Despite launching in a state that could really use an injection of some new content already, Deceive Inc. is a genuinely fresh and fun take on the asymmetrical multiplayer space. The tension and paranoia of the opening stages of each match are unlike anything else offered by the genre right now, and even though the tension of those initial moments is belittled slightly by the frequently chaotic endings, the gameplay hook remains strong enough that I’m keen to keep playing and getting familiar with the rest of the roster of agents. If you can look past the cash shop and are okay with buying a product on the basis that it serves as a strong foundation for something that could become pretty special, then Deceive Inc. might just be worth your time.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road didn’t attempt to do anything to “shake things up” for its 10th anniversary. But it didn’t need to—and its latest expansion is a great example of how it manages to keep things fresh while never veering too off-course from its core gameplay loop. Featuring an enticing new storyline with a brand-new Daedric Prince, the incredibly rewarding Scribing mechanic, and the entirety of the West Weald to explore, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is an incredibly enjoyable expansion and the perfect way for fans—be they veterans or newbies—to celebrate ESO‘s 10th anniversary in style.

Atomfall’s commitment to player freedom is baked into its design, and it works really well. I’d love to see the team at Rebellion, or other developers, for that matter, iterate on its structure and build more games designed around this level of freedom. Even most open-world games aren’t even close. Atomfall itself, though, is a tougher recommendation. It isn’t that it does anything terribly wrong, it’s just that little about it other than the structure stands out. Once you get used to the flow of things, there’s not much else I can point at and say this is why you should play Atomfall instead of any number of other survival games. Still, it’s always nice to see a developer try something outside of what has become the accepted right way to do things, and for the most part, Atomfall succeeds on that front.

I enjoyed my time with Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir. It tells an interesting story that puts interesting twists on some expected tropes. While there were elements of the UI that showed their age, once I got used to them and played the game on its terms, I was able to work through it without much issue. With the story taking its time to get interesting, though and being fairly short at that, it is hard to call this a must-play. Still, for fans who have been interested for many years, finally getting to play this in English is a treat.

Lamentum’s story and puzzle-solving challenges do feel too much like a rehash of those very same games that inspired it. In some ways, being an almost 1-1 repetition. However, thanks to its spine-chilling atmosphere and old-school survivor horror mechanics, it does play like a survival horror game from the 1990s. So if you like those, this is definitely the game for you.

For a game that’s supposedly Rune Factory-adjacent, I’ve got to say that I feel a little let down here. Between its engaging premise, large cast of playable characters, and emphasis on crafting, Silent Hope offers a lot to players but never really goes anywhere interesting with it. As a fan of both Marvelous and Rune Factory, I know that this developer is capable of creating games with plenty of depth. Ironically, however, the game about literally exploring a near-endless abyss isn’t one of them. The game does have its charms, to be sure, but the sheer amount of potentially cool things that it could have done (and didn’t do) left me feeling more frustrated than anything.

Harvestella is hard to readily recommend to the farming simulator crowd, but for those who miss PS2-era JRPGs/dungeon-crawlers, this is not a game you’ll want to pass up. Everything here feels comfortable but fresh, like a beloved, clearly worn jacket tailored to current measurements. Its streamlined approach to farming allows players to focus on a rich story set in an even richer world, featuring exploration and combat mechanics that actually make you want to stick around in the dungeons for hours. If you’re looking for a JRPG/farming sim that doesn’t compromise on story or beauty but allows you to turn your brain “off” after a long day, Harvestella is ripe for picking.

The Cruel King and the Great Hero is my current contender for GOTY 2022; although it’s only April, I just don’t see this changing. With its wonderfully whimsical aesthetics, glorious soundtrack, blossoming world-building and character development, and delightful turn-based combat combining action and slight brainteasers, it cannot be overstated how phenomenal The Cruel King and the Great Hero truly is. It’s probably the only game I’ve ever consciously desired to give a standing ovation, tears welling up in my eyes as the credits rolled. The sum of a thousand tiny details done correctly, The Cruel King and the Great Hero achieves greatness through the lens of a bold and brave young girl, following her heart and her dreams, with her supportive dragon dad by her side.

Storyteller is filled with charm and offers interesting mechanics, which really do make it feel like you’re telling a story. Unfortunately, it just takes too long to get going for a game that ends so soon. I completed every level in the game, including the alternate challenges, in about two hours. For the right price, this is definitely a story worth telling, though, and those in need of a new take on the puzzle genre should have a good time.

I’ve scrutinized Coromon pretty thoroughly, I’m not going to deny that. But I don’t think that my decision to do so was unfair. When you’re going to directly compare yourself to something that’s already been established, you open yourself up to the criticism, both positive and negative, that comes along with it. And, truly, there was a bit of both when it came to my outlook on Coromon. Was there a bit more negative than positive? Sure. I think that this game has a way to go (perhaps via means of a sequel) before I could truly say that I’m satisfied with it. But is the potential there? Yeah, absolutely. Between the gorgeous creature spritework and the way that the game simultaneously handles stat distribution and “shiny” hunting via the Potential system, there are some true moments of brilliance tucked away with in this game. And I’d like that brilliance to, *ahem*, shine bright. But it’s going to need some work to get to that stage. And only time will tell if it ever actually gets there.

If you’re looking for an unabashedly old-school brawler that doesn’t pull any punches, Final Vendetta certainly delivers that much. But only the most patient of pugilists will be able to get the most out of this package.

Sometimes, as a gamer, you long for a game that you can just let your hair down with. That inner child wants to get some fresh air from time to time, and LEGO 2K Drive is there for just that. Not everyone will be here for the numerous puns and hammy dialogue, but I think anyone picking this up won’t be disappointed in the classic fun of screwing around with a vat of LEGOs. While the vehicle editor has a bit of a spazzy camera and seems to be missing a couple of parts, it’s still so robust when it comes to bringing those childhood fantasies of racing your custom LEGO car to life that it can be easily forgiven. It’s just a shame the same can’t be said about the egregious microtransactions that are about as painful as stepping on a LEGO. Still, if you have a taste for arcade racers and a love for LEGO, or are maybe looking for a good first racing game for the kids, you can’t do any wrong taking a pit stop at LEGO 2K Drive.

Much like a real anniversary, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is less about embarking on something new and more about happily re-living some wonderful, past moments. It was a great game then, and, even 10 years later, it’s still a great game—made even better by the bundle of Creation Club DLCs thrown into the mix. Skyrim‘s been around for a long time, now, and, whether you like it or not, the Anniversary Edition shows that Skyrim has still got the ability to stick around for at least a little while longer (I’m sure we’ll get TESVI eventually, though!).

Indigo 7: Quest for Love is an earnest, enjoyable attempt at a new puzzle game. It’s fun, it’s quirky, the art style is endearing, and the gameplay is solid. Honestly, I’d be giving this game a higher score if it didn’t have some bugs and issues that pop up here and there.

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story’s narrative intrigued players last year when it launched on PC, PlayStation, and Switch; now, a year later, it entices mobile players to its tantalizing tale. While I stand by my PC review’s sentiments regarding the sheer amount of information presented without knowing what to do with every last tidbit, it doesn’t change the fact that this is a solid title that shines on mobile platforms. If you’re looking for a high quality murder mystery that you can play on your phone, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story invites you to investigate its strange, sad tale a century in the making.

Mechwarrior 5 is for the detail-oriented mech fans who are willing to sacrifice immediate excitement and gratification for a more grounded simulation of what it would be like to pilot a massive mechanical monster. The career mode provided with this new expansion might please those who are craving more action from the base game, but there’s no new story to be had or any major gameplay additions to hook in anyone else. For the weighty price tag – Heroes of the Inner Sphere is only worth a purchase for those truly addicted to this more thoughtfully paced mecha-mercenary-em-up.

Evotinction may stumble in how it delivers its narrative, but it’s more than able to make up for that in the gameplay department. While starting simple, Evotinction soon becomes a varied stealth sandbox that provides a throwback to stealth games of years gone by. It might never reach the heights of its bigger budget inspiration, but in a world where stealth games are somewhat rare, it’s simply nice to see developers wanting to provide a throwback for fans of the genre, something Evotinction does successfully with its varied hacking-based gameplay.

There are some cool ideas in Eternal Threads and a series of characters that I mostly liked spending time with. The mechanics work well, even If I’d have liked to see a little more puzzle-solving and interaction. When your whole game is built around its narrative, though, it’s an issue when so little of it comes together and leaves you with a satisfying conclusion. I wish I could recommend Eternal Threads as the actual process of playing through it is mostly entertaining enough, but, in the end, I was left wanting so much more.

No Longer Home is a short, sad story about coming to terms with growing up and saying goodbye to college life, friends, and the family we create along the way. Although Ao and Bo must leave their uni flat and the happy memories they’ve created within those four walls behind, they’ll cherish every precious moment spent together. If you’re looking to experience the pain of parting while taking solace in the fact that home is truly where the heart is, No Longer Home will scratch that melancholy itch.

Death end re;Quest is one of the best games that Compile Heart has ever made. While it may not manage to avoid all of the tropes that you’d expect to see from a CH game, it’s obvious that a lot of effort has been put into this game, and it absolutely shows. It’s a weird combination of sci-fi, horror, comedy, visual novel, and JRPG elements that were all put together in just the right way to allow them to work together in a near-perfect way. Whether you’re a Compile Heart fan who initially passed this game by, a pre-existing DerQ fan, or just someone with even a mild interest in this game, I’d say to just go ahead and pick up Death end re;Quest for Switch. It’s relatively cheap, and a lot of fun and the smorgasbord of DLC that comes with this version doesn’t hurt anything, either.

Weird West sometimes gets its wagon wheels stuck on the sand with its exciting but underdeveloped ideas. Nonetheless, it’s still well worth a fair few silver dollars for being an ambitiously open-ended Action-RPG with a truly unique story and ambiance. So saddle up, partner. We’ve got some outlaws and zombies to hunt!

It’s without a doubt that Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered comes with very little hand-holding and a steep learning curve that may be off-putting in today’s limelight. However, its unique approach to non-linear gameplay and storytelling, in addition to its impeccable art direction and soundtrack, combine to create an exceptional adventure. 

Toxic Commando is a solid mix of the thrills of a co-op extraction shooter and the avaricious joys of the loot n' shooter. Every level has plenty to do and goodies to collect, with a good variety between high-octane driving sections and hard-fought point defence against waves of undead. Carpenter has displayed that his action-adventure chops are just as formidable in the gaming realm as they are on the silver screen.

Overall, DNF Duel was and still is one of the most aesthetically pleasing games I’ve played in a long time and one of the better ports on the Nintendo Switch, taking everything there was to love about the game while still retaining its sleek gameplay and killer sense of style. Sadly, while the characters and animations still look great, and the game runs like a champ, it took a slight hit in terms of graphical fidelity to be able to run the game at its most optimal on the Switch. Nevertheless, while it may not be an entirely new game, it does a phenomenal job showing that an old dog doesn’t need new tricks to be great. So if big beautiful sprites, bone-crunching combat, and vivid visuals are your cup of tea, don’t be afraid to give DNF Duel a try.

Ultimately, how much enjoyment you get out of Fobia depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re just dying for gripping gunplay with myriad monsters to encounter, there’s no denying that you’ll probably be pretty disappointed with what this title has to offer. But if you can look beyond its rougher edges, Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel offers tantalizingly terrifying accommodations for survival horror fans.

Earth Defense Force 6 continues to build on the strengths of its predecessors, offering a thrilling and chaotic experience that fans of the series have come to love. Despite being more of the same, lacking in the visual department, and being quite repetitive, EDF 6 is sure to gather players from all over the globe to gear up to defend Earth once more.

While #BLUD’s occasionally frustrating hit detection and repetitive late-game dungeons keep it from realizing its full potential, it’s still very much worth checking out, thanks to its entertaining writing, imaginative boss fights, and pixel-perfect presentation. If you’ve got a soft spot for the cartoons of the late 1990s or are simply looking for a fun twist on the Zelda formula to sink your teeth into, #BLUD should leave you satisfied.

I truly hope that Sword and Fairy: Together Forever finally releasing on consoles gives the series the boost it needs towards more widespread recognition globally. It’s a fantastic title with some of the deepest lore to grace the genre in a while, which also manages to back up its compelling narrative with combat that is a joy to engage with. In a summer that has sorely been lacking in epic RPGs for genre enthusiasts to get stuck into, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever not only helps fill that void but does so with a level of style and heart that begs to be experienced.