Revisiting games I loved many years ago is sometimes scary because I worry I may not enjoy certain aspects with the context of newer games in a specific series. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is still one of my favorites in the series and while this Switch 2 port isn't perfect, it exceeded my expectations despite some issues. If you haven't played Yakuza Kiwami 2 before and want to experience it on the go, the Switch 2 port is a very good way to do so, but I hope the performance issues can be addressed. If you have played it before, I only really recommend this if you want to revisit it on a handheld.

In a way, it betrays your expectations, even if the result isn't always a positive one. It may act as some sort of premium app experiment, but anyone who is interested in trying something different from a pedigree developer owes it to themselves to give Egglia a try. You may love it as much as I did.

If you have a dedicated group of friends that is ready and willing to play through the game together, whether that's in person or online, Wild Hearts S is an easy recommendation. If you're hoping to do multiplayer with randoms, then it gets a bit trickier. Wild Hearts S is a great game, but make sure you understand what you're signing up for before picking it up. While it's one of the best 3rd-party releases for the Switch 2 so far, it's a real question for how long the community might last.

At first, I wasn't completely sold on MHStories, but the longer I played the more that the game's heart shone through. The story might not have much depth, but what the game might lack in narrative it more than makes up for with its charm.

What’s here is mostly fantastic, but what’s missing feels like it could have pushed it beyond greatness.

Like a Dragon: Ishin is an excellent revitalization of an already solid entry in the Like a Dragon series. It has a compelling story that somewhat falls apart in the last stretch, but the journey that leads to it is captivating. Adding in new likenesses from recent Like a Dragon / Yakuza series from several iconic characters was a change I welcomed, because I loved so many of those characters. The gameplay feels refreshing thanks to Ryoma’s unique arsenal and there is just a sheer amount of optional side content to dive into that all feel fun, partially due to the Bakumatsu time period it’s set in. I ultimately finished my playthrough in 34 hours, but I still have a ton of optional content left that will easily consume dozens of more hours.

Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Reunion is one of Square Enix’s better remaster offerings and is generally a pleasure to play. The responsiveness and tight controls, along with the new quality-of-life additions, make combat a thrill to take part in. The visuals breathe extra life into an already interesting world, and I never got sick of watching the redone summon attacks. The story of Zack, while tragic, is still filled with moments of some brevity and intrigue, thanks in new small part to Zack simply being a wonderful character. My gripes aside, I am thrilled that whole new generations of players can once again enjoy this prequel and see Zack’s story again after such a long time. Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a must-play for anyone that loves Final Fantasy VII.

I really enjoyed Millennium Twilight, even without any sort of attachment to the anime that the game represents. It’s nothing particularly revolutionary, but I thoroughly enjoyed most of my time with it. Moments of confusion and the unintentional nerfing of most Brain Burst characters aside, this is a fun action RPG that is worth a look if you’re not a fan of these MMO anime series, and most likely worth a buy if you are.

Although Life is Strange: Before the Storm will contain just three episodes, this first episode is a satisfying three-hour ride that has left me filled with anticipation for the next episode. Despite my caution regarding a different developer, my hesitations about a game without Max, and my worries about the game overall, I am so happy about the opportunity to continue exploring Arcadia Bay and its mysteries. It’s flawed but contains so many of the things that made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with Life is Strange. Episode One is not only reassuring; it feels like coming back home.

All in all, I had a fun time revisiting Trails of Cold Steel III on Switch. I still wonder who this release is even actually for, given how it's hard for me to recommend newcomers play this, and most fans who really wanted this would likely have bought it on PS4 last year. Even with the issues, due to my preferences, I find this to be my favorite way to play the game.

Even if there isn't any real reason to continue playing the game after the credits roll, it's hard to deny that I had a wonderful time with Little Noah; and in a sea of similar games that aim to challenge players to perform their absolute best, sometimes it's nice to just sit down and play a game that aims to make the players feel powerful. Little Noah: Scion of Paradise strikes that balance without making the game feel unengaging, and that's by no means an easy feat. Perhaps Cygames' planned updates will offer something for those players that might still ache for a real challenge, but even if they don't end up delivering on that promise it's almost impossible to avoid falling for Little Noah's charms.

Your enjoyment of Mahoyo will heavily rely on its narrative and characters. Despite lacking multiple routes found in later Nasu works, such as Tsukihime and Fate, Mahoyo's story remains highly engaging and is truly worth the long wait in English. If you're into the Nasuverse, do yourself a favor and give this game a read.

The Division has a solid basis from which to build, and as with many RPGs of this type its post-launch support and the addition of high-level content such as raids will come to define it. What's there is good, and easy to recommend, but not without caveats and a long list of improvements that'll hopefully be made over the coming updates or in future iterations of the series.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War resoundingly beats to the sound of its own war drum to result in an experience that is iterative rather than revolutionary. Bold and resolute, its strength in character stirs when leading the charge into battle to create sweepingly epic moments that thrill in their dark and violent chaos. It’s a promising return to Tolkien’s world, even if the journey isn’t without its meandering fumbles.

For any fans of the original game, or anyone who wants to experience The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the first time, should pick up this remaster. Given its high price point for a remaster, anyone on the fence should either wait, or ignore the game altogether. The quality of life changes are greatly appreciated, but they are not going to change anyone's long standing opinions on the game, besides perhaps criticisms about the motion controls.

Monster Hunter World's PC offering is in a much better place than it was initially, and even then it was never a slouch.

The result is a game that is the definition of a truly mixed experience - but if you take the rough and under-developed with the smooth and innovative, there’s a lot of fun to be had. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is perhaps a victim of being part of a series that has one of the highest batting averages of any franchise out there - what is ‘good’ by Zelda standards is great to many other franchises and publishers. This is by no means the earth-shaker that some Zelda games are - but it sits up there with many other classic 2D Zeldas just fine. I just wish Zelda herself felt a bit more defined and present throughout, given this is her first true playable debut.

The game didn’t wear out its welcome with my playthrough, taking me about 23 hours to get all the endings. Live A Live brings with it some of the best qualities a game can have, a sense of discovery and adventure. With the option to play some chapters completely differently, or tackle on extra hard enemies, this is definitely a game I’ll replay, sooner than later.

That energetic feeling in the first game of swinging around buildings and taking out Titans with a well-placed strike is still incredibly satisfying. Complemented by a solid PC port, and you have yet another highly entertaining licensed product by Omega Force well worth checking out. This is how a sequel should be treated.

Project X Zone 2 is a brilliant follow-up that rectifies the sins of its previous game, even if it still shares a few of its flaws.

With one of the most endearing casts in the genre and an enduringly strong take on action combat gameplay, Tales of Vesperia remains as the series peak and I easily recommend it for fans to revisit and newcomers to experience for the first time.

There's no doubt about it: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon is the definitive Generation VII Pokemon experience. But if you've already become Alola's first Champion, it may be a little hard to justify the purchase of an Ultra game, depending on your priorities. If you thought the plot of Sun and Moon got in the way of the rest of the game, you're likely not going to enjoy all the added scenes in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. For everyone else though, the fleshed out plot, new content, and more will be enough to justify this purchase. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the perfect swan songs for the Pokemon series on the 3DS.

Mortal Shell doesn’t just replicate what other games in the genre have done before. Instead, it takes that formula, sharpens it and adds enough to make it a completely different feeling, but equally satisfying blade. Fallgrim is a world I’d be happy to struggle through again.

All in all, Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition is the best console-to-pc port that Square Enix has produced to date. On top of that, the Royal Edition is the best version of Final Fantasy XV – so far, and even if only just. The route taken to get here has been a bumpy one, needlessly long with and perhaps without the most efficient direction, but the journey here has left us at a better place than we were at starting out.

So long as you can deal with the stress and difficult decision-making, Frostpunk is an addictive and gorgeous-looking city-building survival game that is well worth your time.

World of Demons deserved better. Any game would have deserved better, but the fact that a title clearly crafted with love from one of the most beloved action game developers in the industry can just vanish into the ether should give anyone pause. Unless there's assurances of a port down the line, the same could happen to any game stuck on Apple Arcade; and just because the platform isn't given the same attention as others in the industry doesn't mean that the games are any less important. The same could happen to Fantasian, Sonic Dream Team, or even Pocket Card Jockey. At the end of the day, our industry thrives on building off of past successes; and with the loss of games like World of Demons, we might never know what games it might have inspired in the future.

I'm glad Dungeon Encounters exists. It falters in a few ways and it is definitely not for everyone, but overall it offers a satisfying dungeon crawler with simple rules, subtle depth, and just enough teeth to remain engaging.

Dawntrail is less a sprint ahead to the game's future, and rather a leisurely pit-stop while we all get to figure out where things go from here.