There’s no denying that Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin has its unintentionally awkward moments when it comes to the story, but at its core it’s a solid experience from both a gameplay standpoint and in terms of how it links back to the entire Final Fantasy universe. In fact, fans of the franchise will certainly be blindsided by nostalgia when it comes to music and settings, so I encourage newcomers to the series to try a few of the mainline entries first if they want to get the most out of this one. As for me, I found myself enjoying Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin in the same way that I enjoyed Final Fantasy X-2: preferring combat to story. Simply put, as long as you set your expectations accordingly, you’ll have a good time.

If you’re playing with others, I imagine you’ll have a great time with The Ascent. While it still isn’t anywhere near perfect, the beautiful graphics and solid gunplay should be enough for those who just want something cool to play with their friends. There’s plenty of loot to collect along the way, too, letting you each put your stamp on your character. If you have no one to play with, though, I wouldn’t recommend The Ascent. The game feels like it’s fighting against you the entire way. It never stops feeling like this game wasn’t meant for you.

Residual has awesome pixel art, a unique premise, addicting gameplay, and the promise of unique playthroughs every time you start a new game. While it’s not a perfect game, my complaints are fairly minor all things considered. I’d definitely recommend this game to anybody looking for a unique survival/platformer mashup.

The Plane Effect strikes me as a fairly polarizing experience that won’t be for everyone. If you prefer gameplay mechanics over aesthetics and deeper meaning, turn back now; if you love a cinematic, visually arresting journey and don’t mind clunky controls, this might be the surreal commute from another dimension for you. I can’t guarantee The Plane Effect will be your favorite game this year, but I can promise a unique experience that will make you feel all sorts of emotions; whether those emotions are awe or anger is anyone’s guess.

Unless you categorically hate having fun, Gang Beasts’ hilarious and deceptively simple physics-based combat is an absolute blast, especially when played locally with friends and family. Sure, it could perhaps be a bit more fleshed out in terms of modes, and playing online may not result in the same level of fun as local play. However, when viewed purely as a local multiplayer party game, which you can’t help but feel is the way it was intended to be played, I can’t think of many experiences that are as capable of entertaining for an evening in the way that Gang Beasts is.

Flynn: Son of Crimson was ultimately worth the wait. Even though it didn’t quite live up to the potential I felt was possible, it’s still a solid platformer with beautiful art and plenty of spunk. Sure, I was disappointed by the half-baked story and how repetitive the combat becomes, but I still had fun playing it. If you’re a fan of retro-inspired games that harken back to the ’90s, I’d check it out.

Overall, the Switch port of Firefighting Simulator – The Squad is a bit of a mixed bag. Graphical issues and AI quirks aside, the game still delivers where it counts: the fundamental mechanics and the thrill of multiplayer gameplay. Despite its repetition and simplicity, it does a decent job of introducing players to the nuts and bolts of firefighting. The game truly comes alive in multiplayer, where teamwork elevates the experience, capturing some of the excitement and challenge of the job. It’s not perfect, but for those with a keen interest in firefighting and a willingness to overlook its technical issues on the Switch, this game can be a solid pick.

Despite some strange choices around online play and a story that failed to grab my interest, however, I had a great time with The Rumble Fish 2. It’s easy to pick up and play with fast-paced fights that are exactly what I look for in a fighting game. With interesting mechanics and a varied cast of interesting fighters, fans of the genre should absolutely give this throwback a shot.

Crash Drive 3 and its extremely simplistic and repetitive gameplay loops are difficult to recommend for anyone looking for a substantial arcade driving experience. If, however, you’re after a fun little time-waster that you just want to have to hand for a few moments of downtime here and there, then you may find Crash Drive 3 an adequate distraction; provided you can look past the technical issues, that is.

Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass is a return to form for fans of the franchise, with more than enough new mechanics and contents to keep the formula interesting and fresh.

I know this is a concise review by HPP’s standards, but to say much more would spoil what’s already a very bite-sized offering. What I can say with certainty, though, is that I’ve been playing video games for about 35 years, and until now, I’d never played anything quite like Arrog. It may be easy and short – very short. But despite its brevity, I very much enjoyed this tantalizing tour of Peruvian funerary traditions and culture. If you’re fascinated by this kind of stuff, or just really like games with big stonkin capybaras, I think you will too."

Jett: The Far Shore provides a truly otherworldly experience. With a unique look, stunning soundtrack, and a ship that controls like a dream, strap in and fulfill Jao's directive. Late game choices take the wind out of things a bit, but I still recommend taking a journey on the far shore.

Its open world may not contain an abundance of diverse and interesting distractions, but the combat is strong enough that exploration is still satisfying. Couple that with some excellent traversal mechanics and the freedom to truly go anywhere, and Outcast: A New Beginning is a fantastic attempt at reviving the IP for a modern audience in a way that feels faithful to the vision of its predecessor.

Sniper Elite VR is a bit of a mixed bag. Hands down, the game offers the best sniping experience you can find in VR. So if you’re an armchair assassin looking to bag some bad guys, this is a game you won’t want to miss. But, on the other hand, it’s just a shame that things start to fall apart whenever you get up close and personal with your enemies...If you’re a fan of the Sniper Elite franchise and are looking for a fresh perspective on its blend of stealth action, Sniper Elite VR delivers the goods. Just don’t expect the same sense of polish and scale as its flat-screen offerings before you undertake this mission. Viva la revolucion!

At a time when trading sweat pants for slacks in a bid to return to the office is a dreaded drag, The Company Man reminds us exactly of what we hoped to leave back in the “before times.” With that being said, it’s handled in such a clever and fun way that brawling with colleagues becomes almost cathartic. If you’re tired of being a cog in the corporate machine and want to stick it to the man, The Company Man offers that pick-up-and-platforming-play that’ll surely bring joy to your lunch hour.

There’s substance to The Falconeer, and while there’s really something special here, it’s in the details instead of the big picture. For fans of air combat games, The Falconeer represents a breath of fresh air, and, quite frankly, it is pretty cool to be one with the falcon; for those simply curious, check out some YouTube videos before taking wing.

If you’re a fan of SNK’s previously-released Neo Geo Pocket ports to the eShop, don’t hesitate to pick up The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny. Despite making a few concessions to fit onto the Neo Geo Pocket’s 8-bit framework, the game does a remarkable job of staying true to its 16-bit roots. With snappy combat, charming presentation, and a wide selection of modes to enjoy, it’s a fine addition to the Switch library that no SNK fan should pass up.

MythForce effectively harks back to the charm of 80s nostalgia while delivering the challenges of a modern roguelite adventure. Despite its occasional narrative shortcomings and repetitiveness, its escalating challenges and the unique experience of multiplayer gameplay stand out. For those yearning for a dose of the past with the excitement of today's gaming landscape, MythForce is an adventure well worth embarking on. And trust me, once you play it, you'll catch yourself singing the game's name every time you read or say “MythForce.”

This is the President is a perfectly patriotic blend of This is the Police, Suzerain, and We. The Revolution, presenting players with scandal after scandal after scandal to wriggle their way out of. Although there are a small handful of choices that corral you into picking the “right” option, the way you cope with the consequences is largely up to you. If you enjoy a novel’s worth of deranged narrative gameplay where choices matter like your life depends on them (and they do), This is the President will command enough mystery, intrigue, and excitement for even the highest of offices.

At its best, when everything is working as it should, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a significantly improved version of what was already one of my favorite experiences on the Xbox Series X. There’s so much to do here, and flying around enjoying the scenery hasn’t lost any of its appeal in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Its technical quirks and design choices should be less of a problem over time, but I suspect some of them, like the egregiously long load times, will likely remain vulnerabilities moving forward.

Overall, the experience of Port Royale 4 ends up feeling stretched a little thin.

Pecaminosa – A Pixel Noir Game hits all the right notes in both the pixel-art style and noir genre. It has fun fights, challenging bosses, interesting art, and even some entertaining mini-games to break the routine. It’s easy to recommend but difficult to master; expect more action and less mystery with this police action RPG. If you want something that feels new yet simultaneously possesses retro vibes, take a deep, long draft of Pecaminosa – A Pixel Noir Game.

Honestly, I struggle to find criticism for Haven Park. Is it the most stunning, groundbreaking game you’ll ever play? No, but it doesn’t need to be. While it feels like it draws some inspiration from the Animal Crossing series, it remains its own separate entity with its own identity. For a game about walking and fixing up campsites, it’s short, sweet, beautiful, and even at times, moving. It left me wishing for more, but in the best way possible.

Despite feeling like a bit of a plot dump, First Ones is another solid episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series. It features excellent atmosphere, exciting choices that build upon what came before, and some character development. While I’ve definitely started to question if the game would have better served by releasing as one complete package, I’m still looking forward to seeing what comes next for Camina Drummer.

I enjoyed revisiting the world and characters of Tales of Arise. Seeing how they’re doing a year later and how this world is finding a way to come together is interesting, and the early hours of Beyond the Dawn are mostly a good experience. Once again, though, the further things go, the less satisfying the overall experience is, and some strange design choices make this content feel strangely isolated. Big fans of Tales of Arise should certainly give this a shot, but it’s far from mandatory even for them.

Even though I managed to return Kuon to the world of the living and her loving owner, I found myself a bit disappointed with Umbraclaw. While it’s a novel and fascinating adventure, it’s also held back by some poorly utilized systems, frustrating save functionality, and often inconsistent and overwhelming difficulty. While I enjoyed it overall, it failed to stand out from recent spectacular entries from Inti Creates.

The Tribe Must Survive feels like a missed opportunity. It has a promising premise and a few interesting ideas, but its execution is marred by frustrating gameplay, artificial difficulty, a repetitive structure, and a lack of meaningful choices. If you’re a fan of unforgiving roguelikes and don’t mind repetitive gameplay, you might find something to enjoy here. But for most players, The Tribe Must Survive will likely prove to be more of an exercise in frustration than a truly satisfying survival experience.

If you’re someone who doesn’t mind investing in a product on the promise of what it might become, then I say go for it, jump on in. The core gameplay is so well refined that I have no doubt that fans of shooters and team-based shooters will find merit in what Capcom has produced and be able to overlook its rougher edges in the way I have. Whether that enthusiasm lingers long after the launch period remains to be seen. As highlighted, Exoprimal has core issues that need resolving to ensure it doesn’t become another live service casualty.