This triple pack of Atelier games will offer any fans of the series exactly what they're looking for, though they aren't the best starting point for a newcomer. In the time since their original release, the games have only gotten older, and poor load times and occasional framerate issues are something they really shouldn't suffer from. Still, these are cosy, quiet, heartfelt, and imaginative games, and it is nice to see them back.

Spirit of the North 2 builds on the charm of the original with a larger world and more polished graphics. It's a soothing experience for those who enjoy light puzzles, environmental storytelling and walks through picturesque landscapes. However, inconsistent mechanics, a lack of direction and technical problems prevent it from being truly great. Play it if you like relaxing exploration games, minimalist storytelling, or you just want to be a pretty fox in a beautiful world. Skip it if you prefer tight gameplay, strong storytelling, or are easily frustrated by unclear mechanics and occasional bugs.

High School Dirty Secrets masterfully creates a tense atmosphere that makes you jump at the slightest sound and dread looking around every corner. It doesn't overstay its welcome and you have a great time running from enemies. The story isn't the best and puzzles could use more guidance. Look no further than this game if you want a great horror atmosphere to scare you.

The Dagby Files is something you should look at getting if you enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, with the added component of narrative through detective mysteries. Even if you're not much of a mystery fan, you'll still enjoy doing the puzzles and there's no consequences for getting investigations wrong. At the heart of it, it's just a fun new way to complete jigsaws. The illustrations by Dave Montes definitely adds that special touch to The Dagby Files, not just being attractive to look at but also from a practical standpoint when solving the puzzles. I'd like to see more puzzle games like this, where jigsaws are combined with a narrative.

In terms of a DLC, High on Knife delivers exactly what it should. It gives you more of what made the main game good with some new things to keep it fresh. Any praise it deserves is earned more from the fundamentals of the main game rather than its own thing. It brings the same level of humor as the base game which is impressive considering they lacked the team head. With around five hours of gameplay, High on Knife is a great little chunk of High on Life goofiness.

At the end of the day, despite all of its flaws, B.I.O.T.A. is a game about vibes. It's about that feeling of playing games as a kid, those cozy times when everything was so simple. Sure, it's not the most complicated game ever, but I don't think it's trying to be. Above all, this game has heart. It's far from perfect, but what game is? In spite of a multitude of issues, there's a certain charm to the whole project that I can't help but feel enamored by. I look forward to seeing what Small Bros works on in the future.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is clearly the definitive version of the classic title. This remaster adds many much needed quality-of-life fixes to the 2003 game, from the updated UI to the remastered graphics. This time around it is much more approachable, enjoyable, and the focus on relationships makes the experience stand out among the sea of farming games. However, these improvements can only do so much because the remaster fails to address the underlying problems of the original game. The long, slow days eventually blur together as the lack of strong side activities and festivals hamper the end result.

Overall, this pack isn't perfect, but weddings are now more of a special affair with more options given, which was the aim. Hopefully, the bugs and issues can be ironed out with patches.

Dry Drowning delivers the right mood in an atmospheric detective visual novel. It highlights nail-biting player choices that brilliantly impact the story and gameplay. Dry Drowning wraps up an interesting story with various elements, pushing art and sound to elevate the mood of the narrative. All these features work hard to deliver, but despite its strong character, a clunky UI and difficult text throw a wrench in this visual novel experience.

Trek to Yomi is a game with great promise that, unfortunately, fails to live up to expectations. Despite this, it also succeeds in areas where most games fail. Few games can lay claim to this level of stylistic fidelity. However, its shortcomings are too vast and all-encompassing to ignore. It feels like a game that tries desperately to be more than it is, to have more nuance, more to say. Unfortunately, it's not just the color scheme that's black and white.

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters won't scratch the itch if you're looking for the AAA experience, but it stays in its lane and plays to the strengths of the series. Fans will not be disappointed, while newcomers might balk at some of its shortcomings. Nevertheless, this game is put together well and offers hours of enjoyment that will not tax your mind with heavy plots and mechanics.

Wreckfest is a promising title from Bugbear, which fills the gap left by dormant vehicular combat franchises such as Burnout. PS5 upgrades mainly come in the form of beautiful visual improvements, including a sharp 4K resolution and creative implementation of the DualSense's features. The game will be a blast for PS5 players who are jumping into it for the first time, but owners of the last-gen version might find the upgrade a little wanting.

Although at times frustrating, just like any other skate title, perseverance pays off. If you can look past the occasionally clumsy controls and enjoy the novelty then you will find a lot to enjoy in skateBIRD, whether that be dressing various species of bird, beak grabs or the inventive skateparks. All of this can be enjoyed while skatin' and raven to different tracks.

Remnant: From the Ashes is a brilliant game that will undoubtedly satisfy the masochistic urges of all those Souls-Like (really can't apologise enough) fanatics out there that need their next fix of brutal punishment in the form of a video game. The game is let down by a few minor faults and won't provide the same amount of gameplay that the majority of Souls games deliver to players, but the positives of this game far outweigh its negatives and the ability to replay it and take it on with friends negate the admittedly short standard campaign time.

Life is Strange: True Colors has received DLC in the form of Wavelengths which, as this review reveals, is a calm yet enjoyable slice-of-life experience that focuses on Steph Gringrich. If pretending to be a DJ and finding out more about the folks of Haven intrigues you, Wavelengths is the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is an interesting new mix of horror 'shooter' with excellent enemy design and aesthetics, but relies strongly on its eastern thematic to stay interesting past a certain playtime. However, despite the repetition, it does it's best to offer enough to keep players invested and interested enough with its variety and story, especially if you have even a slight interest in Japan or its vast mythology.

This is absolutely a quality game, you won't miss your $20, but is it high art to be revered among the greats? Probably not. It's a fun, stylized roguelike with just enough variety to get by, but lacks the substance it needs to make a lasting impression. Most will probably get about 25 hours out of it and move on to something else. Great value for the price, but likely not something you'll come back to time and again.

All in all, Horror Tycoon is a very well put together project. The gameplay loop is a lot of fun for those into tycoon games and tower defence especially. The graphics and audio are fantastic, especially for a solo developer. However, the game isn’t perfect. There are bugs to fix, and the game is still in need of more attractions and scares as you can quickly run out of new ones and resort to repetition.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral town is a fun time sink, but for a near full price game, sticks a little too close to its base game from more than 15 years ago. It has a great progression system that is still haunted by old traditions of ridiculously obtuse unlock conditions for certain features. If you have a reliable guide, you’re going to have a pretty good time, but the necessity of one really hampers the laid back, casual vibe of the game. If you’ve been a fan of the series for a while or are interested in the new features like gay marriage, then give it a try. Everyone else may want to wait for a price drop.

Despite its flaws, Hunting Simulator 2 is a fun, entertaining game for fans of hunting games and I believe it is a worthwhile addition to the hunting sim genre.

Foreclosed is an ambitious attempt at combining the style of a graphic novel with the action of a video game. It flourishes as an interactable comic book, but clunky combat and an empty city lets Antab Studio's take on the Cyberpunk genre down. Despite these frustrating gameplay quirks, and an uninspiring protagonist, I can't help but recommend this futuristic dystopian experiment. Anybody after a short, stylish adventure, and willing to overcome some gameplay flaws will find something to love.

Loretta has a great story which has you follow a villain protagonist with the titular character. While not as intense as being an accomplice to the crime, you control how Loretta acts after her husband’s death. Controlling the story and seeing Loretta deal with the consequences makes you want to see what happens next. It’s a shame that unnecessary puzzles disrupt the story and take away from the game’s strengths, or this could be a game to remember.

Goblins of Elderstone provides a colony building experience with solid fundamentals and an enjoyable experience. It's nice to see your colony expand as you deal with threats. But the tutorial doesn't cover everything and you are often left to fend for yourself. It doesn't help that many of the resources you need are out of reach, forcing you to learn the hard way. While the game can be fun, it also feels more difficult than it needs to be.

DARQ: The Complete Edition is the perfect way to play this 2019 hit. With upgraded load times, an improved frame rate and the two packaged DLC levels, if you haven’t yet tried this melancholic puzzler, now is the time. Where the game falters in narrative building and sound design, it makes up for in snappy, addictive gameplay and an art style to both adore and be disturbed by.

Impaler provides solid shooting gameplay but with very little lastability. There is only one level, a small list of enemies and weapons, and only takes a few hours to collect everything. What it does do well, though, is refinement. It's boiled FPS elements down to a very satisfying core and discarded anything unnecessary. For me to consider it a full game, it needs more levels, more collectibles, more enemies, and more weapons. But for only three dollars, it's kind of hard to complain about it.

Afterdream tells a poignant story which explores the dark aspects of grief. Feelings of blame, depression and loss of identity in the face of deep personal loss are emphasised using various visual effects. Afterdream is a psychological horror which may not strike fear into your heart, but will leaving you thinking about life, death and the in-between. The story is a little on the short side and left me with a longing for another hour or so. However, Afterdream is well written, and the gameplay is simple enough to allow you to soak in the melancholic atmosphere and ponder the narrative at your own pace.

Its mechanics are muddled and confusing at best and frustrating at worst, but it remains a decent and charmingly presented adaptation of the farmyard fable that so strikingly warns of the dangers of corruption and totalitarianism.

Reptilian Rising is a charming, focused tactical game that fully commits to its identity and earns genuine goodwill through personality alone. Technical rough edges, including UI elements blocking the grid and the occasional menu-locking bug, add friction that a $29.99 game at launch shouldn't carry. At 10 to 12 hours for a single campaign run, a one-and-done player won't stretch Reptilian Rising all that far. Those willing to run it twice on hard, experimenting with a different hero lineup, will find considerably more value. It won't be for everyone, but for the right kind of player, it is hard to put down.