In its current state after the first major post-launch update, Assassin's Creed Shadows is worth your time handheld on Switch 2 all things considered. If you already own it on another platform, I recommend it on Switch 2 to play on the go and complement the TV experience you get elsewhere. I hope to see some of the performance issues when playing docked addressed and will be revisiting this for the Claws of Awaji expansion in the future.

Langrisser I & II is like a studio adding color to a classic Hollywood movie from the golden age. It's not necessarily better now than it was, but a touch up might make it more appealing to some. In the end, the remakes of the first two Langrisser games don't quite add anything to make them automatically better than their original counterparts - it's more just a different take on the original games. It's not a really high effort remake, but since the first Langrisser games are already good, it would've taken a lot of effort to make the games really awful.

If you're going to play Death end re;Quest, then I suppose this port is technically the best version of the game as of right now - but that's by a very, very slim margin. You're not really gaining much from this port, other than the option to play it on your computer, and with keyboard and mouse if you can manage to memorize your mapped controls and can deal with the infuriating mouse camera. As a port it's incredibly disappointing, but at least PC only users can play it, and if you were only planning on playing it with a controller at 1080p/60FPS, you're probably not going to notice the ports glaring faults. The port performs well, and I'd wager for 90% of users the state of it will be enough. It's just disappointing that it launched in such a barebones state.

Vampire: the Masquerade - Shadows of New York is a good game to spend an evening with. On those Sundays where you have all day to relax or those randomly dreary days when any kind of chore feels like too much. That’s when this game will feel just right. Getting both endings doesn’t take long, so it’s easy to play and move on. The main word that comes to mind is: simple. Some parts are good, others tiring. It works as a way to get into some of the worldbuilding involved with Vampire the Masquerade games, but as a standalone visual novel I don’t think it will appeal to the masses.

Scarlet Nexus is an easy game to enjoy and a hard one to hate. It’s so unabashedly earnest about everything it set out to do that even with my issues I couldn’t help but reflect fondly back on my time playing. Most of what it tries to accomplish is done so adequately or successfully, which means a majority of what I had to discuss were parts that broke me out of the vibes presented to me. The combat is free form and incredibly creative, the visuals might be some of the finest to ever come from Bandai Namco, and the story is dense yet largely satisfying. There is fantastic framework in place now for a sequel, and I hope it sells enough so this team can continue to flesh out their vision.

I came away from Trails Through Daybreak with many unanswered questions and mysterious hints dropped in the game's last moments. Despite my issues with some of the characters, Almata, and the underlying Xipha system, I still enjoyed my time at Calvard, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and I am eager to return. The Trails series is one of my favorite long-form fictional works, and I look forward to the months and years' worth of discussions and seeing how all the new teases and hints end up paying off in Daybreak II, Kai no Kiseki, and beyond.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist and the White Guardian is a decent game that is good for short bursts of gameplay. If you're a longtime Atelier fan, this likely has more meaning for you, seeing your favourite characters come together for another adventure. For people not familiar with the series, there's not a lot here to hook you.

As a dungeon crawler, Operation Babel is basically more-of-the-same. It's a competent entry into the genre, even if it's not a terribly interesting one. Fans of dungeon crawlers won't mind adding it to their collection, but it certainly doesn't stand out from the rest.

Othercide is an interesting twist on the tactical RPG genre with a striking artstyle, adding in roguelike elements to questionable effect. Not everything comes together well mechanically, it's a little bit repetitive, and I think the narrative elements could have benefitted from just a tad more outward direction. It's certainly a unique game, which may be worth checking it out if you like trying new and different styles even if the execution is spotty in places.

Besides a few odd choices that don't affect the overall quality, Return to PopoloCrois is a nice, simple, and short RPG.

It's certainly not the deepest Tactical RPG that I've played, nor the absolute best Visual Novel that I've read, but Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen brings more than enough to the table to be worthy of your time. It may have taken entirely too long for the entire series to make its way over, but I'm glad that it has - and that more and more players will have the chance to start it. Utawarerumono is a great, charming series, and one that is more than deserving of a closer look. This remake might not stand the test of time quite as much as its sequels, but don't let that stop you from getting into the series - it's one that I can't recommend enough.

Redemption Reapers is a strange, sometimes interesting, and sometimes frustrating tactical RPG. It has several intriguing components conceptually, both in its narrative and mechanics. But, in places, it falters in execution, leaving behind an uneven though interesting experience.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy is a solid Mystery Dungeon game with a good amount of content. It, unfortunately, sticks to a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop and, even with a few challenge dungeons with unique rulesets, can get a little stale. I still enjoyed my time with Chocobo, and Mystery Dungeon fans will find something to enjoy here, but the appeal to a broader Final Fantasy fanbase might be a bit more narrow.

Narrative nitpicks and shortfalls aside, Stellar Blade is an action RPG that excels where it matters most: Looking gorgeous and facilitating supremely satisfying combat interactions. Bolstered by the capable fusion of its inspirations, its weaknesses keep it from transcending them. But those willing to make their peace with those disappointments will find a nearly stellar experience.

It is far superior to its original PSP version, but it only takes a small step as a sequel. The series needs to take a leap if it wants to compete. Fans should definitely pick this up, but newcomers would be better off testing the waters with God Eater Resurrection first.

While Minoria is far from perfect, it does show a lot of promise for future titles. Minoria is not connected to the Momodora for a few reasons, but it’s clear Bombservice wanted to try some new things within the Metroidvania framework and it succeeds in some aspects but needs work in others. If anything, Minoria makes me excited for a Minoria 2, where a lot of the wrinkles are ironed out and all of the gameplay mechanics gel together better.

Despite its flaws, SD Gundam Battle Alliance provides a fairly unique experience in just being a challenging game in general. This is one of the few games in Gundam that heavily encourages multiplayer co-op. I hope it finds a healthy community in all the platforms it is released on, because this is not a great experience if you are intending to play it only alone. There are certainly problems on a fundamental level besides its oddly tuned balance; the AI partners and camera often perform poorly, while some of its environments are straight up borderline visually unnavigable. Yet, I am left impressed with how technical the gameplay is and how carefully Artdink designed the game’s framework to emphasize teamwork and synergy above all throughout fun Gundam crossover stages. It’s not perfect, but I am thankful that this kind of game can still exist.

If you can manage the noticeable gameplay design flaws and the eyesore that is the user interface, Romancing SaGa 2 is still an excellent experience culminating in a highly eccentric entry for the series. Thanks to its sheer density of content, I would still recommend giving this one a try, regardless of the platform you go with.

The Alliance Alive tries to make improvements on its predecessor, but only to a certain level of success. It still gets bogged down by a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop, and the expanded story focus is merely adequate. However, the game can be comforting if you are longing for an RPG that feels like the ones of the days past.

Silent Hope is a decent budget title that can scratch your itch for a quick action RPG. If Diablo IV's price is a bit too steep to pull the trigger on and you want a quick fix, Silent Hope will satisfy you. While Silent Hope's light story and simple gameplay may not be the most exciting, it's a charming game that can still hook you with its gameplay loop.

Ys Seven is not a bad game but it misses the highs of what makes the Ys series great. It disappointingly conforms to more ordinary JRPG stylings and structure which work to blend the game in with its peers rather than distinguishing it from the crowd. The PC port is done well enough, and Ys Seven will work to whet your appetite for more with Ys VIII coming up on the horizon.

There is a decent game lurking beneath Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Its experimental, numerous half-baked ideas in the shift to a turn-based RPG drag it down from being an excellent experience, but the core ideas are solid enough on paper that they could be amazing if given a future chance. After all, this is the first time the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio development team has embarked on this wild idea to transform this long-running series into something it has never been before. I do disagree that this title can serve as a newcomer’s first foray into the Yakuza series. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is not outstanding, but its vision of what an RPG would look like set in today’s world is fascinating. I played the entire game with Japanese audio and I must say, Ichiban’s voice performance in the finale of his game is phenomenal.

As a whole, I’d feel bad not saying this: Nioh 2 is one of the best games you could play this year, and a weak narrative in its trilogy of DLC won’t change that. The First Samurai might disappoint but this is still Nioh 2 and, in a way, that’s enough.

Mario & Luigi Brothership is the biggest and boldest the series has ever been, with some novel battle mechanics and colorful presentation. However, an overstuffed runtime and exhausting pacing severely dilute the experience in both narrative and gameplay. Had Brothership been a snappier, more compact entry, it could have been one of the best in the series, but as it is, we're left with an enjoyable game that overstays its welcome once again.

Before the Storm tackles its themes with grace and provides an amazing exploration of female friendships and relationships with an emotional depth that is rare to come across. Many moments are heart-wrenching and in line with the primary thing that made the original so widely beloved: the emotional, real, and relatable experiences of its characters. Just like the original, it has its good share of flaws; but also just like the original, there are moments and characters so human that you can’t help but connect with them on a deeply personal level. Just like real people, Before the Storm’s final episode is a flawed but at times beautiful thing. Overall, even though I have a stronger personal connection to the first season, I dare say Before the Storm is the better of the two and it’s absolutely worth playing.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden does do enough to stand out on its own, mostly due to the narrative. If you weren’t impressed with the first faux tabletop experience, the minor combat changes won’t be enough to persuade you. Likely, due to the closeness to its antecedent, there aren’t enough improvements in this entry to really qualify it as being notably better than the first. Nonetheless, it is a complementary experience that fans of the first are likely to enjoy just as much.

I may not have personally enjoyed the writing much, but it’s not inherently bad--it’s just not my sense of humor. There may be sticking points and frustrations in terms of the gameplay, but the core of the battle system is solid. Perhaps being episodic will work to Nuchallenger’s advantages, so they can take what they’ve learned from this first episode and make a truly great second one.

For someone who isn’t a fan of the original Disgaea games, I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed my time with Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded. It’s not the best remaster I’ve seen and the challenge can be overly frustrating at times, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had in its simple-to-learn, hard-to-master mechanics and charming characters.