Life is Strange: Double Exposure revives Max Caulfield’s story, but the introduction of a convoluted dual-timeline mechanic and an uninspiring cast make it a less memorable entry in the series. While Max’s iconic wit shines through environmental interactions, technical bugs and disjointed pacing detract from the experience. Despite some nostalgic moments, this return to Life is Strange’s world struggles to capture the charm that made the original special.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard may have hit a few big stumbles along its path to release, but ultimately manages to deliver an innovative and fully-realized take on the series' world, exploration, and combat. The role-playing aspect has taken a minor hit in the process, but the game still boasts one of the best casts its studio has ever created, an engaging plot, and answers to many long-held questions, in addition to the best battle system in BioWare history.

Super Mario Party Jamboree revives the series' magic with a robust roster, nostalgic boards, and inventive new modes. While minor issues with online play persist, the game’s exciting gameplay and variety make it a must-play for Mario Party enthusiasts. Whether exploring diverse boards or unlocking unique characters, Jamboree offers hours of classic party fun, packed with the right mix of chaos and charm.

Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town brings the mischievous charm of the beloved 5-year-old protagonist to life in a cozy adventure. Faithfully capturing Shin chan's witty personality, the game invites both fans and newcomers to explore a beautifully presented world filled with vibrant cel-shaded graphics and immersive voice acting. While the intriguing storyline and stellar presentation make it feel like stepping into an animated series, the repetitive fetch quests and limited gameplay variety may leave some players wanting more. It's a delightful journey for younger gamers but falls a bit short in delivering the depth expected from the cozy genre.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake revitalizes Koei Tecmo's grand strategy classic with its first-ever simultaneous English and Japanese release. Immerse yourself in the intricate world of the Han Dynasty, where you can assume the role of any character—or even create your own—in a quest to unify China or simply survive the tumultuous era. With deep management systems, stat-based debates and duels, and grid-based combat, this remake masterfully blends historical authenticity with rich role-playing elements.

Yakuza Kiwami makes its unexpected arrival on the Nintendo Switch, bringing the series' compelling origin story to a new audience. This remake offers a fast-paced, thrilling narrative centered around protagonist Kiryu Kazuma, set in the intimate and vibrant city of Kamurocho. With a rich array of side activities and a deep combat system, the game promises an engaging experience. However, performance issues in docked mode and the availability of better versions on other platforms make this port a less than ideal way to experience this classic.

Voidwrought is a dark, atmospheric metroidvania that excels in audio design and exploration. While its gameplay doesn’t break new ground, it offers an accessible experience for newcomers, blending fast-paced combat with intriguing lore and light base-building mechanics.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a masterful remaster that stays true to its roots while offering modern enhancements for a new generation of players. The depth of its strategic combat, generational storytelling, and open-ended exploration make it a standout entry in the JRPG genre. While it has some performance issues, they don’t detract from the overall experience.

Awaken - Astral Blade delivers flashes of promise with its boss battles and combat mechanics but ultimately suffers from repetitive enemies, lackluster exploration, and a weak narrative. While the game has its moments, it fails to reach the heights of other China Hero Project titles.

Fear The Spotlight is a brief, nostalgic love letter to 90s horror games, blending simple stealth and puzzle mechanics. While it doesn't break new ground in the genre, its atmospheric visuals and sound design provide a few hours of engaging fun for fans of retro horror, though it may not offer enough depth to warrant a second playthrough.

Card-en-Ciel is a highly addictive deck-building roguelite from Inti Creates, blending grid-based combat inspired by Mega Man Battle Network with fast-paced dungeon-crawling action. While the story may take a backseat, the dynamic gameplay and rewarding progression systems shine through. With excellent English voice acting and a perfect fit for portable play on the Switch, this underappreciated gem is one of the best gameplay-focused titles of 2024.

Unknown 9: Awakening is the best PS3-era adventure game released in 2024. It has everything I remember from the genre during that time, and it managed to hold my interest until the conclusion. While the story eventually comes together, the pacing getting there is plagued with flimsy character growth and world-building. The character dynamics and relationships are also lacking due to the genuinely emotionless design of this cast, which also affects the pacing. You eventually play for the combat alone, but even that becomes a repetitive mess. I hope to see more from this team because we don’t get enough of these classic adventure games.

Despite its quirky premise, Kamikaze Lassplanes offers a captivating mix of ecchi visual novel storytelling and shmup gameplay. With a solid narrative focus, emotional depth, and replay value through multiple endings, the game is sure to appeal to fans of both genres. The shmup sections are fun and strategic, though not without minor flaws, while the VN aspects surprise with compelling character development. If you're seeking a unique blend of action and story-driven gameplay, this hybrid delivers a satisfying experience.

Despite my moderate level of enjoyment, I’d still hesitate to recommend Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition unless you have a notable affinity with action games from the early to mid-2010s. Its drab and monotonous open world doesn’t do its bland exposition any favors. Nevertheless, the combat, customization, and puzzle design may win over the more patient types. Regarding this boosted port, it doesn’t warrant a replay for the average player by any means, but if you’re a veteran or new fan, there’s enough justification for giving this release a whirl.

The Fox’s Way Home is a decent dance experience. The low-stakes narrative and gameloop remove any tension or frustration you may have with a spot-the-difference game, and the cute fox girl makes it more worthwhile. You’ll know if this is a game for you after a glance, but whether you’re willing to pay full price now or wait for a sale is up to you. There are a few options and modes that I feel were left out that would make the post-game replayability easier to recommend, but as it stands, this game begins and ends too quickly

Disney Pixel RPG offers a unique blend of nostalgic art and Disney charm, drawing inspiration from titles like Kingdom Hearts and Wreck-It Ralph. While its writing and character interactions shine, the game’s biggest drawback is its lack of content at launch, with only three chapters available in story mode. Gacha mechanics and quality-of-life features work well, but the limited scope may leave players wondering what’s next.

It remains to be seen how post-launch updates and community engagement will shape Blazing Strike’s future. The game could evolve into a hidden gem with time and improvement, especially if it manages to build a dedicated player base. For now, unless you’re eager to support an indie developer or are curious about its unique mechanics, there’s little reason to rush into this title. Patience may prove rewarding if the game receives the polish it needs, but at present, it struggles to justify its place among the fighting game ranks.

Neva is a truly breathtakingly beautiful experience, abundant with gorgeous, artistic and symbolic landscapes. It tells a touching, emotional story about parenthood, struggle and fighting for a decaying world. It brought me to tears and is a deeply memorable experience. However, I found myself rubbing up against some issues with hitboxes and readability of the environment, which led to unintentional frustration.

Ys X: Nordics brings Adol Christin's youthful spirit to the forefront, offering a refreshing mix of action-packed combat, deep customization through the Release Line, and expansive exploration. With a gripping narrative and dynamic character relationships, this entry stands as one of the best in the series. While the sea navigation takes time to open up, the ship battles and adventuring more than make up for it. Ys X: Nordics will appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Kind Words 2 by Popcannibal expands upon the original game's concept of spreading kindness through writing. With a new city to explore, players can connect with others in various ways, from sending letters and paper airplanes to engaging in poetry slams and word chains. The game fosters a generous community atmosphere, encouraging players to uplift one another through simple yet impactful interactions.

Europa offers a heartfelt adventure set on a forgotten utopia, where players control Zee, an android seeking answers on Jupiter’s terraformed moon. With intuitive jetpack-fueled platforming and an atmospheric narrative conveyed through diary entries, Europa excels in tone and immersion. While some may find its short three-hour playtime a drawback, the beautifully designed environments and engaging mechanics make it a memorable journey. For those looking for a brief but impactful gaming experience, Europa is worth exploring.

Last Time I Saw You is a standout narrative adventure that doesn’t force you to relate to the main protagonist, but instead weaves in the stories and struggles of a young group of friends and how they plan to tackle life. Following Ayumi’s lead down a quest for love is an experience I won’t forget anytime soon, but the path forward does require some personal pacing to avoid backtracking exhaustion. If you need a nice dose of nostalgia, you’ve found your game.

I CHU: Chibi Edition on Nintendo Switch offers rhythm game enthusiasts a gacha-free experience, preserving the gameplay of the original idol gacha game but removing in-game purchases and stamina mechanics. While the songs are fun and the game is packed with characters, the translation and visual presentation suffer from stilted dialogue and awkward transitions. If you’re a fan of the original Japanese version or idol rhythm games in general, I CHU might still be worth a look, but beware of some lingering issues from its gacha roots.

Silent Hill 2 Remake by Bloober Team is a modern masterpiece in survival horror. The remake revisits James Sunderland's journey through a nightmarish Silent Hill, with stunning visuals, enhanced combat, and immersive environmental design. The story explores deep psychological themes while maintaining the fear-inducing gameplay that fans of the series remember.

Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream is an SAO fan’s dream and an action RPG fan’s nightmare. While the rewards provide a nice dose of dopamine across each match, there’s not enough content here to justify fans of online action games to invest themselves in. The story might hold you for around 10 hours, but after that, you’re looking at hours and hours of grinding across the same handful of maps and missions, completing uncreative daily quests and begging for something new. Still, the action gameplay is incredibly addictive, but the support needs to show up as fans did on day one to witness the cringy emotional drama of SAO, one more time.

In just about every way, Metaphor: ReFantazio checks all the boxes for a masterful fantasy epic. Between the addictive gameplay design, endlessly strategic combat, and gripping narrative propelled by a compelling cast, this is an undeniable must-play that's guaranteed to be Atlus's next big hit.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is an absolutely addictive delight, firing on all cylinders, and is the dream Dragon Ball game for fans worldwide. While the story mode contains poorly implemented retreading, the high number of what-if scenarios more than makes up for this shortcoming.

Echoes of Wisdom is yet another stunning entry in the Zelda franchise and those looking for a new Zelda experience but also clamour for something different should give this title a definite try.