Overall, Quartet is an easy recommendation for RPG sickos who can't get enough of turn-based combat. The story and characters may not necessarily land for everyone, but if gameplay is king, then Quartet certainly won't disappoint.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a callback to one of the most exciting time periods in gaming history. A time where games weren't afraid to take big swings and miss, but it's only thanks to that fearlessness that we're able to experience true innovation and creativity. Delta doesn't do anything new, but it doesn't need to. Sometimes, all a masterpiece needs is a fresh coat of paint.

Despite the short runtime, there's plenty of reason to go back to it. Your completion time is scored, there are tougher optional challenges to take on even after the credits roll, and there's even a hard mode for all the masochists out there. Now that I've played through my first ever Ninja Gaiden game to completion, I've accepted that it may not necessarily be my thing, but I can certainly appreciate its unapologetic commitment to its bloody, glorious vision.

Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the most joyful games I’ve played this year. It’s a solid 3D platformer that won’t disappoint genre fans, and a reminder of just how delightful video games can be.

The Drifter is brimming with potential. It’s clear that a lot of love and care went into making this game. It’s especially evident in the voice performances and beautiful 2D environments, but it’s ultimately held back by weird design decisions and some unintuitive puzzles.

From the blazingly fast load times to the impressive graphical fidelity and some late-game awesomeness that happens in real-time, Death Stranding 2 is hands down the most beautiful game I’ve played on the PS5.

It's tough for me to recommend Everdeep Aurora even to fans of the genre. What feels like they should be mainstays of the Metroidvania genre are absent here, and the exploration just isn't compelling enough for me to want to bust out a notebook and manually keep track of what I've found. It's clear that Everdeep Aurora has a lot of heart. I just wish it actually had some meat on its bones too.

Batman: Arkham Shadow was the best introduction into the VR world I could’ve asked for. I’d recommend newcomers like myself to start on the easier difficulties to get acquainted with the controls, then ramp things up slowly as you get into a groove. The plot enthusiasts may find themselves disappointed by the story, but look, this is the closest you’ll ever get to actually feeling you’re Batman. That’s gotta count for something.

The Alters is hands down 11 Bit Studios’ strongest outing yet. The developers have proven that they’re not just a one-trick pony that specializes in resource management and city-builders. They’re capable of crafting truly moving stories that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

While Rematch is much more approachable than Sloclap’s other titles, it is by no means an easy game. Football fans can’t just hop into this one thinking it’ll tide them over till the next EA FC comes out. Rematch requires a certain degree of dedication, and that steep learning curve could put off a lot of players.

Dune: Awakening certainly falls short when it comes to the endgame, but it more than makes up for it with the hundreds of hours you'll get out of it before then, as long as you're taking your time to see the sights.

Whether you decide to invest in Guardians of Azuma will ultimately come down to what you’re looking for in your life sim games. If you just want a breezy and casual farming/romance experience and you’re not bothered by mediocre environments and combat, then this will serve your purposes just fine.

When I finally completed the main Expeditions in Nightreign, I felt equal parts exhausted and relieved. Exhausted because you’ll never escape that paralyzing feeling of having so many different things onscreen vying for your attention, and relieved because I never have to go through that experience again.

It’s clear that Level-5 has learned a lot from the original release and knows its audience well. As a result, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a straight upgrade and improvement over everything its predecessor did the first time around.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny is very much a game you need to be willing to meet on its terms. Most of the rough edges from the original release have been sanded off and polished, though it's very much still a beloved relic of the past. Regardless, this 2025 package is officially the best way to experience Capcom's action classic, for both new players and long-time fans.

Blades of Fire suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Had it been just a tad bit more focused, or if MercurySteam had trimmed the gameplay fat just a little, this could've been something really special.

At the end of the day, I was glad to have experienced Kodaka and Uchikoshi’s latest work. While The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy feels more Danganronpa-lite at times and doesn’t leave nearly enough room for Uchikoshi’s brilliant writing to shine, it’s still a stellar reminder of what made both creators’ signature games so special in the first place. Hundred Line serves as a strong baseline of what’s possible when two creative writers get together, and I’m certainly looking forward to whatever they cook up next.