This title is a good entry point to first experience Berserk for any newcomers to the series. Longtime fans may be annoyed by the reuse of scenes from the Golden Age movies and wish other arcs past that point received more attention - I know I did. But the game's addictive and satisfying combat ensures Berserk and the Band of the Hawk will remain installed on my PS4 throughout 2017.

I did genuinely find a lot to love in some of the disparate aspects of The Cruel King and the Great Hero, but games can only ever be a sum of their parts. While there have absolutely been games in the past where I was able to overlook poor gameplay due to the strength of everything else in the package, it feels at least a little bit different when said gameplay is an active detriment to everything around it. Likewise, while plenty of games have had localization issues in the past, this feels like a game whose identity is so closely tied to being a fairy tale – to the point that NIS America sent us a literal “Storybook Edition” for the game – probably could have, and indeed should have had another editing pass done. At least the soundtrack is worthy of praise without any stipulations, but it’s hard to recommend the full package with all of its flaws.

Is this the worst remake out there? No. The core game is still great, if this is the only way you are able to play it. But this version needed more than a fresh coat of paint and a shrug. Imagine if this series, or even just the original standout third entry, had been given that Star Ocean 2 Remaster level of quality and attention. I’d be fawning over a loving recreation of a PlayStation game that could galvanize a legion of new followers into this heady mecha series. Instead, we got a half-baked museum exhibit.

I enjoyed my time with Detective Pikachu Returns, in spite of its lackluster presentation and mediocre meandering. Not just because of some silly scenes like the divorce mac and cheese, but because it’s Pokemon, and it’s always fun to see Pokemon living normal lives around human characters (or without). Nonetheless, Detective Pikachu Returns just isn’t a very good game, it fails to meet the presentation quality of the original despite having better hardware, and the gameplay gimmicks don’t make up for the back and forth that lack any real detective work. At the very least it should have combined the first game to make for a complete experience.

I wouldn’t be against seeing a Monark 2 one day, I’d love to get more of this combat, and if they can get the character models to look more like the drawings - even better. If we do get a sequel, I will definitely be approaching it with far less excitement than I went into this first Monark game with. Get yourself the free demo and when it’s over, ask yourself if you would have fun doing that same stuff over and over and over. If you think you would, then maybe you will have a better time with Monark than I did.

When it all comes down to it, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force's Switch port is probably not the best way to play the game, but considering that the performance itself is perfectly fine in most scenarios - especially in handheld mode, you can't go wrong with picking this version up if you're specifically looking for a more relaxed JRPG to play on the go. Ghostlight's first Switch effort is a solid showcase, and if nothing else leaves me excited to see what other titles the company can bring to the platform moving forward.

Reflecting back on the series' now ten-year history in the West, Tamsoft has made the best Neptunia spin-offs. Much like the other Tamsoft spin-offs, Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is nothing special, but it's also not a poor game outright. It's a decent action game without a lot of depth, but its simplicity allows it to be fun in small bursts. Neptunia and Senran Kagura fans will most likely find this game an enjoyable addition to the family of both series. I played on PlayStation 4, but the game is also coming to Nintendo Switch and PC next year, so even more fans will be able to check the game out.

If you’ve already played The Outer Worlds then getting it on Switch might only be worth it if you’re wanting to play it on the go, as there aren't really any other additions here worth the purchase. If you’ve not been able to play it then, despite some graphical and technical downgrades, The Outer Worlds is still completely playable on the Switch and a fantastic game no matter what platform you play on.

In the end I’m not really sure how to feel about The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered. There were points where I enjoyed myself, but I’m also not sure I’d beat it if I didn’t have to for this review. I don’t really mind the game's minimalist approach to narrative, but the dungeon design, repetitive battles, and difficulty walls I hit made it hard to press on. If the skill progression system sounds fun to you, The Alliance Alive HD Remastered is a much better option if you have yet to play it. But, if you’re looking for a game that gives you turn-based combat without much fluff, this would be still a fine choice.

Episode Prompto is a significant improvement over Episode Gladiolus, and fans of Final Fantasy XV will enjoy the additional light character development. It's still a bit awkward in places both narratively and mechanically, but it works well enough to fill a gap in Final Fantasy XV.

If you're a fan of the strategy RPG genre and love anime, or twin-tailed girls, and can put up with a Self-Insert protagonist, you should definitely consider picking this title up.

Valkyrie Elysium is an okay game with a fun battle system. Its biggest strength is that it’s fun to play when there are enemies on-screen. Everything else about it is relatively lackluster. This new take on the Valkyrie series is a solid gameplay foundation while leaving a lot of room for improvement in many other areas. Still, I think the developers at Soleil have done a decent job as newcomers taking their own interpretation of the series. I don’t think I’d want Valkyrie Elysium to completely overtake the Valkyrie Profile series moving forward, though I’d be happy with a peaceful co-existence as each strives to improve themselves - given that Square Enix greenlights more Valkyrie titles, of course.

If you're looking to take Neptunia Sisters vs Sisters on the go with you, this isn't a bad port. Compromises have been made to the game from its original versions on PlayStation 4 and 5, but the game itself still functions adequately. I'm not sure if the next Neptunia game will happen to run any better on Switch after the lessons learned here, but one can hope that the games will improve for the remainder of the Switch's lifecycle.

While Trillion: God of Destruction does an exceptional job in setting up its premise and having you care about the plight of its characters, the gameplay and combat mechanics left me feeling disappointed. Fans of turn-based dungeon crawlers may want to give this one a try, but be prepared for a marathon of character building.

Code Vein II is a sequel that learned all the wrong lessons from industry trends. I don’t usually like to compare games directly when evaluating them, but games don’t exist in a vacuum, and Code Vein II releasing right next to Nioh 3 puts it at a disadvantageous position because its direct action RPG competitor is superior in almost every way. Nioh 3 allows players to play with each other effortlessly, while Code Vein II removed it entirely. Code Vein II’s open world approach is a lot more dull to wade through, as Nioh 3’s smaller zones allow players to traverse it much more swiftly. The only thing I can muster is that Code Vein II probably should’ve pushed back its release to vastly improve its performance – something that Nioh 3 also has a leg up on.

I really wanted to like The Outbound Ghost. Usually, even with disappointing games, I find one feature or facet to rally behind even if the whole package is ultimately underwhelming. However, in this case I struggle to find a single thing to highlight. The Outbound Ghost is a pale imitation that I don't recommend playing.

There's plenty of fun to be had with Mega Dimension; the new sidequests are neat, the new Mega Evolutions are fun to play with, and even if I didn't gel with the story as much as the basegame I still had a good time with it. Yet, if you were already feeling burnt out by the time the original credits rolled - or are even just unsure if you're ready for more of the same - I can't exactly say if this DLC is worth the price of admission.

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet offers a fresh formula that gives the license a much-needed shot in the arm thanks to its deep customization and enjoyable gameplay elements. Not only that, but Gun Gale Online (the VR MMORPG where the game takes place) presents a far more interesting framework thanks to its sci-fi setting and gun-heavy focus, rather than the fantasy backdrop the property was precedently known for.

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.

I wanted to love YU-NO, I truly did. It had a lot of great ideas, and for its time was undoubtedly impressive in revolutionizing visual novels as a medium. The problem with genre-defining works is that they sometimes don’t hold up as well as the games inspired by them. YU-NO had just as many glaring flaws in its story as it did innovative ideas, and this remake does nothing to fix or improve them. This was out of respect for the original author and I get that, but it is still a shame.

I wanted to praise Front Mission 2: Remake for being the superior sequel to Front Mission 1st: Remake that it ought to have been. Instead, I’m left with a game that, due in large part to its dry, flavorless, and commonly confusing wordage, trades in some of the boring simplicities of that adventure for moments of head-scratching bewilderment.

I wish I could be coming away from Biomutant recommending it to other players. In fact, before starting it I was damn near certain that I’d enjoy it, but it sadly didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s charming and has a great suite of RPG mechanics and customisation, but it’s also surprisingly generic in most of its mission design and has combat that is unique but unsatisfying. I had some fun with it, and I’m sure others will too, but I walked away from it mostly feeling nothing, which is the biggest shame of all.

Even though its severe issues with optimization and gameplay balance have soured me on it, Little Town Hero is a neat game that I don’t regret checking out. Listening to the amazing tunes of Hitomi Sato and guest composer Toby Fox of Undertale fame throughout my 15-hour playthrough made for an enjoyable experience after all is said and done. There are a plethora of creative ideas inside Little Town Hero and I wish it came together more cohesively. Several performance and quality-of-life enhancements will go a long way for this game if it ever receives those patches.

Although I have a few gripes with the game, my overall time with Fallen Legion was a pleasant one - the developer did an excellent job with their first game on consoles. While it lacks a bit of polish and is quite rough around the edges, it makes up for it by providing a great experience that doesn't overstay its welcome. I found that many of these issues could be fixed in their next attempt, and I am looking forward to it.

Elex II is a disappointing game that fails to build on the potential of the original. While at some moments it manages to capture some of the same strengths, it feels like a poorly implemented retread in several ways. Slight improvements to combat don't make up for a less interesting story, worse characters, weak quest design, and a stark lack of polish.

Reynatis is, unfortunately like many other titles in FuRyu's catalog, an underwhelming RPG. In fact, FuRyu has continued to provide a good case study on why we probably shouldn't solely deify individual creators without acknowledging the full ensembles required to make beloved games. But as it is, we're left with an RPG that is average at best, messy & forgettable at worst. I've played most of FuRyu's output, continuing to look for a game that I can easily recommend to fans of the genre. While some games have been better than others, Reynatis doesn't break through the mediocrity. Maybe next time.

There are good ideas and elements that almost make this remake worth it, and on the whole it does make some improvements over the original game, albeit slight ones. Still, perhaps it really is for the best to just let these characters go home like they want to and leave the world of Caligula behind.

Varlet left me disappointed and bewildered. Despite some curious and evident narrative themes of adolescence in the social media age, Varlet's battle & social mechanics are stale at best and broken at worst. I went into Varlet with the best of intentions, but I came out weary and indifferent.