Engaging combat, brilliant boss fights, and top-notch level design that is amplified further by the creative dual-world mechanics introduced by Umbral, all coalesce into a version of Lords of the Fallen that not only leaves its predecessor in the dust but moves the genre forward in meaningful ways. That being said, it’s difficult to ignore the lackluster performance that significantly impacts upon the experience of the opening few hours, resulting in Lords of the Fallen not being the absolute recommendation that it should be.

When everything comes together, Rollerdrome feels incredible, but too often, things get buried under the weight of its many systems. While even at its worst, there is definitely fun to be had here, this feels like an incredible concept for a game where the developers needed to spend a little more time workshopping what aspects of it were really needed. It’s still a good game, though, and the foundation is in place for a sequel to be truly incredible.

If you think about what Frogwares had to go through this past year in Ukraine, it’s an amazing feat that Sherlock Holmes The Awakened came to fruition. Sure, the game doesn’t break any new ground, but the team did it, and it just works! This crossover between Lovecraft and Sherlock is a dream come true for a detective and horror fan like myself. Even though The Awakened re-uses many of the same assets and engine and suffers from some of the same frustrations as Chapter One, it still remains a compelling detective experience from start to finish. There’s plenty of madness to lose your sanity to and lots of cases waiting to be solved.

I never considered stopping this ride until I’d saved Uncle Marcus. The core mystery here is fascinating and had its hooks in me until the end, while the entertaining cast made me want to go back and see every alternate ending. Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? doesn’t reinvent much, but its a well-executed FMV title that should satisfy anyone who’s a fan of the genre.

Overall, there’s a lot to recommend in Neoverse Trinity Edition. It’s addicting, it’s great in short bursts and long runs, and it’s got characters and decks that are excellently balanced. Really, the only downsides are the lack of tutorial, the small text (it’s very hard to play in handheld mode until you know what the tiny text says), and the slightly wonky controls (it’s very easy to accidentally select the wrong item or card and then use it without realizing it, though you learn to be more careful eventually). There’s plenty of replay value, too, with each character having multiple unlocks for new cards, costumes, skills, and more. There’s also additional modes if you’re looking for a greater challenge.

If you know a little kid looking for more age-appropriate video game options, My Universe: Pet Clinic Cats and Dogs is definitely a good choice. I’m not entirely sure which adults have stumbled upon this thinking it wouldn’t be a kids’ game, but just in case — this is gonna be a hard sell for anyone past elementary school. The cute, cuddly cats and dogs will surely delight young console gamers, and this might not be a bad game for them to learn their way around a controller. If you have an aspiring young veterinarian in your life, My Universe: Pet Clinic Cats and Dogs is a solid use of their allowance.

Normally, games in a state like this leave me middled more than anything, but Nous Wave Studio’s first attempt at a premium, stand-alone JRPG in a gacha-saturated market, while a bold move, was a fruitful one. While the characters definitely need more seasoning and flavor, I especially would like to see the worldbuilding done a bit more elegantly than just dropping hot loads of info shovelfuls at a time. Yet, for all the problems I had with the worldbuilding and characters, the combat and general gameplay can carry Ex Astris alone. The visuals are stunning for a mobile game, the mechanics and systems baked in are so much fun, and the overall aesthetic designs of the world of Allindo are vibrant and unique. While off to a slightly rough start, I feel confident in saying that Nous Wave Studio’s first release has a lot going for it that makes it worth experiencing for fans of the anime RPG genre.

Playing through Twice Reborn: A Vampire Visual Novel was kind of like receiving a homemade baked good from a friend. Its wrapping might be a little crinkled and the presentation of the product itself isn’t exactly perfect, but after finally sinking your teeth into it, you realize that it’s not just good, but better than you expected. And, of course, you can tell that it was made with plenty of love.

At times, it feels like Planet of Lana tragically works to oppose itself. For every bit of exquisite scenery and artistic richness, there’s gameplay that’s overly familiar, rote and unappealing. It’s a shame that such a stylistically spellbinding game is compromised by its dearth of exciting gameplay ideas. Planet of Lana is by no means a shoddy game. It’s actually pretty good thanks to a cocktail of challenging puzzles and pinpoint platforming. However, its lack of innovation, as well as its myriad of little kinks, stop it from becoming a true exemplar of the genre. For all Planet of Lana is, it really could’ve and really should’ve been so much more.

While I did enjoy Crisis Wing, overall, I was underwhelmed by how shockingly standard it was. I guess I had hoped for some unique hook to grab me, or even an interesting plot. But since the game has neither, it was hard to stay that invested in the game. When you add a final boss that gave me a ton of grief, it’s hard to recommend this to anyone but hardcore shoot-’em-up enthusiasts.

The Legend of Legacy has some visible mechanical hiccups, especially when compared to its successor, The Alliance Alive. Imperfections a bad game does not make, however. Despite its undersized dungeons and overall opaqueness regarding combat mechanic intricacies, The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is nonetheless a compelling, enjoyable, and incredibly cozy RPG that promises to be worth the time of most who choose to invest their time playing it.

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.

It’s kind of funny that the entirety of Tai’s journey takes place during a short visit to his grandparents because that’s what this game essentially felt like—a quick trip. Though much shorter than I would have liked it, there’s no denying that the LoZ-inspired adventure offered by Reverie: Sweet As Edition is anything other than fun, engaging, and incredibly visually appealing. It may just be a short vacation, but I’m glad that I at least got to go.

Retrace: Memories of Death attempts to recreate a horror game along the same vein as Corpse Party or escape themes like Zero Escape, and to an extent it succeeds; at the same time, its repetitive nature with few hints in sight meant way too much backtracking with too little reward. There’s only so many times I can read through the exact same text, solve the exact same puzzles, and pick up the exact same items only to receive an end I’d already seen, forcing me to walk in circles in perpetuity, when even death’s sweet embrace can’t release me.

Flying Shark may not be a classic that stands the test of time as a must-play, but it’s still a lot of fun in 2023. Genre fans will find a simple but well-designed SHMUP, which is still a lot of fun to play, while those who are newer to the genre will find an excellent starting point that does a good job of representing what the genre has to offer while not overwhelming them right out of the gate. This balance makes it worth checking out.

If you’ve got a mean streak and have always wanted a safe environment in which to find out what it feels like to have people unquestionably devote themselves to you and your cause, well, firstly, you should be on a watch list somewhere, and secondly, you should absolutely check out The Fabulous Fear Machine.

Although Pupperazzi’s length is far more impressive in dog hours, it’s worthy of any human’s attention. If you went into Pupperazzi expecting a cute dog photography game — congrats! You got exactly what you paid for. Pupperazzi wears its golden retriever heart on its sleeve; in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if a golden retriever made this game, considering its sincere, fun, childish nature. Make no bones about it — Pupperazzi is a short but sweet dog photog romp that will leave players wagging their tails.

While many of your actions are said to have an impact on the game, in practice, that impact is fairly minimal. It all comes together in an ending that also feels far too convenient, not seriously reckoning with much of the themes the Road 96 brings up. In the end, it feels like Road 96 doesn’t have nearly as much to say about these topics as it thinks it does. It sticks the landing when it comes to its individual characters, but much less so regarding the overarching plot. Still, those character stories are engaging, the mini-games you’re thrown into are consistently fun, and Road 96 looks and sounds great. It all makes for a trip that’s worth taking, as long as you know what to expect.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising ends up feeling a bit more like a large update than a true sequel, despite what some of those involved in its development would insist, but at the end of the day, I’m not sure I care. At its core, this is still a fantastic fighting game filled with content. Some of that content may not exactly be new, but when almost everyone missed it the first time around, I’m glad that it will get another chance to build a community. Outside of the strange changes to the story mode, this is a better game than the original in every way and well worth the time of fighting game fans.

Embr doesn’t want to set the world on fire, it just wants to start a flame in your heart. And then make sure that the flame is out. And that everyone is safe. And did you get your food on time? Yes? Could you please tip your delivery driver/firefighter so they can continue to give you a hot meal and cold home? Thanks! Okay so yes, Embr may attempt quite a few things in its own wacky way, but it’s literally never a dull moment. Whether you blaze it on your own or with an entourage, Embr is a great way to burn through a weekend.

I had hoped to give a glowing review of Dark Deity. After all, it does quite a bit right, and manages to streamline many things successfully. Unfortunately, it ultimately was held back by the various poor design choices, glitches, and copious similarities to Fire Emblem. While the latter didn’t bother me, I feel the game could have been a bit more original. That said, this is absolutely a game worth playing for any tactical RPG fan, especially once it’s been patched a bit. Here’s hoping the next game from this upstart team is the polished gem I thought Dark Deity could have been.

Little Kite’s powerful portrayal of domestic violence is going to stay with me for a long time. Although the imagery was intense and the music divine, the point and click mechanics were frustrating for the console — as is unfortunately par for the course when it comes to this hardware and genre combination. The developer did the best they could with the medium not truly suited for their art, granted, but I can’t help but feel I would have enjoyed the experience more had I played on PC.

Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files remains a classic series on the 3/DS now home in its remastered, complete state on the Switch. Its silly stories and charming characters provide hours of entertainment for gamers of any age but will especially delight those who remember the titles fondly on their original hardware. If you’re looking for a franchise to fall in love with but don’t want to break the bank, it’s an open and shut case — grab Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files for the Switch.

Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars does have some pleasingly involved battles, but as a grand strategy game, it is a tad simplistic and limited in scope compared to the titles it draws inspiration from. Still, the campaign provides for an entertaining romp, and it’s well worth delving into these dark realms if you’re a fan of the strategy-RPG genre.

It’s astonishing that Karma City Police was made by a single developer, its world-building truly extensive in such a small environment coupled with a novel blend of mechanics that work surprisingly well. Although I wish I had been able to spend more time traipsing around the station, helping citizens with their emergencies and getting to know my coworkers (and occasionally duking it out with them over a clean game of pinball), I can’t fault a tight, fun game. If you’re ready for something completely different that’ll keep you on your toes, Karma City Police could use an employee like you!

I hope she’s ok is a walking simulator off the beaten path that is a learning experience as much as it is an enjoyable, atmospheric one. I had a great time with I hope she’s ok, playing it three times to completion to ensure I had seen everything there was to offer. This, of course, was followed by googling all the traditional touches I had encountered and learning tons of new things about Finnish culture and folklore.

We should forever remain impressed with One Hand Clapping. It’s fresh and unique in a way that makes you hit your forehead and wonder why you didn’t think of it sooner. But in my heart, I know that One Hand Clapping could have become something so much better had it been a truly solid platformer in its own right, or swung hard into teaching singing, or created deeper, more impactful melodies to really convey a more coherent story. I’m grateful for a game like this to exist, but I can’t deny that the feeling is slightly overshadowed by my eagerness for another title to learn from this one and refine the concept further. Regardless, One Hand Clapping is good now, priced fairly, and definitely deserves your attention… as long as you have a microphone.

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.