Eiyu*Senki Gold – A New Conquest is a charming eroge with an abundance of attractive women to keep players entertained for hours on end. The strategic elements of the title may be an initial turn off to those wanting a more traditional visual novel adventure, but its lite and approachable nature rarely made its inclusion feel bothersome; in fact, it allows it to stand out in the sea of eroge thanks to these more notably unique elements of progression, even if they do not require much mechanical introspection or forethought for necessary advancement.

Fallen Legion Revenants is full of fun, engaging combat, an interesting premise, and entertaining dialogue. However, the poor pacing between combat and narrative creates a disconnect that makes the experience monotonous at several points. This is by no means an irredeemable title. However, it is definitely preferable for players who do not seek to experience a continually engaging narrative and just desire enjoyable strategic combat. When it comes down to it, Fallen Legion Revenants does nothing especially egregious. It just fails to live up to the potential its opening preambles and premise set.

Turrican Flashback is a retro gamer or wannabe retro gamer’s dream. A re-release of classic titles with some ways to even the challenging playing field makes this a go-to title for anyone who’s actually played games on the Commodore 64 or someone who would like to get a taste of some stylish games from the very early ’90s without being bombarded in strange mechanics or dodgy translations.

I don’t think anyone expected Persona 5 Strikers to be as fleshed out as it is. There's a massive full game here with well over 50 hours of content for you to experience. Further, it's a way to reunite with a cast that you’ve probably already spent just as long with, if not more. The action-RPG systems make for a surprisingly fun and addictive gameloop that isn't overshadowed by the mainline entries and it still offers enough unique elements to differentiate it from other Musou titles.

Little Nightmares II is easily going to be one of the best games of 2021. Its horror themes weigh on the player throughout the entirety of the adventure to a climax that will leave you breathless. Pacing through the various puzzles creates a nice balance of linear game design and subtle exploration. It's a game that anyone can get through if they can stand to be scared a little, but the trial-and-error approach makes it an easy recommendation to gamers of all skill levels.

Getting through Kowloon High-School Chronicle will make you feel like a true adventurer. It’s not user friendly at all, though, and you’ll be stumbling on the controls hours into playing. Still, similar to the relics you discover in-game, this adventure is a product of its time and really fun to play. I think it holds up in many ways in terms of illustration, character interaction, and unique puzzles that make it a must place for western fans of the genre.

Gal Gun Returns is good for fans of the series to experience where it all began. The extra modes, refined gameplay elements, and voiced audio make it a welcomed remaster release. However, the dated design may have you more interested in playing the other entries or wishing for a completely new title in the series. Those who invest in unlocking everything across multiple playthroughs are in for a crazy experience but don’t expect to get into euphoria after just one round.

Slobbish Dragon Princess’s narrative is all over the place and exceptionally hard to follow. The relationships are silly and meaningless, just like the main protagonist. Still, some quality CGs and character illustrations make up the visual novel’s finer points, and sometimes a cute dragon girl is all you need.

Nioh 2 on PC is the same great and challenging experience. It’s packed with content that spans a lengthy timeline of nightmares making this release a must for anyone who held out on the PS4 version or who can’t get enough. The graphical options only make a great game better, but even after 120 hours, I still don’t understand anything about this plot.

At its core, Blue Fire is a title that boasts magnificent exploration and platforming majesty. It demands strict attention and skillful maneuvers from players to get the most out of this experience as possible. While combat can become vexatious alongside the present technical issues, this is still an extraordinary title that any adventure genre aficionado should check out.

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.

As it stands, Guilty Parade is an auspicious beginning to a series with an engaging cast of characters to befriend, a mysterious and intriguing setting, and beautiful artwork that helps bring everything to life. Fans of stylized visual novels with a quirky cast and gameplay, such as 999 and Danganronpa, should definitely check it out.

Habroxia 2 is a really entertaining shmup that presents itself in an accessible way for more casual gamers or those newer to the genre. Unfortunately, at times Habroxia 2 feels like it reuses too many enemies from its predecessor and is also a bit on the short side. Still, I really enjoyed my time blasting away enemies in space, especially with the game’s fun and response controls and upgrades. If you’re interested in some shmup action that isn’t overly demanding, Habroxia 2 may be the experience for you.

Heaven’s Vault is one of those extraordinary adventure games that will likely become more legendary in time. Much like the ancient Empire that players must uncover in the game, Heaven’s Vault is rife with intricate details where players are likely to notice something new each time they revisit the immense nebula. While not all of its gameplay ideas are effective, and Aliya as a protagonist can take a while to become likable, the adventure as a whole is staggeringly epic, one that makes you feel like a providential participant in a dynamically evolving narrative.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is some of the most fun I have had within the action-JRPG genre, period. The adventure includes everything you could ask from the series, with the addition of an addicting gameloop, well-written character-driven narrative, a stellar soundtrack, and great controls. This is not a title to be slept on. Any fans of JRPGs worth their salt should give this adventure a shot, regardless if they have experience with the Ys series. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a masterpiece that only seems to stumble when balancing its level of difficulty.

While the technical issues left me with a bad final impression, I’d still recommend Melancholy Love as a competent visual novel. The progression of Qianxun and Mianxue’s relationship from antagonism to affection is sweet and relatable, and the Chinese setting and voice acting are underrepresented in English translated visual novels. The all-girls private school setting might be overdone in the yuri genre, but sometimes tropes are classic because they just work.

Marchen Forest does whatever it wants in terms of gameplay systems and storytelling. There are surprises around every corner along with consistently evolving systems to make the experience even zanier. Its haphazard design doesn’t always work, and repetitive battles do weigh on the enjoyment, but if you’re in the mood for an adventure that can’t be put in a box, then you’ll have fun playing this.

Olija is a game that thrives in its Asian fantasy atmosphere and well-realized gameplay. The story and soundtrack are artistic and evoke special moods, while the combat and exploration are a neat and interesting package. The journey is short and sweet and only held back by a few stumbles in its narrative delivery.

To enjoy Sword of the Necromancer requires you to be invested in the narrative, but to do that, you’ll have to get through gameplay that lacks many refinements that a roguelike needs. The system of bringing monsters back alive to fight for you is limited because you have to manage only four slots of items, which often shadows the game’s most unique systems. As charming as this game looks, it doesn’t ever become a challenging adventure or an interesting experience.

The Yakuza Remastered Collection on PC comes off as a gift to PC players looking to continue their Yakuza experience on the platform. It doesn’t contain any enhancements compared to the console release aside from a few added options, but it is still a damn good time. It may not be worth double-dipping, but rest assured, if this is your first time with this collection, then you’re getting the very best it has to offer.

Disjunction is a tough but speedy stealth adventure that kept me thoroughly engaged. Character’s abilities, narrative choices, and more strategic elements really give players some interesting variety and options on how to approach gameplay. There are some questionable control choices, but nothing that will hinder the experience. For those looking for a sneaky cybernetic stealth-adventure, Disjunction shouldn’t go unnoticed.

The Medium provides the best classic survival horror experience through modern gameplay systems that I have played in quite some time. It does this all without relying on action and gore but instead builds its excellence through atmosphere, environments, and narrative. There's some refinement that could help the overall experience, but this is a gripping adventure whether you're in reality or the spiritual plane.

TOHU is almost certainly a puzzle adventure that will win you over based on its visual charm alone. Sadly, the game doesn’t really expand on the wonderful world it presents with a matching narrative. Still, the beautiful environments, clever puzzle design, and wonderful soundtrack will hold your attention across this exceptional but short experience.

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy takes everything good about the first entry and expands on it tenfold. There’s a significant focus on exploration in this entry that makes it feel like a real adventure with limited backtracking and more emphasis and discovery. The battle system is amazing and fluid, if only lacking inaccessibility for its more nuanced systems, and the narrative features relatable moments of reuniting with friends for one more adventure. If you enjoyed the first entry, Atelier Ryza 2 does all of that and more, which is all I could have asked for in a sequel.

Redout: Space Assault should have been a different game and not just a port-up of its mobile counterpart. Little went into resigning the UI or adjusting the gameplay experience for more powerful hardware, and the lack of speed makes it a strange fit within the Redout universe. I enjoyed the shmup direction, but auto-fire and short on-rail missions don’t make it even close to a memorable entry of this genre.

Phoenotopia: Awakening is a grand adventure with a heart just as large. It wears its influences on the sleeve, but the team’s passion is consistently visible and unabashed. There are some gameplay hiccups, and balance for newcomers is more on the unfriendly side. Still, it’s no doubt a must-play adventure for any seeking a classic action-adventure game experience.

Cyber Shadow is a beautifully crafted retro action experience complete with formidable enemies and crushing precision platforming. Abilities like the bullet deflect and dash strike provides the classic ninja experience without overloading on reused mechanics. On top of that, the length and replayability options give players a healthy serving of content tosing more time into refining their skills. If you are up for a humblingly difficult but intensely fun 2D side scroller Cyber Shadow just maybe the challenge you’re looking for.

Skul: The Hero Slayer is a great roguelike adventure that ties fast action with a charming narrative. The game understands what makes this genre addicting but doesn’t rely too heavily on influences, which allows it to stand out prominently. If you are hungry for a roguelike, this is a great way to satisfy your cravings.