Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition has become one of my favorite JRPGs, and I regret not playing it sooner. This is a must-play game for any JRPG fan. From its remarkably well-written narrative that will stay with you for years, to the approachable yet still involved combat mechanics coupled with an endearing presentation, I fell in love with this title far more than I thought I would.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is an enormous offering that feeds your nostalgia for both Star Wars and LEGO. No matter how old you are, if you're a Star Wars fan, there is something here for you to fall in love with. No corners were cut, and every event is delivered with the utmost character to the brand without it feeling tacked on or half-developed. The additional upgrades, exciting boss encounters, and gorgeous environments will easily make you forget about the strange voice-over.

Lost Judgment The Kaito Files is a fantastic solo outing for Yagami’s sidekick, granting players a greater degree of endearing Kaito introspection alongside a mystery drama with thrilling action. While what’s offered here will likely not blow you away, this experience is one of substance and a reason to return to this series. The short runtime and high pricing may turn some away, but Kaito fans everywhere will leave satisfied when the credits roll.

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.

Weird West is a generally enjoyable game that balances an excellent atmosphere with visceral Western-styled combat. It has some bugs that could be fixed in the future and has a noticeable lack of voice acting, but for the most part, it’s a genuinely unique and exciting game. If you’ve ever wanted to be a cowboy and Van Helsing simultaneously, there’s finally a game for you.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a good time certified with Nintendo’s seal of quality. If you’re a Switch owner, you simply can’t go wrong with jumping into this one. It may not do anything groundbreaking, but as a platformer, it unites several ideas into excellent level design pacing, with everything coming together smoothly for an adventure that you’re sure to enjoy.

The PC version has a few added features, but quite honestly, they are par for the course when it comes to PC gaming. That’s not a bad thing, as you have options to customize the graphics and performance of the game to your heart’s content, but I found nothing to really gush over. Death Stranding has always been a beautiful game, but playing on an UltraWide monitor might give you a better idea of the sheer scope of this experience. It’s a testament to some fantastic graphical leaps that have happened in recent years that still manage to impress me in this newest release.

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.

Evenicle 2‘s translation has a handful of typos and inconsistencies. Most of the text is an enjoyable, funny read, but these minor errors can be frustrating. Also, keep in mind that while the sex scenes are a significant selling point, Evenicle 2 offers a streamer mode option in the menu that censors those events while keeping the audio and text intact. Evenicle 2 is an excellent eroge RPG with an impressive cast of characters and an engaging story. It oozes charisma, and any fan of the genres should give it a try. Come for the sexy characters drawn by Nan Yaegashi. Stay for the bonds you create along the way.

GTA V is the high-water mark for the developer as a whole. Playing it feels almost as new and refreshing on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 as it did when playing it on the console’s grandparents. The upgrades are gorgeous, the city is alive, and this game is still fantastic.

Despite the usual pains of being a Switch port, Crystar finds a new home on this console. Every system of this moody JRPG provides a unique experience that you will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. I’d highly recommend this version to those who have yet to play, but keep in mind that this game is as niche as they come, so it’s best to keep that in mind to know what you’re getting yourself into.

Rune Factory 5 is a thrilling, addicting experience boasting countless events and mechanics that will hook you for hours on end. It excels at making players feel accomplished and satisfied with their feats while also providing recurring goals to pursue. Further, its likable, extensive cast aids in the pleasant friendliness of the simulation genre. The over-simplicity of its gameplay ideas and its deficient performance and graphical presentation can disenchant some players. However, if you manage to look past those factors, Rune Factory 5 is a standout Switch release.

Ghostwire: Tokyo blurs the line between the first-person shooter and horror genres. It blends the two so naturally with the help of excellent level design, interesting characters, clever mission types, and some tense action. I had a great time exorcizing the streets of Tokyo. There are some growing pains in the opening chapters, but this game opens up in some bold ways that will keep you engaged until the final yokai is vanquished.

Relayer is an exceptionally niche SRPG that may slide under your radar if you aren’t explicitly looking for it. I would say it’s a game made for fans of the genre, but the mechs and sci-fi narrative open it up to a broader fandom. The SRPG features are accessible, and the systems for customization are deep enough to enjoy, no matter how familiar you are with these games. However, the narrative and pacing are weak, which weighs heavily on the enjoyment as it requires a level of investment that you will likely never have.

Far: Changing Tides offers a unique experience sailing across a drowned world. The world itself is beautiful and can draw you into it with its colors and mystery. Regrettably, the shallow gameplay, no story to speak of, and long periods doing nothing mar an experience that could have been memorable. Nevertheless, there is something here for those who want a calming adventure with little action. Sadly, I can’t see myself ever coming back to revisit this drowned world.

Gal Gun: Double Peace is exactly what it looks like, so you’re bound to know if this game will fit your library. Despite the evident dullness emitted by the gameplay loop’s repetition and lack of challenge, the cast is likable with humorous and charming writing. Plus, there is an impressive degree of content here for those who find themselves invested in the experience. This is also a perfect Switch game, making it an ideal title to play on-the-go for strangers to glimpse at and admire.

Tunic has a couple of issues, but it’s nothing major enough to stop me from thoroughly enjoying the game. It’s a pleasant and relaxing throwback to older Zelda titles with enough secrets to keep you busy for a good while. If the visual style and 16-bit inspiration appeals to you, I’d say Tunic is definitely worth your time. Just get ready to get lost, or stick to a GameFAQs page.

Phantom Breaker: Omnia is a cacophonic mess, and if you’ve got local friends and want to play a janky anime fighter, then this is literally the best game of all time. The lack of basic quality-of-life additions found in modern fighting games, as well as aged and clashy sprite work almost feels lazy when every other addition improves the experience. It makes me question why the game wasn’t rebuilt entirely to start. The only way this game is remotely feasible online is through using Parsec on PC, as the game will not be getting rollback netcode. Despite all of this, I really enjoyed the game and had a total blast playing. Probably due in part to being able to play as some of my favorite fictional characters and I hope I’ll be able to play it with some friends down the line, as well as 100% the title. But I think I’m going to be one hell of an outlier with this experience.

ANNO: Mutationem is an exciting and welcome addition to the world of cyberpunk gaming. The amount it presents within the short timeframe is astonishing. There's always something to keep you attentive, whether it be the gorgeous pixel art, the enjoyable boss fights, or the deep narrative. Yet, ANNO does well to not overstay its welcome and instead presents a beautiful experience that engulfs you into a different reality.

Triangle Strategy is a terrible name. It tells little about the game besides that it has something to do with triangles and strategy. This name ultimately fails to share anything that implies the adventure offers an incredible narrative, fantastic combat, and possibly the best implementation of choice and morality I have seen in a video game.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is an undeniably stellar action game boasting addictive mechanics that will cater to a myriad of crowds. Even when accounting for a few minor critiques, the combat is some of the best the franchise has to offer. Further, its clever writing choices and conclusion will undoubtedly be lasting and impressionable for those engaged by the narrative.

The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a cute RPG, I can’t deny that, but it, unfortunately, doesn’t fully invest in any of its features. The combat is tacted on, the story is predictable, and missions feel like unnecessary padding. Still, the charm is there with a more laid-back narrative than your thrilling style RPG. If you’re someone that just wants to wind off and take a break from stories that make you grip your head in fear and confusion, then perhaps this game is for you.

Let’s get real, 2022 is already a crazy stacked year when it comes to RPG releases, and so Potato Flowers in Full Bloom is not something you want to pick up right away. On a sale, and if you really needed a downtime RPG, then this game might be your thing. As it is, this is a charming and minimalist adventure featuring engaging turn-based battles, even when the sum of its parts doesn’t add up to anything extraordinary.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a great anime fighting game with plenty of depth for competitive players while remaining accessible for newcomers; all brought forward to modern platforms. More competitive players may want to wait until the eventual rollback update, but this new release easily revives this series for a few more rounds.

WWE 2K22 gives players a ton of content right out of the box and is backed by the lavish assets from the WWE archives. If you’re a wrestling fan, chances are you’re probably going to have fun diving into the various modes and match types. Although there’s no shortage of things to do or ways to play, having too many ideas often means that most of them aren’t executed to their full potential. At the heart of it all, this is a wrestling video game experience that feels inherently cumbersome, buggy, and dated.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarök brings us a huge dose of Norse Mythology and a much-needed fantasy element to the expansions of the base game. The campaign is intense with a strong conclusion, and the added powers provide new ways to approach combat. So even with some of the typical growing pains of a new open world to explore, if you were waiting for a good time to jump back into Valhalla, this is it.

Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster is the return of a classic any fan of the RPG genre should experience at least once. While these remasters still feel like the bare minimum that such classic games deserve, this is an excellent opportunity to feel the magic of Final Fantasy.

There are plenty of dropped or underexplored threads and lots of bugs still left to fix, but Cyberpunk is finally approaching what was initially promised to its audience. It’s certainly no Witcher 3. Still, for the first time, it feels like it’s crossed into the territory of a game worth getting lost in, with the potential for more polished additions in the future. In another universe, this was the original launch date for a much more feature-complete version. By contrast, in ours, Cyberpunk 2077 may finally be able to stand on its own feet as a solid gaming experience for those willing to give it a chance.