Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 offers more than just a nostalgic experience. It’s a return to the skateboarding movement that shaped my early teens and will surely give gamers growing up a chance to capture that same feeling I did. The experience expertly balances the arcadey systems of the series without pushing it too far to the mundane or cringy. Instead, what you are left with is a genuine Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater experience and one that I immensely enjoyed.

Star Renegades offers players a fresh and unique experience that sadly loses its appeal after its punishing roguelike systems have you experience the same elements over and over. Even through the repetitive enemies that you face along the way, there’s no denying that the characters and environments that make up this world make it a must-play game within the genre. Still, the best parts are reserved for those who are seeking a genuinely challenging roguelite RPG sci-fi adventure, which may leave others lost in space.

9-nine-: Episode 3 ends up slingshotting this series to a must-read mystery visual novel. It not only expands on the more interesting aspects of the series, but it successfully balances a new serious tone with a few memorable comedic moments. Even with the slow opening and lack of 1080p illustrations, the narrative expertly sets up the next title, and now all we can do is wait.

Even though Jump Force has tried its best to stay in the fight years past its release, it just can’t land a punch. All of its problems far outweigh its positives, leading to an experience that only hardcore Shonen Jump fans can enjoy. If you’ve been waiting for the Switch port of the game to finally jump in, you’re almost certainly better off just waiting for something better.

No Straight Roads is such a good game in concept, but the mechanics hold back this gorgeous adventure from being something great. The world feels empty, and the level designs become a repetitive mess. However, if you can look past that, then you are rewarded with some stand-out character writing and fantastic animation work. Call me when No Straight Roads gets its own Netflix series.

Control AWE is an excellent expansion for fans who are craving to go further down the rabbit hole. The focus stays heavily on Jesse and her goals, even with the inclusion of Alan Wake, who doesn’t overpower the scenes. The expansion once again proves how good Remedy is at storytelling and I’m glad to see them continue to provide those WTF moments that we all love.

Loca-Love My Commuting Crush is a quick and satisfying game to play alone on Friday night. It’s not dripping with fluffy romance like its predecessor, but it does provide a bit of substance that expands upon the better moments of storytelling this series offers. Regardless of why you play it, there’s enough to look forward to in the next installment, Loca-Love: My Pure Priestess.

Wasteland 3 will consume your life as it did mine. The game makes progression come across so naturally through its narrative focused world-building made by player choice. During the countless quests across impressive setpieces, I would say Wasteland 3 is one of the best entries in the RPG genre. Throw in accessible leveling features, likable characters, and wrap them up with an engaging cover-based battle system, and you have everything you need to keep you playing for months. Sadly, the bugs encountered were mostly found in multiplayer, but the developer has acknowledged that these are being patched.

Madden NFL 21 is a strange beast. It is the same fun football experience that millions of players have come to love, yet I still expected a little more from it. While it features refined gameplay and fun game modes, its lackluster story mode and plethora of graphical glitches don’t reflect what a game releasing this year should look like. The online modes will keep you playing through various simulation and customizable options, but most of this is just more of the same in comparison to what has already been delivered. If you’re a seasoned Madden fan looking for your yearly fix of football goodness, I doubt Madden NFL 21 will disappoint you, but that doesn’t mean it’s a flawless experience.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is an absolute rush to the goal as its soccer systems don’t lean too heavily into the outrageous. Instead, it finds a perfect balance of zany and strategy through control depth and over-the-top systems. The highlight is the two very different, but equally as important story modes, with a few multiplayer options to cap off the fun. You may encounter some AI issues, and some objectives during the story mode may not sit well, but you won’t want to sit on the bench for this game.

In its early moments, Windbound had my attention, and I was completely ready to discover more about this world. However, after the first chapter, I was left mostly disappointed with the lack of execution the game provides through the systems it introduces. A rather tedious travel system enhanced this feeling. Through its colorful scenery and a heartwarming soundtrack, are some decent experiences to be found, with the help of some fine-tuning. Perhaps in the hands of the more diehard survival game fans, Windbound may catch a breeze, but it never truly set sail for me.

I had a great time returning to Crystal Chronicles, but there were times where I wished they pushed the remastered offerings a bit further. The new dungeons, semi-UI improvements, and more refind graphics were great for old fans like myself, but that may not be enough to grab the attention of new players.

First Snow plays it safe with its storytelling and pacing. Still, the free cost of entry allowed the studio to give the reader an insight into characters and relationships that can be expanded upon later. The game features some fantastic art direction, and it’s college cast allows the writers to create a story that a lot more people can instantly relate to, without having to try and reminisce on high school days. The entire story comes off as a familiar and comfortable tale that I enjoyed, which makes me excited for whatever the team puts out next. It’s merely free yuri real estate.

Volta-X manages to be a competent robot fighter, full of unique systems, and a design that will surely excite lovers of classic kaiju media. Its pacing makes it difficult to engage in its initial offerings entirely, but it ends up shaping into an enjoyable real-time strategy combat game. Through its blending of interactive team management features and one vs. one mech battles, I’d say Volta-X is worth checking out, at least for a few rounds.

Kandagawa Jet Girls is not a good racing game, it’s not even a good fanservice game. Nothing from the developer’s previous works can be found here, and we are left with a dull and uninteresting experience. The quality animations and unlockable content can’t save this game, which makes me wonder why it was localized at all.

Nexomon: Extinction ends up being a great monster-catching RPG thanks to its clever character writing and overall epic narrative. You’re on a quest to save the world, but how you get there is made entirely up to you. There’s some balance that needs to be addressed when it comes to the opening moments along with the game’s difficulty level, but the systems and adorable creatures make this a worthy entry in the genre.

Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue is an enjoyable sci-fi fantasy visual novel full of compelling characters and exceptional presentation. The Switch offers a pleasant way to experience the game through portability at the cost of downscaled resolution. Although it may miss its landing with the main character’s plot and several forgettable themes, there’s so much here that will keep you soaring through each and every route.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time ended up being an incredibly mixed bag. Though it may have been great to play during the series’ original heyday, it doesn’t entirely hold up to modern standards. Like any blade, the combat becomes dull over time, but the graphics and systems are there to keep players slicing-and-dicing until the conclusion.

Remnant: From the Ashes – Subject 2923 marks the perfect ending for this title. There’s still a ton of gameplay here for those who want to continue their experience long after the story ends, but from a narrative standpoint, I’m satisfied with the conclusion. The natural flow of unlocking new items can feel slow sometimes, and the creative choices in regards to the new areas are a little bland, so your mileage may vary depending on personal preference. Still, the sheer amount of content offered in Subject 2923 makes it a must-buy for anyone currently playing or those looking for a reason to return to this nightmarish world.

Ogre Tale is more than just your standard everyday beat ’em up as it has some of the best character writing in the genre. It’s a game that you can take at your own pace and will consistently provide you with new items and upgrades after each mission. The game could use some difficulty balancing and additional controller support, but nothing really takes away from the overall fun experience. The saddest part is, when it’s over, your left wishing you can hang out with these characters just a little bit longer.

Muv-Luv photonmelodies make up a collection of fandiscs that takes the Muv-Luv series in a few new directions. Each story gives us more insight into this world, with the notable inclusion of Altered Fable. Most of the storytelling comes from a lighthearted perspective, but the pacing is on point for each title, and some of the scenarios make up my favorite in the series. The comedic elements might not always stick, but photonmelodies nails its delivery with excellent character writing and a few good plot points.

Risk of Rain 2 has a lot to offer and despite some downsides to the multiplayer side of things, the game is still really well put together. There is a lot to explore and unlock, but most importantly, it’s really fun to play. The core gameloop of Risk of Rain 2 makes it accessible while the additional features and mechanics make it tough to put down. I highly recommend this game to both roguelike veterans and those who are interested in diving into the genre.

Flowers -Le volume sur automne- is a fantastically crafted story with a widespread of interesting, adorable, and fun cast members. I was drawn right into its extremely compelling narrative through its excellent scenarios and pacing. The illustrations will grab your attention, but you’ll stay for the gripping romance that unfolds.

Spiral Memoria manages to be a competent otome game, doing everything that is expected from the genre, but in the process fails to make a distinctive experience, leaving the game entirely forgettable. The story is generic, the structure is inherently flawed, and the presentation is average. If you’re simply looking to have pretty boys romance you, then you may be okay with what this game offers, but the premise seems to be pulled right out of a standard list of what makes an otome game.

Mortal Shell takes what you’d expect from Souls-clones and adds heaps of creativity along with unique systems and features that make it a whole new experience. Each moment of gameplay is an adrenaline rush as you progress further in the nightmare. There may be a few moments of confusion, but this one’s for the masochists out there who are looking for something to really immerse themselves in and discover for themselves.

Tales of Crestoria has a lot to offer fans through its cast of characters and plot that could rival other series’ entries. However, the technical issues will leave you stuck in a loading screen as you experience constant frame drops during every battle. It ultimately made me wish the game was just released on console because, as of right now, I don’t find these unfair gacha systems appealing enough to warrant sitting through the game’s technical complications.

Death end re;Quest 2 is an exceptionally well-made RPG that encompasses great systems and characters. It does its best not to rely too heavily on the first entry and instead creates new relationships for new and returning players. There’s a bit of slow start as it sets up the plot, but once the game gets going, it’s full steam ahead for a dark and twisted set of events leading to the conclusion.

Ever Forward is a captivating and emotionally charged puzzle adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome with puzzle difficulty as it naturally evolves across each level. Following Maya through this mysterious world was made easy thanks to the environment designs, pacing, and overall accessibility. Aside from some stale story translations, Ever Forward is a great way to spend an evening.