Call of the Wild: The Angler is a fishing game that allows you to explore its wide map beyond just the fishing spots, which makes it fun to discover new fishing locations. That being said, for players not looking for exploration this can also result in a tedious experience. Also, the fishing float mechanics are terrible for a fishing game.

Who would have thought that a collaboration with Monster Rancher would bring out the best of Ultra Kaiju’s long history and potential as a video game? It utilizes Monster Rancher’s unique systems to show sides of kaiju you would have never imagined. For the Monster Rancher series this is a major comeback. It learns from past mistakes to create a system that matches modern standards.

Using the PSP version as its base, Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a remake close to perfection. While the visuals might not be of the highest quality, combat and story will satisfy both fans and newcomers alike.

From overall balance to questionable design choices, Sonic Frontiers might not be as sophisticated or polished as the very best games out there. However, when it comes to discovery and sense of wonder, Sonic Frontier’s Open Zone design can proudly stand side by side with any open world masterpiece. While admittedly many of its activities are simple, the amount of content it offers is staggering. The Open Zones and their epic boss battles make great use of Sonic’s speed, creating an experience that still feels authentic to the character. While far from perfect, there hasn’t been a Sonic title that feels this relevant in a long time.

With gorgeous visuals and well-thought-out level design, God of War Ragnarok’s magnificent tale has the potential to reach out to many people. It utilizes next-gen hardware to the maximum to create an experience that only a videogame can offer.

As a hybrid between the occult and technology, Soul Hackers 2 boasts a unique world. The story, which depicts grown-up devil summoners, is its biggest appeal. In battles, powerful Sabbath attacks allow you to clean up all enemies with a single move, resulting in an exhilarating experience. That being said, the high encounter rate and overall tempo of battles do have pacing issues.

Rollerdrome is developer Roll7’s second success of 2022. By blending together skating and shooting gameplay, it manages to deliver an experience that we’ve all dreamed of but thought impossible. The game’s action becomes funner and cooler as you improve, which makes it hard to put down. A new classic in this genre for sure.

The main changes to The Last of Us Part 1 are in the character’s facial expressions and accessibility options, while the rest can be summed up as “extra features”. Compared with the original game, some scenes have actually decreased in quality and I came across bugs as well, which makes it a remake that comes with both advantages and disadvantages. While a conservative remake indeed, in the end the appeal of the original shines through.

Splatoon 3 is like a theme park of mainly multiplayer-focused content, which makes it an ideal videogame. From versus matches to co-op and even a card game, Splatoon 3 can be enjoyed endlessly. Its appeal is so broad that being in the world of Splatoon itself feels like a treat.

Combining the realistic settings from the series’ earlier titles with the over-the-top style of entries that came after Saints Row: The Third, this is an excellent reboot. That being said, a lack of polish in the gameplay department and low quality localization for Japan cannot be ignored.

While paying attention to what it is that makes a VR experience fun, RUINSMAGUS fails to take into account the restrictions of the format. While exciting at first, once enemy attacks grow in ferocity RUINSMAGUS becomes frustrating to control. The story about the weaker among us finding a way to live through their beliefs is compelling and might appeal to some players.

While an interesting counter to what RPGs were like back in 1994, it’s hard to deny that today Live A Live feels like a dated experience. That being said, as a remake this is a very well crafted game.

Xenoblade 3 has high-quality cutscenes, a world worth exploring and a deep combat system. It also fixes some of the issues of previous titles in the series, making this an RPG that both fans and newcomers can enjoy for many hours. It’s too bad that the story ends without giving answers to many of our questions.

Cult of the Lamb is a cute yet dark and grotesque experience. The gameplay loop of managing a dark cult and exploring dungeons is quite addictive. However, in the latter half of the game conditions become more favorable for the player, to the extent that much of the game’s tension is lost.

Stray doesn’t just deliver on the promise of traversing a detailed cyberpunk city as a cat, it’s also an exciting and varied experience packed with memorable characters and rewarding exploration. While the story itself might not be super special, the city and its characters will stay with you for a long time.

Like Supermassive Games’ previous titles, The Quarry plays out like an interactive horror movie. While the improvement in playability is welcome, the game does not provide enough interesting events and twists throughout its voluminous playtime, which makes the story drag. The game’s unique Movie Mode felt like a wasted opportunity too.

Drainus is a classic shmup that allows newcomers to experience the best moments of the genre. Shooting away with your overpowered spaceship is an exhilarating experience indeed, and beautiful sprites as well as flashy effects make the journey worthwhile. Bosses and stages come with plenty of gimmicks, to the extent that newcomers may be overwhelmed by the richness of the experience. At the same time, the game is so easy that it doesn’t motivate the player enough. While a great title for players new to the genre, seasoned shmup fans will end up craving more.

TOKOYO is a unique roguelite action game in which the dungeon’s layout changes every 24 hours. While definitely an interesting system, we came across the same floors even after 24 hours had passed. The game’s social elements didn’t do enough to give the passage of time enough meaning either, which makes it hard to say that the system has reached its potential.

Redout 2 is a dream come true for fans of superfast racing games. The revolutionary AI assist and a boosting system allow anyone to race against gravity at the overwhelming speed of 2000 kph. That being said, the career mode fails to make the game interesting beyond the pure racing.

While easy combat and a story with uninteresting characters left us wanting more, unique boss battles and parkour-action-focused dungeons were enough to keep us entertained throughout the experience.

Wolfstride is a Brazil-developed robot battle RPG inspired by Japanese anime. A voluminous story, fun characters, rough and tough dialogue and a unique combat system make this an experience that will stay with you. However, the script is not always consistent, and combat lacks depth. While you will likely have fun for the majority of the game, don’t go in expecting an RPG with deep systems; but give this a try if lowlife punks and robot battles are your thing.

Dorfromantik is a relaxing game that welcomes the player to a rural landscape. At the same time, it is an experience that allows the player to enjoy the fun and challenge of aiming for a high score as well. That means that the game can be enjoyed both as a relaxing break and as a serious undertaking, but never as something in between.

fault - StP - LIGHTKRAVTE is the prequel of a visual novel series that started in 2013, but newcomers can enjoy this title with ease. The prequel’s story does feel a bit simple when compared to the main entry titles, but the easy-to-grasp theme of a boy who aspires to become a painter and a world that revolves around fictitious technology called manakravte are more than enough to satisfy those who like sci-fi or fantasy stories with a deep setting.

By implementing too many popular elements from famous games in the wrong way, Salt and Sacrifice is a game that feels unbalanced throughout.

FAR: Changing Tides has the player traverse through a submerged post-apocalyptic world, which is an experience that feels like a playable documentary. While definitely a fascinating journey to take, you won’t be able to fully appreciate it if you haven’t played its predecessor.

While being presented in the format of a traditional RPG, Weird West has shoot-outs that feel that they come right out of a cowboy movie, and offers quests with a ton of freedom. While the gameplay itself is simple, seeing the crazy Western setting through the lens of five different main characters is fascinating, and the mysterious story wraps up in an interesting way.

Patrick’s Parabox shakes up the traditional formula of Sokoban (box pushing) puzzle games by implementing boxes within boxes. The moment you realize the box you are pushing is a stage in itself is something truly magical that adds new depth to the genre. The visuals, polish and difficulty balance make this one of the best games in the genre to date. A must-buy for any puzzle gamer.

Taken as a spin-off ahead of the long-awaited Eiyuden Chronicle, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising offers great world-building and characters. That said, the repetitive gameplay mechanics do get in the way of making this a great action RPG that can stand by itself.

If you look at Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin as a hack-and-slash action RPG, it’s a roughly balanced game with problematic endgame content that isn’t any better in the visual department either, and even its story seems to be a huge disappointment at first. However, if you stick with it, the well crafted battle system and the job system that allows for a wide array of fighting styles should win you over, and eventually you’ll be rewarded by an extremely passionate and overwhelming finale to the story.

In RPG Time: The Legend of Wright, the player sets out on an adventure inside the notebook of an elementary school student. The immense variety and care that went into this game in surprising. As the hero of the game, you’re not just exploring and fighting, as there are many minigames and amazing little details to enjoy on each page of this notebook adventure. The game doesn’t hesitate to take you out of the notebook either, offering even more variety of content in all sorts of forms and shapes. That being said, in the end you’ll realize that RPG Time is more like an interactive storybook than an actual RPG with deep gameplay mechanics. If you were looking for the latter, RPG Time won’t be for you.

The Kirby series has always offered fun with a wide array of copy abilities, which proves to be a great match for 3D. The newly implemented Mouthful Mode that allows Kirby to swallow large-scale objects and the ability to level up your copy abilities are great fun. While the extra stages that unlock after beating the main game are a bit of a disappointment, as a whole Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an extraordinarily well made 3D action game that celebrates our pink friend’s 30th anniversary in the best way possible.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is an FPS that could have only been delivered by a Japanese studio. From the main story and side missions to the detailed environments and appealing characters, for those who have been craving a game set in modern Japan, Ghostwire: Tokyo is an extremely satisfying experience. While the battle system can become a bit tedious and controls for healing feel inconvenient, the game deserves credit for delivering action that feels exhilarating without relying on grotesque visuals.

Sol Cresta is a new entry in a legendary series, this time developed by director Hideki Kamiya at PlatinumGames. While complicated mechanics and a difficulty jump in the game’s latter half make it hard to recommend to newcomers to the shmup genre, the formation-based gameplay and the pull of the scoreboard make Sol Cresta feel fresh while staying true to the genre’s roots. Even with a lack of variation in boss design and simple presentation, Sol Cresta is a satisfying game for fans of the genre.

OlliOlli World does a perfect job in bringing the coolness of skateboarding culture to the videogame format. Fair course design and a limitless scoring system make the gameplay appealing to both hardcore and casual gamers. The deep character customization is great too. OlliOlli World is just so good that even falling feels fun.

As a new entry in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Legends Arceus might deserve a 9, but if you were to think of it as a new RPG, a 7 might sound more fair. Roaming around in a large world and catching Pokémon in real-time itself is a blast, but the battle system is a bit too old-school for its own good, and the story never reaches its full potential. That said, it cannot be denied that Game Freak has finally created a new type of experience for this long running series.

Whenever the protagonist of Unpacking moves to a new home, it is the player's task to open cardboard boxes and decide where her belongings should be placed. While this can be a tedious experience when you’re just putting socks into a drawer, whenever an item that conveys something about her life comes out of the box, Unpacking becomes a unique storytelling experience.

Triangle Strategy brings back a classical style of SRPG with modern HD-2D visuals and a refreshing branching story system. While not everything falls completely into place, a simple yet deep battle system, elaborate world building and serious character development add up to an epic tale that feels like the beginning of the comeback of a neglected genre.

Gran Turismo is back with better visuals than ever, offering a wide array of content for both die-hard fans and newcomers. While the GT Cafe does a great job at guiding the player through the game, for old fans used to more freedom it might feel a bit too constrained. On top of change of weather and time of day, small details such as smoke coming off the tires go a long way in creating a more realistic racing scene. It’s great to have the classic GT Simulation Mode back, but I can’t deny the game left me with a thirst for more innovation.

While boasting an overwhelming amount of content, not once did the world of Elden Ring feel tedious. The game’s level design is simply astounding and its map is filled not with chores but with a magnificent sense of adventure. While the fundamentals of the battle mechanics are borrowed from Dark Souls, the speedier flow of action and additional freedom in customization of equipment, items and magic allow you to fight your own way. The story is more dramatic and easier to follow than in previous FromSoftware titles. This and many more features make Elden Ring a marvel of a game that could become a serious threat to the balance of your daily life.

With high quality visuals, Bright Memory: Infinite is about as impressive as independently developed videogames get. Sadly, the controls don’t feel like a good match for the game’s complicated skill system and your character’s low endurance skills. The story offers a great deal of interesting twists and the world is visually stunning, which results in a relatively short but packed adventure.

By attempting to remain as faithful as possible to the original games, this remake has ended up with a great deal of problems. While other Pokémon games (including the remakes) have continued to evolve the franchise, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will likely only be enjoyable for players who have a nostalgia for the originals.

By attempting to remain as faithful as possible to the original games, this remake has ended up with a great deal of problems. While other Pokémon games (including the remakes) have continued to evolve the franchise, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will likely only be enjoyable for players who have a nostalgia for the originals.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles faithfully recreates popular anime Demon Slayer as a competitive 3D action fighting game. While the amount of playable characters and the exploration part leave room for improvement, there’s a lot to love here for fans of the source material.

Blue Reflection: Second Light is an RPG in which a group of girls with lost memories find themselves in a different dimension in which they have to work together to solve a mystery. The main scenario – in which you will learn about the girls’ difficult pasts while seeing them grow as characters – feels satisfactory due to plenty of events throughout the game. While the battle system feels good enough to do the job, it comes with too many rough edges.

ElecHead is a wonderfully crafted action puzzle game that reminds us that simple can still be best. It features a wide variety of gimmicks, some of which are masterfully designed to outwit the player.

Incsryption is a deck-building roguelike game with a great metafiction scenario. Even the deck-building and roguelike elements are just part of what this game makes you think it is, as the game’s structure keeps changing as you progress. This continuous change of style makes you feel like you're playing a very special game, and it will keep you excited throughout the experience.

Dungeon Encounters is a pared-back RPG focused purely on battles and exploration. By gaining knowledge and experience, the player needs to learn how to overcome traps and enemies, resulting in a satisfying experience. Although the game kind of loses momentum in the second half, it’s still well worth a look.

Eastward’s action and puzzles play things a bit too much by the book, the plot and storytelling don’t really come together, and the dialogue lacks wit. But even with so many negative aspects, the top-notch pixel art is true craftsmanship. These wonderful graphics were enough for me to push through, and perhaps you will too.

While Paradise Killer seems like a detective adventure game, it’s not impossible to beat the game without solving the main mystery at all. The game’s climax plays out in a court session, which the player can engage in at any given point. But in order to unveil the true story, you will need to collect countless pieces of evidence and talk to many different characters. This means that you will need to work your way through an inconveniently designed open world, and I often found the game’s scenario hard to swallow. That being said, from quirky character design to Japan-inspired locales and a Vaporwave-like soundtrack and UI, the game’s surrealistic atmosphere is well worth a visit.

Lost in Random is a 3D action game with a focus on deck-building with magical cards. By having the player roll a dice, the game brings an interesting factor of chance to the table, but it can not be denied that this element can also work against itself.

Metallic Child is a roguelike action game with the unique twist of temporary upgrades. While definitely a game of high quality, the lack of new enemy types in later stages of the game makes the gradation of difficulty feel unbalanced.

Due to the player character’s smooth movement, Severed Steel is an exhilarating FPS experience that will make you fall in love with your own gameplay. It gets a little repetitive, though, and the Japanese localization could be better, but players who enjoy parkour FPS games or bullet-time action should be satisfied.

TOEM is a cute little game made by a Swedish studio that feels like a paper-made terrarium. From its unique art style to fun photography mechanics, user-friendly controls and a clear and lilting sound design, everything in TOEM works and feels polished. This is the kind of game that players may have a lot of fun with regardless of their skill or preferences. The ending of the game’s cozy journey is quite touching as well.

While Lost Judgment’s many systems might not look like much separately, together they succeed in creating a varied experience like no other. With the new setting of a Japanese high school and a story about bullying, the game depicts modern Japanese society in an exaggerated way similar to the Yakuza series while feeling fresh at the same time. However, shallow yet frequent battles and a story that starts to drag in the second half exhaust the player way more than necessary.

Boyfriend Dungeon is not only the weirdest game in the love simulation genre, but also the most mature. While the experience is linear and doesn’t provide any real challenge, the concept of spending the summer with a human partner who can transform into a weapon works. The unique atmosphere is worth a try regardless of your gender or sexuality.

Ender Lilies is a game that might not have any revolutionary mechanics, but its graphics, music, battles, exploration and worldbuilding all contribute to an experience that has more polish than almost any other game in the action RPG genre. While the leap in difficulty near the end can definitely be overwhelming, the beautiful graphics and stellar presentation provide multiple fantastic moments and heart-pounding fights you won’t forget any time soon.

The Breaking Point narrative mode allows the player to join races while feeling like they’re the lead in a Hollywood movie. That being said, the mode’s story is linear and your racing efforts don’t necessarily have an effect on its scenario. While the career mode is as well made as always, if you’ve played the series before, there’s just not enough to make the experience feel fresh again.

Boomerang X is a diamond of a 3D action game. While it might not offer beautiful cutscenes or clever dialogue, the action itself constantly manages to amaze. The stellar boomerang mechanics are in perfect harmony with the super fast action. For fans of the genre, Boomerang X is an absolute joy from start to finish.

Twelve Minutes is a game that allows the player to experience what life is like for a protagonist caught in a time loop. While spending the same 12 minutes in a small apartment over and over might not sound too epic, the loop cycle is well done and has something new for the player to discover each time. That being said, the game’s story and theme aren’t as well executed. In many ways, Twelve Minutes is a game with a truth you might be better off not knowing.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel’s story and gameplay are built around the bond between children, and teach the preciousness of life. The tutorial is well done, and the simple yet tactical battle system is fun to play. It’s too bad that the controls and UI make the game harder to play than it should be.

Similar to Dinosaur Polo Club’s previous game Mini Metro, not only the game mechanics but also the visuals and sound contribute in making Mini Motorways a fun and polished game. Its game design allows players to enjoy the essence of a city-builder by simply laying roads, and the game offers interesting tactical challenges depending on your skill.

Idol Manager is a simulation management game in which you try to exploit idols for profit while protecting them from the darker side of the industry. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to be a producer in Japan’s idol industry, this is an experience for you.

The Ascent is an ambitious game that incorporates body modification, heavy weaponry and corporate war. While playing it can be stressful, stellar gunfights and beautifully crafted maps are enough to make you forgive the game’s shortcomings. If you’re a fan of violent games set in a cyberpunk world, look no further.

From the open world to engaging in part-time jobs, No More Heroes 3 does not only bring back some of the series’ most iconic aspects, but also manages to introduce new elements without making a mess out of it. With the improved battle system, this is the best action game that Grasshopper Manufacture has ever made. The only thing that drags the experience a bit down is the often rough story development and lack of character depth.

Scarlet Nexus’ stylish psychokinesis-based action is tons of fun. That being said, the player’s attacks tend to leave big openings for the opponent, and with many enemies that have a specific weakness you need to strike, it can become quite stressful. While I had some issues on the story side as well, the well realized characters and great pacing were enough to make me overlook its shortcomings.

From its setting to world building and especially the battles with monsters, this is truly an RPG that stays true to what Monster Hunter is all about. While the story is definitely on the light side, exploring the beautiful world with your favorite Monsties is an experience packed with content that any Monster Hunter fan will love.

As with previous titles from Supergiant Games, Hades features stellar artwork and music, masterfully creating a world of Greek mythology. The fast-paced action feels great, and the roguelike elements create a synergy with the game’s story, resulting in a truly addictive experience.

Metal Unit is a treasure hunting experience that creates excitement and tension by implementing the risk of losing your items, and it also comes with a light-novel-esque story. While it’s not for everyone, Metal Unit does appeal to a certain kind of gamer. It’s too bad that there’s lots of room for improvement in the Japanese localization.

Legend of Mana is unique within the Mana series, providing an immense amount of freedom in its gameplay. The therapeutic sandplay feel of the Land Make system allows the player to experience a unique and refreshing world. The newly arranged music allows the player to appreciate the environment and atmosphere to an even deeper extent than before. That being said, it’s too bad that issues of the original such as the confusing map display and story progression weren’t addressed.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade doesn't just add on to last year’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, but brings it to new heights. Playing the game one year later made us rediscover the overall quality of the battle system as well. Yuffie’s story is much more than just a new standalone chapter, as it enriches the game’s lore and story by depicting the Avalanche headquarters and their members in more detail than before. On new-gen hardware, the game has become even more immersive, resulting in an experience that’s worth going back to even if you’ve already beaten the original remake version.

Mighty Goose might just have the cutest visuals I’ve seen in any game this year, which makes it all the more disappointing that it doesn’t do much beyond that. The simple and shallow battle system is so rough that I found myself wondering if I was playing a game that was still in development. If you go in hoping for a Metal Slug-like experience, you’re in for a shock. While there are definitely some great moments, viewed purely as an action game, the unfairness of the battle system is a critical problem, making it hard to recommend.

Wing of Darkness is a robot action game that draws attention with its girl-meets-girl romance elements. While there’s some appeal to the controls and music, neither the gameplay nor story have any real substance. From robot action to flight shooting and romance, none of the game’s main elements are worth your time.

Vivid Knight is a dungeon RPG inspired by Auto Chess in which luck is necessary to obtain the unit you need the most in each situation. The reliance on chance as the key to victory means this game is not for everyone, but it sure feels great when luck is on your side.

If anything, the amazing story of the original Nier has only become more valuable today than it already was back in the day. While many elements have received a significant update, some remain the same, but the story more than makes up for it.

Sumire is an adventure game with beautiful light-colored art and an acoustic music soundtrack. You play as a young girl who experiences a slightly special day in a somewhat mysterious setting, but that’s about it. You won’t find any deep settings and themes or an intriguing story here. If you like to enjoy admiring beautiful scenery on the way through a game without thinking too much, Sumire’s world might be one for you.

From creating your own character to a wide array of vehicles and a unique world, there’s a lot to love in Biomutant – which makes its shallowness all the more disappointing. The inconsistent battle system and the amount of bugs doesn’t make things any better. While the game certainly knows how to hook you, the fun doesn’t last very long.

Bear’s Restaurant’s setting of serving food at a restaurant is an interesting concept for a videogame, and it is beautifully realized with cute Gameboy Advance-esque 2D sprites. While I wanted the story and characters to be a lot deeper, the bizarre twists in the second half of the game still make the journey worthwhile.

The classic action that has been a hallmark of the Ratchet and Clank series is alive and well. In addition, the central dimensional warp mechanic is a real joy, packing even more surprises than I’d expected. The various weapons are fun to use, while the excellent level design, exhilarating gameplay and thrilling festival spirit combine to result in an action game that has been honed to the limits. Newcomers to the series may wish for a little more explanation of the story and the controls in places, but Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a game I would recommend to anyone.

The reactions of Pokémon when items are used can be a little underwhelming, and the photography scoring system feels a bit off, but each of the Pokémon and the detailed world they inhabit are so well crafted that it all really comes to life. While the premise of replaying the same course over and over to take pictures may sound a bit too simple, the different Pokémon you encounter and the stories they provide prevent the experience from becoming tedious. New Pokémon Snap has us hoping that future installments in the Pokémon series will learn from its stellar world building.

It Takes Two is simply an amazing co-op game. When played together with a good friend, it will become an experience you won’t soon forget.

While the controls leave a lot of room for improvement, Pascal’s Wager: Definitive Edition is a Souls-like game that offers sufficiently high quality.

Bravely Default II is an RPG with an interesting battle system that allows you to stock multiple turns to use at once. With many main and sub jobs to choose from, the game also offers plenty of customization options. While the way the story progresses can get repetitive, the various lands you visit and their cultures and history feel grounded in reality.

Outriders could have been a great looter-shooter, but with its unbalanced structure and current instability, it’s hard to recommend.

Resident Evil Village is a game of unquestionably high quality, but sometimes its parts do not fit together. It’s hard to tell whether the developers were aiming for a terrifying horror game or an action-packed shooting experience: There are elements of both, along with the story, the new game plus systems and the inclusion of The Mercenaries, and sometimes these various elements do not work in harmony with each other. Village is a great game that you can enjoy with confidence, but with a little more synergy it could have been even better.

In its best moments, Balan Wonderworld is indeed a wondrous experience, but it becomes hard to keep dreaming with its lack of depth and attention to playability.

Blending refreshing systems like aiming and the ability to stock enemy encounters to fight them all at once when you feel like it, Fantasian’s turn-based battles are simple yet revolutionary. By implementing real-life dioramas as the main visuals, the locations have a sense of place few games can match. From story to music, everything in this game has been crafted with love and attention to detail, resulting in a game of superb quality overall.

While the essential component of repeatedly hunting monsters remains the same, the action elements have been refined with the introduction of the Wirebug and Switch Skill systems, and even monsters from previous games offer a fresh hunting challenge. The new Rampage mode, where the player must battle multiple large monsters at once, offers a stunning balance of difficulty and variety.

The game’s illustrations and background art are obviously reminiscent of other works, but together they create a visual style that feels like a good match for the unique story. While not being able to save whenever you want and limited options for text display speed could be seen as part of the presentation, it becomes frustrating when you have to play the same part again.

Touhou Luna Nights could almost be classified as a Metroidvania game. However, it has become something of its own by eliminating many elements common in the genre. By getting rid of these elements, the essence of the Touhou DNA becomes more obvious, resulting in a masterpiece that couldn’t have been made if it wasn’t based on the Touhou Project series in the first place.

Phoenotopia: Awakening aspires to be a retro 2D action adventure, and it succeeds in many ways. The cute sprites and soundtrack are appealing, and there’s lots of great exploration and puzzle gameplay. That being said, some elements bring along unnecessary stress, making the experience as a whole feel like a juicy durian that can only be cracked open with your bare hands.

Sword of the Necromancer is a real-time action RPG with roguelike elements. Reviving monsters after you beat them and having them fight alongside you is an interesting concept, but it never fully reaches its potential. The story about two girls - which plays out like a visual novel - is interesting and crafted with care.

Jumping around as a ninja in a cyberpunk world makes for a great retro-style game. Whenever a new type of action or mechanic is introduced, Cyber Shadow feels genuinely fresh. While its progression might be overwhelming at times, it’s a satisfying package for sure.

Project Wingman is an indie aerial combat game that could easily be mistaken for a AAA title. If playing a flight shooter in VR on PC is your dream, look no further. However, with repetitive gameplay and a story that’s difficult to understand, Project Wingman just doesn’t feel exhilarating enough to make it enjoyable for the casual player.

While there’s some fun to be had with the sword fighting, the stressful difficulty and lack of volume make Unto the End difficult to recommend.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins has always been famous for its difficulty, and the newest entry in the series is no exception. That being said, you can now choose between four difficulty options, and with new modern systems like checkpoints and the ability to equip multiple skills and magic, things have become a lot more manageable. But even with all that, there’s no doubt about it: Ghosts ‘n Goblins is going to kick your ass again and again. This reboot is as true to the franchise’s DNA as possible. At the same time, it tries something new with the co-op, which can be a blast if you head in with a player of approximately the same skill level.

This PS5 entry in the Atelier series delivers gorgeous anime-style visuals, which its alchemy mechanics make it easy to create equipment of the highest rank, making the speedy and dynamic combat a lot of fun. That being said, the game’s design can sometimes feel a bit too much on the user-friendly side, which can make the exploration feel tedious. While most of the story depicts the characters’ everyday lives, be prepared for a dramatic ending.

Phogs! is a fun co-op game in which two players each control one end of a dog-like creature with two heads and a snakey body. While simple to control, Phogs! manages to stay fun through the end with a wide array of gimmicks. Great camerawork and a fresh setting for each area also contribute to keeping things exciting. With a well-balanced difficulty curve, Phogs! is a great game for gamers of all ages.

Haven is an RPG that depicts two people living together on a lonely planet. Through their communication, the player learns not just about their love and insecurities, but also what kind of world it is they are inhabiting. While the ending may feel a bit anticlimactic, putting the state of mind of a couple into gameplay makes for a truly remarkable experience.