The new localization alone, despite the very infrequent handful of errors, is worth revisiting Tokyo Xanadu if you have played it already. There are a few performance hitches and the visual fidelity isn’t as clear as on PS4 or PC. But Tokyo Xanadu eX+ on Switch is still easily the definitive version of one of contemporary Falcom’s strangest games. It has problems a simple re-release can’t fix, but is full of cool and interesting ideas nevertheless. If you’re looking for something new there are bigger, blockbuster JPRGs that would be easier to recommend, but if you want something a little more out there, there isn’t much quite like Tokyo Xanadu.

At its core, Once Human is a survival game that encourages and rewards exploration. It nails the gameplay loop of gathering resources and gear, upgrading your character, and then venturing out to do it all over again. I had a great time running around and fighting alongside friends, and I’ll probably continue to jump in and play when I get that survival itch. However, it’s hard not to be put off by forced live-service elements that undercut mechanics and lock unique items behind a paywall.

Thank Goodness You’re Here is something altogether different from most of what I’ve played in 2024, and refreshingly so. It’s most certainly a game with some puzzle-minded antics, but it feels more like a lengthy comedy special, and the slapstick absurdity of it stays refreshing with plenty of surprises and ridiculousness throughout the adventure. Even the parts I didn’t initially enjoy ultimately felt like they needed to be there because it felt like part of the joke. Even so, be prepared for some very esoteric solutions and a complete lack of guidance as you learn to adapt to the wacky way this game wants you to think.

Looking at The Star Named EOS as a whole, it’s a good time. The lovely visuals and animations are almost worth the price of admission alone, and the story being such a strong element in contrast with its short length seals the deal. It’s an easy recommendation for fans of puzzle games and quiet, but serious storytelling. That said, the story isn’t remarkable, and often suffers from its own insistence on being a mystery for the first half and some change. EOS is a good time but has things holding it back from being an amazing time. “Solid” is the word of the day here, with a capital S.

With all that, what you’re left with is a sort of checklist-style experience. You go to each ooting, fill stuff out, unlock new clothing items and collectibles, and do that over and over again. If you’re the kind of player who finds satisfaction in a low-pressure grind to simply gather a bunch of things until you’re done, that’s the kind of system you’re engaging with here. If you’re a SPYxFAMILY fan and think Anya is insufferably adorable, there’s a lot of fun in simply hanging out with her and snapping photos of her legendarily goofy facial expressions. But if you need a little more substance and goal-oriented action in your games, you won’t really find that here. I found my interest deflating quickly, especially after giving all the minigames their first tries. The game may as well have been over after that point, and any further cravings for this IP were better met firing up Crunchyroll or opening up a book.

EA Sports College Football 25 succeeds at setting itself apart from Madden with new mechanics and systems that change the way you play the game. Wear & Tear forces a new kind of strategy, and the changes to passing and player movement open the door for unforgettable plays. There are some cracks in the presentation, the game needs more songs, and Dynasty could use a tad more polish, but College Football 25 has delivered a level of fun that I haven’t gotten from a football sim in years. [Deluxe Edition tested]

I found a lot to like during my time with Dungeons of Hinterberg, and the drawbacks feel mostly about limitations or how I met the vibe. The whole cozy thing can be hit or miss with me, and I like my combat to have some teeth instead of feeling like it’s simply showing up for work. The charm, creative magic abilities and puzzles, variety of colorful and weird characters, and fun premise all come together quite gracefully. Fans of classic Zelda games looking for something that’s not leaning on the retro aspect or trying to be indie Breath of the Wild might have a nice sweet spot here.

While Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition offers a rich representation of the original 8-bit console's history, this feels like the first leg of what could be a longer marathon. While we appreciate a good sprint, we're hopeful for a longer marathon down the road.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the Souls-lite genre. The challenging combat, unusual lore, and well-crafted environments blend the new with the old in an original way. While the gameplay could be more refined, the game succeeds in making the genre more accessible. The story is rather quick on the draw at the start and the ending trails off suddenly, but the relationship between Nor and Enki is enough to carry the bulk of the narrative. As a first entry, Flintlock is off to a solid start, and I look forward to having more adventures with this unlikely pair.

It may be easy, at a glance, to look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate and dismiss it as “we have Hades at home.” There’s a nugget of truth there, as we are looking at an action roguelike clearly inspired by Hades, with a smaller scale in many ways. But does Hades have co-op, or the TMNT? Nah, dudes. Splintered Fate has a specific goal, and it definitely delivers on that goal. It’s a fun time, with a lot of structural solidity and the fun co-op gaming vibes you should expect from a TMNT game. It doesn’t feel cheap or sloppy at all, and even singleplayer can keep your attention for several runs over dozens of hours. I’m still working on it despite winning several loops already, and spinning around like a maniac with my boy Mikey still doesn’t feel old yet.

Flock knows how to make the most out of the mundane. It takes a simple idea like bird watching and takes it to its most imaginative conclusion. It takes those birds and gives them cartoonishly whimsical designs while also giving them complex enough behaviors that charming them into your flock isn't a walk in the park. It's a delightful low-stakes affair, one that feels rewarding once you get a rare creature into your ranks. Those looking for a low-pressure, artistic adventure about documenting birds should join this Flock. Bring a friend, because the skies await.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is an extremely charming metroidvania thanks to its rich use of Japanese folklore in its world and character design. Not only is the world nice to look at, but a delight to explore. There are some rough edges when it comes to the platforming, but there is immense fun to be had if you can work past them.

Kunitsu-Gami isn’t particularly deep. However, it makes the most of all its many concepts, and outside the few dull moments of downtime, it’s always pushing you to think carefully and take in every part of its richly realized world. There’s genuinely nothing else like it, and I hope there’s more to come in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Gestalt: Steam & Cinder! It has a story that left me a little frustrated by the end, but the way there was full of good mechanical writing, solid character development, and a healthy amount of proper noun-led mystery world-building. The top-shelf visual quality cannot be understated, with incredibly detailed and well-animated 2D art that can hang with the classics easily. And while combat was the messiest part, there was still fun to be had running around the world, fighting weird enemies and using skills and combos powered by cool animations. I would definitely keep paying attention to Metamorphosis Games, especially if there’s more stories to come from this world in particular.

Anger Foot has a laser-targeted feel to its approach, and I can certainly see a specific group of FPS sickos losing their minds over it. There are tons of challenge, built-in speedrunning, and lots of flashing colors. There’s enough toilet humor to decimate an underfunded transit station bathroom, too. But if you fall outside of those extremely specific (and smelly) parameters, potential interest in Anger Foot is going to plummet. I don’t see the humor being enough to encourage casual audiences to stick around, even with the ability to turn dying off. Personally, I’m happy to wash my hands, uh, literally.

I’m more than ready to put The First Descendant down and not come back for a while. Its character playstyles are fresh and interesting, but underbaked gimmicks, overly familiar ideas, and underwhelming encounters make it hard to recommend. I’m hopeful that The First Descendant can outgrow its need to imitate other games and eventually turn into something interesting in its own right. It’s a live service game and Nexon’s first shot at making something in this style, so there’s every chance it might turn around in future updates.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a treat for fans of the original game as well as those who were introduced to the franchise with Luigi’s Mansion 3. It’s been properly modernized with beautiful lighting and improved features, though there are some growing pains in the jump between platforms. Still, it provides the excellent blend of spooky and silly that makes the series so endearing.

Riven is another beautifully assembled upgrade of a classic for Cyan Worlds, and it seems to play more wonderfully than ever. The puzzles and exploration feel immersive, even if it gets a bit unwieldy with a lot of back and forth between the islands as you come back to solve certain puzzles later. Even then, the returning Notebook system does a great job of aiding in the easy access of clues and information if you use it effectively. With that said, this is also just a beautiful game to explore and whether you’re a returning player or discovering Riven for the first time, it's likely to be a peaceful and intriguing experience.

There hasn't been a new Super Monkey Ball game in over a decade and Sega certainly approached this new entry to the series like it had some catching up to do. There's a lot to enjoy in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, from the lengthy story to the local and online multiplayer. It certainly isn't perfect, especially given that some of the series' most recognizable multiplayer modes aren't here. Seriously, no Monkey Target might cause an uproar among fans. However, even with those missing staples and some over-the-top difficulty spikes, this is no rotten banana. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a strong comeback for the series and will hopefully keep rolling for years to come.

Hauntii has some flaws, but it's short enough with enough unique ideas that I'd say it's worth experiencing. The opening alone is a brilliant example of the type of artistic expression that games are capable of producing. Even if the majority of the rest of the game doesn't quite hit its lofty heights, it's still an enjoyable way to pass a weekend.

Eldritch Realms adds an impressive number of new ways to think about Age of Wonders 4, and the hero units and realm challenges are among the strategy game’s best so far. Sure, it’s not another Empires and Ashes-level expansion, but it’s pretty darn close.

There’s magic in Rolling Hills for sure. But it’s a very fleeting magic, and a little more sauce would have made it a much more impactful source of wonder. It was definitely cute, though!

As someone who was quite high on MultiVersus after playing its Closed Alpha in 2022, I was hoping that its 1.0 release would deliver a polished platform fighter that fully realized its sky-high potential. While it still leaves several features and fixes to be desired, I can’t deny that the game is still deeply fun at its core. Now, it becomes a matter of whether or not MultiVersus will be able to achieve its full potential in an increasingly harsh landscape for live-service games.

XDefiant feels like a niche, that knows it’s a niche, and tries to sprinkle some broad appeal on top. Just enough to draw in more than the hardcores, without risking alienating them too much. At the same time, it’s a line in the sand moment for all the FPS hardcores who are sick and tired of SBMM. On top of all that, crossing over Tom Clancy series has the appeal of mixing a bowl of potato chips from different brands that are all the same flavor. And Watch Dogs? Anyway, there’s a solid foundation here with rock-solid arena shooter mechanics. If the matchmaking experiment works out and some key adjustments are made, I can see this game sticking around for a good while.

While F1 24 marks significant progress, it's not without its shortcomings. Persistent issues such as the lack of finesse in AI behavior and complexities in currency management detract slightly from the overall enjoyment. Moreover, support for enthusiast hardware remains inconsistent, and certain features like the absence of custom team entry in co-op career mode may disappoint some players. Despite these drawbacks, F1 24 remains a compelling choice for fans of the franchise, offering a thrilling and immersive racing experience worthy of consideration. F1 24 proves to be a worthwhile addition to the series, albeit with room for further refinement in future iterations.

Astor: Blade of the Monolith reflects one of the coolest aspects of video games as a medium with a deep history of iteration. You can take a familiar set of concepts, add new context, and come up with something that stands on its own rather than feeling like a ripoff. Astor does this with an impressive sense of knowledge and understanding of not only Zelda-style exploration, but character action-style combat. The latter is much more niche and specialized, therefore harder to pull off. It’s not quite a bullseye, but gets respectfully close and has me curious about further updates, as well as what this studio does next.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is a detailed asymmetrical horror game that gives a lot of love to its cult classic source material. The weird and wacky nature of the film is a perfect fit for the genre, and the gameplay design gives purpose to just about everything you do. I had frustrations with the locomotion and match length, but it didn’t ruin what was overall an enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Digital Eclipse’s new take on Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is an impressive and ambitious attempt to bring historical flavor and contemporary approachability and appeal into one neat, modern package. I may prefer the sprites and chiptunes of the Game Boy Wizardry remakes, but the effort and passion for video game history is just as powerful here as it is in other Digital Eclipse works. I would have loved some more museum-style content these folks are known for, but the laser focus on the game here is a fascinating new approach.