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.