I wish I could sing the praises of Trigger Witch. It’s not a bad game, and I did enjoy my time with it. I just felt it was held back by the scope of the adventure and the aforementioned problems I encountered. As a fan of Reverie, I was hoping this could be another stellar indie from Rainbite. Here’s hoping their next title manages to deliver on the promise of this small indie team.

Prodeus is self-consciously an old-school shooter, and it does a good job in replicating the frenetic, explosive gunplay and oppressive atmosphere of classic 90’s FPS titles like Doom and Quake. Sadly, beyond some interesting aesthetics, it doesn’t really stake out much of an identity of its own. The lack of any real story, worldbuilding or unique gameplay mechanics stops Prodeus short of being something really special. Still, if you’d like a game where you can switch off your brain and just exercise your trigger finger, Prodeus provides a great world to blast your way through.

Though I appreciate you can save and quit without losing progress, I do wish stages had more checkpoints. I often would have to start from the very beginning of a stage after dying several sections in, which is irritating. But as an old school gamer, there wasn’t anything game-breaking here. Hell, there’s not even knockback on the easier difficulties. It just might be more of a challenge for those unversed in such adventures. Overall, I’d recommend this to fans of retro games who want something new to check out.

Virgo Versus The Zodiac does a fantastic job of creating a world run by the western zodiac signs filled with their personalities, experiences, and dreams. It has gorgeous visuals with phenomenal music (seriously, that soundtrack SLAPS) and tongue-in-cheek writing with moments of seriousness befitting the story. While I wish the combat had been deeper or had more variety, it didn’t stop me from enjoying this nod to classic turn-based RPGs at all. If you’re ready to undertake the holiest of quests and usher in the Golden Age, Virgo Versus The Zodiac demands you take up arms and smite those who would stand in your way.

Shut In had to grow on me. I spent an awful lot of time frustrated with it before I considered its original angle of conveying the emotions (or lack thereof) felt during quarantine, and that new perspective allowed me to look past the otherwise annoying issues. If you’re looking for a commentary on the effects of the pandemic on an already fragile psyche, Shut In just might be up your alley.

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.

It’s A Wrap! is a clever puzzle game that will tie your mind in knots as you figure out just what is needed to pull off each stunt. While the third set of levels here doesn’t work as well for me as the first two, I still had a fun time going on this journey with Johnny, his director, and the rest of their crew. If you’re looking for a fun new take on the puzzle genre It’s A Wrap! is well worth a look.

I’ve never been a big fan of games that require you to invest huge amounts of time before they get good. Our time is valuable and while Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord does eventually get good, the uninteresting grind along the way and lifeless world didn’t do much to pull me back. Fans of the series will still have a great time and if you are willing to invest your time you’ll definitely be rewarded for it, but its frustrating to see so much potential for an even better game left unrealized.

Ultimately, Horatio Goes Snowboarding is a fun little budget adventure. There’s nothing life-changing here, but it’s still solid and generally pretty enjoyable. My biggest complaint is that the developers weren’t a bit more ambitious, providing gamers a reason to keep playing for even longer. But if you want something simple and cute, that’s reminiscent of games like Woah Dave! and Space Dave!, then you’ll probably enjoy Horatio Goes Snowboarding.

I don’t have too many complaints about The Witch’s House MV. Yes, the game is short, and sure, the story is lacking. But when this game is on point, it’s really on point. The Witch’s House MV expertly utilizes its creepy atmosphere, unsettling sound effects, and delightful jump scares to ensure at least a few moments of increased adrenaline. While I wish the game was longer, there is a decent amount of replayability, with the newly added difficulty mode offering different puzzle solutions and an ending you’ll definitely want to obtain. For such a short and simple game, it was certainly a memorable experience.

It isn’t difficult to see why Adventures of Pip is still making the rounds on various consoles, despite its age. It’s a fun platformer with a unique gimmick that not only adds to the game but celebrates some of the many forms in which video games have come. It’s not the very first game that I would recommend to Switch-owners. However, it’s still one that I would suggest to those looking for new platforming worlds to explore.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town isn't the best game in the series, plain and simple, but it's still plenty of fun. Whether you're new to the series or have been playing Story of Seasons games since the days when the SNES reigned supreme, Pioneers of Olive Town all but guarantees an enjoyable time for those who are willing to put in a bit of hard work.

In the Space Invaders Forever collection, Space Invaders Extreme is obviously the star of the show. If you haven’t played it yet, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders is a fun inclusion, but its handheld-mode only gameplay isn’t entirely ideal. And while Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE is an interesting idea on paper, its player requirement and simplistic gameplay make it more appropriate as an occasional party game. You’re unlikely to play this collection forever, but there’s a fair amount of high-quality shooting fun to be had while it lasts.

My genuine review take of Drunken Fist is it’s funny for sure, but it does get old fast. It gave me quite a few quality laughs and I think its proclamation of being a ‘totally accurate beat’em up while drunk’ is genuinely honest. For a $3 dollar price tag on Steam, I absolutely think that’s exactly what this game is worth, but I wouldn’t pay 7.99 for the base PS4 version.

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.

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.

As Luminous Productions’ first project after being formed from the developers of Final Fantasy XV, Forspoken is a remarkable yet flawed experience. There’s so much potential here, with an outstanding magic parkour system and a beautiful open world. However, it’s clear that the ambition was a little too high for this studio, as there are just too many incomplete (but great) ideas at work here that just don’t come to fruition.

Simply put, Witcheye is a very cleverly created game about role-reversal, and what could potentially happen after seeing the credit roll and the quintessential “The End” at the conclusion of a game. Although I do think that more could have been done to enhance certain aspects of the game—namely in terms of level build—this bite-sized story of witchy revenge is still worth spending the few bucks that it asks for in exchange for an enjoyable afternoon of gaming.

Really, with Earl vs. the Mutants, all of this really is as simple as it gets, but it benefits greatly by staying focused like this. It still reminds me heavily of the kinds of mindless fun I used to have on Newgrounds back in the early 2000s. And looking at Earl vs. the Mutants’ stripped-down designs and gameplay hammers in that same kind of vibe, for better and worse. You really cannot go into this looking for anything deeper because it really isn’t there. This is the kind of game you grab to chew through a few runs on your Steam Deck while waiting at the airport or killing time until an appointment. You tear up some mutants, maybe hit the boss if the run’s been forgiving enough, eat dirt a few times, upgrade, then rinse and repeat, all within ten minutes a pop. It’s simple, and that’s the best kind of fuel that Earl vs. the Mutants can run on, even if it’s pretty watered down.

RPG Maker MV for the PS4 is about what you would expect — quite possibly the best program for non-programmers to make video games with but on a medium clearly not made for it. Granted, the developers did their best, and it shows — truly — but there were limitations the team simply could not get around, like a controller instead of a keyboard and mouse and the inability to sell games that I find to be a let down. I can recommend RPG Maker MV for the PS4, but not over the PC version; still, it’s better than not having the title at all, so if you’ve been curious about trying your hand at game-making, let that curiosity get the best of you. Whether it be on PC or PS4, consider getting RPG Maker MV today (in that order).

Although Lawn Mowing Simulator might get a laugh or two in its concept alone, it’s a genuinely good simulation game that allows players to manage the landscaping business of their dreams. While it’s not as satisfying as PowerWash Simulator, it’s just as relaxing — if you enjoyed one, you’ll likely enjoy the other. If you want the satisfaction of a lawn well mowed but don’t actually want to get outside and mow a lawn (and that irony isn’t lost on you whatsoever), Lawn Mowing Simulator is begging you to take the wheel.

Square Enix’s addition to the SaGa series is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you’ve got its storytelling and exploration mechanics—both of which feel strangely placed, and neither of which gives the proper amount of freedom that you’d expect from a SaGa title. Its masterful approach to combat, however, ensures that you’ll never have a dull moment when it comes to duking it out with the baddies—or even when setting up your own team! SaGa Emerald Beyond isn’t “middle-of-the-road” by any means. It’s a mixture of good and not-so-good. However, as long as you go into things knowing that, you’ll probably still have a pretty good time.

Marvel’s Avengers turns a childhood dream into a reality by letting us fight as our favorite Marvel superheroes. Like candy, the game is an incredibly fun treat best consumed over time and in small doses. Its only drawback is in the game’s own midlife crisis as it can’t seem to focus on what it is: a single-player campaign or a multiplayer ultimate inventory alliance.

In some ways, No Straight Roads felt like the second coming of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. It had all the right ingredients to be the perfect blend of rhythm and action into one phenomenal package. And while it does plenty right, it’s a little too off-key where it counts. Some fine-tuning on the combat would certainly help sync the boss battles with the aesthetics and exploration aspects, as that mechanic carries way too much weight to ignore. Still, I can’t lie — I’ve absolutely fallen in love with No Straight Roads for what it does offer, which is an explosively intense experience that will punch your teeth right out of your face. If you favor adventure over rhythm, there’s no reason not to pick up No Straight Roads; if beats are more important than battles to you, perhaps wait for tickets to go on sale.

I still think that there's more than Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne could have done to help itself stand out a bit more from the original Re:ZERO timeline, but, at the end of the day, it's still a solid spinoff, and I think that fans of the series will like it.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic is a cute, competent hidden objects game full of whimsy and wonder. It has so many charming scenes that delight while keeping things casual yet mildly challenging. Although I wish the hint system was a bit more refined and the music more calming, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with this wholesome hidden object game. If you think you’re good at finding metaphorical needles in haystacks and want to put your skills to the test, you can’t go wrong with Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic.

For what is ultimately a walking simulator, The Gap is largely successful. Its story is moving and told in a compelling way. You feel for these characters, none of whom are villains. They’re all just trying to do their best in impossible situations. For some, that means pushing back against the seeming inevitability of their lives, while for others, it means accepting it and making the best of things. It’s a relatively short game, but that does stop it from wearing out its welcome. The Gap’s puzzles, while varied, rarely prove challenging or mechanically interesting. Only once in the game did anything take me more than a few minutes to figure out. Ten hours of this would be too much, but for a few hours where you’re consistently moving the plot forward and finding new information, it manages to provide a satisfying experience.

Novelty is a steep challenge, and Ebenezer and the Invisible World succeeds admirably at showing us something new and exciting. The game features a cool concept married with challenging and invigorating gameplay. The problem is that it’s still shackled by glitches and occasionally poor game design. While the adventure is expansive and easily could take 10+ hours to get through, it’s a little hard to wholeheartedly recommend until many of the issues mentioned above have been addressed.