Tales of Luminaria would have benefited from a beta period where the development team could have heard and addressed concerns before launch, but they seem to be listening. The bigger issue is that you only get one first impression, and while the scope of this project for its platform is notably impressive, it’s just not much to write home about right now. Tales of Luminaria will be getting weekly episode updates, which is sorely needed because of the lack of launch content. Ultimately, it needs more polish and genuine care to shine as best as it can.

Bright Memory: Infinite is the product of a developer who wasn't satisfied putting out a game that he knew he could improve. So, instead of moving on, we get this over-the-top and insanely beautiful FPS adventure that is fun from beginning to end. Absolutely none of it makes sense, but who cares when I just launched an ancient sword-wielding statue dude in the air and cut him into pieces. Sign me up for the next adventure with Shelia.

Blue Reflection Second Light is a powerful story of a group of magical girls stuck in a world where males just don’t exist. While they explore their past, bonds are created to deliver fun and energic moments of storytelling made grander by emotional story beats. The action-focused battle system is fast and addictive, and exploration is straightforward without weighing the experience. It’s a low barrier of entry JRPG with plenty of charm to warrant a playthrough.

Super Robot Wars 30 is a wonderful place to start in this series due to its ease of accessibility and commendable encyclopedia of terms and characters. It’s an approachable SRPG no matter your skill level but shows age in its menu design and limited tutorials. Still, it managed to rope me in for hours of enjoyment as I survived off this mecha feast for days. So, here’s to another 30 years of Super Robot Wars.

Insomnis sets the atmosphere right in terms of tense audio and cleverly inserted environmental elements but ultimately fails to deliver a genuine horror experience. Aside from a few stereotypical jump scares for the scripted surprise factor, there’s absolutely nothing going for this game as a horror title.

Where Cards Fall is full of surprises as it has the presentation of a simplistic puzzle game but offers so much more in terms of story beats, beautifully crafted environments, and unique puzzle mechanics. This labor of love has become a memorable gaming experience to me that doesn’t push metaphorical ideals onto the player to figure out during table discussions. Instead, we have an emotional adventure following a character’s life that you don’t have to relate to to feel connected to their journey.

Riders Republic is a step in the right direction for open-world games. It fills the void for extreme sports games in an industry mostly filled with narrative or combat-driven projects. From the sprawling mountains of Bryce Canyon to the luscious forests of Yosemite, there’s always something beautiful to see and exciting to do. Ubisoft crafted a brilliant social, digital atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re actually participating in the Rider’s Ridge Invitational. See you on the slopes, kid.

Even without strong narrative backing, Shin Megami Tensei V delivers a compelling experience for the entire 60+ hour journey. The game smartly provides the player with core features the series is known for, alongside excelling in its fantastic environments, combat mechanics, and immaculate soundtrack. Shin Megami Tensei V is a natural evolution of this series and a must-play RPG.

Demon Turf has a lot to offer in its platforming design that challenges the player at every corner. It’s a shame that it becomes repetitive upon multiple visits, but the charm of these characters adds loads to the overall experience. It’s a platformer, not much more, but it doesn’t need to be because it’s got attitude, so hail to the Demon Queen, baby.

As you search for Charlotte May, you start to learn what kind of neighborhood Dahlia View really is. There are hidden truths lying everywhere in this community. Unfortunately, despite a proven premise, a pretty presentation, and a promising protagonist, there was no substance to fully immerse me in the narrative of Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View. The plot was predictable, the slow pacing was punishing, and the lack of music made it difficult to trudge through.

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is a must-play Metroidvania that boasts an enjoyable gameplay loop of continual discovery, well-designed enemies, and a charming presentation. If you haven’t managed to play this version via its other release platforms, this is an opportune time to do so. You can’t ever go wrong with Shantae, and hopefully, many more gamers come to appreciate the infectiously exuberant splendor that this game radiates.

Unpacking has a simple presentation with some thought-provoking moments for players who are willing to immerse themselves in the experience. The story is straightforward, yet the method by which the player engages with it is so novel that it feels grander than it truly is. It’s a shame the abrupt ending left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. However, for a title designed to be played in one sitting, it manages to pack many different emotions into its short runtime, and utilize its medium so creatively that it has become one of my favorite games of the year.

HaremKingdom has some of the best comedic writing of any moege available. It takes familiar tropes and presents them in a hysterical way that only a group of writers who truly understand their audience can produce. The loser protagonist angle does hurt this experience, but this is undoubtedly the ultimate fanservice for those who need the legendary harem route to be the entire game.

Tunche has some performance issues, but it more than makes up for it with its presentation. The combat is thoroughly enjoyable and complex. The visual style and animations are a complete joy, and the rogue-lite elements are incredibly generous and motivating for players to continue run after run. Tunche provides an entraining and, at times, addicting beat ’em up experience, and that’s all I could have asked for.

Cotton 100% undoubtedly has some interesting charms and cool boss battles, but there isn’t much to it as a classic shooter. This 2021 release does the absolute bare minimum to preserve this oddity from the ’90s. If you need to try one game from the franchise, you might as well pick up the Saturn Tribute release of Cotton 2. As for this curious SNES shooter, it’s not among the games you need to play before you die.

In broad strokes, the story of Subway Midnight feels like a metaphor for dealing with trauma. However, despite how much I enjoyed the artwork and environments, the vagueness left me without much to hold onto after it was finished. Players who do tend to project onto blank slate characters, though, will likely find Subway Midnight a more profound, more emotional experience, so I’d recommend the title to that crowd.

Panorama Cotton isn’t a fun game, and what may have once been a technical showpiece for the Sega Genesis simply has no relevance today. This probably isn’t something you want to play; regardless of the cute character sprites, enjoyment takes a dive moments into the experience. You’re better off playing Space Harrier.

Aside from its highly brief playtime and minor use of fetch quests, The Legend of Tianding is an excellent beat’em up action platformer that touches upon a cultural figure that has been mostly forgotten. The polished and fleshed-out combat, along with the brilliant art design and Taiwanese voice-acted dialogue, makes this a thrilling historical adventure with a strong foundation for what can be an anthology of forgotten ethnic heroes.

Abaddon: Princess of the Decay can be a frustrating experience if you’re not looking for a challenging RPG for your next romp into the eroge horror genre. However, it’s an interesting experience that I can’t say I’ve had in a while. The game manages to provide moments of tension and real stakes for these characters but requires a lot of player investment to see see the nightmares it has to share.

Black Widow: Recharged is a welcome return of an Atari classic that kind of got lost in time. The original game was already an addictive and sublime twin-stick shooter, to begin with, and the visual and gameplay facelift in this release turns it up several notches. You can’t go wrong here, especially if you’re after an excellent shooter with great controls. The techno style and various challenges add to the replay value, and there’s always the appeal to burn a few minutes in arcade mode, especially if you’re going to have a place on the leaderboards. If you’re a fan of old-school gaming or have been picking up these Atari remakes anyway, then Black Widow: Recharged is a no-brainer as arguably the best release in the series yet.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars provides a gratifying experience with a distinct presentation, delightful soundtrack, and remarkable storytelling stellarly utilizing its tabletop context. Even when accounting for its lack of challenge and questionable character focus, it still manages to be a welcoming turn-based RPG any intrigued party can dive into without fear of obstruction.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi might be the best dungeon-crawling RPG from Experience yet. It takes sound genre fundamentals to perfection and then implements novel concepts that add further depth to the gameplay variety and design. To help matters, there are numerous quality-of-life features to welcome modern RPG fans into the fold. Granted, it does look dated from a presentation standpoint, and it demands a great deal of grind and backtracking, but this is proof of how this genre can still evolve with modern systems.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a genuinely unique horror game with all the fixings for a campy and spooky gameplay experience. Like any horror movie, you'll be asking, "Why are you going in there!?" but it's all part of the show. The remastered efforts shine, even if the narrative isn't winning any awards. If anything, this game teaches you that only good-looking people can be ghost hunters.

There was a lot of love put into crafting this Lovecraftian visual novel. I felt the need to keep reading, wondering just what supernatural influence was affecting the city this time. The exceptional writing brings out the geek in me that I never knew I had when it comes to this kind of mythology. The dark and gritty atmosphere, combined with the pleasing visuals and soundtrack, engrossed me into the bizarre life of this bookstore owner. He can’t leave Hermitage, and I didn’t want to either.

Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is a delightful crossover boasting an engaging narrative, heartwarming character interactions, and a steller localization. With its added mechanics, this is by far the best Neptunia spinoff, but that doesn’t absolve it of tedious and repetitive progression. It’s evident this is a game for the fans of these busty fighters, but we could have used additional characters and modes to heighten the experience.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a damn great, roughly 30-hour experience that anyone can enjoy regardless of their history with any content from Marvel's extensive catalog. While combat can be effortless, it's rarely dull with clear effort poured into every imaginable corner. Character scenes are full of fun moments of dialogue but still manage to feature some emotional story beats enhanced by the cast. Looking past my critiques, I had a joyous time with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and I hope it gets the praise it deserves.

Alan Wake Remastered isn’t a purchase that anybody already owning a copy of the original needs to make in its current state. Still, it is a very welcome release for PlayStation owners who missed it the first time. Apart from the faces, every aspect of the original has aged beautifully in the time since, and its twisty, American-literature-flavored plot still holds up as well. It would have been nice to see some of Control featured here, and the fact that American Nightmare has been left out is disappointing, but if you’ve never experienced this journey for yourself, it’s a perfect time to jump into the cold waters of Cauldron Lake.

Shadow Corridor is for someone who desires a challenging experience while having no attachment to the actual experience. Lacking enemy variety, one-hit death, and hindering systems had me more afraid of the mechanics than the game itself. This horror game requires patience; without it, you can probably sit this nightmare out.