An incredible remake of one of the greatest adventures Nintendo has ever released, Link's Awakening is a must-have for anyone who owns a Switch.

There is so much meat in Dave the Diver that no number of shark bites can truly size it down. Even when the button prompts fail to properly load during a cooking competition, said competition is followed by a scene providing additional character lore and growth, ensuring you don’t stay disappointed for long. It’s very, very hard to overlook such a major, literally gamebreaking factor as crashes, but there’s just so much more to see instead: a music concert mini-game in a literal fever dream; minor characters with major emotional beats in their sidequests; plentiful boss battles against epic deep sea creatures; and still so much more. Just as we haven’t mapped even a fourth of the earth’s seafloor, there is so much more to Dave the Diver than first meets the eye. It’s surprising, it’s expansive, and each of its many segments is equally memorable. Dave the Diver is a game that shines brilliantly, even brighter than the most elusive pearls.

Still, minor quibbles aside, SEASON: A letter to the future is a beautiful and ethereal gaming experience about what is both permanent and impermanent in our lives. I was satisfied with the conclusion my particular journey took, finding the game to be genuinely moving and inspiring in unexpected ways. SEASON: A letter to the future is one journey adventure game fans will want to experience.

WrestleQuest is the best RPG and pro wrestling collaboration since The New Day hosted WrestleMania 33 decked out in Final Fantasy XIV cosplay. Even if you have no idea what I’m referring to, you can still thoroughly enjoy a beautifully crafted RPG that, like The Lego Movie, doesn’t just speak to your inner child but excitedly hoots and hollers out to it. WrestleQuest reimagines familiar concepts in a fresh and enticing way making it one of the most imaginative RPGs I’ve played in years. Take your protein, talk to your maker, and go play WrestleQuest today! OH SI!

Overall, there isn’t much critical I can say; Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom combines the series’ two “most complete” titles into one lengthy adventure, easily making it the definitive edition of Hakuoki. Newcomers and those who’ve only played the PSP port of Hakuoki should try this version of the groundbreaking otome VN. Still, those who’ve played Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms in their entirety might not find enough new content here to warrant a second purchase unless they want to play on the Nintendo Switch. As it stands, Chizuru’s adventures with the Shinsengumi remain powerfully compelling.

Wander Stars proves to be a major delight, especially if you’re a fan of the classics that the developers obviously have a lot of love and respect for. Yet, being a phenomenal RPG with an innovative turn-based combat system and a found family of characters you can’t help but grow to love for their own merits makes it a worthwhile experience on its own. While I find the ending satisfactory, much like many classic anime season closings it honors, I wouldn’t mind seeing further adventures of Ringo and company either. The stars may be far apart, but given constellations and the like, they can always find each other again. The creative Wander Stars is one of the brightest video game stars I’ve played this year so far.

Eastshade is an original masterpiece that needs to be experienced by everyone at least once in their lifetime.

Wargroove is one of the most charming, polished, and enjoyable turn-based strategy games ever made.

Not to be taken seriously, Telltale demonstrate the ability to shift between serious and comedic titles.

A lot of work and heart is in Chronicle I, and it shows in every moment. Despite having only two routes, both are extensive, meaty affairs that go in different yet still fitting directions. Belle Automata is the type of otome VN one can lose oneself in, and I mean that in the best possible way. I’m already looking forward to the future release of the next Chronicles. All iterations of Aureve’s journey will be worth playing if this first foray is any indication!

With gripping choices and authentic characters, I care about what happens to this dark, tragic world.

For anyone looking to try a visual novel with a unique premise, cast, and gameplay, Gnosia is a great choice. It does require a fair bit of patience to make it to the end, as even if you know how to make progress, actually fulfilling the requirements can be quite difficult. But in my opinion, the highs are much higher than the lows are low.

Although there are many great examples of hybrid strategy/turn based tactical games out there, Cyber Knights: Flashpoint sets itself apart by offering both a uniquely dynamic and reactive strategic layer and a turn-based tactics layer with nail-bitingly satisfying stealth and great combat. This is one of the most rewarding games of its kind to come out in this generation. It is perhaps one of the best to come out since XCOM: Enemy Unknown revived the genre.

Sakura Wars ~So Long, My Love~ is a great game in its own right. It sports NISA's best localization to date and has truckloads of replay value to boot.

Monster Hunter Rise features the most advanced, deep, and experimental gameplay in the series. It has something for everyone, and it will serve as not only the best entry point to the series, but one of the best entries in the series. It’s innovative, fun, complex, charming, and it’s a fantastic way to lose a couple hundred hours of your life.

As the developers rightly suggested in the Space Invaders side story, the day will come when the servers are turned off and this game is forgotten. It will not be remembered or celebrated nearly as much as Yoko Taro’s masterpieces NieR and NieR Automata. But for those who want in on a strange, wonderful, and limited-time experience, SINoALICE is the perfect pastime for you. Prepare to be shocked by some of the strangest short stories you’ve ever read, and hopefully you’ll have fun bashing baddies along the way.

The expanded scope of the story, great dialogue, and improved puzzles all combine to ensure that this game makes good on the premise's potential, and even if you weren't sold on episodes 1 and 2, if you're a fan of the series it is definitely worth your time to catch up so you can check out all the goodness episode 3 has to offer. For Back of the Future fans, Telltale has delivered.

Wuthering Waves is a fantastic game and one of the best current gachas from a gameplay standpoint. While the shift to a more HoYoVerse-style gacha system is disappointing (pity of 80 pulls versus PGR’s pity of 60, 50/50 coin flips on banner characters with a 100% guarantee after failure versus PGR’s 100% guarantee with no coin flips), Kuro Games remains relatively generous with free currencies (often as an apology for some kind of screw up), log-in campaigns, and events. Overall, the game is gorgeous, a treat to listen to, and a blast to play. Lovable and endearing characters and an intricately detailed world make Wuthering Waves one of the most high-quality games in its specific market.

Do yourself a favor, if you haven't gotten a hold of this and you're at all into PC RPGing, it's a necessity buy.

The stories of art and media shift over time, but when treated with care their impact remains the same. Final Fantasy VII Remake is a stunning example of this, and this portable, more accessible version reflects that same level of care.

It’s among the most thought-provoking mystery games I’ve ever played, and my only serious gripe is that Modern Storyteller hasn’t released DLC that would allow me to continue my adventure. The Forgotten City offers an unforgettable journey into an ancient town filled with a charming cast, a rich, sprawling narrative, and a world-class soundtrack. This is one city that I recommend everybody visit.

Are Omori’s RPG systems all that nuanced or thrilling to engage with? Not really. Yet, it works well enough and some of its battles will stick with me far longer than many finely tuned fights I’ve experienced in turn-based RPGs due to their thoughtful incorporation into specific parts of the story. Ultimately, the reason to play this game is for the dark and twisting narrative and how it permeates into multiple aspects of the experience. The art, OST, and battle system add essential flavoring to the gameplay. Some pacing, balance, and tonal issues that can’t be denied—but those aren’t at all what I’m coming away from this game thinking about. Omori pulled my heart in directions that few videogames ever have. It brims with a disturbing yet genuine intimacy that, like the rest of the best RPG Maker games, proves how much can still be done with the traditional JRPG format.

Cyber Sleuth is a great game, and one I heartily recommend.

I felt Telltale's occasionally heavy hand throughout the story, but I view this limitation as a work in progress. Despite this, they put together a powerful package that I hope surpassed Robert Kirkman's expectations, because it sure did mine.

Minor quibbles aside, System Shock is a bonafide classic any way you play it, especially if you play it on consoles for the first time through this remake. If you are looking for compelling horror, a good first-person shooter, or science fiction RPG goodness, look no further. If you want a retro-fitted videogame that retains its original’s mazey philosophies, with keycards, corridors, and zero tutorials, you’re in for a treat. If you want to support game preservation through abandonware resuscitation projects like Nightdive’s, there are certainly worse ways to spend your money. After all, without the historical context of important works such as System Shock, without even simple access to it, we might be doomed to wander the maze of modern videogames blindly.

I loved every second of the 30+ hours I poured into Wandering Sword. In a year filled with so many critically acclaimed RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, Final Fantasy XVI, and Sea of Stars, I could easily see a smaller, PC-only release like Wandering Sword getting lost in the shuffle. That would be an absolute tragedy, as Wandering Sword delivered one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had all year. Yuwen Yi’s journey opened my eyes to the wuxia genre and the wonderful world of Chinese RPGs.

Strategic yet led by its narrative and decision-making, Sultan’s Game sinks its venomous fangs in, forcing addled players to say: just one more turn. I had several instances in which I wanted to set up my team’s positions so that I didn’t forget what I wanted to do before I quit for the day, but I was so curious about the outcomes that I clicked to end the day and see the events play out, telling myself that I’d save right after the stories finished. Then the next in-game day rolled around and four new events popped up with their dazzling clinging sounds. I hovered my cursor over just to see the titles. That title! I just had to see what that title meant for the event. Before I knew it, I was placing characters into a whole new set of events. That’s the kind of game this is. Of course, like any venom, a little bit over time builds a tolerance, and while the content in Sultan’s Game may feel endless, there is, indeed, an end. Two-hundred, in fact.

Despite my gripes with the narrative and framerate, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an exhilarating ride from start to finish. I had a blast getting lost in its addictive combat, collection, and customization systems and appreciating its wondrous visual style. Whether you want to collect Monsties or battle them, or if this is your first or fifth foray into Monster Hunter, you’d be remiss to overlook Monster Hunter Stories 2. Regardless of whether it dethrones Pokémon as the king of monster collecting games, you’ll find it injects welcome innovation into the subgenre and stands on its own merits as an RPG well worth your time.