With engaging and believable protagonists, whimsical landscapes, and delightful voice acting to complement the shrewd writing, there's little left to nitpick but the mediocre puzzles, predictable plot, and occasional graphical hiccups.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is lacking a fair bit of polish in some areas, and it isn't the easiest Final Fantasy to recommend to everyone, but it's a piece of history in Square Enix's storied life. This is easily the best and most accessible version of the game you can get today, and I'm so glad it's finally getting a bit more love and attention. FFVIII embraces its weirdness and quirks to full effect, and it's definitely worth giving a shot if you're curious. With this release, I hope a lot more people realise this game is better than many made it out to be back in the day.

Cold Steel II is staunchly traditional in most ways but also exceptionally attentive to all of the details that make classic, story-driven RPGs so wonderful when they're done right.

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.

I found myself immensely enjoying the time I spent playing Dark Deity. It particularly reminded me of playing some of the more recent Fire Emblem titles like Awakening and Fates, but I arguably found myself becoming more invested in the plot and caring even more for its characters. The gameplay, while somewhat reminiscent of those Fire Emblem titles, also provides some key differences that help greatly emphasize the strategy component of the game’s campaign. To SRPG fans looking for another Fire Emblem-esque experience, I’d wholeheartedly recommend giving Dark Deity a chance. It is a truly enjoyable addition to the genre, and one I’m glad I got the chance to further peruse.

This is the Disgaea you know and love, but with a fresh coat of paint and enough new features to warrant another trip through the Netherworld, dood.

But I can say with confidence that Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is a must-own for nearly all JRPG fans.

Despite weaker writing than I’ve come to expect from the series, Fire Emblem Engage’s gameplay is so good that the game is a blast from start to finish, and I’m already thinking of ideas for my third playthrough. If you like Fire Emblem’s gameplay at all, Fire Emblem Engage is a can’t-miss game.

They're still good games, but there's nothing overtly special about them that makes them stand out from the rest of the series or, more importantly, Black and White 1.

While lacking in the traditional gameplay department, if Tyranny is approached as an interactive adventure title with fascinating choices, it will surely satisfy. I'm eager to thrust myself back into the world, perhaps with a more magnanimous bent, if Obsidian will allow.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is an all-around great game, and I can only hope we see more fantastic collaborations like this from Type-Moon and Omega Force. My imagination is already running wild as I consider what this duo might achieve with a Fate game focused on heroes such as Jeanne d’Arc, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Fans of Fate, action RPGs, samurai games, or Japanese history in general should give Fate/Samurai Remnant a look. It’s well worth the time and serves as a rewarding experience through and through.

While not a hardcore gaming experience, Dredge certainly sates the thirst for Lovecraftian vibes. Though the game can get a bit repetitive by the end, the majority of Dredge is enjoyable enough to warrant a purchase. I left a few mysteries unsolved in my playthrough, and I may jump back in to check those off in hopes that I can hit “snooze” on the elder gods’ alarm clock.

An experience I advise no one to miss.

It's hard to understand why Square Enix didn't put any effort into the story, which would have upped the greatness of this game significantly had it been good. Even after some disappointments, FFTA2 remains worth it for all the reasons that FFTA was: great presentation and solid gameplay.

Players will undoubtedly judge REANIMAL for its price versus gameplay hours, but the quality of storytelling, visuals, and sound design cannot be argued. The promise of DLC suggests to me that some degree of story clarity will be offered, which I’m not sure how I feel about, but I’m eager for more. Some will call this arthouse schlock, but I remain firm that there’s something here, and even if your last impressions of REANIMAL are slightly less enigmatic days and weeks later, the journey is worthwhile if you don’t fuss over the almighty Dollar.

It’s still an enjoyable romp: a world filled with brutal combat encounters, a slew of arcane mysteries, and diverse sights that can be achingly gorgeous, powerfully harrowing, and even bizarrely psychedelic. But in the course of my playthrough as Feivor, I feel that I’ve received Valhalla as it should have been. My previous praises are kept intact, and the experience is only enhanced by a narrative that subverts Norse mythology while slashing the tether that binds executive misogyny to a world where supposed viking culture has been adopted by an ahistorical, androcentric right-wing. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can be great, but if you want an inferior experience, don’t worry: Ubisoft has you covered.

I ultimately found Ys IX: Monstrum Nox a satisfying Japanese RPG, but I wish the journey getting there was a little less conversation, a little more action, please.

Probably best reserved for the most diehard fans, but even they should enter with caution.

Quite simply, while Eternal Sonata may be overlooked as a broken title, it is truly no such thing. Instead, it is a world that I was happy to play in, and may even dream about from time to time.

Endlessly light and easy to play with untold improvements over the first game, this is a simple and easy blast for any players looking for something a little mindless to put on their PC.

Fun can definitely be had with Kiwami. I know there are people out there who are going to love roaming the streets of Kamurocho to beat up baddies, stopping to take a break only because they passed by an arcade and want a new prize from the claw machine. Unfortunately, from a mechanical perspective, everything about the game seemed completely shallow. In the end, Yakuza Kiwami felt more like a novelty experience than it did a rewarding one.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux's challenging gameplay might not be for everyone, but those it does appeal to will find a well-crafted dungeon-crawling experience with a thought-provoking narrative.

Battle Brothers knows what it is and doesn't try to be more than it should be, and that makes it so much better than other titles that strive for an epic or storied feel. What's accomplished here is a solid, honest package of thrills and strategic depth, though not oppressively so. In truth, the world can get monotonous and drags at times, but I also found myself losing track of time on several occasions as I told myself, "Just one more job." I dabbled in Veteran a bit before writing this review and couldn't get back into it — I just couldn't find the heart to jump right back in after I had developed such an incredible group of fighters who I got to know by name. One day I will likely pick the banner back up and I may just fall on the battlefield twenty hours in. And that's okay.

As I said before, The Millennium Girl offers a fantastic opportunity for new players to dip their toes into Etrian Odyssey, as it provides the familiar sorts of characters we have grown to love in JRPGs while keeping intact the extremely strong foundations of the original game.

Good port of an old favorite.

In the end, Sakuna left me aglow with a warm nostalgia reminiscent of PlayStation 2 favourites like Okami, Odin Sphere, or Dark Cloud. Sakuna is a solid title with a lot of fun to be had. It has ambition, charm, and a whole myriad of interlocking systems to dive into. Despite some tedium in the early game and a dearth of content in the late game, the overall package is strong. The rhythm of the gameplay loop never loses its ability to calm and easily leads to a state of video game zen. One part beat ’em up RPG and one part farming sim, Sakuna truly excels in how well it blends these two genres. As far as I am concerned, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is worth playing not just for those interested in either genre, but for people who want a taste of what indie titles can be.

It's trite but true: if you liked earlier Disgaea games, you'll like this one, but if you didn't like the rest, this one won't change your mind. If, however, you've never played the series, Disgaea 4 is a great place to start.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a blast for its entire run of 20-plus hours, and when it’s not entertaining you with goofy banter and situations, it’s aiming directly at your heart. The twitchy combat is like strapping a high-class hyperdrive engine to a well-worn ship held together with duct tape and bubblegum: it’s such a wild ride that you won’t even notice when it falls apart. Though the fighting has its issues, it’s decent enough to ferry you through the wonderfully dynamic story. For Guardians fans, this game is a no-brainer. But even if you’re not into the superhero thing, it’s also the grandest space opera game this side of Mass Effect. Between Guardians and Avengers, could we be headed for a Square Enix Cinematic Universe? If so, Guardians of the Galaxy may not be a final destination, but at least the spaceship knows which way to go. I’ll be hooked on a feeling for a while.