I went into the review hoping for the best. And while ChainStaff is undeniably creative and visually appealing, I really wish that Mommy’s Best Games spent more time fine-tuning the gameplay, mechanics, and level design. If you’re a fan of retro-styled adventures and aren’t put off by complex gameplay, you might find this is the alien parasite you’re looking for. Less patient gamers, however, will probably want to skip this one.

I admire Pearl Abyss’ quick response to some of Crimson Desert’s issues, and I think there’s a real chance that it will eventually feel decent to play. At the moment, though, it simply doesn’t, and even with updates, I have my doubts that it will ever give me a world that’s engaging for anything more than its impressive visuals. There’s a lot to do in Crimson Desert, but so little that I actually wanted to do.

The core combat is still fun and fans of Scott Pilgrim will have a good time getting together and seeing all the references, but there are simply better beat ‘em ups available for you to brawl your way through.

With the making of footage in Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition underwhelming, the major selling point of this release is having access to a lot of different versions of one 30-year-old game. When the game is as fun as Rayman is that still doesn’t make for a bad package, particularly with the inclusion of all the extra level packs released in the years after it came out, but it can’t help but feel disappointing compared to many of Digital Eclipse’s stronger efforts.

If you enjoyed the original game, the content here is good and it makes a nice excuse to return to this world, if only for a little while. The price is right for what’s offered, but this prologue is hardly essential even for fans of the original game. If you missed that original game, this release serves as a reminder that it’s well worth your time.

I really wanted to give ANTHEM#9 a higher score. But even though I enjoyed the game, I feel that the lack of progressive upgrades, as well as the occasionally barebones storytelling, finicky interface, and incredible difficulty, made a higher score impossible. That said, if you’re eager for something utterly unique and want to support a new game developer, I’d definitely give it a shot.

High on Life 2 is a funny and ambitious sequel that is held back by technical issues and some mechanical shortcomings that the series still has not solved. The skateboard is fantastic, the writing is sharp, and the world rewards curiosity at every turn. But the gunplay lacks oomph, and the gameplay lacks depth.

Ultimately, due to this conflicting nature, Code Vein II is never quite sure of what type of game it wants to be, and as such, I was never quite sure if I was having fun with it or not. A lifeless open world filled with mindless combat encounters feels completely detached from the Soulslike nature of its character progression and spectacular boss fights that break up the otherwise mundane nature of the experience. It’s not a complete lost cause as the narrative is worthwhile, and for genre fans, the depth of the character progression and the payoff in the boss fights does prove rewarding when you see all your tinkering coming together, but the highs aren’t enough to make Code Vein II an easy recommendation for all but the die-hards of the genre.

I really enjoyed playing TR-49, but it’s too wrapped up in its characters for me to totally forgive the fact that I came away from it not caring about any of them. Still, the formula at the center of this one is a winner, and if you’ve already played some of the genre’s very best, TR-49 is absolutely still worth a look.

I was really hoping to enjoy my time more with the game, but ultimately Kotama and Academy Citadel fell prey to unclear mechanics and incredibly challenging progression. While the adventure is quite attractive and novel in many ways, this Metroidvania fan was hoping for something much more streamlined. Here’s hoping the next adventure from Atomstring Games builds upon to good here to deliver a true knockout adventure.

Though I didn’t hate the game, and enjoyed much of my time with EvoCreo, it also suffered from a lot of self inflicted wounds. If you’re going to port a mobile game to PC, it needs to optimize things for that platform. And that’s just not the case here...While I doubt I’d ever see this game on a Nintendo platform, I do feel it would be perfect as a portable adventure. Which is why it’s so frustrating that it’s not optimized for anything other than keyboard and mouse, and hasn’t been confirmed for Steam Deck. But if you can put up with various failings and want a fun, PC take on monster catching, then you might still want to check out EvoCreo.

As a fan of the indie and rogue-like scene, I really wanted to enjoy Morsels more. But I also can’t bring myself to say a game is better than it is. My hope is that Furcula finds a way to tweak and dramatically improve the game experience in future content updates. But until then, this is one rogue-like that won’t be making a lot of fans.

A lot of players will find Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered International to be overwhelming, myself included. Even for those who don’t, if they played the previous version and don’t need one of the new language options, there’s little need to double dip. Still, if the idea of an open world that lets you create your own adventure is appealing, then this is a fascinating game that is worth a look.

Despite its share of rough edges, Skate Story still won me over. It leans more on style than substance, but that style is some of the most striking I’ve seen in years, and it carries the experience far. The problem is that the game rarely finds inventive ways to use its own brilliance, leaving it feeling like a journey that peaks too early.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 represents Treyarch doing what Treyarch does best: crafting rock-solid multiplayer and inventive zombies experiences. Coming just one year after Black Ops 6, there were legitimate concerns about franchise fatigue, but the game manages to be both familiar and fresh enough to justify its existence.

I won’t go so far as to call The Namco Legendary Pack a must-purchase. The history captured here isn’t unique enough for that, especially when you consider only a handful of playable games have been added to the overall package. Still, what’s here is interesting, well presented, and offered at a reasonable price for the couple of hours of education and entertainment it can provide. If you’re a fan of Namco’s earliest works, it’s worth the price of admission.

Despite its issues, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a beautiful collection that modernizes these games in many compelling ways. In doing so, however, it loses the identity of the first game and only offers band-aids for the issues of the second title. These are still incredibly basic RPGs which will mostly appeal to long time fans of the series, but they’re likely the best versions of these classic titles.

Once Upon a KATAMARI is still really fun, but it doesn’t quite live up to the dream of what I wanted a new Katamari game to be. The developers clearly put a lot of thought into how they could mix up the series’ formula, and they did a great job of putting players in new situations, but too often, I just found myself wishing for more of the old style of stages. Still, if you’ve already played the earlier games in the series and want more, you’ll have a good time with Once Upon a KATAMARI.

I liked ILA’s story a great deal as well, and think it explores emotionally challenging situations in a mature way, which will work for all ages. I also believe, though, that the overall experience doesn’t fully come together in a satisfying way. With some more interesting puzzles, a bit of work on the skating sequences, and slightly better pathfinding, this could be a real winner. For now, it’s a nice enough game that doesn’t reach its full potential.

Little Nightmares III is a solid sequel that honors the franchise’s horror foundations but stumbles with excessive caution. It’s a nightmare worth having, but one that feels hauntingly familiar. In a series built on unsettling expectations, familiarity is its scariest weakness. For series fans seeking more puzzle platforming in The Nowhere, Little Nightmares III delivers exactly that—no more, no less.

On the whole, I do think Varlet is worthy of a playthrough for genre die-hards, but it would be best experienced having been snapped up at a heavy discount, which I have very little doubt won’t be far away.

Battlefield 6 has an enjoyable, but brief single-player campaign that ends just as it is getting really good. The campaign feels like an extended tutorial for the diverse systems in multiplayer, which provides a potpourri of vehicles and tactical options to do battle with, but doesn't exactly break the mould. Battlefield 6 just can't quite reach the heights of Battlefield 1 or add much spice to the decades-old, oversaturated contemporary military FPS genre. Battlefield 6 is a return to form, but not an elevation of that form.

The overall experience is a game at war with itself. Triangle Strategy is a fascinating, yet flawed gem that will absolutely delight some while frustrating others in equal measure. It offers tactical depth, political complexity, and visual splendor, but demands patience for its sluggish pacing and incessant dialogue.

Herdling offers interesting mechanics and a fantastic soundtrack on any platform. It also has a fantastic style that should be a strength, but the Switch version in particular looks so washed out that it dulls the appeal of this part of the game. I’m not saying to avoid playing Herdling, but if you have any other options, I’d definitely recommend checking it out on another platform.

Fallen City Brawl has its strengths, with its crunchy combat, a solid variety of weapons, and a fantastic soundtrack. But those high points are often dragged down by inconsistent visuals, a lack of polish, and some frustrating design decisions. With more time and refinement, it could’ve stood alongside the genre’s modern greats like Streets of Rage 4 or TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. As it is, it’s a decent but uneven experience that genre fans might still enjoy, especially in co-op, provided they go in with tempered expectations.

Ra Ra BOOM has some weaknesses. Its story doesn’t really connect, and the melee combat lacks the sort of flow that the best games in the genre manage. Still, its twist on genres, which combines various gameplay styles into one interesting experience, is largely successful and makes it worth a look for beat ‘em up fans.

Killing Floor 3 is a decent night with friends and a weak successor. It chases trends that do not fit the series, ships with a campaign that does not shape the action, and leans on grind to stretch content that should have been deeper instead of longer. Fans will find flashes to enjoy. Most players will bounce to other co‑op shooters that respect their time.

Shadow Labyrinth has some ideas that really connect, but the game they’ve been placed within rarely feels more than serviceable. Once you gain some power-ups and can take advantage of the full suite of abilities you have, it’s fine, but seldom interesting, and, considering how unique its premise is, that’s a problem. There are much worse games in the genre, but there are so many better options available that I expect Shadow Labyrinth will be mostly remembered more for just how weird it is, rather than the journey it offers.