17 years have passed since Budokai Tenkaichi 3, three generations of videogame consoles have come and gone, and tons of new plot points and characters have been introduced to the Dragon Ball series, and it is incredibly clear every way you look at it that Spike-Chunsoft took the time they had and created a real labor of love that is Sparking Zero. Enemy AI can feel a bit wonky at times and you can occasionally find destructible environments not cooperating with being blown up, but that's few and far between, with this game being a highlight of the wide variety of characters, forms, and gripping battles that have caused millions of fans to adore the Dragon Ball series since its inception 40 years ago. It’s good to have you back, Sparking. Fans have been waiting to enter the next Martial Arts Tournament.

Edge of Sanity is a highly-enjoyable Lovecraftian survival horror experience that walks the fine line between tension and relaxation, alternating moods to always keep the player uncertain of the ground under their feet. The gameplay is relatively easy to learn, but difficult to master. The narrative unfortunately is a bit weak, but if you accept that and stick around for the gameplay itself, odds are there will be enough to keep your interest for a decent number of hours.

Apartment Story is two ideas mixed together, and one of them works really well while the other drags the experience down quite severely. I can't help but imagine that the core concepts of an interactive home invasion that asks the player to make choices and deal with the consequences couldn't have made for an enjoyable and tense experience if it weren't for the confusingly repetitive and out-of-place sim elements that necessitate walking and waiting in-between everything interesting. At the end of the day, the good parts don't quite seem worth the bad, and it's difficult to recommend the title when technical issues are also holding things back.

Coffee Stain Studios has made something special. Satisfactory has the perfect balance of tediousness allowing the game to feel rewarding when creating new factories. However, having only one map with no randomised material spawns will shorten its longevity, (as of now), as there are no plans for a new map or any additional expansions of the current map. This is disappointing to see, as even though there is a lot to explore and thousands of hours that could easily be put into a single save file, players will likely become bored of it over time, and the game will slowly enter a decline in players. If it wasn't for this, I could have comfortably scored the game a 10/10. I must admit that I have put in an embarrassing amount of hours into the game, and will likely continue to do so. I love the experience it offers and highly recommend others to try it out for themselves.

Although coming out nearly 14 years ago (as of this writing), the Investigations series holds up remarkably well, and now with this new collection it can reach a wider audience. With fantastic updates like new HD artwork and the inclusion of the formerly region locked sequel, there no time like to present to start investigating.

Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed is set to be a definitive edition for fans and newcomers alike. With its stunning visuals, improved controls, and the timeless charm of the original, Rebrushed is a delightful adventure for Disney and platforming enthusiasts. The playtime of Rebrushed remains similar to the original, offering roughly 15 hours for the main story and an additional 10 hours for completionists seeking every collectible. If you didn't get the chance to play the original, then Rebrushed is well worth your time. And even if you did play the Wii version, then Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed is the perfect opportunity to head back into the Wasteland and get your artistic side flowing.

NBA 2K25 loves the history, and game, of basketball almost as much as it loves money. That much is clear. Just about every mode is dripping in reverence for one or the other, and it serves to enhance the experience. Despite its flaws, the gameplay is the best it has ever been, and the somewhat basic RPG additions to several modes make them feel more alive, even if they're still set in mostly barren buildings and cities. It also looks the part. The players look like themselves, in stills and in motion, and simply watching the game breaks the realism barrier at times. It's a looker, even on a modest PC, and I appreciated the inclusion of a dedicated Steam Deck graphics present too, which would make the grind a little more manageable, I guess. The day NBA 2K loses its microtransactions is the day it loses its identity, but it's also the day we have a chance at a near-perfect basketball sim. Until then, we're stuck with a game filled with increasingly promising modes bogged down by an insistence that you pay or treat it like another job. Depending on your desired way to play, that can break the deal.

In Wild West Dynasty you can be a rancher, a farmer, you can be a miner and dig for gold and you can be sheriff or mayor of your town and chase bandits away. Generally when new games like this are released time is needed for the game to mature. During this time inconstancy's and bugs are fixed with new and improved content being added. I see the same with Wild West Dynasty and I say that because the developers really seem to be dedicated to their game. The fact that they actually took consumers feedback to heart and essentially restarted their project from scratch means a lot.

In all, The Plucky Squire is a very delightful game with a lovely concept, a warm awareness of itself and the tropes it is interacting with, all wrapped in a gorgeous visual design that makes both parts of the game an absolute delight to witness. There is some slowdown in some areas when they are specifically cluttered with people and interactable objects, but even with that in mind, jumping into the pages of The Plucky Squire is sure to be an enjoyable time for many aspiring adventurers.

If you're looking for an action packed game, then this will not be your cup of tea. However, if you are after a game with a wonderfully emotional narrative that players can experience at a gentle pace, then Copycat is worth a look. As you explore your surroundings as Dawn, you will realise that the game has a truer and more meaningful purpose than it seems at first. With simple controls, it is easy to adjust to the flow of the game, roaming the house as a cat whilst listening to the heartwarming score. It is clear that the developers have poured their hearts into Copycat. I now wonder how my cat Sunshine would feel about another cat taking her place.

Although there is little story and no dialogue whatsoever, Squirrel With a Gun certainly has a sense of humour. Controlling a small furry rodent that can carry a rocket launcher and then produce bullet-time finishing moves with a variety of weapons is a heap of fun. Collecting each of the golden acorns and other collectibles effectively makes the game a 3D open-world platform puzzle game with a bad-ass, but adorable hero. The enemies are varied enough, the boss battles are reasonably challenging and the puzzles are designed to encourage exploration. And although the main game is on the short side, players can always head back and collect each of the collectibles that they missed along the way.

Outlaws encapsulates Star Wars as a whole at the moment, trying to be something for everybody but at times missing it's mark. I honestly want to see Ubisoft take another crack at the galaxy far far away, because with a more refined scope this can easily be the Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to it's better sequel. Or, to put it in Ubisoft terms, it's Assassins Creed to Assassins Creed II. There's so much potential here, it'd be a real shame for this to be Kay Vess's last hurrah.

In all Fairy Tail: Dungeons is an entertaining ride, particularly for fans of either the roguelite genre, the Fairy Tail series, or both. With an accessible price point and an enjoyable gameplay loop as well as art style, players can certainly enjoy diving into the labyrinth for quite some time- the repetitive music and limited progression forward aren’t enough to put a damper on the fun this game provides!

The rub is that if the combat mechanics didn't quickly devolve into frustration, the extremely short campaign (that is probably best played on Easy: a sad realization) would be an additional negative. I believe strongly that there is still hope on the periphery of Space Marine 2. With proper dedication to the existing roadmap, and beyond, that outlines a focus on PvE content, including an upcoming, proper horde mode, its identity can shift from "gorgeous looking, short single-player experience" to "great game to play with friends," but we're not there yet. And in a gaming landscape that will probably see dozens of games launching to appeal to the latter feeling while Space Marine 2 works its way up to that, on top of the existing ones, it remains a tough game to recommend.

Wildfrost is highly recommended, especially if you're a fan of the genre. The fun visuals will draw you in, but the addicting gameplay will keep you there. Just be prepared to die, a lot.

As noted, this kind of experience isn't going to be for everyone. If you're looking for a more hands-on title with a more significant level of challenge, you may be best served elsewhere. If you enjoy a more narrative experience built around exploration without combat or demanding mechanics, you'll find a lot to love. As someone firmly in the latter camp, it's easy for me to recommend Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss as a welcome and high-quality addition to its genre.

Developer Walter Woods, in an almost entirely solo effort, has made a horror experience that easily comes more highly recommended than many of those from teams a hundred times larger or more. A lot of that has to do with the cohesion of the world, storytelling, and gameplay. As the story drew to a close, I felt disappointed that I wouldn't get to see the game continue its upward trajectory. But as credits rolled, I couldn't help but feel happy with the experience as a whole. The faults in Dark and Deep are inconsequential enough that mentioning them almost happens as an afterthought (not to mention that they're almost universally a potential patch away from not existing). The notable moments, though, are at the absolute minimum the bar that horror games should aim for.

In all, Mika and the Witch's Mountain is an incredibly charming game that is easy to get into and just relax and unwind, with the only real issues being the short length and the map layout being a bit odd to get used to. When one of the biggest problems with a game is that there isn't a lot of it, that's when you know you have something wonderful on your hands. If you like games that are short, sweet, and relaxing, then Mika and the Witch's Mountain is definitely one to look out for. [Early Access Provisional Score = 88]

Isekai Chronicles is an enjoyable game, simple with surprisingly satisfying combat thanks to comboing techniques and enemies having elemental strengths and weaknesses. That being said, any non-fans of Reincarnated as a Slime may not have as much to gain from the game as those who are actually aware of the series. If you're a fan of the Isekai Genre or Slime in specific, then this might be one to keep an eye on.

The Crush House does a great job of taking a relatively simple premise and expanding it with game mechanics that are fun to engage with. I was a little let down by two completely unique pairs of characters having the same argument in back-to-back seasons, and other repeated moments, but the goals on the periphery really drove me forward. I found characters I wanted to help, and some I wanted to outright reject, until the story behind the scenes forced my hand in my quest for answers. It strikes an outstanding balance between cheeky humour, vibrant scenery, challenging puzzles, and a seedy underbelly. Whether you hold reverence for the genre they're parodying or not, The Crush House delivers a well-crafted and fully realized gamification of America's least favorite TV shows, silliness and all.

I went into this game looking forward to medically treating the undead. Playing this game makes me want to join the undead. If you're looking for a good management game, there are plenty of better options out there. I'm not sure if there are many worse ones, however...

If you're looking for a serious, story-driven shooter, look elsewhere. But if you want a hilarious, action-packed experience that lets you channel your inner rage through the power of your foot, then Anger Foot is the perfect game to kick back and relax with (by which I mean unleash a torrent of destruction, but you get the idea). The range of enemies, the collection of shoes with their various special abilities and the speedrun component of Anger Foot will keep players heading back for more stomping fun.

You'd expect a game with this kind of play time to be a narrative experience pumped out of a game jam, but there's little-to-no reason to add this brawler to the growing list of multiplayer options. And while a lot of OutRage: Fight Fest's faults don't necessarily rest at the feet of the developers, they'll certainly feel the effects. This is a multiplayer-only game, and unless you have a large group of friends to sync up with, the lack of a community has a distinctly negative effect on the gameplay experience. All the music, flashy lights, and simple but recognizable art can only take it so far. Any potential favor earned by foregoing monetization was burned before its day showed up on the calendar. There's a possibility, however slight, that a turnaround happens. Again, the foundation remains solid enough, but built on top of it is a Lincoln Log cabin for an audience of a handful.

This is a game that is crying out for either a more sparsely populated map with more deliberate encounters al la Breath of the Wild, or a more fast-paced hack-and-slash combat system.

Operation Memories is fairly simple, and the gameplay loop of photos and minigames can certainly feel repetitive after a while - particularly with a lot of the music feeling similar throughout the game and other aspects that feel a bit too repetitive. There isn't much to the game, so with a standard price of $50 USD even some of the biggest Spy x Family fans may wait for a sale to pick this one up. It cannot be said, however, that the game is lacking charm by any means, with the written dialogue demonstrating the entertainment of these characters and how they can bounce off of each other thanks to how big most of the personalities in the show can be. Completing this photo diary may feel like a slog, but for an anime fan waiting for a next season of one of their favourites, it might be just what they need in short bursts!

To be upfront, this by no means is the best thing that has been released to the heisting genre, but having said that, it is also not the worst *cough Payday 3 cough*. Crime Boss has a lot to offer and is fairly priced unlike a lot of the games we see today. Players also need to keep in mind that Crime Boss is receiving continuous support and improvements with 4 major updates planned for the future. The one thing that lets this game down is the writing and poor NPC design. If you are looking into purchasing Crime Boss, I would recommend getting a friend to tag along with you, as the solo gameplay loop can get boring very fast. With how dedicated InGame Studious is towards this title, I have no doubt it is going to get better over time, but currently, there is a lot of refining that needs to be done.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is wonderfully faithful in its aesthetic ties to the original IP. However as a game on its own merits, it struggles to give players the tools they need to learn and grow from the outset, and the inherently overly-sophisticated nature of its core gameplay loop, along with the limited roster of playable maps, lead to great concern over its potential longevity from here on out. I'm personally rooting for the developers at illFonic, as they seem an extremely passionate and talented team. However, sometimes hard truths need to be said, and Killer Klowns is going to have to work harder to prove that they warrant players' hard-earned money.

It's not terribly surprising that the story of Morbid: The Lords of Ire is on the sparse side, after all, Dark Souls' story is likewise slim at least in terms of cut-scenes and specific plot developments. However, I think that Morbid may be taking things in an altogether too extreme direction. Seriously, after you deal the death blow to the game's final boss, the screen fades to black and the credits start to roll. Not even a "A Winner is You" screen, just darkness and credits. Sure you can go back to the hub world and listen to the guy with the imposingly deep voice congratulate you, but really after the whole ordeal, I was expecting something a little bit more in the way of a conclusion.