Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook mixes survival, rogue-lite, and strategy RPG in an experimental product that’s just the sort of thing we come to expect from NIS. Unfortunately, the repetitive nature of the level design, the limited crafting systems, and the slow character evolution hinder the experience a little and keep it from shining as the unique, innovative rogue-lite it should have been.

Creature Keeper stands next to the solo-developed indie greats that came before. The synergy of systems that all work seamlessly together across the entire adventure shows an unnatural talent to reel in indie ambitious and focus on what makes this game fun and unique. The narrative rivals other retro adventures that open with an unassuming quest that uncovers so much more about the region and characters, creating a playing experience that I will gush about for years to come. Menu navigation and other quality of life adjustments are needed, but I can’t deny that I was having an amazing time discovering Creature Keeper. Now, time to listen to the soundtrack again.

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.

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.

Despite its flaws, Lust from Beyond is an inspired adventure horror game that utilizes its atmosphere to deliver a unique experience. The world itself is compelling, and the horror is great up until the conclusion. For the price of admission, I would say that this is still worth your time as long as you enjoy the journey more than the destination.

Flying Red Barrel – The Diary of a Little Red Aviator is a fairly average shmup that doesn’t do too much other than let you shoot down endless enemy ships. Outside of its charming presentation and unique boss encounters, there’s not much here to return to after you play through it a few times, even with the multiple endings. Still, if you’re a fan of 100% Orange Juice, then you’ll probably enjoy the change of pace.

Seven Knights: Time Wanderer is a rather straightforward attempt at a JRPG with the inclusion of a unique active battle system. There’s a ton of room to grow here in terms of improved dungeon design, less repetitive encounters, and a more interesting gameloop. Still, the story is rather good, and the character interactions are reason enough to see the adventure through until the end.

WILL: Follow The Light delivers a visually striking and emotionally driven sailing adventure that shines brightest when it embraces the loneliness and danger of the open sea. Its lighthouse routines, weather systems, and immersive boating mechanics create a strong sense of place, while the narrative explores grief, family, and isolation with genuine ambition. However, uneven pacing, awkward controls, and inconsistent storytelling often interrupt the emotional momentum. There is a compelling game hidden beneath the surface, but the journey toward its payoff can feel frustratingly unfocused.

Ashwalkers provides a great first impression through its atmosphere and mechanics, but each playthrough weighs on that experience. The repetitive nature of this adventure simply has you playing until you wear yourself out after so many of the different endings are similar to each other. These 2-hour game loops had me wishing for longer paths or something else because there’s a good foundation here but it’s repetitive nature ultimately leaves the adventure unfulfilling.

Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls is a port, and that’s pretty much where it stands. It doesn’t add anything new to the franchise or to dungeon crawlers in general, but it’s still a decent and entertaining game. The well-balanced RPG systems make this a high starting point for the Wizardry series, which doesn’t get enough attention in the west. The adventure retains its originality from almost ten years ago and opens the possibility of other ports in the future.

The Walking Dead Onslaught is an awesome VR experience that centers around these characters that mean so much to fans of the show. The developer did a great job adapting the narrative of the show with an original story that feels like it could be its own episode. Killing Walkers has never been more fun, and I would happily go on another supply run again, even if it means encountering some random glitches.

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.

The enjoyable moments become dampened by the inane control scheme and inconsistent pacing. It’s unfortunate that there was such a tug-of-war between immersion and complete disengagement. In a way, Daydream is a fitting name, as my moments of joy and peace kept getting interrupted as I popped back to reality, making this experience become a gradually-fading memory.

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.

Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is a great representation of the Empires series with a few modern elements to entice seasoned players. Its strategic systems are addicting, with combat being delightfully simple, instilling the gratifying sense of mayhem the franchise is known for. It’s a moderately enjoyable time-sink, yet it lacks an identity that can make it difficult to recommend to casual series fans who want more out of their experience. At the very least, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires isn’t an erroneous existence like the original Dynasty Warriors 9 since it provides genuine entertainment, even if not sincerely lasting.

Deiland Pocket Planet Edition is a shallow farming sim that provides you with very base-level quests that don’t really amount to anything memorable. The monotony of completing the quests and watching over crops never becomes more complex or challenging, weighing on the adventure’s lasting factor. There’s little here to experience after a few hours of gameplay, but it’s still a charming indie offering that doesn’t grow into the rose that I had hoped for.

Double Dragon Revive attempts to modernize a legendary beat’em up franchise with a story-driven approach and expanded mechanics, but stumbles due to its inconsistent execution. The game features flashy illustrations and an enjoyable combat loop, yet suffers from imbalanced systems and technical roughness that undermine the experience. While fans may appreciate the nostalgic elements and replayable content, the lack of polish makes it hard to recommend over more refined alternatives.

What Happened gives you very little reason to even care about answering that question. The narrative is consistently flimsy as you dive into the mind of an unlikeable protagonist. There are very few moments of redemption with some well-detailed environments and clever transitions, but that is not nearly enough to keep you invested. If the motion sickness doesn’t get you to turn the game off, then the self-deprecating storyline and in-your-face symbolism will cause you to roll your eyes to sleep in no time.

Payday 3 is fun and engaging when it works, but more often than not, it doesn’t. The servers that are constantly down, the overall lack of content, the cut features from Payday 2, and the lazily put-together cutscenes all prevent this from being a title worth experiencing, even for the diehard fans. I have no doubt that Starbreeze will polish this title in time, but for now, it’s an easy skip.

Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai is not an experience I recommend to anyone. Regardless of your familiarity with the series, I can promise you that this is not worth the time. Even fans who love the source material will get nothing positive from this title, as the miserable gameplay loop and surface-level storytelling will do nothing to initiate or enhance anybody’s love for the IP. What is here is more representative of a mobile game’s structure, with a console coating that’s mostly deceitful above all else.

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.

Itorah is a great time for those yearning for a simple action platformer with little to look out for. While it may be an underwhelming Metroidvania venture for those seeking a more intricate experience, it’s endearingly crafted with clear love that permeates from its breathtaking presentation.

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.

Hellboy Web of Wyrd takes a notable step forward into the roguelike genre but fails to find its footing. While it successfully implements its gameplay loop and progression mechanics, it offers only a baseline level of satisfaction as a package. The distinctive comic-style presentation and impressive voice work contribute to the game’s appeal but fall short of igniting a strong desire for replayability. Fans of the Hellboy franchise may find deeper enjoyment due to their attachment to the source material.

Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed is a relatively harmless licensed anime arena fighter. Superfans may enjoy its presentation, but nothing is here to rewards them for their time. The fighting system lacks any real depth of engagement, which boils down to a mindless button-masher until there’s a winner. Like the franchise, for me at least, Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed is just forgettable.

Calamity Angels: Special Delivery is a charming new IP that blends board game inspired dungeon crawling with light JRPG combat. Its underdog story and expressive cast carry the experience, with strong voice performances and comedic writing giving personality to nearly every scene. However, shallow systems, repetitive encounters, and awkward quality of life decisions keep it from reaching its full potential. While the foundation shows promise, especially in its character work and unique structure, the overall package feels like a solid first step rather than a fully realized breakout hit.

Fallen Leaf and Black Drakkar Games have done an exceptional job conjuring up a slow-burn, suspenseful narrative thriller, largely in part due to the impressive visuals and big-name voice cast. You can easily finish Fort Solis in one sitting if you lose track of time, much like a movie, but the high price tag and painfully slow walking speed make me hesitant to recommend it to everyone. But hey, if you’re into high-quality walking simulators, then this might be the next game for you.

Drawn to Life: Two Realms could have been a little more. The concept of making it into a puzzle platformer is interesting, but the challenges can go from a walk in the park to asking for advanced comprehension in an instant. Further, some small quality-of-life issues make progress feel slow and slightly cumbersome. Nonetheless, it can offer a good deal of fun for fans of the genre and people who have been dying to see the characters again.