Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! is an excellent, family-friendly game that tries hard not to become dull and succeeds. The presentation is smooth and logical. The pacing of the video game is nicely done. Where there are twists and turns, and different situations, the player will encounter throughout their path to greatness. Makes for a great game to pass the time, or to pick it up on the go whenever you feel the itch to play it.

Overall, it sometimes feels like just moving on from each area to the next, with not much else in-between. Tales of Arise is a beautiful game to look at, but the game goes by too quickly due to the relatively limited side-questing. The last release in the Tales series, Tales of Berseria, offered a lot of gameplay in terms of extra content, and the story was enough to wrench your heart out. Tales of Arise offers a very compelling story but not much else in terms of extra gameplay.

Kudos to SEGA! The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog really shows what the developers are capable of. This inspired and creative game has already captured the hearts of many fans, and it captured mine alike. With its vibrant and immersive gameplay, this adventure is perfect to fill an afternoon with. Here's to hoping that SEGA sees the positive reception and makes more Sonic content like this. I already can't wait.

This game blew me away. I have never played a visual novel, but now I want more. Every single choice is meaningful, often having rippling effects that you could not anticipate. I was constantly kept on my toes, having to truly think about my choices. Very few video games achieve this, but The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante absolutely knock it out of the park in this regard.

When picking up Super Mario 3D All-Stars, I expected authenticity as well as enhancements worthy of a modern remaster. This collection manages to meet those marks, but not without some unfortunate limitations. The All-Stars collection provides three content-packed Mario games for the price of one, a dream for fans of this series. For those who love challenging platformers, like Celeste or Super Mario Maker 2, I recommend picking this collection up. However, those on the fence might be better off looking elsewhere, as the All-Stars collection is a remaster with few bells and whistles. Though Nintendo could have done more to enhance these titles, they are still fantastic games on their own and definitely worth the purchase.

Batbarian was a delightful trip through the deep dark abyss. A huge effort that could have had a lot more problems, it stuck the landing beautifully. With obvious influence from classics of the genre, it does more than just copy what made them great, it continues on their spirit of exploration and puzzle-solving to bring us a unique adventure.

As a whole Sky: Children of the Light is an extremely wonderful experience. Without having to pour any money into it, it is a very enjoyable game and is cleverly executed by thatgamecompany. It's charming in all the right ways and there are few faults on it. If you're searching for a new open world adventure for you and your friends to go on, then I highly recommend Sky: Children of the Light.

The Ramp achieves exactly what it promises: a simple experience that scratches your skateboarding itch. The ease of use and minimal effort required to drop in and execute some skate tricks is a testament to effective game design: if your core mechanic is perfect, you don't need fluff. Hyperparadise has crafted a masterpiece that improves your day in 15-minute increments, allowing players to turn off their brains and shred.

In an era filled with walking sims, animatronics and remakes, Crow Country is a humble and unique entry into the world of survival horror. Paying respects to its inspirations with pride, the art style and soundtrack fabricate the feeling of a PS1 classic, evoking nostalgia from a first time experience. Crow Country's story is well-paced, and despite a slightly anti-climatic ending the writing is thoughtful and humourous. A short run time with new game modes/weapons unlocked upon completion encourages another playthrough. SFB Games have also found a good balance between retro and modern controls, which makes Crow Country perfect for both genre veterans and beginners.

As far as visual novels go, Iwakura Aria is very impressive. It's immersive, addictive, and mystifying. Each character stands out on their own without overshadowing anyone, not even the titular Aria, and Ichiko serves as an excellent protagonist and storyteller. At 10-15 hours, the length of Iwakura Aria sits comfortably without feeling as if it's cut anything important out, while also not dragging its feet and feeling unnecessarily padded out. Although the story can get dark at times, it doesn't dip too far into being too uncomfortable, while still being grippingly suspenseful. Iwakura Aria feels like one of those stories that clings onto you, and you onto it, not wanting it to end and desperate to find out how it all plays out.

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is an incredibly well-made experience for all kinds of players itching for a different kind of adventure. The writing of the world as you traverse it through Alex's shoes is fleshed-out and atmospheric. While the plot itself isn't unique, the design touches still allowed the world to become alive. The audio-based combat is challenging enough to make you use your brain as you listen for cues, without frustration. This is a game for those who want a new kind of narrative role-playing adventure and challenge, where you rely on your hearing, perception, and wits.

Mobius Digital has once again proven that they are masters of their craft. Echoes of the Eye carries on the legacy of Outer Wilds by delivering a riveting narrative told in a beautiful new world, paired with an excellent use of the main game's mechanics to deliver its story. While some parts of the DLC are frustrating in their implentation of horror elements, the option to make these parts easier, as well as the other parts of the game, make them worth going through.

While a great addition to the We Were Here Series, Expeditions: The FriendShip is not likely to blow your mind. If you are ok with a slower-paced, purely puzzle-based game that runs on the shorter side when you have an hour or two to kill with your friend online, this is a worthy title to look at. It's also a great way to introduce yourself into the series as a whole and help you decide if you want to sink your teeth into one of the other, longer, games. While I do personally prefer couch co-op, this is one title I'm sure to get back into time and time again for my online co-op needs, which are more and more common these days.

Streets of Rage 4 is a terrific return to form for one of the best beat-em' up franchises of all-time. It's beautifully managed to transition the features that made it so desirable back in the 90's. Whilst its mechanics haven't aged too well, and the difficulty hands you a caveat late-game; it's still a very accessible title to play that can be enjoyed by multiple people for a long time to come.

Battlefield 6 is one of the best FPS games of the current time, and the Devs have taken every step in the right direction to redeem themselves. It has the most in-depth destruction experience that lets you dive right into a chaotic war. The improvements for the class system are good and let you experiment with different traits to lead your team. Moreover, the Kinesthetic Combat system is what brings the most joy and makes the gameplay enjoyable, even for new players. Despite some weapon balance issues and bugs in the campaign mode, Battlefield 6 provides the best war experience in the franchise.

Roots of Pacha expertly builds upon foundations from other farming and life sim games while adding its own creative ideas in the process. The fun minigames and quality of life improvements make it a joy to play, and the relaxed atmosphere is perfect for unwinding. Along with the beautiful artwork and music, it's easy to spend hours building out your farm, exploring the caves, or improving your clan relationships.

NEO: The World Ends with You hits the highest of highs, but has its fair share of lows. At its best, it's a worthy follow-up to one of the 2000's most beloved RPGs. With style to spare, engaging gameplay, huge replayability and a strong plot, there's plenty to love with Rindo's trip to the Reaper's Game. Yet, we can't ignore the sheer tedium the game constantly displays, especially towards its back half. Repetitive missions, damage sponge enemies that are often stronger than bosses and an obnoxious time travel mechanic all bog down what could have been one of the best games of the year. If you're a longtime fan of the original, playing this is a no brainer. If this is your first time in Shibuya, you're better off catching up and keeping your expectations tempered.

Counter-Strike 2 brings many new things to the franchise that both veterans and newcomers alike can enjoy, especially the updated graphics on the Maps and guns. Moreover, numerous systems are straight-up an upgrade from CS: GO, such as the Loadout and Smoke Grenade, which makes Counter-Strike 2 more enjoyable and fair. However, many things are still not in the game, which might deter many players from trying the game just yet, though the ones that are now available are more than enough to enjoy a good Counter-Strike match.

The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion brings exactly what you expect to the game. It's perfect for players who love family gameplay, and it's also great if you enjoy your Sims growing and developing at any age. San Sequoia is another amazing world to play in, ideal for families but great for anyone. I especially love the new Recreation Center. I wish there were more Lots though. Regardless of the few flaws, this is a great new Expansion Pack and one you should definitely consider getting.

Gnosia will be a confusing, frustrating, enlightening, but overall rewarding experience. The unique approach to storytelling, as well as the charming cast of characters, engross players in the futuristic horror of the game's universe. A single round provides addicting entertainment; however, the gameplay can become tiring, and the story, long-drawn-out. Overall, Gnosia is an ideal game for people who love flexing their deduction skills and those who enjoy immersing themselves in interesting game worlds.

Simply put, Undusted: Letters from the Past is one of those games that feels close to perfection. It has a beautiful story that sucks you into the life of Adora and her parents, addictive gameplay that feels satisfying, a realistic art style that oozes nostalgia, and a haunting soundtrack to soothe your soul. Although this game only takes a few short hours to complete, there's no doubt it will touch your heart strings and make you feel nostalgic yourself - and want to go through your own old stuff to see what stories and memories they uncover.

WWE 2K23 took everything that filled 2K22 with promise and expanded on it, making them better than before. The time and effort put into things like MyGM and WarGames are evident. And the quality of MyRise can not be understated. Interesting stories filled with self-aware jokes and storylines directed toward 2K and WWE in a refreshing manner that hasn't been seen before. Though there are still issues and kinks to be worked out that prevent the game from being as great as its potential.

Cyber Shadow is a game that wears its influences on its sleeve and brilliantly weaves together the best elements from the 8-bit era of action-platforming titles. It is able to tell a story with more heart and depth than usually possible through this specific aesthetic. With a soundtrack that sounds like it came out of a lost Nintendo cartridge, following Shadow's journey is a thrilling ride with edge-of-your-seat combat hiding behind every corner. The game's difficulty may turn players away, but that has always been the case with older games such as Castlevania or Master Blaster. You may perish a lot, but the game is so good, you're going to want to keep trying to see how it all plays out.

Umurangi Generation is fantastic gamification of photography and a unique narrative experience. Tauranga Aotearoa is like a palpable memory after sweeping through its points of interest and history. It feels like a game made for the Switch - but while the port successfully emulates photography action, issues with image quality and controls would leave certain players to prefer the PC version.

In conclusion, Fuser is more a musical toolbox than it is an actual game. While Harmonix's previous games were about playing songs that already existed, this title actually lets you create something unique. It almost feels like magic when you combine two songs that you know shouldn't work together, but Fuser somehow makes them sound incredible. While I am still enjoying booting it up and thinking about songs I would like to have added to the library, I worry that if new music is not released frequently, then interest in the title may wane.

Overall, WWE 2K24 is a step-up from the previous year, taking everything that made WWE 2K23 great and further adding to it. However, there is still much to be desired as it feels as though they could have pushed the boundaries of creativity even further and took a few risks. Ultimately, playing it safe worked out in their favor because the game is polished for the most part and simply improves on last year's already good title.

Svoboda 1945: Liberation is an excellent learning tool, but unfortunately isn't a very good game. That doesn't mean you should skip experiencing it, as the way it tells Czech history through small 'minigames' is excellent, as is its beautiful black and white animations. As a collection of key historical World War 2 moments in the Czech Republic's history, it's a triumph - but if you're looking for meaningful character exploration and a fulfilling main story, then you'll be disappointed. Still, I recommend Svoboda 1945: Liberation to anybody with an interest in history who wants a better way to learn outside of stuffy classrooms and textbooks.

I'm going to go so far as to say that Paradise Killer is a masterpiece. This isn't to say it's perfect. The music is top-tier, the mystery is deep and twisted, the world is exciting and interesting to explore with some lovely visuals. The characters are all well designed and compelling. What's not to like?