Earthlock is a fantastic throwback to the JRPGs of the 90s. Its turn-based content is brusquely paced, strategic, and also novel with the stances and pairing mechanics.

As a casual gamer, I can jump in at any point during a war, grab some gear, and head straight to the front lines to join up with a group of players. After a couple of hours, I can switch to a Logi role, run supplies for a while, and then jump back off again. I can jump back in the next day or the following week and do it all over again. All the while, hardcore players will happily be trudging along, gaining or losing ground. They won’t even notice my absence but will have no problem filtering me into their plans whenever I’m around. Sure, the hardcore players will most likely be part of a regiment and have more access to armored vehicles and other powerful weapons, but casual players can always find a place in the overall scheme of things. Grunts still make up the bulk of any real-world army, after all.

I found myself slowly falling in love with the game the longer I played it. I’ve never been particularly drawn to roguelike games, but this one really captured my attention and offered a fresh perspective on the genre. Not to mention, the backdrop setting of Norse mythology, of which I am fond, was definitely a good way to keep me playing and going back for more. For anyone who likes roguelikes or horde-survival games, I would definitely recommend adding this to the collection.

My only caveat is that it may be too easy at first, even for a total newbie to the series or genre. So if you can't see yourself beating the campaign multiple times per character, you might want to consider this. Give the chance for the game to get its hooks in you, though, and you're likely to be playing Diablo III for quite a while.

Monster Hunter Rise is some of the most fun I’ve gotten to enjoy on my Nintendo Switch since the system launched. It brings back some of the traditional aspects of Monster Hunter, but still respects my time and lets me get into the action faster than ever. I would say that Rise is probably the easiest Monster Hunter game to get into now, and the portable nature of playing it on the Switch means that it’s enjoyable virtually everywhere. Unfortunately, the list of monsters is one of the lowest in the franchise’s history and, as of right now, the story is still unfinished. It’s well-polished and fun to play, but feels incomplete and lacks any kind of endgame. I wish the fun wouldn’t end, but after only about 50 hours spent in-game, there wasn't much left to see.

Everspace 2 lets me live out the outer space-related dreams of my youth thanks to its open space exploration and well-designed spacecraft combat. Moving from a roguelike to an open-world exploration game is a tall task, but Rockfish nailed it here. Flying around space is exhilarating, fighting against enemy ships is a rush, and the story keeps me guessing. There are a few issues throughout, namely with the disorienting nature of the ship's movement, but once you're used to it the game simply sings. I have a feeling I will be traveling in the dark reaches of space for hours and hours to come.

If you like a challenge, are a fan of Roguelikes, enjoy good humor, or are just wanting to try something new, I can eagerly recommend Have A Nice Death! I laughed. I rage-quit. I spent hours at a time trying to get farther than before. I still want to play more! Perhaps I’m addicted but I just can’t wait until the next time I get to hear “Welcome to the Afterlife!”

Some may argue that the current generation of MMORPGs is filled with throw away imports that focus on monetization over quality. While that seems true for most of 2015’s releases Final Fantasy XIV’s expansion Heavensward bucks that trend and proves that there is still room for subscription based MMORPGs on the market that are not named World of Warcraft. If developers create a compelling game that is well polished and has content updates staggered at a reasonable pace they can be successful. Square Enix might even be able to teach the subscription based old dogs a new trick or two about timely content releases through an expansion cycle.

Yes, it’s about shooting and looting, but Destiny 2 is about much more besides. It might not be ideal for MMO diehards, but it’s a rich and satisfying experience all the same.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is surprisingly one of the best JRPGs that I’ve played since I beat Dragon Quest XI over three years ago. It’s especially impressive coming from Ryu ga Gotoku studios which has never made a turn-based RPG before. However, there are some glaring issues that take away from the overall experience; most notably the lack of a weakness indicator and wonky AoE moves during battles. If only the battle system was perfected, then Like a Dragon would be a top-tier JRPG. Regardless, I would recommend to any RPG fans that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a must-play title.

The world of Wartales is more complex than it first appeared. Once I settled down and paid attention to the depth that Wartales offers, I finally started to enjoy my time playing. Wartales is full of rules and mechanics to master. There is plenty of land to explore and mischief to be had, and although the character and party progression seem thin at first, there is a wealth of advancement options layered into the gameplay.

I now no longer look at the world with simple eyes. I'm weighing up the pros and cons of venturing down that road, that path, or that slightly ropey looking foot bridge. Friends are no longer, just souls that could be harvested - if I should wish to go down a 'stabby' route - but really, for the most part, I'm just spending a hell of a lot of time playing Dark Souls 2. I hated the first two, but From Software's ever so slightly softer edge has ensnared me this time around. If you're a fan of character development, frustration, and mechanics that hark back to the 8-bit era, then you might have found your latest gaming beau.

Monster Hunter World is a solid title that will soak up a lot of time if you enjoy beautiful graphics, hunting beautiful, dangerous and unique creatures, and crafting buttloads of weapons and gear.

The Bard's Tale 4: The Director's Cut is an epic tale of corruption and evil, suffering and loss, of lessons learned too late and and the bitter consequences. It's also a story of hope and triumph and perseverance. It's a game that challenged me and a story that tugged at my heart.

Saros is basically a sequel to Returnal in all but name. By building on the mechanics of its previous work, Housemarque has made Saros an even better roguelike and bullet-hell experience. It’s slick, powerful, and devilish in all the right places. The story wanes partway through, sometimes putting me on the verge of sleep, but masterful character performances from the main cast keep the sun from setting too early, and calling it a night.

All things considered, Last Epoch is in a good place a couple of weeks after its launch. With the launch issues mostly in the rearview, EHG can now focus on fixing bugs, sifting through player feedback, and putting together a plan for the future. I’m not a Traveler in real life, so I can’t tell you exactly what the future holds for EHG and Last Epoch, but I suspect that Last Epoch will be the go-to ARPG for many gamers. Will it become the best ARPG of all time? Maybe, maybe not, but I doubt that Last Epoch is just the next Steam flash-in-the-pan success that will be forgotten in a few weeks. No, I believe Last Epoch has what it takes to withstand the tests of time.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is the game that should have been released two years ago. Even saying that, waiting patiently for this past couple of years, it was well worth it. The inclusion of Loot 2.0, Paragon points, Adventure Mode, and the Crusader has made Diablo III a bright and shiny new game that has finally earned that 85 we assigned to it two years ago.

I’m officially a fan, and having Destiny 2 on PC is exactly what I’d hoped for all along.

All in all, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection serves its included games better than any previous bundle in franchise history. The updated graphics still impress, but the way they improve the free-roaming investigation sections is notable. The mechanics are easily mapped to a console controller – to the point where I played most of the dialogue-heavy scenes one-handed with an Xbox controller. Plus, seeing Prosecutor's Gambit finally available in the West is worthy of celebration all by itself.

Gearbox really listened to fan feedback from its launch of Borderlands 3 and is making sure that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is launching as feature-complete as possible. If you’re a fan of looter-shooter mayhem, or are looking for a new co-op adventure set in swords and sorcery (and guns) then I would strongly recommend playing Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Now, who’s ready to riggidy-roleplay? ROLE FOR INITIATIVE, SUCKERS!

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a heavy experience. Lara has grown up over the last few years and we have had a chance to watch her mature. Some may not like the person she has grown into but she is definitely not the victim she once was when she fell off the boat. Shadow deals with dark subjects but does a nice job of interspersing some scenes to try and lighten the mood, a favorite of mine involves a young Lara in Stark Manor. For those that don’t like the turn the story has taken the gameplay is still fantastic. The exploration is as good as it has ever been and the Tombs feel even more rewarding than they ever have. If you’ve enjoyed the first two Tomb Raiders there is even more to like in Shadow.

Tower of Time takes a compelling narrative and blends it with fun role-playing and deep satisfying tactical combat. Event Horizon, the studio behind Tower of Time, has the pulse of their players. They have been patching and balancing continually, taking feedback, and explaining balance adjustments. It’s refreshing to see an earnest desire by an indie studio to improve and polish a game post-launch. This has been one of the most enjoyable indie RPG experiences for me so far this year. This is a game I’d at least like to see on a list of contenders for “Indie RPG of the Year”.

Shadowbringers brings a lot to the table. From a great story, to amazing areas to discover and explore, Square Enix has truly outdone themselves this time. With many changes not only to the Jobs system, but also FATEs and just general gameplay, it’s more than enough to bring new players and returning players alike to the game. Unfortunately, it’s not all perfect, but the flaws are mostly revolving around issues not related to actual gameplay. Still, some will find the content boring, as per usual, but to me, it’s pure fun.

The original Frostpunk presented players with a simple puzzle: what are you willing to do as a society to survive the apocalypse? Its mechanics explored this magnificently, presenting us with challenges and ideas that made us second-guess what we’d do at the end of the world. Frostpunk 2 furthers that struggle by asking, “What are we willing to do to thrive?” Will we rely wholly on technology to save us, or adapt to the brutal cold and make nature our guide? Will we be the same leader we started as at the launch of the campaign? Every player will be faced with that moral conundrum, and will have to decide what it is they value most to reach the end of that journey.

If you were already a fan of Life is Strange, then Haven Springs is absolutely worth a visit. True Colors doesn’t introduce much new, but it continues the series' strongest points in a powerful new story that’s sure to have you chasing it down until the very end. And while the PlayStation 5 performance left a lot to be desired, it didn’t discount the experience enough to stop me from playing. Alex Chen will have a place in my heart for a good while.

The technical improvements are well done also, the extra details of each environment adding a little more color to Amalur’s world while keeping the framerate manageable. There’s still a few warts along the way, mostly involving things and people popping into view when passing or speaking to them, but none of them break the game to the point of starting over. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning accomplishes everything a remaster should accomplish, and stepping back into Amalur should be a top priority for everyone.

The game is a blast, both as a lone wanderer and in a group, though working in a group ensures a more satisfying result.

It rewards time invested, creativity and co-operation on a level that I haven’t experienced before.