Disgaea 5 Complete shines on Nintendo's new console by virtue of its convenient features and sheer volume of content. Its bright and colorful presentation pops on the Switch, opening a window to its nigh-infinite depth. Even in an unusually heavy season of strategy RPG releases, it's still worth picking up, though Disgaea 5 veterans won't find much new in this re-release. As a lapsed fan of the series, I'm glad I had the opportunity to reconnect with its off-the-wall gameplay, but I'm even more glad that there's an option to skip its blithering story segments.

Atelier Resleriana is a solid game through and through and proves itself to be more than one of the cynical cash grabs that we’ve seen time and time again. It has the heart and charm of the series and serves as a love letter to longtime fans. The biggest problem with Atelier Resleriana being a gacha game, however, is that it will ultimately go end of service one day and become permanently inaccessible. Such is the nature of live service games, yet it feels counter to Gust’s recent efforts to remake and localize previous games. However, there is hope that all the effort in creating new 3D models for such a wide array of characters is an indication that fully-fledged remakes may be around the corner. While Atelier Resleriana isn’t exactly what I wanted out of the next mainline Atelier title, it serves as a celebration of all things Atelier and the best crossover game in the series by a country mile.

While players won't be choosing skill points in trees or devoting time to selecting whether +5 intellect or +3 wisdom is better, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime is simply some good, clean fun for all ages.

I get excited and optimistic every time I experience games like Citizen Sleeper, Disco Elysium, and Pentiment. These RPGs draw as much on the design ideas of tabletop RPGs as they do from their digital counterparts. They focus on imparting their players with a desire to roleplay—to inhabit a particular world and character while feeling your way through interactions and choices—while having the self-confidence to do without combat or other easily gratifying genre conventions. Systems and mechanics are there to support the roleplaying experience rather than simply add to it. These games won’t necessarily be for every RPG fan, but they are helping expand our idea of what a digital RPG can be, and I’m here for it.

If you weren’t a huge fan of Final Fantasy XVI, Echoes of the Fallen isn’t going to change your mind. While it introduces some new things, it doesn’t address most people’s concerns with the base game. Even I was slightly disappointed with the story; I hope the next DLC, The Rising Tide, delivers more on that front. But if you love FFXVI‘s combat and want to fully engage with it while partaking in some of the best boss fights the game has to offer, you’ve come to the right place. I can’t wait to run through it again in Final Fantasy mode. It’s going to be an absolute blast.

Much like its predecessor, Crymachina is extremely interesting in concept yet lacks a bit in execution. A strong aesthetic, incredible soundtrack, lovable characters, and a much-improved combat system make the experience enjoyable overall. Yet, the mission structure and general combat leave something to be desired. Thankfully, the game is short (just under 15 hours) and never overstays its welcome. Though its time is brief, Crymachina leaves a solid impression. Developer Aquaria is on the right track, and as a fan of both Crystar and Crymachina, I eagerly await the next entry in the Cry series.

Describing The House in Fata Morgana as "entertaining" isn't exactly accurate, as it's a much more introspective experience than its contemporaries. In that regard, more visual novels should take a page from Novectacle's book — The House in Fata Morgana eschews genre tropes in favor of a style of experimentation that is deeply literary, and the result is incredibly refreshing.

An excellent battle system and gorgeous soundtrack create an immersive entry that's a whole lot of fun, but Bandai Namco needs to polish their series a little more.

The game stands out among the crowd with its immediately eye-catching aesthetic and its roguelike mixture of tactics and horror. It’s an oppressive game that teaches the player through repeated failure, granting new insight to use in future encounters. The game’s mechanics may seem simple, but there is a beautifully crafted battle system with all the tools needed to beat the nightmarish enemies and bosses at their own game. While the roguelike elements add in some repetition and grind, I highly recommend Othercide to tactics fans looking for something different. If given proper time and attention, Othercide is an incredibly rewarding tactical RPG that will push players to their limits. It’s difficult and frustrating at times, but it all pays off in the end.

If you happen to fit into that selective pool of gamers who played the original Collar X Malice and liked it, you’ll undoubtedly find something to enjoy here! Collar X Malice -Unlimited- is probably my favorite experience with an otome fandisc thus far. Despite some of its noticeable hiccups, I can’t recommend Collar X Malice -Unlimited- enough for players who enjoyed the original title.

Ultimately, if I was going to recommend one NES-era Final Fantasy to anyone, it would be Final Fantasy III. You can feel the sheer genre-pushing joy on screen as you play. This version of Final Fantasy III removes many of the original’s frustrating elements, but it still feels like an RPG of its era, for good or ill. The job system might not be that complex, the story might not be that engaging, and the exploration might be frustrating. But without this game bridging the gap between the early era and the SNES, we wouldn’t have gotten to Square’s golden age. It’s worth playing for that reason alone.

Accessible and enjoyable for both fans and newbies to otome games, this is one love story you won't forget about for a while.

If your 2025 resolution is to check out any cool 2024 games you missed, 1000xRESIST is worth a shot if you desire a compelling narrative and can endure clumsy gameplay. The game is also not very long (I finished this ten-chapter game in about twelve hours), so you’ll still have plenty of time to play 2025’s offerings. 1000xRESIST is a diamond in the rough that, despite its flaws, I’m glad I experienced.

Good port of an old favorite.

With the basic layout of the game's universe out of the way, the developers were able to refine and revise to their heart's content and make a respectable sequel.

Gone Fireflies is less of a game and more of an engrossing interactive movie that I gladly experienced multiple times, despite a few hiccups. With an engaging story, sharp visuals, stirring music, and price tag less than half of a movie ticket, Gone Fireflies is something that fans of plot-driven software should definitely check out. After such a compelling debut, I look forward to seeing what Quiet Bay Studio comes up with next.

Overall, Tron: Identity is a solid visual novel that fans of Tron are sure to enjoy. While the weak puzzle elements hold the title back from true greatness, the game provides a fascinating glimpse into one of science fiction’s most beloved settings. I greatly enjoyed my return trip to The Grid, and hope that the existence of Tron: Identity is a sign of more to come.

I find myself oddly pleased with my playtime of Final Fantasy XIII-2. The game isn't long for those who want to just take down the story - perhaps 25 hours at most - but it was a mostly enjoyable experience.

Fans of the books and TV series will love taking part in Martin's world.

BoxxyQuest: The Gathering Storm has a novelty factor that can get people in the door, but they will stick around for the long haul because this is a genuinely good game.

All in all, Mount and Blade: Warband is a great game, even despite its flaws. The overall concept is satisfying, and with a more heavyweight publisher behind the team at TaleWorlds, this is one game that could be absolutely great.

Ayakashi: Romance Reborn Dawn Chapter & Twilight Chapter is a hard game to pin down for a review. On the one hand, it lacks content you can find in other versions of the game. On the other hand, it makes up for that by telling a concise story you don’t have to go through a ton of bells and whistles or gacha mechanics to see. The plot is enjoyable enough for what it is, and the characters are largely likable too, but it really doesn’t offer much player interactivity to speak of beyond your faction. Those who don’t mind a good story to read with some romantic undertones and pretty art will no doubt find something to enjoy, but those looking for more to do in even their VNs should probably look elsewhere. As it stands, Ayakashi: Romance Reborn is a solid kinetic otome visual novel for the Nintendo Switch.

I've got some hang-ups with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, but ultimately it's a beautiful and exhilarating little game that's worth your time. Falcom has managed to craft a lovely series out of excellent combat, endearing characters, and snippets of story; that formula has worked well in the past, but some of the risks haven't paid off in this entry. The Vita version is sadly missing all of the PS4 and PC additions, such as the extra forms for Dana, but what you do get is a beautiful adventure in the palm of your hands. Everyone should try at least one Ys game, and this is yet another entry in the series I recommend — just expect something a bit different this time.

Despite some unfortunate pacing hiccups and esoteric puzzling, what we're left with is a joyous little journey for the dumpster-diving faithful. Back-of-the-box quote right here: It's solid.

Hunt the Night is a beautiful game that crafts a haunting atmosphere and an engrossing world. Despite some uneven design, the desire to unravel Medhram’s mysteries and see the next inventive boss fight kept me engaged until the end of the 15-hour adventure. If you can stomach the frustrating combat elements, there is a lot to enjoy in Vesper’s quest.

If you are into both RPGs and rhythm games, you'll definitely enjoy Patapon longer than just enough to get your money's worth out of it.

The story concept isn’t the most original, but the way it’s handled in this case is refreshingly charming, and it offers up some profound observations on humanity. The plot feels as if it could be tailored for the pandemic world we find ourselves in, but it would be strong in more “normal” times too. I was interested to see where the story of Nu Terra would go throughout my entire playthrough. If the last year has made you want to escape Earth, you might want to check out Woodsalt; it isn’t a literal ticket for a journey across the stars, but it does at least give you a virtual one.

All in all, Pokémon Conquest is solid across the board, but it is lacking in a few key areas that are likely to turn away non-Pokémon fans and hardcore strategy players. However, if you don't go in expecting the next Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre, then there's plenty to enjoy.