One part Corpse Party, one part Limbo, The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is an indie gem no fan of the horror genre should miss. With its distinct visual style, excellent story, and a genuinely creepy main antagonist, it’s easily one of my favorite indie titles of 2020. As someone who missed out on the original game, playing through this sequel for review has me eager to dive deep into it to see what I missed. If the game is anywhere near as good as The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, I’m sure I’m in for a terrifying treat.

Insurmountable’s 2.0 update brings all the missing content that the original release desperately needed; while the new stuff is anything but cozy, it is challenging, which is the exact kind of thing players who love survival games are looking for. Insurmountable revitalizes the tired roguelike genre with its new setting and careful, slow-going mechanics, but it can feel a bit stale after a summit or two so it’s best to play this one in short bursts. If you’re always searching for that something over the next mountaintop, Insurmountable is cooler than cool — it’s ice cold.

For fans of the various properties here, Super Robot Wars Y is a no-brainer. Even as someone unfamiliar with a lot of these properties, it was still cool to see the few characters I did know show up and interact with each other. I can only imagine how cool that would be if I knew the rest of this crew. Still, after playing it, I’m curious to check out a few more of these series because so many of these characters are likable and grabbed my attention. Even beyond the characters, there’s a ton of quality strategy RPG goodness here for anyone who enjoys the genre. Super Robot Wars Y may not break any new ground there, but it’s well executed and will keep you busy for a very long time.

The latest Persona 5 spinoff could be called a lot of different things. Strange? A bit, yeah. Minimalistic? Compared to the rest of the series, definitely. But you can also, undoubtedly, call it creative. And, most importantly, you can very easily call it fun! So long as you can get past its slightly odd presentation in the beginning, Persona 5 Tactica promises an enjoyably unique experience that only serves to build upon the world of Persona 5 established by its predecessors. Regardless of whether or not SRPGs are normally your thing, any self-respecting Persona fan owes it to themselves to snag a copy of P5T as soon as they’re able.

Honestly, there’s not much of anything I can say negatively about Toodee and Topdee. While I’m a bit irked I didn’t manage to 100% all the hidden content, the main game is still robust and satisfying. I don’t always enjoy puzzle games, but this one really impressed me. It’s honestly the best puzzle game I’ve played since Grindstone, though admittedly, both games are quite different. If you’re looking for something new to play, or if you just want to support an up-and-coming indie team, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

A Juggler’s Tale is a short, classic storybook side-scroller that asks players if they’d prefer to let fate choose for them or to choose their own destiny. Featuring delightful mechanics set against a dark fantasy world, A Juggler’s Tale will instantly remind fans of the seventh gen era of classics like LittleBigPlanet or Puppeteer in the best possible way. If a twisted fairytale with unique mechanics, captivating aesthetics, and a fantastic story sounds thrilling, don’t sleep on A Juggler’s Tale.

Overall, Ash of Gods: The Way is an extremely enjoyable entry into an extremely crowded field, and that holds true whether you view it more as a deckbuilder or as a tactical/strategy game. Gameplay, on the whole, is engaging, challenging, and addicting, the story is fairly deep and does a good job of driving gameplay forward, and the promise of multiple endings is a strong draw for repeated playthroughs.

If you’re after a passable RTS, there are worse options to plump for than Dark Descent. Ably evoking the claustrophobic and unsettling mood of the Alien franchise, Dark Descent may please fans of the franchise with its desperate firefights and tense stealth sections. However, it doesn’t push the envelope in regards to anything it does, failing to wholly immerse you in its story thanks to mediocre dialogue and vapid characters, compromised by finnicky management systems, leaving you confined to a temporarily terrifying but otherwise banal and toothless RTS. It may be tempting for Alien devotees, but don’t be surprised if Dark Descent devours your patience quicker than an alien pouncing on its military prey.

At its best, Back 4 Blood offers a ton of variety to keep you and your friends interested for a long time. Even returning to levels you’ve already played gets interesting thanks to different cards, which can make major differences in how things play out. If you have three friends to play the whole game with, I highly recommend it. That its available as a Game Pass title is awesome because you can get a group of friends together without them all having to buy the game. If you don’t have that group though, a poorly balanced solo mode and issues with matchmaking will sink this one for most.

Most of Rune Factory 5 is fine. There are minor issues with everything from the story to the graphics to the gameplay, but only a few of these issues will negatively impact the experience in a meaningful way. The bigger problem is simply that so little about Rune Factory 5 stands out. So many of the minor issues present here could have been overlooked if the core experience was exceptional and really moved the series forward, but instead, the development team spent nine years making a new Rune Factory, only to put out a game that feels like a minor step forward at best and in some ways feels like a step back. If you’re a massive fan of the series and need more of it, you’ll have a fun enough time with Rune Factory 5, but everyone else should proceed with caution.

So, what do you reckon, parder? Will you help El Hijo find his mother and free the children from the bad guys? He may be small, but he’s mighty, and with your help, he can be reunited with his family and ride off into the sunset. If a stealth puzzle game that goes from sweet to sinister super fast sounds like something you’d saddle up for, be sure to check out El Hijo: A Wild West Tale on Steam or Stadia today. Adios, amigos!

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.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a lot of games quite like Invector: Rhythm Galaxy, and this is the kind of dopamine injection I feel the genre was in need of for a while. The feel of sweeping across alien landscapes with some sick tunes in the backdrop while handling fast and furious rhythm action all flows so well together… once you get the hang of doing it. If you’ve dived into ship-based rhythm romps like Audiosurf and Amplitude, you’ll be happy to know that Invector: Rhythm Galaxy is right up that same alley, and is absolutely just as much of a blast to play, doing exactly what these types of music/rhythm games do best.

I’m not sure these games are quite up to carrying this package. Dragon Breed is still a fun game and worth playing, while Mr. Heli is an interesting time capsule that I’m glad I checked out, but neither of these is a lost classic that modern players desperately need to play. They range from fine to pretty good, but that’s only enough to recommend Irem Collection Volume 3 to big fans of the genre.

Soul Hackers 2 made some interesting decisions—some of which I don’t totally agree with. But, even with whatever grievances I might have, I can’t deny that the game was ultimately both incredibly fun and well put-together. Devil Summoner might not carry the same weight as other spinoff series within the MegaTen universe, but Soul Hackers 2 is one heck of a ride from start to finish.

Its opening hours may frustrate you in how risk-averse those initial sections seem, but bearing with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers ultimately reveals a deep experience that proves there’s still room for more soulslikes when the quality is there.

If you enjoyed Fatshark’s previous projects on Vermintide and its sequel, or you’re just an overall Warhammer 40K fan, then you will feel right at home with Darktide. As long as you can dig past the rough state the game is in right now with unfinished content and performance issues, then there’s truly an addictive and satisfying cooperative horde shooter lying underneath all those corpses.

Returning to the series’ original star and following up on a choice that fans have spent a decade debating was always going to be a challenge. Still, by focusing on the genuine emotions such a choice would leave behind, the team at Deck Nine has created a story that hit me like a ton of bricks. This may be the best Life is Strange yet, and it sits comfortably among the best games of 2024.

I’m in awe of Ooblets; it managed to take several distinct and highly developed mechanics and make sure each one was deeply complex instead of a cheap afterthought. The farming portion satisfies, the card-based, turn-based dance battles are addicting, and the task management system keeps players busy, busy, busy. It’s unfortunate that progress still feels like it’s moving at a snail’s pace, but at least there are cute lil ooblets to show for it. If all you want to do is dance (and farm, and forage, and cook, and shop, and…), then Ooblets challenges you to take control of your formerly toot life and make it an awesome one.

Dice Legacy leaves a lasting impression of something basic in concept but tremendous in possibilities. With bucolic aesthetics and a simply lovely soundtrack to match, Dice Legacy wants players to know that dice-based gameplay can be incredibly deep and immediately addicting. Would I recommend this survival city-builder on the Switch? Certainly, but only if PC isn’t an option; if you’ve got a Steam account, head there first for the far more intuitive gameplay both you and Dice Legacy deserve.

As a whole, The Letter is an awesome visual novel. With a literal ton of dialogue, extremely well-developed characters, a deliciously creepy, slow-burning story, branching story paths, and an interesting relationship system, there’s quite a lot for horror fans and visual novel fans alike to enjoy. Unfortunately, the awesome story and stellar character writing is bogged down by the ceaseless grammar mistakes. Still, if you can get past it, I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy it.

Despite these minor issues, Pocket Bravery is still a fresh take on the chibi fighter genre and an absolute blast to play through. Hopefully, we get to see more fighting games from this Statera Studio down the road and maybe even some future character releases. If battling with mighty mini brawlers is your jam, or if you're just a lover of all things fighting games like myself, don't hesitate to pick up this tiny titan.

Put simply, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a ton of fun. Not only does it add neat little tricks like how dancing draws items closer to you, but it features challenging boss battles, clever puzzles, and an engaging cast of characters with stellar humor constantly on display. If I weren’t already a super fan of the series, this game would have helped make me one. It’s a blast from the past that’s perfectly suited for modern gamers, and a game I highly recommend you check out.

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.

WRC 10 is still the best rally simulator out there; despite stalling a few times on the way to the finish line. It’s clear that there’s real passion behind much of what KT Racing have poured into their final iteration of the franchise. But unfortunately, the half-baked 50th-anniversary mode and missteps with the mind-numbing career mode, distract from the overall experience. WRC 10 shines when it’s not trying to lure you in with a load of flashy bullshit. Instead, it’s best when it’s got you on the track, careering through chicanes or clinging on for dear life as you hoist yourself through a hairpin.

Potion Permit is a quaint little alchemy simulator that will delight anyone looking for something cozy. It’s not exactly the Stardew Valley sibling it appears to be, but it has the potential to become just as beloved in its own right nonetheless. If you’re hurting for a cute life sim that blossoms over time, Potion Permit will cure what ails you.

I went into Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising cynically expecting a title that would serve as nothing more than an appetizer for its bigger JRPG sibling that we can expect next year. I couldn’t have been more wrong as Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is much, much more than that. With its gorgeous art direction, stylish combat, and substantial content offering, it’s a game that arguably offers more than it needed to. If you can make it past the slowish opening act, you’ll find that Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a title that is more than capable of standing on its own, to the extent where I can’t help but recommend it, irrespective of whether you are excited for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes or not.

There’s genuine fun to be had with Jurassic World Evolution 2. Chaos mode and the sandbox give you a lot of options to really build the park of your dreams. When even the game’s best modes are fairly flawed, though, it becomes hard to recommend all, but the biggest Jurassic Park fans dig into this one. Players who can play on PC will almost certainly find a game that controls better, but while that’s an issue, it isn’t the only problem here. Sadly, a different control scheme isn’t going to solve Jurassic World Evolution 2’s most significant issues.