The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a fantastic feat in the adventure narrative genre. There's a focus on character drama to make the cast more dynamic and a group of flesh-eating demons to keep your heart racing. Choices have a considerable impact, but there's room to play again and again, with accessible options to fine-tune the experience and a new camera system to enhance exploration. Alone or with friends, no matter how you play, a nightmare awaits.

Crysis Remastered Trilogy offers a memorable single-player FPS experience that every fan of the genre should play. Although modern gamers may only recognize the name from a meme shared by older PC nerds, it gives everyone a chance to play these games on modern hardware with optimized visuals. I feel like this was a needed release from developer Crytek. I hope they can muster up a follow-up that retains this single-player experience because this gaming generation needs it.

Echo Generation is an imaginative adventure that provides several doses of nostalgia for all who play. However, the battle system requires quality improvements. In its current state, a player could be forced to restart due to wrong choices made during early gameplay. Still, the adventure segments and character interactions are charming enough to warrant a weekend spent cracking this small-town mystery.

Even though the game lacks conveniences that are now ubiquitous in modern RPGs, I don’t think their absences worsen the experience. I certainly enjoyed Dungeon Encounters and would recommend it to anyone looking for an exploration-rich RPG, where all you do is explore an everlasting labyrinth. And hey, maybe you can bet with your friends on which floor you can get to before dying! (No? Just me? Aw.)

It’s no doubt that Into the Pit draws heavy influence from the Doom franchise, with its old-school graphics, fast-paced shooting, and rock and roll heavy background music, but the core gameplay loop makes it hard to recommend as a rogue-like. It’s fully functional and fluid with snippets of fun thanks to its brief runs, but its lack of variation for dungeons, weapons, and bosses makes it difficult to stand out from others in the genre.

Circuit Superstars is a fun and charming arcade racer with depth that is both surprising and rewarding. It fuses retro racing design with modern gaming sensibilities to provide a driving experience you can’t help but want to keep coming back to. With a variety of cars, tracks, and all the essential gameplay modes, this is one of those games you’re going to enjoy jumping into and find yourself wanting to improve your driving skills.

With its dreary visuals and unsettling soundtrack, Inscryption offers a unique deck-building experience with added immersive puzzles. It creates an incredible atmosphere for a game with such a simplistic and dark design. Still, it delivers it in a memorable way, accessible to anyone who dare set out on the journey. In a world where roguelikes are daunting for some, this is one nightmare that I didn’t mind diving back into.

The Caligula Effect 2 is an incredibly modern game that encroaches on territory like no other JRPG. With a stunning soundtrack and an extremely fun battle system, it’s a riot to play. But it also has a cast ingrained into the narrative that leaves a very strong impression, and I really feel they’ll stick with me for a while.

Metroid Dread is the title fans have been waiting for, for nineteen years. The wait wasn’t easy, but what’s here could rival even Super Metroid in terms of atmosphere and gameplay. Even now, I am thinking about going back to try and perfect my run and see how fast I can get that hundred percent clear. Through its versatility in combat, excellent enemy and level design, and engaging story, this experience sets the bar for the action genre and is brilliantly dreadful.

Melty Blood: TYPE LUMINA is an incredibly enjoyable fighting game that you will have a good time playing online, even on the Switch. The updates offered in this version make it an even more competitive fighter as it introduces high skill-level mechanics along with accessible options for players looking to play as their favorite characters.

Parquet is a great visual novel with an engaging sci-fi setting and memorable character interaction. It’s honestly an impressive first release for the Yuzusoft Sour imprint and a game I loved playing despite my minor gripes with the translation consistency. So those who are interested in diving into a unique sci-fi narrative look no further.

For better or worse, there’s nothing quite like this brave venture into the cosmic unknown, and it shows how sometimes it’s about a willingness to play by the rules of the universe.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles features some incredible storytelling moments, but that’s mostly because it’s an exact retelling of the excellent source material. On top of this, you get to experience some of the most significant fights from the series firsthand. However, this comes at the cost of lengthy cutscenes and a game made for fans of anime and not necessarily fans of fighting games.

If you desire a qualitative, hardcore platformer that demands unquestionable skill, then this is the game for you. While not possessing any particular traits that make it stand out from the hotbed of its genre, Lumione is still a joyous experience that should not be overlooked.

Castlevania Advance Collection is legitimately one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had. The collection of this trilogy is magnificent, boasting satisfying, methodical progression, great soundtracks, and addictive RPG systems. Even Dracula X, which caters to a different crowd, doesn’t take away from these classic GBA titles. The package provides some standout gaming action and you owe it to yourself to pick it up.

Far Cry 6 brings us back to the playground as you're encouraged to enjoy this game however you want. Those here for the story will witness some brilliant performances from the cast that weaves in the guerrilla approach to combat and overthrowing a dictator. On the other hand, this is one of the most diverse in-game environments that I have seen from the developer, with plenty of high action and optional means of losing yourself in this intense experience.

Steel Assault is a beautiful retro-inspired treasure. Despite its short length, its fluid mechanics, tight controls, and challenging gameplay provided a fun arcade experience while adding in various options and ways to tackle gameplay. So if you’re looking to get swept away in the nostalgia of a classic action platformer, look no further than Steel Assault.

Trap Genesis is a forgettable and bland experience of making peace and love with a Chaos Goddess. This is an excellent way to revisit the world and celebrate the franchise’s anniversary for people who are already fans of the previous games. But for anyone else, this is not the game that should change their minds about giving the series a try.

Rainbow Billy: the Curse of the Leviathan does a fantastic job of balancing its cute world without making its gameplay too juvenile. Battle systems, in particular, are complex enough for different play styles around, given a player’s preference. Characters and dialogue are sweet but without sap that is sometimes associated with more wholesome games like this. For those looking for a fun and comforting RPG experience, Rainbow Billy: the Curse of the Leviathan may be the colorful journey to embark upon.

Diablo II: Resurrected is a faithful remaster of the original that defined the gold standard for the action role-playing genre. With 4K graphics, a higher frame-rate, fully remade cinematics, and a vast array of quality of life changes, this is an experience that serves as a love letter for nostalgic and veteran players and an enticing invitation for newcomers.

Honey*Honey*Honey! doesn’t make the most of its premise, and the tacked-on bonus scenes don’t make up for a rushed plot. Still, the over-the-top comedy and quality artwork make it an enjoyable enough read for lighthearted high school romance fans.

UNSIGHTED is clearly a well-crafted adventure that gives the player a ton of different options for how they’ll play it. The combat is fluid and visceral, the environments form a beautiful obstacle course that’s always a blast to navigate, and the story delivers a cast of diverse characters and a well-deserved payoff at the end. Studio Pixel Punk’s first game can easily stand with the Hollow Knights and Oris of the indie action landscape.

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is the product of a dedicated team that wants to provide the best action experience possible. This revamped version offers plenty of new systems for returning fans and puts its best foot forward for new players. There’s great attention to balance in this Souls-like Metroidvania that supplies enough challenging encounters and deep customization for all players to enjoy. It looks like the Afterlife ain’t so bad after all.

Actraiser Renaissance is a surprise return of a long-lost classic, but one which falls flat in execution in more ways than one. It has moments of brilliance, and there is undoubtedly substance and depth in its many systems. Still, all the moving parts don’t come together cohesively or logically, and it ultimately feels like two completely unrelated games taped together as one, with neither fully complementing the other. Old school fans will no doubt find the experience worth investing in after the tedious start, but for most other players, there are just plenty of far better alternatives.

I had heard rumors of Full Metal Daemon Muramasa‘s quality before playing, but I’d say my experience with it far surpassed what I expected. This is one of those works that should be considered a masterpiece, experimenting with the genre in thought-provoking ways and telling a bold and harsh story, not of heroes, but of humans and their flaws.

There is nothing quite like these unique games, especially when in top form like Banana Mania. Their prowess at granting addicting stages and a constant desire for self-improvement are borderline unmatched. Quite honestly, seeing this revival is legitimately miraculous. I implore fans and even those who are vaguely interested in getting this collection and giving it a shot to let Sega know that classic Monkey Ball still has a thriving, dedicated market.

In Sound Mind excels at its atmosphere and characterization of Desmond and the delusions of his patients. Combat can feel a little lackluster, and the story structure is formulaic. However, there is a love of horror on display found in the environments and core design of the experience.

Knockout Home Fitness ultimately sets out and accomplishes what it’s trying to do. It’s a pretty entertaining workout experience that actually breaks a sweat. While I wish there was more to unlock and movement accuracy isn’t always consistent, it still had me invested in a daily workout. However, while Knockout Home Fitness isn’t on the ropes, it is not the undeniable champion either.