Metal Unit takes chances on the roguelike genre by making the player feel like an absolute powerhouse. The variety of different items, loadouts, upgrades, and exploration-based stages makes the experience enjoyable for hours. Although it has a nonsensical narrative with a control scheme that does become uncomfortable over time, it offers enough unique features to be a worthy roguelike.

Ikai is a light horror experience providing genuinely qualitative puzzle design. Unfortunately, its presentation is somewhat lacking, and its brief playtime may not be enough to satiate some crowds aside from scant collectibles. Regardless, if you’re yearning for a simple but effective horror title, you could do much worse than Ikai.

Front Mission 2: Remake is, unsurprisingly, a remake of Front Mission 2. If you enjoyed the original, you’ll likely appreciate the remake. However, there isn’t much else to justify this release. The story is intriguing, but even the most dedicated fans of clunky, slow-paced video games may struggle to endure the RNG-heavy combat. This is especially concerning, considering it’s supposed to be the second of three Front Mission remakes. After the quality of the first two, there’s skepticism about whether the remake of Front Mission 3 will retain its essence.

In its early moments, Windbound had my attention, and I was completely ready to discover more about this world. However, after the first chapter, I was left mostly disappointed with the lack of execution the game provides through the systems it introduces. A rather tedious travel system enhanced this feeling. Through its colorful scenery and a heartwarming soundtrack, are some decent experiences to be found, with the help of some fine-tuning. Perhaps in the hands of the more diehard survival game fans, Windbound may catch a breeze, but it never truly set sail for me.

Arrest of a Stone Buddha requires patience from its players; without that, it loses all of its core concepts. Still, getting passed the lengthy in-game day cycles are merely rewarded with shootouts full of cheap deaths and confusing mechanics. It attempts to add a layer of immersion that doesn’t really work as a game since the fundamental interactions with the world aren’t all that interesting...Sure, the soundtrack and art direction capture the depressing atmosphere, but other parts of the game aren’t as effective. There are definitely some good ideas and commendable risks taken here, but sadly they don’t come together to achieve the emotional impact intended.

Mazm: The Phantom Of The Opera is an extremely good adaptation that turns the classic novel into an enjoyable adventure game, and updates it for the modern audience. It faithfully recreates what the original story did well and improves upon what didn’t stick as much. Whether you’ve only heard the name of the story or you’ve seen multiple variations of the tale, you’re sure to get something out of this title, despite the strange lag.

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.

Varlet is a short, stylish JRPG from FuRyu that mixes high school drama with dungeon crawling and light social sim elements. While its character chemistry and boss battles shine, predictable systems and uneven pacing hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Corruption 2029 is a tactical RPG that requires players to take their time during encounters. Meticulous planning and strategy are vital to overcoming enemies, but it’s this speed of gameplay that might deter fans of more in-your-face approaches to combat. Still, the game’s narrative fits the atmosphere for an excellent adventure worth the price of entry.

If you’re a prospective newcomer, I recommend playing the other titles before this one since its cast and depiction of the world are substantially better appreciated with context. Though, you won’t be lost if you choose this as your opening avenue.

Aragami 2 will surely scratch any itch that you’re looking for within the stealth action genre. Laying waste to unsuspecting enemies with your buddies and jumping from rooftop to rooftop provides a certain sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately, however, the other systems can’t keep up with this action, leaving the narrative, AI, and overall game loop to simply exist in hopes the play doesn’t get lost in the shadows.

Galeb, Emem, and Leysha have compelling enough stories to keep players invested despite these problems, even if it is difficult to find your next destination at times, or you find that you have built each of them in the same way. I know this game has the potential to rise above and give fans an exciting vampire narrative.

Despite its flaws, Seven Pirates H is an addictive and fun adventure. Underneath the fanservice exterior is a cute RPG, just don’t go into this expecting anything challenging or remotely intellectually stimulating and you’ll find yourself having fun.

Infliction has some decent moments of storytelling, and the themes that it highlights are impactful. But my interest in those aspects dwindled every time I encountered a glitch or audio cutout. Infliction tends to fall apart shortly after it begins since it's impossible to look past this poor quality.

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.

Hellpoint ends up being for Soulslike fans who are just dying for more experiences within the genre, but if that doesn’t describe you, then you’ll be disappointed. The sci-fi nature of the game and its story offering allows it to find its footing right before it ultimately falls apart from its uninspired gameplay. There’s a decent experience to be found during some late-game plot offerings, but that will require you to be invested past the first boss, which is asking a lot.

Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is a unique, mystical adventure that will scratch the right itches for players who desire an artistic reprieve from the norm of tried and true action games. While the puzzles can become somewhat taxing and repetitious, the wordless story and enchanting world are more than enough reasons for open-minded players to jump in and see what this game is all about.

Summer in Mara is a whimsical adventure that doesn’t require the player to micromanage their days. The balance of exploration, discovery, and farming-sim elements make this a charming way to spend an afternoon. Still, the repetition of it all will make long play sessions dull. While direction and pacing can be confusing, this game is exceptionally approachable to anyone looking for a farming-sim adventure with a low barrier or entry.

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.

The Gex Trilogy will certainly not appeal to your everyday platforming fans, since not only is the protagonist not exactly conventional in his humorous appeal, but the games themselves haven't aged like fine wines, either. Still, those who can take the shortcomings in stride will discover that these titles have an endearing sense of honesty encompassing their level designs that you can't help but appreciate in retrospect.

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 are definitely good ideas here that could be polished even further into a phenomenal game, but the state of it now doesn’t make me care about the island or the people who live in it. Instead, they feel like window dressing for a single mini-game that gets dull after a few hours in.

With a wave of retro-inspired games released, it seems only fitting that an actual retro game finally gets some needed attention after all these years. Ultracore is like a time capsule of what made this genre so fun and addicting, however, the platforming mechanics didn’t age as well as the shooting action. Still, it’s clear from the first moments that this release was a labor of love and I am glad to have finally had the opportunity to play it.

Arcadian Atlas is a brilliant love letter to the SRPG greats. While its inspirations are easy to spot, the narrative immerses players in this world across a story of love, honor, and loss. Every system lends to the depth of combat that evolves across the entire campaign. The result is an experience unrivaled in this space, where players are challenged during battles, but their emotional attachment to these characters keeps them pushing forward. Some quality-of-life updates are needed to fine-tune the menu navigation, but the wait for this release was genuinely worth it.

Kao The Kangaroo is platformer comfort food, not boasting any exceptional traits but still managing to be a genuinely enjoyable time for crowds desiring a simple, low-stakes experience. The engaging puzzles and varying aesthetics aid in keeping the stages somewhat diverse in execution, though the superficiality of the powerups and combat needlessly pads out these areas. Moreover, the subpar voice acting and lackadaisical narrative don’t ruin the package, though they’re certainly aspects players won’t be clamoring for more of as they progress. Regardless, it’s a fun time if you’re yearning to punch stuff as a kangaroo.

There’s a lot packed in Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, but it will take someone willing to play through the 5-hour opening to discover it. However, the original story and challenging survival gameplay elements of Deep in Abyss will have you invested in your quest to be a White Whistle for hours. This is definitely a step in the right direction for game adaptations of anime, as the quality of the systems and added dub options make it a must-play for fans.

Spy x Anya: Operation Memories is a charming and engaging family game that captures the heartwarming spirit of the beloved anime series. With its photo-based gameplay, fans can enjoy adorable scenes and interactions with the Forger family, making it a delightful experience for gamers of all ages.

Dokapon Kingdom: Connect remains a friend-ruining RPG board game experience that mirrors its PS2 counterpart. The unique mini-games and systems return to bring this unconventional party game to modern players. Playing with friends is still fun over a decade later, and the online options make it even more accessible. Still, its nuanced systems and limited new gameplay features may make it more of a novelty than a game with significant staying power.