person plays in it. It’s about overcoming depression. It’s about confusing and/or boring friends when they watch me play it. This is a chill game punctuated with tense moments, with a pacing that I didn’t appreciate until this edition. As an unexpectedly-improved release, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is well worth the time for the curious or the existing fans, proving that Kojima still knows how to surprise.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Prince’s Edition brings a great game with all its DLC content to Switch. Like every Switch port there are concessions to be made with this version. The graphic quality does take a noticeable hit, and while the DLC content isn’t incredible, it does help make up for the technical concessions. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a great RPG and should be played be all fans of the genre. The main selling point for Prince’s Edition is the portability factor. But while the visuals and performance is better on other platforms, Ni No Kuni II performs well enough on the Switch where it’s a viable platform to experience this game.

Anyone looking for a new otome game to play will find enjoyment in picking up Olympia Soiree. Even newcomers to the otome genre might want to try it out as this game quickly hooks players with Olympia’s plight and relatable mood. This is an excellent release that gives Switch gamers an ever-increasing bounty of visual novels to choose from. Jump into the colorful world of Olympia Soiree and you’ll be brought on a journey with highs, lows and both surprising and satisfying conclusions.

Out of all the games Aria of Sorrow has aged the best and is the star of this collection. Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance don’t shine as bright, but are still great titles. Dracula X is worth playing, but it can be described as good but not great and seems like it would be more at home in the Anniversary Collection. Overall, Castlevania Advance Collection is a dream collection for Castlevania fans.

For all the team’s expertise on the weird, the fact that this visual identity is far from the intended appeal should give you an idea at just how well the mechanics and overall reaction to such interlocking systems plays out. Most of which left to the player’s own imagination with how best to utilize said tools and similarly-spoken scenarios. But not for a second do ACE Team view an otherwise absence of comprehension as an automatic fail-state. Yet at the same time, managing to burrow enough of a temptation that failure in that regard will almost always be by the player’s own curious, sometimes greedy, hand. That level of confidence but more so lenience in its concept — an understanding on when and how survival mechanics can be implemented without feeling tedious or invasive — in the end is what makes The Eternal Cylinder as fascinating an adventure to decipher as it is to watch unfold with bated breath.

In a nutshell, it does a great job of improving and respecting many elements of the source material, but adds too much filler content. Actraiser Renaissance is far from perfect, but it’s a must play for fans of the SNES original.

Anyone who has played these Monkey Ball titles before will be satisfied with this new available version. Those who have never touched the series before and are looking for a challenging physics-based platforming adventure should try out Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania.

The lore of Diablo is as interesting as it ever was even if the storytelling isn’t nearly as fleshed out as one would see in modern games. Giving a facelift to a twenty-year-old game without updating the gameplay is a gamble, but thankfully that is exactly what we got with Diablo II: Resurrected which is how the original fans would want it.

While the leaderboards are wonky the rest of Centipede: Recharged feels just about exactly like you’d want the original game to be when dragged into the current year. It updates the gameplay flow to be more forgiving than its predecessor but still provides quick, punchy rounds where every second counts. The Challenge section adds a more focused set of objectives than the free-form arcade mode, and it’s a lot of fun to bounce between the two to blast bugs with wild abandon and then switch over to focus on a specific goal. While the gameplay itself isn’t particularly deep, it’s not supposed to be, and instead provides straightforward shooting action best enjoyed in small, but highly-satisfying doses. It’s been forty years since Centipede crawled into arcades, and it’s great to see a new version that’s so faithful to the long-gone shooter classic.

While we might have to arguably wait for future games to unlock the series’ true potential, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is still a great first outing for Ember Lab. If the breathtaking visuals don’t suck you in, then there’s the satisfying and challenging combat as well, or the wide world to explore. Or maybe you just want to find all the teeny hats for the Rot in order to make them as ridiculously adorable as possible. Whatever the case, there’s going to be something satisfying for everyone here in Kena’s debut.

For a game with so many valid criticisms, a recommendation might not seem forthcoming, but Astria Ascending rises above all of these issues as a total experience, with the art alone making worth the price of admission. The character customization gives a feeling of constant, incremental progress that fulfills the effort put in. There’s always a new skill to learn, a new strategy to try. It would have been nice if the story was better and if the dungeon exploration was less frustrating, but this is a game that’s well worth the time for any fan of JRPGs, especially since it’s being sold at a lower price than most new titles. So long as the player knows what they’re getting into, then there’s too much superlative stuff in this package to ignore.

Knoutout Home Fitness is one of the more enjoyable exercise games in existence. It doesn’t require much in terms of set up or prior training, just enter some user information and start punching those calories away. Realistically Knockout Home Fitness isn’t going to get any of its players ripped, but it’s a fun way to get in a cardio workout. It’s low impact enough where it can be used daily to get some exercise in, or for people who view cardio as a necessary evil it can be something used three times a week to meet that requirement.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a fantastic arcade racer at its core, but the overall product is hurt by the gacha mechanics. Thankfully, the quality of the core game is good enough to largely overcome that handicap, but it would be a far better experience with rebalancing in that regard down the line. The racing action is fast-paced and thrilling, with strong sound design that helps make up for a lackluster soundtrack. Hot Wheels Unleashed is a fantastic pickup for anyone who grew up wanting a fleet of Hot Wheels cars — and that aspect will get better as time goes on with content packs.

The team left no stone unturned for FIFA 22 and went all out in making a supremely-improved football game. The gameplay is the best the series has ever offered and makes the game fun no matter what mode you choose. The managerial career is the stand-out mode here with the ability to create a club and manage every aspect of the team. The player career offers a ton of meaningful upgrades that actually make you feel like you’re accomplishing something. VOLTA has been simplified but made more fun. But it all starts with the gameplay thanks to HyperMotion and the machine learning technology that brings excellent realism to FIFA 22. Even if you’re not a soccer/football fan, the controls of this game make it worth a try to at least play with friends. FIFA 22 may just be the best sports game of this generation so far.

Cave built up a strong fan-base over its years of development and Espgaluda II is a perfect example as to why. It’s instantly accessible but surprisingly deep, with plenty of room to experiment with the gameplay mechanics to maximize score. The game options are excellent as well, and it’s especially nice to stick the Switch screen into the Flip Grip and play in sideways Tate mode. It also helps that this is basically the Xbox 360 edition of the game, as evidenced by the constant references to the 360 in the credits, and that was the definitive version with three of the four modes created specifically for the home port. While Cave isn’t producing much in the way of new shooters anymore, it left behind an incredible legacy, and Espgaluda II was the developer at the top of its game.

Active Life Outdoor Challenge is mildly entertaining from a game standpoint and features beginner level physical activity from an exercise one. It’s not a bad form of exertainment, just not a remarkably good one. In small doses it can be fun and could lead to enjoying more strenuous exercises, but ultimately it’s updating the Wii gimmick of using the floormat with a Switch gimmick of using a leg strap. There are better games out there that incorporate physical fitness into gaming. The main selling point is probably for people who have strong nostalgia for the Wii original, but that’s likely a niche market.

Cruis’n Blast is the most thrilling racing experience on Switch and the best arcade racer in years. It plays like a dream and offers up more control options than most arcade racers on the console. Its diverse lineup of vehicles, tracks and various track-related setpieces are tremendous and keep the player engaged from beginning to end. Other than the lack of online multiplayer, it’s hard to find something missing from the overall presentation given what the game is trying to be. The sound design is fantastic as well — with a fun soundtrack that’s breezy and easy on the ears.

There are moments when Tsugunohi succeeds as a horror game. The visuals and concepts for some of the chapters are incredibly disturbing. The understated, quiet moments of the game are the most effective. However, there was a push to make them more outwardly scary with continuous ghost sightings, monster jump scare tactics and these things ruin the mood. Atmosphere is everything in horror and it’s incredibly easy to lose its effectiveness. Tsugunohi is worth it for the curious horror fans out there, but others aren’t missing anything by passing on the experience.

The shining spot for this year’s game is the defensive gameplay and the ability to truly challenge shots and defenders, especially in the paint. It’s extremely satisfying. While a bit of the game remains, NBA 2K22 still offers the closest television experience in a sports video game to date. However, that shot meter is still frustrating as the game remains geared toward its hardcore community who prefer grinding.

Those worried about where the tradition of Yakuza would stand following last year’s change in direction for the series should rest easy in just how well executed Lost Judgment truly is, from terrifically-written story to masterful gameplay.

While there’s intrigue to discover amongst the structure and layout of locales in Aragami 2, the sequel’s turn away from the distilled charm of its one-man stealth prior leaves more perplexed questions than convincing answers.

BloodRayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites features great-looking animation and creative level designs, but is hindered less-than-stellar game mechanics. No matter how good the style might be, style over substance is generally not desirable. That’s not to say there isn’t fun to be had here as BloodRayne fanatics are bound to enjoy the remastered retelling of her most recent adventure. Fans of the genre are also likely to enjoy this though some of the control issues may hamper the fun. For players looking for a good challenge that offers platforming and beat ’em up combat, Fresh Bites can be a good title to sink your teeth into if you can forgive the technical shortcomings.

WarioWare: Get It Together! is exactly what fans of the series will be expecting. It’s a brand new mix on the familiar formula that allows players to try out brand new microgames in fully new ways in addition to teaming up with a friend if they so desire to challenge and compete with one another. WarioWare at its core is very much a title for people who love competition and getting the top score, and doesn’t have as much to do for those who don’t have a friend to play with or want to get a bigger number over the others, but it’s still fun to pick up and enjoy all it has to offer along the way. It would be nice if we’d seen a few old modes return from previous titles, but a great amount has been added that makes it feel like an entirely new experience mixed in with old concepts. There’s nothing quite like WarioWare, and it’s great to have Get It Together! on Switch as the latest entry in the crazy series that keeps on delivering.

Deathloop is another incredible title from Arkane, once again putting their skills in developing both quality stealth and first-person action to good use and blending it with time loops in order to create one of the year’s most memorable games. This is thanks in part to a clever twist that encourages exploration to its fullest in order to find Blackreef’s best mysteries and the most creative solutions to its puzzles.

The Artful Escape may not have particularly deep or challenging gameplay, but the main reason to attend this show is its incredible writing and Francis’ trippy, out-of-this-world journey in discovering his new persona, one which features a lot of nifty twists in various ways, alongside truly striking sci-fi visuals and an expertly-crafted soundtrack. The Artful Escape is an astonishing rock and roll epic that the likes of Ziggy Stardust would be proud of.

Final Fantasy IV is one of the best 16-bit RPGs with a strong story that holds up after all these years. Even though the turn-based combat and exploration with random encounters may seem simple compared to modern games, it’s still an enjoyable fourteen hour playthrough. This may not have been the remake everyone was hoping for, but Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster is a great version of a great game.

Life is Strange: True Colors may sadly dim towards the end, but it’s worth checking out alone just to experience Haven Springs, with its gorgeous scenery, terrific cast of characters both major and minor, and an intriguing mystery that requires quite a bit of fun gameplay.

Tales of Arise is the best Tales game in over a decade. It’s the advancement the series has needed for quite some time now, such as the far more explorative dungeon designs (as small as they are) and the switch to the Unreal Engine. On top of that, the majority of the cast of characters are compelling enough to keep your attention locked on the story, and the combat reinvigorates the tried and true formula into something special.

The game does occasionally muster some remnant of satisfaction with the way its world and aesthetic is structured. But a case of artistic vision overwhelming implementation leaves Recompile with a muddled, at times horribly-frustrating sense of progression.

F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch is a must-buy for Metroidvania fans looking for something that tries new things. It takes the well-worn staples of the sub-genre and blends them with a steampunk feel and a richer storyline than most.

There are too many aspects of Tormented Souls to appreciate for any fan of original survival horror titles to pass up.

Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions is a fantastic arcade-style boxing game that showcases a lot of fast action while still paying tribute to the long-running Rocky franchise. It’s lacking in terms of mode variety and it would be nice to have a more in-depth story mode that either recreated key parts of the lore or that allowed for alternate history versions of scenarios to play out. As it stands, the arcade ladder system offers up a tiny bit of story, but not enough to get invested into. Thankfully, the core gameplay is so fun that it keeps you hooked and having an unlocking system in place that rewards just playing the game instead of a pay-to-unlock setup is nice to see. It looks impressive as well, with crisp graphics and steady framerates allowing for the fast action to shine.

Sonic Colors’ vibrant colors, inventive level design and fast gameplay made it a hit back in 2010. Sonic Colors: Ultimate recaptures the magic, making refinements and upgrades to the gameplay and visuals to bring them more in line with today’s standards.

Maneater: Truth Quest is an enjoyable but unessential expansion for Maneater. Westhaven is an entertaining narrator but his over the top conspiracy theories just aren’t as entertaining as his documentary narration in the base game. The new missions end up falling into the same type of repetition the other missions. The new atomic shark powers are actually one of the better parts of the expansion and having a green nuclear energy ball fly from a tail whip attack was a great addition. While taking on the new sea life monstrosities provided an enjoyable challenge, Truth Quest is a necessary reason to return to the water for only the most devoted Maneater fans.

Even in its most tepid of opportune changes, WRC 10 still finds ways to vex and test in ways that are both punishing but enjoyable to see through. Perhaps the biggest complaint you can utter about this year’s release is its surprising lack of indulging in the time periods it’s aiming to evoke, through its call-backs and roster inclusions alike.

The Big Con succeeds when, as its title suggests, you’re working on elaborate con jobs that provide clever puzzle ideas with a lot of open and fun gameplay. While the rest of it is fine, it never feels like the sort of epic cross-country adventure it should be, despite what its stakes would suggest. It still makes for a good adventure with well-done challenges, and that alone may be worth it, but don’t expect a grand score by the end.

There have been a slew of movie franchises that have gone with cooperative multiplayer experience in recent years. Aliens: Fireteam Elite goes deeper and offers a lot for those that like grinding. The game just lacks a hook to keep players engaged as missions are long and redundant. The weapon unlocks and adding perks helps to keep things going, but the means of the game is separately leveling up each of the five classes across twelve long missions. Hardcore Aliens fans that liked the action-focused movies that differ from the original may find this right up their alley. The audio aspect could be amazing if there was a way to mute the comms narrative that ruins the atmosphere of the game. Ultimately, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a functional cooperative third-person shooter that’s an improvement to Colonial Marines, but doesn’t supersede Isolation.

RiMS Racing is the most immersive motorcycle gaming experience to date, with the DualSense pushing this even further. With a solid and lengthy Career Mode, you’ll have plenty of chances to maximize your bike’s performance and play around with different setups. While there are only eight bikes, with the amount of depth for upgrading and testing, it’ll make you forget about variety. The bike audio is ridiculously immersive and every race feels different just based on wear and tear from the bike and new part installation. The game can also be a tool on what would be needed to replace parts on these actual bikes. What’s lacking is multiplayer due to a lack of a community and anything outside of the Career Mode. This is a pure single player experience, which is perfectly fine, and any gamer who loves motorcycles will enjoy RiMS Racing. It also only retails for $39.99 and is worth the price of admission just to experience how well DualSense is implemented into the game.

An excellent collection for tactical RPG fans. The genre can often be pigeon-holed into being full of FFT clones, but both included games here manage to nicely stand out both from that series and NIS America’s own Disgaea. With a variety of tones offered up in each game, they each help scratch the itch for SRPG fans while also working for those wanting a more serious experience in Soul Nomad or who want to kick back with a light-hearted tale with Phantom Brave. Both games are fun to play, but it’s a shame more wasn’t done to help the visuals out as both do suffer from blurry character sprites that clash against the backgrounds that actually did get more work done for modern-day displays.

After over a decade since a proper numbered sequel, No More Heroes III brings back the franchise in what could arguably be called its strongest entry yet, and one of the best overall games that Suda51 has helmed. No More Heroes III is unapologetically ridiculous and violent, even if the aliens bleed pixels most of the time.

The journey itself Crisbell and co take doesn’t hit the highs the striking aesthetic conjures, but Cris Tales delivers on a satisfying-if-uneven twist to turn-based RPG affairs.