Despite its numerous small annoyances, Phantom Brave: We Meet Again is a fun game -- albeit hardly essential.

While it isn't a monumental triumph like the last couple of main-series Tales games we've received, Tales of Hearts R is still an enjoyable, if somewhat unimpressive, entry to the Tales franchise, one that's more than welcome in the wake of the incredibly disappointing Tales of Xillia 2.

I can truthfully say that Mary Skelter: Nightmares is the very first game I have ever played in which giving a woman multiple meatless pancakes demonstrably raised her affection for my character. I can also truthfully say that it exceeds the level of quality seen in my previous experiences with Idea Factory and Compile Heart. That comes with the significant caveat of a point where the game refused to recognize I had the critical item for progression, until after about 150 tries it finally allowed me through. Cranking the quality up from completely wretched to only somewhat wretched isn’t all that much of an accomplishment though, and leaves me no wiser than before about how these companies remain in business.

The developers take a brutal and punishing game of survival and spin into an epic journey. Hilda won’t become a beaten and battered casualty of a brutal combat system, but rather a heroic figure that brings hope to a bleak land and its people, with personal stories that have a variety of endings for the Aphesians in this fully fleshed out world. A strong combat system that doesn’t punish players too harshly makes Asterigos: Curse of the Stars refreshing and approachable. Levelling too much can make bosses easy, and locations for quest items can be obtuse, but the game never feels unfair or unbalanced making Aphes a world worth exploring for the rich adventure that it tells.

I wanted to love Fae Farm, but honestly, the full package was mostly disappointing. It is a game that tries to compete with the popular farming sims, but never quite does enough to stand on its own feet. While there are kernels of good ideas, they are marred by questionable design choices, with quests and goals that never feel satisfying. I am all for the coziness revolution, but Fae Farm, unfortunately, feels anything but.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is a game that improves in many areas upon the original Puzzle Quest, but simply doesn't do enough to make itself anything more than a spruced up casual adventure.

Ultimately, Mary Skelter 2 is more of the same, with an interesting story twist. This isn’t a bad thing for fans of the original, or those who haven’t experienced either game, but may unintentionally scare away those who had technical issues with the first Mary Skelter outing on Vita. Mary Skelter 2 invites those who haven’t yet dived into the series to partake of both the first and second title in one handy package. For those seeking a solid dungeon-crawler on the Nintendo Switch, Mary Skelter 2 gets a hearty recommendation.

Like Borderlands 2, The Pre-Sequel often feels like a fairly safe sequel, but the gimmicks Gearbox chose to use this time around actually worked surprisingly well, far better than I had originally anticipated.

The Surge 2 is like a juicy, metal-plated bone that gamers looking for a well-crafted yet brutal combat experience can really sink their teeth into: it will push them to their limits, hurt and punish in all the right ways, but offers that sweet, sweet payoff when you finally emerge victorious.

The game isn't terribly long, likely lasting most players a bit more than twenty hours if they take their time, but there is room for a second playthrough if players want to try a different evil philosophy.

Thirsty Suitors is a game made for those who love comedy and storytelling. Outerloop Games has made such an enjoyable love letter to IPs such as Persona and Scott Pilgrim, while still crafting a game that stands on its own two feet. There is so much personality and honesty that feels refreshing, and Jala is a winner of a heroine because her growth is so important and integral to the story being told. While the combat is serviceable and the game can be completed in under six hours, don’t let it detract you from giving Thirsty Suitors a chance. There is a lot of heart and soul in this game, and that alone makes it worth experiencing.

Tales of the Abyss is a very worthwhile addition to gamers' collections, and more than welcome on the 3DS' library. The removal of the technical issues is much appreciated and gives players the opportunity to experience the game at much closer to its full potential, where it easily earns the right to be spoken out in the same breaths as the more beloved entries in the series. Tales of the Abyss 3D is a very solid game all round, and the handling of characters' growth throughout the story should stick in one's memory for a good while.

Sticker Star is an odd beast, and its RPG aspects are actually the most problematic. Many of the most enjoyable parts come when it can be played as a straight platformer, only to be interrupted when aggressive enemies force the player into another battle without a worthwhile reward.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 2 is really just a continuation of the first game. While minor upgrades have been made, the core game remains pretty much the same, and it isn't likely to change the opinions of those who weren't fond of the first.

Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is a solid follow-up to The Isle Dragon Roars and is actually a more welcoming point for newcomers to jump in. Its pacing and presentation makes for a relaxing and generally chilled experience that still comes with plenty of emotion in its bittersweet narrative. There’s definitely reason for Square Enix and Alim to return to the Voice of Cards world, and it may once again be sooner than expected.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from 3D, having never seriously partaken of this series before. The experience, with its annoying mechanics and impenetrable narrative, has soured me on trying any more. Fans of other Kingdom Hearts titles will probably have a completely different reaction as they have already learned to cope with the mechanics and have some clue what the hell is going on. Absent from this conditioning, I find I have no interest in learning what else this series has to offer.

For those who just want to spend plenty of hours going around showing other ships who's boss, Rebel Galaxy is an ideal proposition. However, those looking for anything particularly substantial in other aspects are unlikely to find much depth lying in wait. Considering the size of its development team, Double Damage Games has found a good, if nowhere near universal, amount of appeal.

Visions of Mana is a strong entry that effectively revitalizes the lore of the series and keeps it more alive than ever. With dancing merchants, the ring system, and cute creatures such as Sproutlings, the game includes many staples of the series at their best, with Elemental Vessels being a magnificent addition. The patience of long-time fans is paid in full, while the game will also captivate newcomers with its superb presentation and emotive story.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny fits an interesting place in gaming history. There’s a weightiness to the visuals and combat that place it more in the past, but the new life given from the analog controls cannot be understated. What results is a comedically charming story that is coupled with methodical action combat. The lack of reliable healing adds a layer of difficulty that makes taking hits problematic and gives added weight to the powerful boss encounters. This particular style of quirky nostalgic charm hasn’t been replicated since the original’s release and the modern improvements make this a treat that is enjoyable to experience firsthand.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2: Innocent Sin doesn't bring any mechanical wonders to the table, but uses what tricks it has to keep the excellent story rolling along.

Ys: Memories of Celceta was and continues to be a highly engaging action RPG that makes a great addition to the franchise. Its best selling point is its combat system, which offers up a compelling and smooth flow of button-mashing fun, highlighted by boss battles that stand out with higher difficulty and require a defter handle on the system’s more intricate aspects. Nice graphics, a tuneful soundtrack, and an interesting supporting cast, each with their own compelling stories, round out the package that should be a no-brainer for those who haven’t yet played it. Those looking for an expanded revisit from previous iterations, however, should know that there isn’t enough new content added to this release to make it worthwhile of a whole new purchase.

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that there was going to be a sequel to Doraemon Story of Seasons, and Friends of the Great Kingdom was a decent experience overall. It’s clear that it has learned from the previous game’s mistakes, fixing pacing issues and offering more activities to keep the experience varied. Friends of the Great Kingdom is a great game to chill out with, providing so much whimsy and silliness that it’s hard not to grin like a fool when playing it. Even though not all of the new content was a home run, it feels like the Doraemon Story of Seasons series has finally found its footing with room to blossom even further.

Infinite Space's flaws are noticeable but do not detract overall from an expansive, addictive game.

After the disaster that is Nelke, I wasn’t sure if I would ever get back to playing and reviewing the Atelier series. While Ryza is a shorter experience clocking in at just over thirty hours, I admit to enjoying nearly every second of my time with the game. Atelier Ryza ushers in something new while still feeling like a familiar experience. Sure, it’s not the perfect Atelier experience, but I appreciate the changes in Ryza in a way I did not with any of the Mysterious subseries or recent iterations. Ryza is easily the best heroine since Totori, and while her game has some ups and downs, I would play another game with her at the helm.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is an amazing effort, if anything made more impressive by virtue of being a Kickstarter-funded indie game, and is a testament to what a dedicated and talented team can accomplish. It may not lead the pack in gripping narrative, but presents its comic book license in such visually and aurally impressive ways that other games would do well to pay attention. However, its true star is its deep combat system, which offers so many ways to tinker with and improve party efficiency that it just doesn't get old, provided players are up for a traditional turn-based JRPG designed by a western team. It's a game that shouldn't be missed by any fan of the genre, and is sure to attract a whole new wave of attention to its underlying license.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is a game that should greatly appeal to any who were fond of the series at any point in its history, and has plenty to offer to those unfamiliar with it.

Overall, Atelier Sophie is a mixed bag with many ideas that will hopefully be refined in future installments of the Mysterious series.

It is a shame that more time and effort weren’t put into the monster variety and ensuring better performance at launch. With the ability to create traps and other constructs on the field of battle, Wild Hearts has created a new hunting experience that could certainly stand toe to toe with a more well-established series. Future patches and DLC could certainly iron some of these problems out, but as it stands upon release, Wild Hearts is difficult to recommend in its launch state to all but the most hard-core of hunters. With that said, the foundation laid out by this title is quite solid, and could certainly lead to greater things in the future.