8-Bit Adventures 2 is the first game I played for 2023, and what a way to start the year of the rabbit! If you enjoy rollicking JRPG adventures, 8-Bit Adventures 2 is worth a look. The game has its flaws, but it gave me a positively enjoyable experience that reminded me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. A lot of love went into crafting 8-Bit Adventures 2, and I recommend showing some love back and checking out the game for yourself.

Wild Hearts is another great monster-hunting title that suffers the most from comparisons to the well-established Monster Hunter series. The developers have promised that DLC is on the way in the coming months with more kemono and karakuri, and it’s all going to be free with no paid updates in the plans (not yet, at least), so there’ll be more to bring you back to Azuma. Even after finishing the main game, there’s plenty left over in the endgame to challenge hunters hungry for more. It’s an impressive effort, with a world that continually beckons hunters to return. Gear up, for the hunt is on.

Playing Like a Dragon: Ishin! took me back to the feeling I had when I first played Yakuza 0, which is not a bad thing! Though it isn’t the pinnacle of the series, Ishin delivers a pure Yakuza experience that will delight both long-time and new fans. It’s an expertly told melodrama punctuated with moments of genuinely breathtaking absurdity. In other words, it’s a Yakuza game. And frankly, if this actually were a historical drama in the running for Best Picture at the Oscars, it would absolutely get my vote.

Memory is a funny thing. It can distort our perceptions of our lives, and our experiences aren’t ever really what we remember. Even when the specifics of a memory fade away, though, the feeling of the moment remains. Octopath Traveler II captures the feeling of those memories beautifully, and it’s not a game I’ll soon forget.

All in all, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth holds up remarkably well in 2023. The game’s mix of 2D platforming and RPG mechanics wouldn’t be out of place in today’s indie scene, and ditto for its slightly opaque nature. Valkyrie Profile hails from a time when games weren’t afraid to have mysteries, and while you’ll have to do a little digging to see everything this title has to offer, the experience is well worth it. So if you’re looking to experience a classic RPG from the days of yore, look no further.

There is an audience for One Piece Odyssey. Sometimes, in the middle of an exciting battle or while revisiting some of my favorite locations from the original series, I think I could be part of that audience. I’ve been a fan of the property for over 20 years and still read the manga every week. I’m not the world’s biggest One Piece fan, but I’m certainly an enduring one. But the repetition made the game a struggle to complete. As amazing as the game feels to start, it trudges across the finish line. A more patient player, or one whose love for One Piece is far more enthusiastic than mine, might be able to see past the repetition for the loving nostalgia underneath. For non-fans, or those of us looking for something meatier, One Piece Odyssey is more filler than killer.

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.

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.

Lover Pretend is a fun, enjoyable slice-of-life narrative for romance fans with some pleasant character-driven story moments throughout its run. It’s an overall solid visual novel if that’s the kind you’re in the mood for, and it put a smile on my face more often than not when I was playing it. I’d recommend it to otome fans for that reason alone, as it adds another great VN in the sub-genre to the Switch’s already extensive lineup.

We Are The Caretakers is a reminder of just how much work it takes to properly bring something from a cool concept to an actual functioning game. I have no doubt that Heart Shaped Game’s intentions were noble, and their courage to venture into relatively unexplored territory in gaming deserves its due credit. But when looking at the bigger picture and judging the game for what it is, not what it is supposed to be, We Are The Caretakers is simply beyond the pale.

I appreciate how the story so succinctly ties up its loose ends, and the epilogue makes the journey worth it. However, I did feel that the game’s pacing could drag on at specific points with several “fake out” endings, which are a storytelling mechanic I dislike. Honestly though? I forgot all about that minor frustration when I finally reached the proper conclusion because it was such an entertaining journey overall. Much heart and soul went into creating Path of the Midnight Sun, and that effort shows time and time again throughout the game. It’s worth tracking down and one I’ll fondly remember playing for a while yet.

A Space for the Unbound is a pleasant surprise to me in many ways. I started out with a preconceived notion of what it would be about, only to have that turned on its head in a rather alarming way. The tale it tells instead is genuinely haunting and upsetting, but one with a powerful and altogether touching ending. I felt so many things by the time I saw the end credits, and I came out thinking about what an ultimately beautiful and moving adventure this title ends up being. If it strikes a chord with you, it may even help you see things from a different perspective; A Space for the Unbound is a truly memorable gaming experience.

Forspoken is a far better and more compelling game than I had feared, but it also doesn’t reach the heights I dreamt of. There is a lot of fun to be had exploring Athia and the main quest keeps things interesting even when you get bored with the open-world checklist. But at the same time I can’t help but be disappointed with how safe Forspoken plays the open world, and I am unlikely to go back to clear out all of those rote points of interest. And I also can’t deny there are some eyebrow-raising moments as to how the writers chose to portray a black woman like Frey, despite personally liking her quite a bit when viewed through the lens of having finished the game. There is a lot of diversity in the cast too, in a way we don’t usually get from big-budget RPGs. I am not sure how many steps forward versus how many steps back Forspoken takes, but there are steps taken forward. In the end, I recommend Forspoken to anyone who loves Final Fantasy XV or Ubisoft-style open worlds and especially anyone who has a thing for character mobility. Yet, the game has a certain charm that I believe makes it worth giving a try to anyone.

Persona 4 Golden is a fantastic game, and this release is the best way to play it. The characters are loveable, the story is driving, and the entire game is hard to put down until you’ve absorbed it all. Persona 4 Golden might just be the apex of the series so far, and really, don’t you deserve something nice for yourself?

Between the fun gameplay, charming writing, retro presentation, and banging soundtrack, River City Girls 2 feels like it takes everything from the first game and does a little bit more and a little bit better. More moves, more characters, online co-op, and better gameplay variety are just a few of the major improvements in this sequel. If you liked the first River City Girls, you’ll love the sequel, and if you didn’t, I would recommend River City Girls 2 to anyone who enjoys beat ‘em ups or just wants a delightfully charming game with lots of laughs.

Amnesia: Memories achieved so well. But Amnesia: Crowd picks up the slack with ease, making the combination Later x Crowd a worthy follow-up for any fan of the original.

Coffee Talk is a pleasingly creative game with a lot of heart and hidden depth. During my playthrough, I felt like I was curling up with a good book under a blanket, sipping a warm beverage. Every once in a while, we could all do with that relaxing way to pass the time. While I was regrettably late in playing this delightful title, I’m eager to give Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly an earlier try! After all, if it is anything like its predecessor, it’ll be a title to talk about with a warm cup of coffee close at hand.

Aka isn’t particularly expensive, but I still find myself unable to recommend it due to its many issues. In the end, I ask myself whether I would be satisfied if I had bought the game for myself instead of receiving a review code. Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Persona 3 Portable is one of those experiences that I need to let go of, eventually, yet it sticks to me like a wound. Take the time to enjoy the social links, the Persona fusion, and the story because enduring games like this one don’t come along often. Between the different versions, Persona 3 is still begging for completion, though the Portable version is a sight better than nothing. If the rumors of a remake are true, then perhaps all of this will be moot. But until then, this is the only way to play Persona 3, and it’s a dark masterpiece that beckons you to get lost in its labyrinthine setting. Hee-Ho!

Monster Hunter Rise has looked at what did and didn’t work in past entries' gameplay loops, and bridged the gap between with new features in a refreshingly effective way.

As it stands, I had a blast stepping into the role of the Hunter and getting to hang out and battle with a colorful assortment of Marvel heroes in a supernatural-tinged adventure. I’m already eagerly awaiting the future DLC for Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Sometimes, you do draw a winning hand.

Dragon Quest Treasures offers a cute story, beautiful lore, and a magnificent world to discover, and while that’s all lovely, the experience is marred by its weak combat. In ways both good and bad, this game put me in the mood to play other Dragon Quest games. The treasure is tarnished, but it’s still at least something shiny and new to do, making Dragon Quest Treasures a decent appetizer as we continue to await Dragon Quest XII.

Overall, Demonheart: The Ice Demon is a more mature otome VN full of flawed-yet-realistic characters in a compelling fantasy storyline. I enjoyed the time I spent playing the game and found it to be both a surprisingly solid standalone title and one that has piqued my curiosity about the more extensive Demonheart series and its mythos. Fans of romantic VNs, in particular, should check this one out.

I’ve played many impressive games over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as impressed by a game as I have with Chained Echoes. The sheer quality and quantity of content is honestly kind of insane for a solo developer, and while there are some bugs here and there, it all runs pretty damn smoothly too! Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic adventure or just want to play a fresh, new indie RPG, Chained Echoes is a gem that should not be missed.

Regardless of how essential Forever Entertainment’s updated Front Mission 1st Remake update is, the game itself is a classic. It’s wonderful that it’s now available on a modern platform and that the developers have sparked their own revival for a series that has been mostly dormant for over a decade (Left Alive? Never heard of it). With one game down, it’s easy to look forward to the eventual remakes of Front Mission 2 and 3 and, hopefully, even more to come after those with Forever Entertainment in the cockpit.

On the whole, Arcaxer manages to do a lot with a little. While the floors of the Stack can become a little bland, and there aren’t a ton of locations and characters, Arcaxer spices things up with its genuinely funny script and addicting combat. The story provides just enough impetus to start your adventure, then gets out of the way and lets its goofy characters and combat carry the rest of the game. Perhaps most importantly, despite being a third-person game with turn-based combat, Arcaxer succeeds in using the VR medium to add immersion and support its unique gameplay.

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.

The Devil in Me brings a very uneven first season of The Dark Pictures Anthology to a close, and I’m left a little ambivalent from the experience. I enjoyed all four of these games to some extent, and I’m curious as to what they’ll do with the next game, Directive 8020. But it’s clear after playing The Devil in Me that Supermassive needs to give these games a little more breathing room. While it’s certainly impressive that they’ve maintained a yearly release schedule for the Anthology, games like The Quarry show that these experiences could be made so much more. I genuinely hope that The Dark Pictures one day become truly great horror games rather than just novelties.