Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a wonderful remaster with a good amount of love put into it. While it may not be as vast as last year’s new Forgotten Land title, it has a lot to offer players, especially those who may not have touched it before. Those who have previously played Return to Dream Land might not have much to look forward here unless they’re a hardcore fan, but those who like Kirby and have never tried this title will want to consider picking it up. It doesn’t do anything crazy compared to the typical Kirby adventure, but it’s so well put together with tons of optional activities that it’s well worth going along with Kirby and his friends to see it through to the end.

Perhaps if Scars Above had put more work into the areas where our lead heroine has to explore this strange world and analyze it more in order to solve various puzzles, basically letting her be the scientist she is, it could have been vastly better overall, or at least help give it a better identity to help it stand out more. Instead, Scars Above settles for being a generic third-person action game that rarely, if ever, takes any sort of risks. While it may not fall prey to anything that feels egregiously bad and at least has decent combat, you’ll likely walk away from the mystery of the Metahedron feeling more bored than satisfied.

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is an enjoyable romp through a demon-infested castle. It’s not without its shortcomings as the gameplay is simply good but not exceptional and the story seems like a generic anime demon-hunting affair. Its shorter playtime works in its favor, though, as it never gets a chance to overstay its welcome. It can be completed in roughly six hours or so, but completionists will be able to get more time out of it by exploring every nook and cranny and unlocking all three endings. Shortcomings aside, this is still a well constructed tribute to Castlevania and scratches the itch for fans wanting a new entry in that series.

Exactly what fans of the series have come to expect, whilst still providing one or two interesting deviations in gameplay along the way, Like A Dragon: Ishin! fuses familiar traits with a delightfully-versatile combat system to great effect. Those worried that a game both spin-off in nature and far-flung from the series’ present day roots would feel too isolated should take comfort from the fact this year’s remake of a pre-0 entrant remains quintessentially Yakuza in all the right ways. And while the take on style-switching, combo-chasing combat this time round is admittedly imperfect and far from the most fluid system to engage with, some occasional scuffs and rough edges aren’t enough to deter Like A Dragon: Ishin! from coming away as one more worthwhile and thoroughly-entertaining spin-off in the Yakuza series.

Once the controls are sorted out, Akka Arrh reveals itself as an absolutely fantastic shooter that plays like nothing else out there. Levels become massive chains of exploding enemies, polygon-shatter pyrotechnics, fast shooting and careful bullet management, and power-up frenzy. New enemy behaviors show up at a regular pace, and learning to manage them so that what had been threats become another scoring tool feels rewarding. There’s an initial feeling of shattered attention, as the need to manage the platform shockwaves, keep an eye on the downstairs, be mindful of the bullet supply, and handle the mid-tier and stronger enemies can be overwhelming, but there’s a mental groove to Akka Arrh where this all somehow becomes manageable. Until it’s not, of course, because the levels aren’t going to remain kind to your current skill level for long, but it’s nice while it lasts and the level select lets you restart with the score and lives from your best run to keep on practicing. It may take a bit of work and experimentation to find your way into Akka Arrh, but once there it reveals itself as a unique shooter well worth having been rescued from the dumpster of history.

Atomic Heart keeps on going and throws everything at the wall, from large set-pieces to quiet moments of exploration, packed encounters or tough single enemies, stealth areas that you can bull on through if sneaking isn’t your thing, and plenty of little puzzles to add more variety to a game that already had plenty. Whatever lies at the heart of Facility 3826, whatever the project ends up meaning, Atomic Heart is an incredible adventure into the retro-future history of a Russia that never existed.

Wild Hearts offers a fresh take on the monster hunting formula. The nature infused Kemono are an original approach to monster designs and some of them look so majestic you almost feel bad about killing them. Azuma is a gorgeous location, and using the different forms of the Karakuri to travel gives exploration a unique quality. The Karakuri in general really what sets Wild Hearts apart from other monster hunting, as its myriad functions add a new dimension to both exploration and battling Kemono. There is a bit of a learning curve and steep difficulty but learning the intricacies of Karakuri make overcoming the challenge a very rewarding and fun experience.

Dust & Neon has all of the tools and gunslinging gameplay needed to offer up a good time, but it’s hindered by a lack of story or characters to be invested in, bad AI on occasions and a structure that just ends up dragging things out for too long. There’s still fun to be had here in successfully beating enemies to the punch with it comes to being the quicker draw, and maybe those who are more patient will find something to truly enjoy, but for those looking for a good twin-stick shooter, roguelike, or both, there are many better options out there.

When compared to the original, Octopath Traveler II is largely more of the same but better. The battle system is just as enjoyable as it was the first time around with additional layers of strategy added. Solistia is a great new world to explore, and the added day and night cycle help make everywhere feel more alive. While at its core it plays like a classic turn-based JRPG, the Break and Boost system helps set it apart from the classics that inspired it. The HD-2D graphic style does a fantastic job in making Octopath Traveler II feel both contemporary and classic with one of the best soundtracks among recent games. It hits the sweet spot where it brings enough elements of contemporary gaming to the classic JRPG format.

One of the Gamecube’s best and possibly one of Nintendo’s best, Metroid Prime Remastered is a brilliant enhancement to what was already an all-time classic.

Wanted: Dead is a punishingly-difficult bloodbath that’s a joy to play. The stages are a brutal mix of swordplay and gun battles with a combat system that’s rewarding once the timing is mastered. In between stages there are several minigames that offer a sense of levity to help break up the violence against the corrupt corporate overlords, whether it be through karaoke, an eating contest or a good old fashioned arcade game. The style of gameplay feels like a modern take on third-person action games from the early 2000s which isn’t a bad thing at all. Wanted: Dead pulls no punches when it comes to challenging the player, but that’s what makes finally completing it feel so satisfying.

Tales of Symphonia is still one of the biggest highlights in the series with a fantastic assortment of characters, some simple but enjoyable combat and great story to keep players invested throughout. What hurts is that this remastered version has glaring issues that need to be fixed. It’s far from making it impossible to recommend, in fact we still absolutely would for those who haven’t ever played it before, but without autosave and with multiple recorded crashes experienced, it’s hard to tell people to run out and pick it up immediately without proper patches to work out the bigger issues here. With fixes to address the problems, Tales of Symphonia Remastered could easily be considered another fantastic port on modern systems that we hope to continue to see more of from Bandai Namco.

Hogwarts Legacy isn’t perfect, but it’s successful in capturing the magic of the franchise and setting a solid foundation for any future games set in the Wizarding World. Hogwarts Legacy thankfully follows in the footsteps of Harry Potter, not Fantastic Beasts.

The Theatrhythm series has always been a celebration of Final Fantasy and the iconic music associated with each title. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line continues that tradition by bringing together more titles, songs and characters onto consoles for the first time. The transition is nearly flawless, allowing Final Fantasy fans to experience some of the most iconic songs from each title in a fun, easy-to-play gameplay experience. It’s not perfect, though, with some titles getting more favor over others. Some exclusions are odd, particularly the absence of the critically-acclaimed Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker and the fact that a good number of iconic tunes are trapped behind premium deluxe editions is simply not OK. Past that, this is a successful transition from handheld to console with tight gameplay, plenty of content to unlock and a beautiful presentation backing it up. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line isn’t the perfect celebration of Final Fantasy, but it’s a great one.

With only about ten hours of gameplay (give or take), it feels too long in all the wrong ways. I’m optimistic, however, that KeokeN Interactive can finesse development to bring quality to future titles.

Tails: The Backbones Preludes is the prequel that fans likely weren’t expecting and didn’t know that they wanted, and due to a lack of variety mixed with brevity, they may also walk away still expecting and wanting more. But what’s here is a set of well-crafted stories in what is still a highly-engrossing world with a bunch of great characters to see a little more of, so even if it’s just a slight chunk of what Backbone can offer, it’s still one for fans of the series and fans of well-done narratives to check out. And hey, it’s still one of gaming’s most unique and best dystopias. If we have to spend time in some sort of hellscape, it may as well be here in Vancouver.

Though the short run-time, on top of its overused hit-and-miss humor, may work against it, what Rhythm Sprout lacks in unique aesthetic or visual identity, it more than makes up for with a soundtrack as much a gameplay loop that’s both enjoyable and easy to make repeat trips back to. Frantic its drastic shifts in rhythm may feel at times, the game just about manages to maintain a sense of fairness and coherency throughout. Owed in part to the way tracks develop and evolve overtime, but so too how SURT themselves identify that any good rhythm game isn’t so much about keeping players in the zone so as to succeed, but keeping them there so as to potentially trip them up. That continuous string of mind-games, baits and other such devious means are part the reason why Rhythm Sprout is such a fun trek to partake in. A simple-enough premise, but executed to delightful effect.

What likely started out as an Xbox and/or Bethesda executive thinking “Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if we kept this game a secret and launched it during a special event?” has led to what could easily wind up as one of this year’s GOTY contenders exploding onto the scene in spectacular fashion. Hi-Fi Rush is classic video game action that blends amazing combat in a unique hybrid of genres in with memorable characters, a wicked sense of humor, terrific gameplay that’s accessible for all players and mind-blowing visuals and music. It’s an instant classic, even without the shadow drop, and delivers a candy-coated blast of chaos that conceals a clear labor of love and a weird purity to it all that you need to experience.

Motive Studio has done the unthinkable with Dead Space. It has turned this iconic, incredibly memorable survival horror game from fifteen years ago into an even more immersive and engaging experience. This isn’t just a simple graphical upgrade, but an overhaul on a significant portion of the mechanics and storytelling, crafting a better and more gratifying universe to dive into.

If you can get past its more grind-y elements, Power Chord can still be a fun deckbuilding roguelike game thanks to its impressive blend of influence that makes great use of its “Battle of the Bands” setup. It’s something for every headbanger to check out, as well as fans of the genre who don’t minds banging their heads against walls as they gradually chip down each tough demon in their path. Not exactly worthy of a Platinum record, but it can still be an enjoyable listen.

It’s a charming adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome or drag the gameplay down with too much fluff in between fights and allows players who just want to get through everything quickly the opportunity while having a small handful of side activities that let those who want to take it slower the chance to take a breather between encounters. Fire Emblem Engage feels like one of the tightest experiences in the franchise since Awakening and is well worth giving a try for those looking for something with a perfect clash of old and new.

Where Forspoken should’ve been a striking and appealing fresh start for Luminous Productions, the end result sadly is a game not only bland and unpolished, but deprived of a reason to care for its unfolding mystery. A bevvy of technical inconsistencies, lackluster open world design and most disappointing of all, a handful of systems with genuine enjoyment at times that don’t see their potential fully realized.

One Piece Odyssey delivers a great One Piece adventure, but without regard to the source material, is simply a good but unremarkable RPG. Hardcore One Piece fans will eat this up like a smorgasbord of Sanji’s cooking, but even with the Memoria sections, it’s a lot for newcomers to take in. The overly-simplistic gameplay and excessive handholding would likely be off putting for RPG fans who are in search of a good game but don’t care about the source material. Those who are not already familiar with the exploits of the Straw Hat Pirates are probably better off sailing past Waford, but this is the ideal game for established One Piece fans.

The visual clarity and overall quality-of-life improvements are a welcome addition and only help excel this dungeon, high school life simulator even further. Persona 4 remains one of the best JRPGs on the market and now it’s accessible to more players than ever before. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a fresh to the franchise, Persona 4 Golden is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Persona 3 Portable is still a fantastic entry, kicking off the subseries that ended up surpassing the mainline Shin Megami Tensei titles. It features a solid cast of characters, a remarkable storyline and an addictive combat system -- even though it hasn’t aged as well as we had hoped. Whether you’re a returning or Persona-curious gamer, this is a phenomenal value.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider conjures the spirit of the golden age of 16-bit gaming. Everything from the graphics to the soundtrack perfectly recreates the essence of early ’90s gaming, while the gameplay mechanics feel contemporary enough where it hits the sweet spot in blending modern with classic. The most important element that Moonrider recreated is making a modern 16-bit game that is just as fun and exciting as the titles that inspired it were back in their heyday. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a retro-inspired title that shows just how fun a trip to a dystopian future can be.

Sequels that don’t quite match the lightning-in-a-bottle status of its originator are nothing new. But it’s telling when a game like Sports Story regresses so much that the follow-up to one of 2017’s most charming and delightful little adventures is as miserable and misguided a release as it is. A game far too broad and all-encompassing for its own good, lumped into a progression that lacks cohesion, explanation and even the most basic of design principles. Resulting in an experience, though briefly entertaining by way of some pleasant distractions and spots of similarly-charming writing, technically and mechanically incompetent. How Sidebar Games could put out a game of this quality is puzzling and depressing on top, given how much genuine enjoyment was felt in the 2017 original. But Sports Story is a pale and poorly-constructed excuse of a sequel proving above all else that ambition and scale doesn’t always end well.

The Knight Witch is excellent in a lot of ways despite its forbidding difficulty, the kind of game you’ll be glad to have beaten even if the journey to completion is sometimes a bit much. Rayne’s journey from coulda-been to savior goes through a number of twists and turns, the metroidvania levels are filled with a great amount of variety, and other than the occasional trap room that locks you in, the choice to shoot everything or zip on past is rarely taken away. The sky is broken and the underground is getting more dangerous than the anyone is comfortable with, but the survivors have a new knight witch to pin all their hopes on. It just may take a few dozen more respawns than expected to reach The Knight Witch‘s conclusion.