Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is the best entry in the series, hands down. Every system has been enhanced and perfected, with the additional Key feature melded expertly into the core narrative. Sometimes the world can feel a lot bigger than it is, causing some pacing issues within the story, and there are a few characters who could have received more of the spotlight, but I can’t stress enough how memorable this experience is. As sad as it is to say goodbye, GUST did right by Ryza with this finale.

Rance IX: The Helmanian Revolution is a good recommendation for fans of erotic games that don’t mind non-con content. Though its simplistic battle arenas may be underwhelming for veterans of strategic games, it’s a fantastic example of the Rance series’ compelling world-building and steamy scenes.

Tchia is truly a magical experience where players uncover the world through the eyes of a protagonist who is experiencing it along with them for the first time. The culture of this region is expertly woven into the gameplay systems, so you never feel like this is a learning game. Further, the fantasy mechanics of Soul Jumping work well alongside the emotional narrative that keeps players engaged from beginning to end. You may find yourself lost along the way, but there is so much to discover in this adventure that you’ll keep pushing forward.

Meg’s Monster is a charming, adorable, and heartfelt adventure that provides an excellent indie RPG experience. The relationship between the main duo is the driving force, with the art and music complementing the tone. However, it lacks evolution by revealing its entire hand in the first few hours, delivering a weak second half.

Ib is not a game I would recommend to everyone since enjoying it requires the other party to have an affinity for not only the horror genre but also the pixel-like presentation. Ib’s strengths don’t transcend the bounds of who you’d expect to appreciate it, though, for those who do find themselves impacted, it will likely be an experience you’ll remember for as long as you’re able. The endearingly chilling setting, coupled with the compact well-written cast, creates something genuinely heartfelt that I’m thankful hasn’t been lost to time and has been made more accessible.

Resident Evil 4 remains a divisive entry in the series as it caters to fans of survival horror and action within a well-crafted gaming experience. The updated narrative, by far, makes this a solid entry as it fills in plot holes and provides character growth that wasn't present before. The atmosphere and level design only enhance the enjoyment, but the popcorn action structure of the final area hurts the overall pacing. Still, this is undeniably a stellar remake of an already fantastic game.

Have a Nice Death is a roguelike experience to die for. Its systems are intensely addictive to provide a reason to return to the grind and clock in for overtime. The action combat is some of the best I’ve ever felt, with compelling progression systems and fantastic enemy designs. While it may not stand out from its contemporaries, it approaches everything it touches with a brilliant finesse that makes it tough to put down.

We all know why you’re playing Alice Gear Aegis CS Concerto of Simulatrix, and I’m there with you. The mecha anime girl appeal is the main drawing point, which will entertain you for about an hour before you realize that you’ve let your feelings for these anime girls woo you into making such a bad buying decision. The lack of playable content ultimately brings this waifu mech to the ground, but some of you will likely stay fast with the ship like any good captain would.

Mato Anomalies is a unique and messy experience from beginning to end. You’ll never know what the narrative is going to throw at you. I felt no connection to the main protagonist or his quest to save this city, but I enjoyed the battle system and dungeon-crawling aspect enough to stick to Chapter 7, which wasn’t easy. However, there are a few solid gameplay mechanics here, and I hope the developers use what works to create something more focused.

Record of Agarest War on Switch is the definitive way to experience this adventure. The portability allows you to take the level grinding and waifu relationship building on the go or to bed with you; I won’t judge. The nuanced battle system is unique and fun to experiment with as you face off against some truly tough encounters across several generations. Returning fans may not have it in them to see this war through until the end, but new players may enjoy the adventure.

Even going into the experience, fully intending to meme my way through the game, I actually had a stupid amount of fun. Whether or not the physics work as intended, it scratches a racing itch I didn’t know I had. With a market as lifeless as the motocross video game market, Milestone has a pretty solid idea of what they are doing. I didn’t try the online racing, so Monster Energy Supercross 6 is a fun time unless there are server issues. But then, you just have to look past goofy character designs.

Loretta is a fun (and sometimes disturbing) story of what happens when you try to bury the truth. Choices matter, and each comes with its own set of consequences. And while the puzzles and active gameplay are limited, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome. Gritty locations, haunting sound effects, and a seriously messed up narrative make this an adventure I’d happily play again. And maybe next time, I won’t die quite as fast.

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries Of Honjo is a gripping and horrific adventure that branches outside of what genre fans would expect. It plays with your intuition and tests your deduction skills as you piece together each puzzle. Unfortunately, the narrative intermission brings gameplay to a crawl, but you’ll want to stick through until the end to experience everything this twisted adventure offers.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an excellent, beautiful horror experience that works on modern platforms. From a game design perspective, it works brilliantly to guide the players through the nightmare with minimal confusion. However, the gameplay hurts the pacing with slow-moving characters, control issues, and repetitive structure, making you spend too long getting through it all.

It’s worth emphasizing that this DLC is, at its core, meant for those who enjoy Dead Cells rather than strictly Castlevania fans. Playable Richter aside, the rest of this content is more Dead Cells greatness. Still, the highlights of the Castlevania franchise have been encapsulated and reimagined succinctly, transparently displaying the Dead Cells’ developers’ love for the classics that inspired them.

The intricacy of Trails rivals most gaming series you’ll find out there, and in a personal sense, Azure demonstrates that even if it stumbles with delivery, it still manages to comprise an unforgettable experience.

Digimon World Next Order feels and plays fantastically on the Nintendo Switch. But unfortunately, it relies on you being familiar with its established gameplay mechanics, which can be daunting for newcomers. Despite the newly added Beginner Mode and Dash features, I feel like this iteration of the digital world is targeted toward longtime fans or new ones who have a lot of time to learn its many nuances. Still, the portability of the Switch makes this perfect for western gamers raising Digimon on the go.

ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni is the kind of game you will inevitably cross paths with. You know, one that, over time, becomes a remembered cult classic within indie circles. The experience is worth it for the atmosphere alone, and while the gameplay loop may not be anything remarkable, the journey itself is memorable. If you’re after something Avant-garde and imbued with meaning, it’s worth going through the trials and tribulations to become the mightiest Oni.

Pronty grows well in a giant garden of metroidvanias, though it doesn’t fully blossom. It presents flaws that can dampen the experience yet is unique and innovative enough for those familiar with the genre. The challenges of the various boss fights are fun to tackle, even though the standard combat can be mundane. Further, the introduction and narrative may be lackadaisical, but the pacing picks up to keep you engaged. And the style of the game is remarkable, even if the ambiance can be dim. Regardless, this is a solid and enjoyable metroidvania that excites me to see what potential future lies for the developers at LIGHT18.

Little Witch Nobeta is a pretty fun Soulslike that doesn’t use its presentation as bait to veil a shoddy experience. Its well-crafted boss battles, fulfilling progression, and intricate exploration illustrate thought-provoking gameplay design. Even when considering a lacking narrative and the playtime clocking in around 10 hours if you take your time to accomplish every task, this is definitely an experience that fans of the genre should pick up. Of course, the potent ambiance and cute main character also help matters.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is unlike any other action game. Its unique battle system encourages high-level character customization to make the action approachable no matter your history with the genre. It's terrifyingly brilliant as it tests your understanding of enemy attacks through a rhythm-based deflect feature making each encounter as enjoyable as it is difficult, especially in its online modes. Although messy enemy placement and cheesy maneuvers can slow the pacing, the Three Kingdoms story has never looked better.

Alice Escaped! provides a colorful and concise adventure for Metroidvania fans. Although the enemy variety is lacking, the combat and abilities make progression exciting through its intuitive skill tree and charming environment. The plot is covered in silliness, with a few dark themes sprinkled in, but it all meshes well with the fan service-focused character designs. Although you may prefer a higher challenge, this makes for a great weekend game.

Kirby’s Dreamland Deluxe was already a charming title back on the Wii, but this updated release allows old fans a chance to return to Dreamland to discover updated features and new players an opportunity to play a standout entry in this series. This release presents many improvements and additional content creating a memorable experience for all who play, even if it isn’t as genre-defining as Forgotten Land.

Scars Above is a messy experience with some excellent sci-fi writing. I became lost several times due to the lack of direction and found the enemy placement haphazard and frustrating. The game fails in too many ways as a third-person shooter but does pass as an adventure with light puzzle-solving. Ultimately, it feels like a mixing pot of systems that don’t work together, but that challenge may be enough for some players to see through to the end.

Void Terrarium 2 is a significantly updated version of its predecessor by streamlining many of the systems to add a focus on a few narrative plot points. It provides an exceptionally addictive gameplay loop, with every moment spent playing rewarding the players with ways to stay out in the dungeons longer. The new terrarium features also feel less confusing to parse to keep players moving forward, but its almost identical presentation to the first entry is underwhelming.

The faults I’ve mentioned, such as the oddly implemented revival mechanic and the overt ease on a first playthrough, can hinder the experience but, at least in my case, never significantly so. I never thought I’d say this, but I would not mind another Gal Gun-esque entry in this vein. There are multiple types of arousal, after all, and variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

Drainus is the perfect price point and the perfect game to play if you have 20 minutes to kill. While you can get through the six stages in less than an hour, it will likely be the most fun few hours you’ve had playing a shmup in a very long time. The unique systems and various customizable options make me wish more was offered in the package, but as it stands, this is a must-play shmup.

Redemption Reapers is a messy tactical RPG that could have been so much more. The presentation and character design are simply generic, with a narrative that will likely never grab your attention. There are some unique systems of character movement, but too many systems work against the player creating an unfun experience from beginning to end. Here’s to hoping updates based on player feedback make Redemption Reapers better in the future.

Souls of Chronos is in desperate need of quality updates. However, the core of its RPG tabletop narrative design is the highlight of the adventure. Still, the entire gameplay experience becomes a chore, and you’ll find it hard to care during the late-game plot twists because you likely stopped reading hours before the credits rolled. Hopefully, the developers refocus on what they do well, which happens to be storytelling. Drop the action and give us a murder mystery visual novel.

For what it’s worth, Akka Arrh exists as a functional arcade shooter that tries far too many ideas for its own good. This is one for the Atari enthusiast and historian. Everyone else is better off checking out the publisher’s extensive back catalog instead.

Mundfish has managed to capture the thrill of over-the-top action taking full advantage of Atomic Heart’s 1950s setting and insane narrative. Every moment of gameplay is packed with tense combat against haywire animatronics. Still, all the heavy metal shredding in the world isn’t enough to save the experience from its extremely poor user interface design and lack of basic accessibility features.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a game that both delights and frustrates me for a lot of reasons. I don’t feel like the shift to Unreal Engine 4 added anything substantial, and it seems to have come at a steep cost compared to the framework the studio normally uses. The drawbacks make this fully-remade title feel like it would have been at home two generations ago, rather than belonging next to Lost Judgment and Yakuza 7.

Octopath Traveler II is an evolution of this series that doesn’t change the formula of its predecessor but enhances it in almost every way. The characters have their own adventure ahead of them, which eventually becomes a more centralized plot; the battle system highlights strategy through deep character customization and job classes, and exploration and discovery are at the core of the entire experience. There are a few stumbles along the way, but this is an adventure like none other and one I won’t soon forget.

Metroid Prime Remastered is a shining example of what a remaster should strive for; not only is the original game intact with enhanced visuals, but players can customize the controls based on previous versions. Add in the extra menu that gives more reasons to complete the game outside of achievements, and this release is the best version of Metroid Prime, not only for long-time fans but those wanting to dip their toes in for the first time.

Wild Hearts has so much to offer. From the striking monster designs, distinct weapon variety, and engaging combat, hunters will have a new favorite game to join up with friends and take down enormous foes. Outside of some dips in pacing in the later hours, and a few repetitive encounters, there is little holding this game back from becoming a new name in the genre.

Tales of Symphonia is a brilliant action JRPG that set a precedent for the genre. Even all these years later, its engrossing storytelling, vast array of side activities, character interaction, and layers of combative options all coalesce to make it a must-experience adventure. Yet, as a remaster, this specific release fails to hit the mark, ultimately providing a lackluster and disappointing resurgence that could have been so much more.

While length is not a determining factor for enjoyment, it can become a primary focus if there isn’t much else to offer. I went around the snowscape with a partner, searching for our families. Outside of the gorgeous aesthetics, both visually and sonically, no substantive content sparked any significant emotion. There weren’t a lot of facets done poorly, but they weren’t executed wonderfully either. And while there were some endearing and silly moments, I came out of the experience feeling like I went through an underwhelming roller coaster at a theme park.

Wanted: Dead is a commendable effort from this team and a sign of much better things to come. It is unapologetic in what it wants to be, and so despite all of its quirks and faults, it offers a charming and memorable action game experience that is backed by a captivating presentation. Come for the brutally effective combat but stay for the utterly surreal game world filled with fun distractions and addictive carnage. With this debut title, 110 Industries takes us back to a time when a standout vibe made up for a lack of polish.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a terrific rhythm experience that, even after over 30 hours in, I can't get enough of. Its almost overwhelming number of playable songs, waves of unlockables, addictive progression, and endless methods of replayability coalesce to provide a game that all Final Fantasy fans, new or not, will fall in love with. Heck, even if you've never played Final Fantasy, Final Bar Line is worth picking up. It's that good.

The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Coupling is an interesting otome game that I would praise for its more mature plot, but it shows signs of having aged considerably from its original 2012 release. The issue with story branches happening inside other routes made the experience confusing due to the lack of a flowchart. Further, when it came to specific love interests, the chapter names made navigating the routes a chore. A bit more quality assurance would have also gone a long way to remedy some of the typos.

If what you want in a game is a simple, relaxing cycle that doesn’t require more from a player than their time and doesn’t offer much more than the enjoyment of playing it and the satisfaction of completion, Powerwash Simulator might be perfect. Of course, it’s not for everyone, but if it hits right, you too might find yourself up late into the night, looking for that last…little…spot.

Labyrinth of Galleria The Moon Society is an addictive dungeon-crawling RPG that fans of the genre will undoubtedly sink dozens upon dozens of hours into. Its involved yet approachable gameplay systems, meaningful sense of consequence, and cathartic breakthroughs of progress make it a joy to spend time learning. Even amidst some area design choices I perceived as stumbles, unnecessarily drawn-out tutorials, and bland environments, this was a journey I’m glad I stuck out to its end.

Hogwarts Legacy is a genuine wizarding adventure from beginning to end. There’s no mistaking that the writing and world-building lend so much to the experience that it overshadows the repetitive battle system and unintuitive menu designs. There’s a true sense of discovery provided that stems from the freedom given to players to take on this game the way they want. The jury is still out on the target audience, but I had a magical time.

Tristia: Restore is fundamentally broken. It is one of the worst experiences I have ever touched in video games, and the first time in my life I have ever felt regret for playing one. I wish I had Nanoca’s skills to make a time machine and tell the developers to invest all their money in Tristia: Legacy instead. That game deserved more.

Unfortunately, this is sadly brought down by glitches and unwieldy controls, causing frustration and ultimately ruining the experience by breaking the game and preventing progression. Having only played the Steam version, I can’t exactly recommend this game. Still, the console version may run better, so it’s worth researching if you’re interested.

Fire Emblem Engage is a solid entry in the franchise. It’s easily the best Fire Emblem game from the modern generation (awakening onwards). I enjoyed my time so much that I’m already returning for my second, more relaxed playthrough on maddening. It’ll take a while.

Tristia: Legacy is a cute simulation game, and I enjoyed my time with Nanoca Flanka and her friends. However, its issues hinder the experience significantly, so most players are less likely to have a good time. However, if you are fond of simulations and cute girls with book smarts, this old-school classic may still be for you.

I had an excellent experience with The Symbiant, but my biggest gripe has got to be just how relatively short it is to go through it all. Nonetheless, I laughed a lot at the interactions with Brahve and Danya, perhaps even more than I should. The adult patch is not for the faint-hearted, but if you’re willing to be “brave” (pun intended), then maybe this short experience is just what you need.

Tails: the Backbone Preludes tells an intriguing prequel that easily hooks the player with its story and characters, despite its glitchy flaws and potential soft locks. For those wanting to get into the Backbone universe, then this is an excellent place to start and the perfect way to introduce yourself to Howard Lotor’s life along with a genuinely charming supporting cast.

Sadly, Deliver Us Mars could barely get us to the planet of Mars itself, let alone deliver it. It’s a shame that a game that was already delayed once for further polishing still came out so rough. The constant frame drops, screen tears, glitches, and poor animation rendering are only the cherry on top of inconsistent puzzles and terrible lighting. There is something special underneath all that jankiness, though, with a focus on engaging storytelling and increased verticality (compared to Deliver Us The Moon). Still, KeokeN just couldn’t land this one right.

However, the dreadful method of narrative progression is enough of a turn-off for those not willing to sink in the time to engage with it. Furthermore, its locking of the new fantastically designed bosses adds greater insult to injury. Here’s hoping the following two DLCs don’t suffer from a similar grave failing when I experience them.

Those who stick out Forspoken until the end may derive enjoyment from how certain elements were tackled like I did, though, ultimately, it’s all too little too late. At the very least, exploring the open world and completing optional tasks after completing the story can be fun, albeit in brief doses, since there’s not much of interest within the environments.

Helvetii is an unfulfilling action roguelike that contains a few conceptually neat ideas not strongly delivered on any front. The practical nonexistence of effective feedback during combat heavily mires the gameplay and incentive to keep going.

Re:Call busts out the gate with clever gameplay systems that deal with memory manipulation and puzzle solving. It’s an additive affair as you attempt multiple times to get the story straight and progress the narrative. However, the balance of gameplay and storytelling is lost in the final chapters as the narrative is the true highlight of the experience. Make this your next weekend game; you won’t regret it.

Season: A Letter to the Future is a rush of emotions. You’ll feel happy, lonely, or even scared at any given time. It plays on the player’s curiosity and rewards those who take the time to explore. If you don’t have that time available, I’m afraid the experience will fall short. It’s a game that makes unremarkable situations remarkable through themes of memories and how we could lose everything in an instant.

The Switch version of Life is Strange 2 is not the best version of this adventure. However, this doesn’t make it a terrible choice. The experience is serviceable on both handheld and docked modes, and while the models lack graphically, as the game progresses, shadows and dirt make them look more natural. Unfortunately, players won’t find anything new or impressive with this port. Regardless, I recommend this version to those who haven’t played it before or are looking for a new title to play while on the go, proving that a tale of two brothers is excellent no matter what version players decide to play.

Hi-Fi Rush is, by every possible measure, one of the biggest surprises of 2023 and will probably stand as my Game of the Year for at least the next few months. I have never seen a game tt so successfully blends rhythm and action, and despite its platforming not being much to write home about, the combat is so superb that it may even surpass all of its most apparent influences.

The Cosmic Shake is a mixed bag. It works exactly well enough to make me alright with continuing to play and will probably be a decent enough game to give to your kids who don’t have the finesse to get through Super Mario Odyssey yet. However, for a comeback in a long-running franchise, it’s severely let down by an unoriginal concept, a severe budget deficit, and levels that feel like a developer just going through the motions to crank out a game.

All of this makes 8-Bit Adventures 2 shine as a quality game regardless if it doesn’t present any groundbreaking systems in the genre. This game is a love letter to retro adventures that we’re intimately familiar with by now. Rather than push it to be something that seeks to change the experience, it celebrates it. If you’re looking for something that seeks to innovate, you’re likely to find something better elsewhere. But if you want an entertaining, lighthearted, and endearing experience, this is the game for you.

ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a title that has the definition of “jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” It does a lot of things, but it doesn’t stick the landing most of the time. The story is very short, and while the soundtracks are good, I wasn’t a huge fan of the rhythm portions, especially because of their severe disconnection to the main tale.

Dead Space is a brilliant and terrifying horror experience made better with this release. Everything you remember loving about the original is still here, with added quality and updates that improve it for a new generation. While playing, I could feel my muscles tense, and my hands clam up, desperately trying to use a healing item I didn't have as I nervously rounded a corner. This will likely be something I share with all who play, no matter their past with the series. But, even without the nostalgia, I can't recommend a better survival horror gaming experience than this.

If you’ve been waning on the Neptunia series recently, this one is worth picking up. While it doesn’t necessarily redefine the series as we know it, its distinct strengths can be used as a building block for future games to flourish consistently.

Bacchanalia seems to be an otome game that would fit all the checkmarks of what you’d expect from the genre, and while it is available for a relatively low cost of entry, that doesn’t excuse the fact that it is severely unfinished. From its awkward, inconsistent translation to even the plot having more holes than Swiss cheese, this title clearly should’ve just gone full-on Early Access, and I hope the developers are true to their word with their promise of fixing it all in the coming months.

There are numerous games from the Japanese Doujinshi scene to discover, and Graze Counter GM is one of the best examples from this underground gaming scene. It’s inexpensive, making it an easy recommendation to genre fans, but even a casual player will find the experience fun and easy to jump back into for repeated plays. Graze Counter GM offers plenty of content and an interesting gameplay hook for anyone seeking a little more thrill in their bullet hell.

While I’m sure plenty of people enjoy the constant references to the Fire Emblem series and the heavy use of tropes, the bulk of the experience wasn’t satisfying. I enjoyed the combat, even with difficulty, but the time mechanic added a surprising amount of stress that wasn’t enjoyable. In addition, for every character interaction I enjoyed, there were two that I found grating at best. Studio Daimon certainly did a great job forging a game they can be proud of as fans of Fire Emblem, but it will not resonate well with everyone.

Through the lens of magical realism, A Space for the Unbound takes a whimsical yet mature look at what happens when a community is under unexplainable distress. It shows you the effect one small action or one person can have. Factor in a beautiful art style, excellent storytelling, and a gorgeous soundtrack, and there’s no denying the superb quality of the content. You spend the entirety of the game making an impact on others, and I can easily say A Space for the Unbound has left a memorable and profound effect on me for years to come.

Persona 4 Golden is a terrific JRPG through and through. It contains a must-experience narrative, thrilling strategic combat, addictive customization, tons of optional content, and an endearing cast; all you could want from the genre. Furthermore, its shortcomings, like the mediocre dungeon design and unnecessarily long start, are relatively minor, not drastically affecting the quality of the experience. Regardless of your history with Persona or JRPGs in general, Persona 4 Golden is worth the time if you stick with it, as it’s near the heights of its contemporaries.

The mitigated presentation and tone of Portable don’t paint an accurate picture of its identity. But it’s nice to see it around, and the gameplay here is the best of any of the releases. Persona 3 is my favorite franchise entry, yet its lack of a definitive version has always been frustrating, with this release now causing those emotions to resurge. Hopefully, it will receive that treatment one day. Yet, for now, it’s at least possible to officially play it on newer platforms.

Monster Hunter Rise on new platforms is ultimately here for those who have held out. It offers much of what the Steam version has with the ease of being playable on consoles. The absence of cross-play and cross-save is a huge missed opportunity, but new fans have much to look forward to in this adventure. This is a must-play entry in this series, now available across all platforms.

Toy Soldiers HD is a competent preservation of a classic Xbox Live Arcade Game. Even with an HD coat of paint, this release feels far less memorable than the game we saw over a decade ago. The single-player has plenty of content enhanced by a uniquely charming presentation and art style. Still, the tower defense gameplay can only stay fresh for so long before it runs thin. There’s hardly going to be an active online community for this one, so unless you’ve found some players to connect with, there won’t be much to keep you hooked.

Drago Noka is a very ambitious game trying to make its own identity in the life simulation genre. Although charming, poor interactions between NPCs and the economy can make players feel directionless. Compounding this problem is the fact that players must discover many facets. There is a lot for players to sink their teeth into with Drago Noka, but a lack of direction could cause most to lose patience before the world opens up.

Sailing Era is a beautiful game where the developers put a lot of thought into its presentation and historical enactment. Still, unfortunately, this title is constantly held back due to its frustrating gameplay loop, combined with a highly awkward machine translation. Unless you have a walkthrough on hand or have an immense amount of patience to fight your way through sheer trial and error, by the twelfth time you reset your save, you probably would’ve wanted to set aside time and play something else at that point.

If you’re new to roguelikes, Lone Ruin’s brevity and simplicity might make it worth a look; if the price is right for you, that is. Unfortunately, its issues with variety and a lackluster arsenal of spells, items, and upgrades hamper the experience. Nevertheless, it tried its best to strike that balance of elements, and I think it’s a commendable effort from a small dev team. To me, though, this doesn’t excel or evolve the roguelike formula in any unique or engaging way and, overall, comes across as a bit hollow and unremarkable.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an excellent experience. It's challenging yet rewarding, and the core gameplay and solid design fundamentals make it an absolute blast to play. This ninja action platformer takes one of gaming's most legendary action sub-genres and makes it relevant again for 2023.

One Piece Odyssey is ultimately a story of friendship, a central theme of the series shown through the eyes of a new character to pass judgment and to understand why the bonds of this crew are so strong. While this adventure might retell past quests, there are enough subtle changes to spark some real emotion. Still, the low difficulty and reliance on auto-battle will leave hardcore JRPG fans disinteresting. However, the exploration and numerous ways to dump dozens of hours into this experience make this a One Piece adventure for everyone.

The Forest Quartet is a gorgeously emotive game, one that explores the complex emotion of grief with empathy, nuance, and understanding. This jazz-inspired puzzle game is an experience to be relished, one that will live long in the memory.

Aokana EXTRA2 is an excellent return to Sprite’s work that manages to nail what is impressive about the original game. Not only is it great to see the cast again, but seeing Misaki and Masaya dealing with their inner demons makes for an impressive visual novel. Sprite went all out for this fandisc and made it a must-play.

Children of Silentown is a grand adventure. The world had me in a constant state of suspense, and the characters constantly surprised me. Even with the occasional logic issues found in certain puzzles that lost me, I found fun in the overall design. The characters and locations were charming and memorable, despite the eerie nature of the art style. Children of Silentown is well worth your time if you are a fan of Adventure games.

If Adventure Academia had understood the assignment, the story would have been a little more exciting, and the systems wouldn’t be so disjointed.

At the very least, the remastered add-ons contribute toward newer players learning the ins and outs at their own pace. With this launch, I sincerely hope the rest of the older Valkyrie Profile games make their way to modern platforms with similar treatment, too, as this is a criminally underrated series.

From visual dynamics alone, Kukoos has a very promising appeal, especially to those for a younger audience. With a wacky storyline and eye-catching environments, it would fit decently into the 3D platformer genre. But the opening for that spot diminishes greatly, given all the technical issues in the gameplay and the plot progression. With aggravating limitations and a lack of polish, I can’t imagine Kukoos to be a platformer that would stick in anyone’s mind. 

Sadly, it’s tough to feel connected to the characters, but if you’re hungry for an action-filled survival horror experience, The Callisto Protocol has just what you need.

Even with the flaws in the design, and a few objects popping in on occasion, Wavetale was an absolute joy to play. From the charming graphics and characters to the amazing freedom of movement, the adventure Sigrid and the Shadow go on to discover the truth of their home is one I’m happy I got to experience.

The Witcher 3 is commonly cited as one of the best video games ever made. While I would never have called it “perfect,” it was always close. This final release brings it even closer.

Melatonin feels like a gorgeous love letter to long-time fans of the Rhythm Heaven series. Despite it being rather brief, the fact that every rhythm game has its own Hard Mode with a more challenging set, alongside the ability to create your own beatmaps, checks all of the boxes. If you’re looking to chill out and unwind from the sensory overload that some of its contemporaries have, Melatonin’s pastel colors beautifully represent relatable daily life and manage to form a great relaxing package that truly deserves noteworthy attention.

High on Life knows what it wants to be and delivers that experience to players who likely want the same thing. The level of humor and writing is on another level. Still, you’ll want to pace yourself, if only not to grow tired of the waves of enemies you’ll encounter, which is thankfully broken up with platforming sections and standout interactions. The phrase, “Made by gamers, for gamers,” has never rung truer than when describing High on Life.

It only took ten years, but now, we finally have the first official English TYPE-MOON visual novel in our hands. And it’s absolutely stunning. With some fantastic characters, brilliant writing, and the best visual novel presentation I have ever seen, Witch on the Holy Night is a must-read for anyone interested in the visual novel medium. Maybe they’ll get to Fate/Stay Night next time. But it won’t look as good as this.

Samurai Maiden is an action title boasting conceptually sound ideas that grievously fall flat due to poor optimization, rigid movement, unnecessarily high enemy numbers, and artificial difficulty by extension. The replayability offered by greater difficulty modes is rendered moot. Granted, exploring the stages for collectibles and platforming can be enjoyable. The cast is pleasing to see converse and bond, too. Still, the lacking narrative and gameplay-related drawbacks significantly hamper the experience. At one point in development, there was a promising time to be had here, but it’s been mired by severe faults.

Dragon Quest Treasures is a fun time with plenty of adventuring to be had. Its charming writing expected of the series, and the endearing cast creates a distinct, inviting ambiance, even if the story isn’t exactly compelling. Of course, there are plenty of tasks to complete and items to find to keep busy as well.

Chained Echoes is a wildly ambitious and impressive turn-based RPG that, aside from minor faults, sticks the landing on all fronts. From its terrific and constantly thought-provoking battle system with well-implemented challenge, to its strongly written cast and masterclass worldbuilding, this is an essential must-play for any fan of the genre that I sincerely hope doesn’t pass anyone’s radar.

Overall, despite its sudden difficulty spikes at specific points in the story or when fighting bosses, The Knight Witch is a great way to burn off some hours when you aren’t busy and for fans of on-rail arcade shooters. It’s fun to challenge yourself as you dodge bullets that the Golems and bosses fire as you attempt to take them down.

Need for Speed Unbound is a game that favors glamor and style over substance. It’s an absolute visual and aural treat. Don’t get me wrong, the art direction is phenomenal, especially with the combination of unique cel-shaded effects and photo-realistic graphics. I mean, they even got A$AP Rocky to feature. I keep wanting to push the pedal to the metal and thoroughly enjoy what the game has to offer, but the endless bloat and grind to get there is beyond disheartening and frustrating. Criterion has promised free content updates in the future, so here’s to hoping it satisfies the needs of the Need for Speed community. But what Unbound has to offer at this moment is a high price tag, a cliche narrative, and an average racing experience.

At the beginning of this review, I was trying not to compare this game to Dodgeball Academia. It takes a long time to develop an indie game, and I have little evidence that the two have anything to do with each other. But it’s hard not to look at these two games next to each other and see that the things I really adored about one are mostly absent from the other. There’s definitely an enjoyable experience to be had with Soccer Story, but you’ll need to have a high tolerance for jank to find enjoyment in it.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a brilliant example of what a Remaster should be. It's the same game I remember, but the updated graphics, controls, and combat make it so much more. You might feel fatigued with the respective mission structure, but there's so much for new and old fans to enjoy in this release, and I'm happy that it received the level of attention it deserves. This is a must-play game for any who truly wishes to understand the incredible narrative of Final Fantasy VII and what makes it so great.

Finding Paradise is a worthy successor to To The Moon, which re-explores the themes of death and regrets in a new light, in an easy-to-understand way. This Switch re-release offers players the chance to play the game in the most visually impressive way it’s ever been and brings it to a broader audience. When I wasn’t interrupted by strange interactables, I was immersed in its grippy and mysterious narrative. Now all I have to do is wait for Imposter Factory. They made a third one of these! I need to play it!

Being such a short and simple experience, if the ending of a one-sitting game is bad, it inevitably taints the whole experience – and I would say that Goodbye World‘s pointlessly cruel and mocking ending goes several steps further than that. Rather than coming to the end of a thematic roller coaster, I was left feeling like I’d been casually thrown off of a cliff.

Renai X Royale is another enjoyable visual novel from ASa Project and NekoNyan. It’s a great example of comedy, landing its jokes from start to finish. While its over-the-top nature makes the romantic and more nuanced side of the story feel a little lacking, this is an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

A list of boxes was checked, but the soul here is missing, and players will most likely pick up on that and stay away. This franchise has long been neglected by its owner, and while a trilogy of remakes ought to be a sign that Square wants to reignite interest in Front Mission, 1st is, unfortunately, the exact opposite. You wanted Front Mission; here it is, now go away.