When games remind me of familiar places and experiences, it changes my outlook. Instead of marveling wide-eyed at a brave new world’s wonders, I marvel at how these outlandish places surprisingly feel like “home.” I really got into All in Abyss: Judge the Fake because it reminded me of places I’ve been to and experiences I’ve had. That being said, All in Abyss: Judge the Fake is not everyone’s cup of tea. I highly recommend playing the entirety of All in Abyss: Judge the Fake’s Steam demo to determine whether this cool hybrid game is right for you.

Overall, I came away from Dark Deity 2 impressed. As far as it is a sequel, it’s an improvement from the original Dark Deity in many ways, which is saying something since I enjoyed that title, too! It’s a solid indie SRPG offering much replayability and player experimentation. I wouldn’t oppose a third game in this series, especially if it keeps this positive momentum. Instead of being viewed as just a Fire Emblem homage, Dark Deity 2 proves that it’s a labor of love with its own merit.

All told, for a game that wasn’t even on my radar until recently, Blue Prince is a truly wonderful surprise, serving as a new benchmark for both adventure games and roguelikes moving forward. It can be equal parts rewarding as it can be frustrating, depending on how you approach it and how the dice may roll. Yet, despite those frustrations, there’s still just so much to love about Blue Prince that I can’t ever stay mad at it.

This genre and approach are my catnip, and I could happily play Legion IX again just to explore different character builds and attain the full demonic morality bonuses, but I suspect many gamers will bounce straight off it even if they liked the original. If you really enjoyed the original, and want more of the same, you’re in the right place. If you enjoyed the original but wished it addressed some of its issues or innovated on its designs, this trip to Nova Roma won’t provide solutions. You can decide whether you’ll come, what you think you’ll see, and if you think you’ll conquer. Veni, Vidi, Vici, indeed.

It may sound as if I had more gripes than praise with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but I truly enjoyed my time with it. It’s just that, with a series such as this from a historically controversial developer such as Ubisoft, it’s important to view Shadows with realistic expectations so you don’t get burned by what isn’t there and can instead appreciate where it excels.

While a sorrowful game like What Remains of Edith Finch chooses to end on more of a “life is short, but beautiful” angle, the opposite can be said here: Mouthwashing waits until the last minute to deliver its final, devastating punchline. Even if the gameplay here isn’t revolutionary, it’s hard not to be drawn by the gravity of games that “go big on story” (like how Yoko Taro games tend to revel in delightfully twisted storytelling). After a certain point, you simply can’t look back and need to see how this ends, even if it’s all in tears. But the best parts of Mouthwashing have sat in my mind for a while now, and Wrong Organ has quickly established itself as a developer worth keeping a creepy, unblinking eye on.

Obsidian’s medieval murder mystery Pentiment is a small but incredibly dense narrative with little gameplay but heaps of some of the most exquisitely crafted dialogue in all of gaming. It’s more captivating than it is exciting, and it may appeal more to readers rather than gamers. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and already know its writing will stick with me far longer than most bigger, more technically impressive games.

Voice Love on Air is an enjoyable game if you like VN and management sim mashups, even if the sometimes random component of recording sessions and having to be exact when pursuing specific routes gets frustrating. The enjoyment factor is especially true for those who love a good romance story with a heartfelt message of self-love and healing. After all, voices can carry hidden meanings and emotions. Hence, listening to others and our hearts is vitally important: a sentiment that surprisingly comes alive when playing Voice Love on Air!

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.

Even putting the awful rhetoric aside, Shattered Space is a tone-deaf, regressive, poorly blueprinted, and poorly executed sorry excuse for a story expansion, favoring looks over substance and regression over progression.

Despite my gripes with the game, AI LIMIT ultimately was an enjoyable experience. Its faults only peeved me as much as they did because I was having a genuinely good time for most of my 20-hour playthrough. However, the cracks in its gameplay run deep, with aspects like encounter design being persistent issues to the very end. If these aren’t dealbreakers for you, AI LIMIT is a worthwhile time sink; otherwise, it remains a cautious recommendation for anyone else.

Essentially, The Chapter of Marisa is more Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. That’s probably in its favor if you enjoyed the base game, but if you were expecting drastic change or development, this DLC will disappoint. Given its length, I’m reluctant to recommend purchasing this DLC for its full asking price, as it seems more than a tad steep for its short playtime. Should The Chapter of Marisa ever get a significant sale, that might be a different story if you enjoyed Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Just be warned to temper your expectations accordingly.

With a successful transition to a fully realized open world, Atelier Yumia is a strong start to a new series while serving as a fantastic follow-up to the Atelier Ryza games. The world is large and rewarding with something around every corner, and the cast is unique and lovable while having a whole lot of heart. Battles are active and intense, ensuring the player is always engaged. While the synthesis system may initially seem unintuitive, the payoff for learning the system’s intricacies far outweighs the few hours of confusion. A stellar soundtrack and gorgeous visuals complete the package, ensuring Atelier Yumia punches far above its weight while competing with contemporaries whose budgets are multiple times its size.

Urban Myth Dissolution Center resolves these cases well, with unexpected yet logical turns of events that never fail to surprise and delight me.

Starlight Legacy is a game I needed to spend time with before its unique subtleties grew on me. Overall, I enjoyed the experience but was left wanting more. I wanted more world-building, lore, and character development. In addition, several gameplay flaws are difficult, if not impossible, to overlook. Starlight Legacy is not for everyone, but the robust Steam demo provides a good metric to determine whether Starlight Legacy is your kind of game.

I truly wish Freedom Wars could live up to my expectations. Stories about authoritarian forces with absurd standards of criminality are more necessary than ever. I think we could also use more action games emphasizing vertical environments and mobility. But as it stands, I don’t think I’ll be returning to the Panopticon or working off my sentence any time soon. The prospect sounds more like a prison sentence than a fun time.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter took me by surprise, successfully combining blatant inspirations from the big cheeses of action RPGs and reinterpreting them in a fine, nibble-sized package. It looks simultaneously beautiful and intentionally rough, and its combat is challenging but (mostly) fair. I’m not sure it needs to continue doubling in size with its potential third entry—it’s a little fighter, and rat’s good enough.

With exceptional writing, beautiful art, a compelling environment, and a captivating central gameplay mechanic, Expelled! is a video game work of art. If you have any interest in visual novels, adventure games, whodunits, or time loops, I can’t recommend it enough. Believe me, you will want to play this one again and again!

In terms of living up to lofty promises based on Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Warhorse Studios absolutely nailed it for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The bonkers story, fantastic characters, and the right improvements to combat carry the day, but the more mundane tasks like smithing and alchemy make for an impressive and fascinating representation of what daily life may have been like during a specific point in history. There are endless adventures here to dig into, and even though it requires a significant investment of time, for those bold enough to brave it, it’s time well spent. Long live Warhorse Studios!

ENDER MAGNOLIA is one of the best Metroidvanias I’ve played in many years—rivaled only by its predecessor—and it’ll easily land itself upon my 2025 game of the year list.

I loved Wanderstop in a way that I honestly wasn’t anticipating. I mean, I was sure I’d enjoy the story, music, and writing given the pedigree of Ivy Road’s founders. Yet, I was taken aback by how much I, a management sim skeptic, enjoyed the gardening and tea-brewing gameplay loop. Good thing too, since it’s most of what Wanderstop offers. Well, that and the aforementioned fantastic story, characters, and mature writing that is at times as genuinely laugh-out-loud funny as it is emotionally rich. Let’s also not fail to mention yet another wonderful, moving soundtrack by master composer C418.

To be clear, Suikoden I & II shine even more brightly here than they have for over 25 years. Plus, building up your base is still a blast, and I got the same dopamine hit every time I added someone to my army. The characters and story are still working on a singular, elevated level. I love the look and the sound. But, even this superfan purist wanted a little more care and attention in addressing the legitimate complaints people have about these games.

Ever 17 is weird. It’s a conventional survival story told in a very unconventional way. Its tone can turn from laid-back to dire on a dime and its traditional gal game structure gives way to some of the most shocking rug pulls you’re likely to find in any piece of fiction. If you can sit through some repetitive text and a lot of typos, you’ll find a truly special experience from one of gaming’s most under-appreciated talents.

The Crimson Diamond is a remarkable game, not just in terms of the experience it offers, but in the fact that it exists at all. The game not only successfully evokes text parser adventure games of decades past but improves on them in dozens of little ways. Julia Minamata deserves a massive amount of credit for evoking the feel, look, and style of the era in a way that doesn’t feel dated or like a relic of a forgotten past. Whether her next project is a text parser game, a verb-wheel-based point-and-click, or a completely different genre, I expect she will make it with the same level of care and imagination that she shows here. The Crimson Diamond is clearly a labor of love, and I loved it just as much in return!

Never 7, in spite of its many differences from his later titles, is still distinctly a Kotaro Uchikoshi title. Rest assured, there is a scene where someone rambles about Schrodinger’s Cat. The game’s heavier focus on romance is not an indication that it isn’t worth your time, whether you’re a fan of his or not. While I may have preferred more variety in route structure and a cleaner script, Never 7 is still a worthwhile, albeit slow, read.

Him, the Smile & bloom is a slice-of-life otome visual novel that focuses on the smaller scale. It doesn’t do anything inherently wrong and is downright enjoyable if you’re the intended audience looking for a softer and more relaxed VN. Still, others might find the lower stakes challenging to invest in. I enjoyed my time with the title, and I hope that PQube’s upcoming localization allows more otome fans to try the game for themselves. Him, the Smile & bloom might just cultivate an entertaining experience for them!

Ultimately, I can only review what’s in front of me, and as it stands, this game shows promise that isn’t fully realized yet. Given the strength of its foundation, I’m excited to see where it’s headed in two years. If Capcom delivers, the expansion could very well be the best Monster Hunter yet.

Richly detailed and only occasionally derivative, Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is well worth the few hours of your time it will take for a playthrough and a half. Fans of classic sci-fi anime will get a kick out of its presentation, but more than that, this game will appeal to anyone who enjoys a tense ‘bottle episode’ mystery. The Gun-Dog succeeds less as a branching-narrative adventure game and more as a small-scale proof of concept for the greater Stories from Sol narrative series that I truly hope comes to fruition.