Chasm's procedural dungeon, though a technical marvel, ends up woefully underutilised and results in a title that does little to set itself apart from its peers.

My unease aside, The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is a mighty pleasant way for a sci-fi RPG fan to spend 30-40 hours, especially if you haven’t yet played its two DLC packs. It is wonderfully crafted, offers compelling choices between “right” and “wrong,” and gives curious players a few hidden pathways beyond those binaries. Its worlds are compact and homespun. It is not a galaxy of content, but in a world full of corporate bloat, overlong working hours, console wars, and games as a service, all I can say is thank goodness for that.

Ultimately, though, I have incredibly mixed feelings about Yo-Kai Watch 2. On one hand, I really wanted to love it because it channels the more outlandish elements of the TV series incredibly well, but I also can't shake the feeling that Yo-Kai Watch 2 is more of a glorified expansion rather than a true sequel.

Death Come True won't blow anybody away, but it's a solid, short FMV game that can easily be completed in a single evening. It doesn't take any major risks, but a strong cast and good production values show that a lot of love has gone into this title. It's also refreshing to see Kodaka step away from the themes and style that made Danganronpa so great, and even though the results aren't groundbreaking, this can happily sit amongst the other games that have been released during this FMV renaissance.

There’s a certain novelty to Hooked on You that makes it easy to recommend to Dead by Daylight superfans, particularly those that are into the lore. For your casual Dead by Daylight fan, or dating simulator fan, there’s just not enough meat on the bone here. The writing isn’t bad in the moments where the script isn’t stuffed to the gills with jokes, but the occasional shining moments don’t add up to a compelling narrative, leading to an ultimately forgettable experience.

Salt and Sacrifice is a capable Soulslike for those who can’t get enough of the genre. I had a good time playing it and found the experience worthwhile, but I by no means think this cements itself as a flagbearer for games like it. Five years later, I still distinctly remember the personality and mystery of Salt and Sanctuary, but this title seems to lack that same sort of magic. Though, I will say, Soulslikes have a high standard given the sheer quality of titles available.

It's a game that most RPG fans will find to be a worthy purchase, but don't expect a world-class game out of it.

A highly original game that's hard to describe, but makes sense in action.

It may not be quite the package we were hoping for, but this port is still the best way to experience these two charming classics.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing has several highs and lows. Although certainly of a breed with Diablo and others, it offers a genuinely unique experience that isn't entirely meaty, but will keep players entertained for ten hours or so, save the disheartening final bits. I'm glad I played Van Helsing, and I'd recommend it to any fan of the hack-n-slash sub-genre if they've exhausted other entries. Unfortunately, with such polished and well-designed champions in the ring, this quality contender may only be recognized for its hat.

Although having a sidekick like Crispin corrodes Primordia's otherwise beautiful presentation, there are nevertheless fun puzzles, memorable conversations, and new thoughts to be had.

Despite all the memes and jokes, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is a surprisingly earnest tale tied to an astounding combat system that is impossible to put down. Not only that, but it somehow manages to remain reverent to the original Final Fantasy and the series as a whole. I think anyone who enjoys both action RPGs and Final Fantasy will enjoy this game, too.

Directive 8020 is that perfect short experience that can break up your gaming rut, with its eight episodes of intense storytelling, each around 1-2 hours in length. You can stop there or go back for more, exploring alternate pathways in a way I’m rarely drawn to, but I immediately felt compelled to do after reaching one of Directive 8020’s conclusions. You can play the game multiplayer if you wish, either in couch co-op or online, although the former is obviously the way to go for the ultimate communal horror experience. However you choose to play, please do, as you don’t want to be the one left behind on this doomed planet once the Cassiopea starts its voyage.

Perfect for classic point-and-click lovers who can't stop randomly combining items.

A little more love could've made Mandatory Happiness an essential visual novel, but as it stands, it's still a pretty good cyberpunk adventure.

Street Fighter: Duel isn’t a terrible game by mobile gacha RPG standards, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish it just had been that much more as a diehard fan of Street Fighter and RPGs in general. On the plus side, playing the game for free is plausible if you choose to go that route, but it’s definitely a trial in patience. Still, I have fun playing Street Fighter: Duel in little bursts at a time, and it’s certainly keeping my attention on the series as we enthusiastically await the next main fighting game installment from it. Unfortunately, that’s all we can ask of Street Fighter: Duel because it is undoubtedly not Street Fighter 6.

You just can't charge this kind of money for an iOS port of a PSOne game, especially one that's not graphically optimized for the iPad. What's worse, if I didn't already own this game on the PSP, I could buy it new right now for $10 at Amazon.com and have a better overall experience.

Get lost in the enchanting art, but don't expect much more.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is an enjoyable monster-collecting spin-off to a heartfelt traditional RPG. It captures much of the DQ series’ charm and appeal while serving as a fascinating alternate telling of a classic DQ title. I’m very fond of this game, given its DQIV connection, despite feeling stuck in a grinding loop while playing. Psaro’s journey goes in some truly unexpected ways, showcasing that The Dark Prince is a welcome addition to the DQ lineup for returning fans and potential newcomers curious about DQIV: a game worthy of sharing the throne with its predecessors.

Overall, this is an exceptional game that will grab hold of your senses while you play and put you in a state of immersion that few games can match, much like the very best of its spiritual predecessors. A few audio/visual foibles and a slow, methodical pace might drive some players away, but for anyone who is interested in quality adventure titles or relaxing, contemplative gameplay experiences, I couldn't recommend this game more.

Dungeon Siege 3 is an ambitious game that attempts to change the genre but fails in nailing fundamentals that were perfected over a decade ago.

Authentically unique take on the hack 'n' slash genre that demands a romp with friends.

By sanitizing the romantic aspects inherent to queer dating, Dream Daddy succeeds in being a feel-good story but not a feel-good story, if you catch my drift. It is, at the very least, wonderfully inclusive, with avatar customization options that allow for significant flexibility in defining your dad's identity. The entirely hunky cast of supporting dads is also quite diverse, though some of their sound bites are unusually low-quality and compressed. Maybe that's something the developers can address down the line. As it stands, Dream Daddy is still a worthwhile endeavor thanks to the quality of its moment-to-moment writing. It's just a shame the romance feels so sterile.

As a long-time fan of the Story of Seasons games, I love what Marvelous have done with Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. It’s the same game I enjoyed playing all those years ago but with a fresh coat of paint and meaningful quality-of-life updates. The controls and UI are swift and easy to navigate — the amount of time I’ve saved with the new inventory navigation and livestock bells is impressive — and the game feels right at home in the current market. You can tell the development team wanted to preserve what was already an extremely memorable and worthwhile experience, yet understood that gamers’ expectations for accessibility and efficiency are different than they were 20 years ago.

So, in the end, what we have is an exceptional local-multiplayer action RPG with a good story and great combat and production values, fused with some of the best-loved trappings of the hack-and-slash loot-grab genre.

I'm a big fan of nostalgic "old-school" style RPGs as my catalogue of reviews suggests, but honestly, Nostalgia fell completely flat in almost all areas.

A major improvement over the junky Jake Hunter game we got last year. Some of the flaws like the misplaced Americanizations still bug me, but Memories of the Past is still a suitable apology for last year's disappointment.

If you like the turn-based strategy RPG genre (such as Fire Emblem), you're almost guaranteed to enjoy this game. Be prepared to do a lot of reading, a lot of thinking, and a lot of losing. With that mindset, you can really enjoy this entry in Banpresto's long line of mecha SRPGs.