With an expansive story and unique presentation bringing everything beloved from the prior Opus entries, Opus: Echo of Starsong is by far the franchise’s best outing. We get some standout narrative and interactive segments by taking what worked before and improving the design and presentation. The random elements and item management require more hands-on from the player, but the result is a gorgeous and low barrier of entry adventure through space.

Necrobarista: Final Pour is a compelling and, I don’t use this lightly, thought-provoking tale about dealing with what comes after, told in a unique way with a cast of incredibly relatable characters. It’s like hanging out with a group of friends at a coffee shop and considering the state of things as this review is being written. So you might just need that.

Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 1 is a brilliant idea in concept. Nippon Ichi has a large library of games that deserve to be readily available to modern players. However, they need to take the advancements found in recent remasters and apply those options to these titles. Phantom Brave is a lengthy and beautiful JRPG with its remastered assets, but Soul Nomad & the World Eaters really doesn’t compare, and it shows from the second you boot of the game.

Axiom Verge 2 is a great game with undeniable flaws. The combat lacks focus regardless of what kind of player you are. Still, exploration manages to be enjoyable and engaging. This game is catered for Metroid fans. Anybody else might have a difficult time embracing its charm. At the end of the day, though, Axiom Verge 2 is a delightful time, deserving notable acclaim and overall success.

No More Heroes 3 is composed of a fantastic combat system with stylish visual flair but, on a narrative level, falls flat in every way compared to its predecessors. However, you weren’t really coming into No More Heroes 3 for the story, were you? This is why after completing the adventure, I simply booted it up to play again. I guess the fights are just that good.

Mega Man X DiVE is a passable experience, but I would definitely not recommend it to anyone, even hardcore Mega Man fans. The title is just too bland, and you’ll probably run out of things to do really quickly. The story is also pretty meh at best as it doesn’t really add anything to the beloved series. Overall, the game can excel, but it is mediocre due to its faults.

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is certainly a beautiful game. From its vibrant and chill atmosphere to the gameplay, I enjoyed every moment of it, which left me surprised by its short runtime. The music across all six chapters and the engaging story that sits behind every puzzle flow naturally together providing a seamless experience. For a laidback and whimsical game, Behind the Frame can bring out the artist in all of us.

Tsugunohi is not one of the most terrifying Japanese horror games of all time as it claims to be, not even remotely close. I’m certain the honor is just as made up as the urban legends. The basic jump-scare structure is identical across the nine chapters, so once you’ve tried one you’ve basically seen it all. There’s no real meaning or substance here, and real horror is when the anticipatory fear transforms into sheer boredom.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is extremely fun to play once through with your friends, but when you’re expected to play the same stages multiple times, the gameplay wains on the player. It becomes more tedious than anything because the stages themselves just aren’t that interesting. Playing higher difficulties provides more challenge to your crew, but it gets repetitive. You’re expected to want to do this for more gun customization, but that’s barely interesting. Regardless, I have to admit, shooting down waves of aliens with friends sure is entertaining.

Hoa doesn’t want to be a challenging, head-scratching puzzle adventure, and that’s okay. What it provides a gorgeously designed experience with a brilliantly executed soundtrack. The gameplay never hinders the player’s progression through this beautiful world made even more immersive due to its beautiful sound design. It’s easy to lose yourself in moments of gameplay as everything comes together for a wholesome experience.

Twelve Minutes is an engrossing adventure that is more about the journey than the destination. It’s not the most thrilling or thought-provoking story out there, but it still satiates that mystery craving. The star-studded casting elevates the atmosphere, and the involvement of the player is a unique way to take on the classic point-and-click genre. Though you’ll have to suffer through lengthy moments of tedium and irritation, there’s a lot to unpack and discover in this intriguing tale.

Lamentum is equal parts frightening and enticing, serving up a scintillating world filled with Lovecraftian horrors and remnants of old school Resident Evil and Silent Hill. It is a must-play for any fans of the genre looking for challenging gameplay, deep mythos, and an alluring narrative.

Lamentum is equal parts frightening and enticing, serving up a scintillating world filled with Lovecraftian horrors and remnants of old school Resident Evil and Silent Hill. It is a must-play for any fans of the genre looking for challenging gameplay, deep mythos, and an alluring narrative.

Tormented Souls knows what it wants to be during each moment of gameplay, and that’s shown in its puzzles and deadly enemies. The developers prove they are fans of the genre as the game feels like it was created to even test their skills. The lack of direction works for what they are going for, but some elements just feel like they unnecessarily pad on the game’s runtime. Still, this game is gorgeous with genuine moments of survival horror. Caroline has what it takes to become a recognizable face in this beloved genre.

The story is filled with emotional and meaningful moments, even if they interrupt the pace a fair bit. While the combat and world design can get repetitive, there are plenty of cool moments in terms of boss encounters and learning new abilities. So if you’re after a comfortably paced and unique Zelda-style adventure, then Arietta of Spirits certainly won’t disappoint.

Garden Story isn’t necessarily about what you do, since you mostly take on simple and tedious tasks. Instead, the game is about the people you meet along the way, the lives you touch, the connections you make, and ultimately not forgetting about your roots, no plum intended. It has honestly been a while since I’ve been emotionally moved by a game this sweet, especially one paired with a beautiful soundtrack. If you are looking for a cozy world-building game with some combat and a whole lot of charm and whimsy, then The Grove welcomes you like a home away from home. Concord, you’re truly one-in-a-melon, and you did a grape job raisin me!

Madden NFL 22 is meant to deliver a simulated and engaging experience to fans of football. Its animations are great, and you’ll likely only gravitate to one mode that you prefer over the others, but it all acts as a way for fans to connect, and sometimes a rare glitch won’t impact that. There’s a lot of demand for some growth of the series, and this game has a long way to go, it seems, but seeing my dad pick up a gaming controller for the first time in years and can’t be overlooked.

Yuoni doesn’t break new grounds in the first-person horror genre, but it offers an interesting premise of folklore that will definitely have you engaged for its short runtime. Its sound design is at the forefront of its jump scares, which is the crux of the most heart-racing moments. Still, repetitive level design, confusing direction, and limited exploration elements dampen the overall experience.

Looks aren’t everything. And unfortunately, Recompile is a prime example of that sentiment. The potential was there to make a joyful experience, one where you would look forward to trying out the various biomes and tackling the challenges in each of them. The narrative and design lured me in, as the plot choices and stylish flair of the Mainframe was engrossing. But, unfortunately, most of the actual gameplay took me right out of the experience and made it a disappointing endeavor.

Swords & Souls: Neverseen has a constant stream of humour, looks fantastic and is a breezy ten hours or so of thoroughly entertaining action.

I know I’m coming off as overly pessimistic, and I apologize for that, but Zengeon fails when executed in almost every possible way. The variety of playable characters is neat, and the co-op feature is nice, but I can’t see myself recommending this. After playing, players will swiftly notice the inept synergy between the combat mechanics alongside the mangled performance and atrocious enemy frequency. There are plenty of other roguelikes out there, and I promise that any one of those is likely better worth your time than Zengeon.

Slobbish Dragon Princess Love + Plus won’t change your mind about the series one way or the other, but it does well at providing quick and cute outings with these characters. It also establishes a nice support system for Takeru as his friends become closer and more understanding of their unique situation. It’s low-impact for sure, but if you couldn’t get enough of this slobbish dragon, well, here you go.

Conclusively, while I certainly enjoyed my time with Boyfriend Dungeon, the sudden end to its narrative and the half-empty world map left me feeling like I had just finished an Early Access game rather than a full experience. I don’t generally have an issue with brevity in games, but the end to this one just left me craving more because I loved the cast, the representation, and the addictive leveling system. I definitely recommend this title to those who want to dip their toes in the water of dating sims, but a lack of challenge and a rather shallow conclusion end up holding it back from being a must-play experience.

Greak: Memories of Azure has a gorgeous presentation and world to discover, but the added features, although unique, require a specific type of adventure fan to enjoy. Things just become overly confusing, and my muscle memory never seemed to adapt to the constant demand for accessing the menu and switching between characters. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great game, but some elements are largely unnecessary.

IdolDays is yet another entry in this series, and it doesn’t try to be anything else. Maybe I’m just getting used to them, but I enjoyed the ups and downs this story presented, along with the goal of overcoming the hand you were dealt in life and facing your fears. It’s just a low impact, short romance, and nothing more.

The randomizing order of narrative sections mixed with the more traditional choice-based elements of Road 96 made for a compelling experience. Adding in wacky but ultimately human characters really fleshed out the world of Petria and gave some moral dilemmas weight. The occasional mini-games were also enjoyable to break up the dialogue. If you are looking for a narrative adventure that deviates a bit off the normal path, Road 96 is definitely a trip you should consider embarking on.

Christmas Tina: The Ephemeral Views of Winter is a fantastic adventure that makes the most of the visual novel medium to tell a compelling narrative about some fascinating characters. It’s an introspective story where our duo will need to confront themselves if they want a chance at confronting each other. It made me cry, it made me laugh, and it made me want to listen to Michael Jackson songs for some reason. If there’s any visual novel I absolutely want to reread from this year when I get the chance, this is on the top of the list.

Chihiro Himukai Always Walks Away is an exploration of the fuzzy lines between friendship, romance, and sexual attraction — not making any sweeping, universal statements about the subject, but focusing on a single couple, how they’re able to communicate through sex, and the ways they define their relationship. It’s a sweet, low-conflict love story that should leave you with a warm, comfortable feeling.