Despite being only 9-12 hours long, Jack Move gave me a more fulfilling RPG experience than many 40-50 hour games I’ve played. This game drips with personality in every fiber of its being, and was one of my most enjoyable RPG experiences this year.

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale could easily be considered the definitive King Arthur game and likely among the greatest modern media on the subject, especially since there’s little competition. It’s also a top-notch tactical RPG with an unexpectedly compelling story. The gameplay is solid on all levels, especially if you’re looking for a tactical challenge and love using fancy abilities in battle. My playthrough of King Arthur: Knight’s Tale alone took over 50 hours, so there’s plenty to keep you busy, but you can expect even more bloody adventures to come. The king is dead; long live the (new?) king!

It’s quite an entertaining and satisfying rhythm, and of course, it’s up to you to establish your own priorities during the school year. No matter how you choose, and whether you play on Switch or PC, Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption worth the price of tuition. Well, not Shaun’s non-existent tuition, but worth the cost of the game on either platform.

Corpse Factory is a great visual novel and an incredibly interesting piece of fiction. It’s descriptive, creative, bloody, and most importantly: fun to read. It’s a bit frayed on the edges and leaves a few too many questions unanswered, but it has a hell of a lot of heart. Personally, I can’t wait to see what River Crow Studio does next.

Though the game can be completed in under ten hours, Gerda: A Flame in Winter contains multitudes beneath its exterior. I was held in suspense even when I had to shut the game down to go about my life. The choose-your-own-adventure gameplay style made me feel responsible for Gerda’s well-being and the people around her, even as her life was spinning out of control. Though not everything works and the narrative feels slightly too short, it’s also a wild ride that should satisfy those who enjoy the twists and turns of a hearty spy story. The world was a cold and cruel place during the Second Great War, and Gerda: A Flame in Winter provides an intense glimpse of how it felt to live back then.

Hashihime’s ability to seamlessly move from comforting to discomforting—the real to the illusory, the silly to the serious, the average flaws to the critical—is as fluid as a river. It never shies away from the ugly, but that only makes its pristine moments shine all the more beautifully. Hashihime’s subjects and characters challenge readers by not being perfect, by being downright despicable at times, by acting as mirrors. At first glance, they seem to be funhouse mirrors, but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that those reflections are the real deal. Locking eyes, it becomes impossible to look away, and Hashihime beckons to be experienced again. No matter how many times you dive back into those biting waters, Hashihime of the Old Book Town append leaves its chilling impact.

Dusk Diver 2 isn’t a flawless game, nor the most original. However, it wears its heart on its sleeve and provides a lot of enjoyment if you’re willing to give it a chance. It feels like a homecoming in many respects, even if it’s a series you’re only just now experiencing for the first time. That’s rather special in a way. For action RPG fans looking for a colorfully fun time, Dusk Diver 2 might be worth a look.

RPG Time respects your time, allowing you to save the world in roughly 7 hours. The tale was expeditiously wrapped up before Kenta or I ran out of steam or energy. It’s a fun re-creation of the boundless zeal and creativity a child would bring to one of his creations, and it’s an adorable love letter to all kinds of games. The game’s invitation to play pushes it beyond simply a game to conquer. That’s a positive because though it can be fun and engaging, it lacks the crunchy investment that RPGs typically require. Still, the overflowing creativity makes your journey in RPG Time worthwhile for letting your inner child run wild.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak fixes many of my complaints that popped up after extensive time with Monster Hunter Rise. Monsters have far more tools and can match the hunter in most instances, new armor skills ensure that builds and playstyles are varied and viable, and the maps and monsters themselves are fantastically exciting. For anyone on the fence about Sunbreak due to disappointment with the base game, this expansion is for you. For those who loved the base game, Sunbreak is a no-brainer. It has something for everyone, from longtime fans to newcomers who just started with Rise. As I said in the review for the base game, Monster Hunter Rise is a great way to lose a couple hundred hours of your life. With Sunbreak, you might want to say farewell to a couple hundred more.

I immensely enjoyed my time with Far Away From Home, and found it to be a polished gameplay experience from beginning to end. In addition, its accessibility options are excellent and can really help tailor the experience to your liking and gameplay preferences. Far Away From Home is definitely a game SRPG fans should take a closer look at. Oh, and pet the dog whenever you get the chance too! After all, Claster is the best boy and deserves all the pets!

My opinion of Soul Hackers 2 was in constant flux during my playthrough. I never especially disliked the game, but I often flipped between enjoyment and disappointment within mere minutes. That feeling of disappointment is what remains in the end. I am not sure if Soul Hackers 2 is exciting enough to hold new fans through to the end, and it isn’t mechanically competent enough to fully grab the attention of a series veteran like myself. But there is still the visual flair, musical swagger, plethora of rad demons, and bonds of friendship you forge along the way to make it an enticing package.

We Are OFK came out of nowhere and immediately captured my attention. While the game’s concept has been done before on TV, this is, to my knowledge, the first time a video game has told the story of a fictional (or perhaps I should say, virtual) band that makes and releases real music. Really good music that I may or may not be listening to as I write this review. The plot has a few pacing issues and the gameplay is limited, but the art style is undeniably attractive, the writing is great, and I love the cast. If a future sequel — shall we say a season two? — means more time with these messed-up goofballs and more great music, I’m all for it.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when the imitation does little to add its own twists and ideas to an already established formula, it ends up as little more than a cheap copy of the original. For those desperate for Sony to finally port Bloodborne over to the PC, Thymesia might be a good stopover. Still, for anyone looking for a genuinely good Soulslike experience, your time is better spent elsewhere.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a reminder that “good enough” isn’t good enough. Takahashi and the rest of his team could have relied on doing the same thing they’ve always done. Heck, they’ve already revolutionized the genre once. Instead, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is no revolution; it results from listening to what doesn’t work, tirelessly working to do better, and knocking it out of the park. Put simply, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a masterpiece, and one of the finest games the genre has to offer.

As Dusk Falls is a gripping tale of fate, chaos, and a storm of desire from several strong characters; everyone wants something, and not everyone is going to get what they want. Fortunately, you have the ability to steer the ship, but the thing about storms and ships is that sometimes the laws of nature have more sway. That’s how life goes — a reality which is expertly communicated in this solemn story.

All told, even with the quirky middling difficulty making this one hard to write home about, I still think Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a fun game to play through. The postgame can be somewhat monotonous, but the main story keeps things going. Seriously, the plot is simple, but the dialogue between all of these Pokémon makes for a great experience. The mix of mature themes — life and death, protection and abandonment — with the childlike wonder of all things Pokémon keep the mind focused on the purpose of the quest, even when the quest itself is a heavy strain (or a simple frolic) for some players. If you’ve yet to try Mystery Dungeon games but want a better understanding, this might be a great starting place! If you’ve played other Pokémon Mystery Dungeon entries and appreciated their balance of challenge and storytelling, you’re likely to enjoy this remake of the one that started it all.

The game isn’t terribly long, and even individual battles don’t wear out their welcome if you maintain proper levels and gear, as is the case for other SRPGs. Vanaris Tactics is a perfect SRPG for fans of the genre who want a complete, fully realized tale in a shorter amount of time. I greatly appreciate the story it conveys, and I enjoyed my time playing. I am looking forward to seeing just what other games Matheus Reis and publisher Toge Productions produce in the future. Ultimately, Vanaris Tactics is a story about the journey and just who we might end up becoming on the way to our given destination.

It isn’t yet retirement time for the Blade Runner game, but as enhanced versions go, this one takes a solid game and sadly weakens it, much like a Replicant’s limited timespan tragically does to them.

Ultimately, Three Hopes takes the wonderful world built in Three Houses and delivers a more consistent, satisfying story while effortlessly merging Fire Emblem gameplay elements with Musou gameplay. For fans of the Three Houses, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a must-play. I’d recommend it to everyone else too, but you’ll get more out of it if you start with Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

As a package, this title stands up impressively well, to this day. Every scenario presents a unique and compelling message with relevant lessons, and its short runtime means barely a second is wasted. Numerous cinematic touches throughout make it feel like a collection of experimental short films. And it all comes together beautifully in the end for a truly rewarding experience that any JRPG fan will not want to miss. It was also nice of Nintendo to confirm that both sides of the title are pronounced “live” as in “alive.”

Overall, it pains me to give KOTOR II the score I have, as the core gameplay mechanics are genuinely enjoyable and well-rounded, not to mention that I found the plot and characters to be quite strong whenever the game hit its strides. However, I still can’t overlook the very noticeable glitches present in the Switch port. It’s a shame that the initial base game is a rushed, poorly edited product as well since it has all the makings of a classic and problems knock it down to just a “good” game. Despite these setbacks, the KOTOR duology is still one of my favorite Star Wars stories. It is a testament to all of The Sith Lords‘ strengths that I’m glad for those patches and am looking forward to seeing how the Restored Content DLC might improve upon the overall game experience. However, as for how the base game now stands on the Switch? I’d be hard-pressed to recommend someone purchase it until that free story DLC is released. This echo seems more akin to a dying whimper than the steady, unyielding presence the game could very well be in the future.

All of this said, is this a $60 experience? I loved it. I intend to come back to it. But I also got this game for free for review, and that matters. I might have felt burned at a $60 price point because it is pretty short if you only have one go at it, and movie tickets aren’t $60 here in the US (not yet, anyway). If someone isn’t as into the game as me, that’s going to feel like a high entry price. That said, this is a phenomenal-looking game with fantastic acting. If price is no object, then I definitely recommend The Quarry, as it’s worth the ten hours of your life, but for those who have to make discerning decisions with their wallets, maybe wait until this one’s on sale.

There’s really not much to fault in Ballads at Midnight. It’s a well-polished, complete VN experience from beginning to end. I suppose it would’ve been nice to have more artwork in general, but that is largely because the artwork itself is so fitting and expressive! Honestly? I’d be really nitpicking if I did go looking for a few flaws. This is a solid VN for fans of fantasy romance in particular. Other positives include that it doesn’t take an exceptionally long time to play through and offers a surprising amount of content for the right price (since it is free!). Truthfully, I’m very much impressed by this outing from Synstoria. If this is the level of quality they can produce in a month, I’m very eager to see what their larger upcoming VN Imperial Grace will be like! Ballads at Midnight is the type of song I could pleasantly listen to on repeat time and time again.

Pinku Kult: Hex Mortis is a taut game that took me about 7 hours to complete and left me wanting more. Those 7 hours were all substance with no padding to artificially lengthen the game. The game respected my time rather than waste it under the pretense of “longer game = better value.” I liken Pinku Kult: Hex Mortis to a game like Trace Memory. While Trace Memory was only about 3-5 hours long, it was one of the most fulfilling experiences I ever had with a Nintendo DS game. Aside from my misgivings with the writing, the only other caveat I have with Pinku Kult: Hex Mortis is that its macabre style and occult themes may not suit every person’s tastes.

It’s difficult for me to say this, especially with so many positive elements in the game, but I found Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit to be mediocre. It doesn’t do anything inherently wrong, but there is nothing very memorable about it either. My lasting impression is that the game played it too safe and colored too neatly inside the lines. Clearly, a lot of love, effort, and resources went into creating this game. I wanted to adore it, but I have no interest in playing any future games in a hypothetical Crowns and Pawns series. I suppose players looking for a classically-styled point-and-click game will definitely get something out of it, but it’s not a game I would recommend buying unless it’s on sale.

Biomotor Unitron does a more than admirable job of living up to my childhood dreams. The game is pure fun, unique in the face of its inspirations, easy on the eyes, and surprisingly snappy. After finishing the game, despite accomplishing everything and developing every part I could, I immediately started a new game with a different character. This was partially to check out the other Unitron designs, but mostly because I had such a good time. Biomotor Unitron might seem daunting at first, but keep in mind the port is packaged with a virtual manual that is useful for deciphering its intricacies. If any part of this game draws your curiosity, I highly recommend giving it a shot. At its low price point, you are unlikely to be disappointed.

It’s a testament to Birushana’s quality that one of the few gripes I have is that I want more of it. Although the game has a few hiccups, they’re safely surface-level, and don’t remarkably hinder the story or its compelling cast of characters. Although it’s appreciated when an otome title tries to add complexity to the progression through the use of stats or other features, the main reason why one plays otome games isn’t for their mechanics but for their love interests and the world they inhabit—and Birushana delivers both with flying colors. While it’s already a must-play for fans of historical fantasy and samurai warfare, Birushana will no doubt appeal to anyone interested in exciting battles, intriguing mysteries, memorable characters, and a few unique twists on the usual otome tropes.

This is really only the first half of Numina, with the second part being planned as paid DLC with carryover save data to be released in the future. Some might balk at this, but I felt that this Part 1 was a self-contained story, and that ending alone makes me yearn for the final half of the game already! Again, it is a testament to how strong a title Numina is that I want there to be even more after fifteen hours of playtime already. I’m already looking forward to where my journey with Shawn and the others will take us next, and I can’t praise the game enough, given that. Numina is a surprising gem of an RPG, and I hope it shines bright enough for others to see.