If Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed catches you having too much fun, be prepared to have that stripped from you like a finely quaffed set of Shadow Soul clothes. This game is a constant chore to enjoy and should be reserved for the folks that really want to see where the series began.

If you’re looking for a chill and often lackadaisical journey you'll steer in meaningful ways, Where the Heart Leads is a narrative-heavy series of roads you may be inclined to explore again and again.

The package is a refinement of the strong showing from last year’s game with a better visual presentation thanks to the stronger hardware afforded by the newest generation of consoles. The new Braking Point story mode is put front and center, but it drives clumsily over the same awful speed bumps that made similar story modes like Madden’s Longshot a forgettable diversion.

Boomerang X is a fresh take on the arena shooter. Focusing on one weapon, the range in abilities and the ceiling for skill make frenetic combat exciting in just about every instance. The game is rather short, but that works perfectly for the pace of both the story and combat. Only feeling dull in the moments between the action, DANG! and Devolver Digital have an impressive indie on their hands with Boomerang X.

I’ve longed to go on an adventure that gives me the chance to ally with the giant beasts I’ve been fighting against in Monster Hunter games for years. If you have too, I think you’ll find Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a more than rewarding experience with a decent story to keep the ride interesting throughout.

LEGO Builder’s Journey is a very relaxing puzzler with some cool concepts and ideas. The game is incredibly serene, as its peaceful tunes and minimalist design are quite relaxing. The integration of ray tracing and Nvidia DLSS make for a visually stunning game. LEGO Builder’s Journey is refreshingly original take on the LEGO series, and represents a direction that I hope to see the franchise head in the future.

I am disappointed by the mixed feelings I get from Backbone. It is absolutely worth a look solely on the merits of its audiovisual presentation, but its attempt to offer commentary or insight into the topics its narrative broaches repeatedly fall flat, particularly in the latter half. EggNut clearly has the goods in the art and music departments, so I would love to see what they can do with a stronger narrative in the future. If you do choose to give Backbone a shot, make sure to get the Artifact Edition, as it includes the wonderful soundtrack. 6/10 otters in 3-piece suits.

The focus on speed and chaos is what ultimately undoes Mario Golf: Super Rush. I would say that when it comes to Mario Golf, slow and steady wins the race, except this game has shown me that racing and golf don't really mix.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX from Merge Games and Jankenteam is a very niche product with very niche marketability. I imagine the game will be received well in territories where the Sega Master System held on to a longer life-span, such as Brazil and Europe. For the rest of the world though, there just isn’t enough here to bring Alex Kidd into the modern age.

The anime aesthetic may be a turn off for some players, but those people would be doing themselves a disservice. Scarlet Nexus is a game worth experiencing. It's a game that took me by total surprise and a world I hope to explore more in the future.

Much like most people's first efforts with Game Builder Garage, it's a good first effort. It's just not something people will be revisiting after a few weeks pass.

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance delivers a solid D&D adventure, with exciting combat and a slew of monsters to take down. Though my experience was a bit dulled by crashes and some minor bugs, it certainly didn’t ruin the game for me. Dark Alliance fits in nicely in the pantheon of Dungeons and Dragons games.

Torn Banner and Tripwire Interactive have poured no shortage of love into Chivalry 2's environments, objectives, classes, and player customization. It’s that dedicated level of support that will keep me coming back to the game and crossing swords for a long time to come.

Whether you've had adventures with Ratchet & Clank in the past or not, Rift Apart is not a game to be missed. It's one of the best games you can get for your PS5 and one of the best games of 2021 so far, period.

Guilty Gear Strive is a whole new level of beast. It represents the most visually gorgeous, the most full-featured, and the most technically sound that modern 2D fighting games have to offer, and anything that hopes to compete with it has quite the work cut out for it.

If you want to just not think and shoot the big bugs into little square bits and pieces with a library of characters and weapons, EDF: World Bros. might be just the comfort food you need.

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a very condensed story, only taking about a few hours to reach the credits. Because of this, the narrative feels concise and free of filler. Despite spending such little time with them, I felt like I had a good understanding of these characters and the relationship forming between them, thanks to two exceptional voice performances. The game’s metal-detecting segments also make for some relaxing times as well. Although some design choices make certain moments more tedious than they need to be, The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a pleasant little experience.

Unfortunately, Miitopia's story drags on way too long, given how shallow the narrative feels. There are going to be some frustrating moments where it feels like the end is near, only for party members to get swept away and replaced with new ones that have to start completely from scratch. Still, if you like Nintendo's brand of wholesome humor, Miitopia should be right up your alley. If you have a lot of Mii characters saved up, waiting for an adventure just like this, your moment has arrived.

King of Seas does lots of things well, from its visual presentation to the simplicity of its sailing mechanics. It touches base with many of the things that made classics out of the games that came prior while streamlining the experience into something that feels like a store-brand version of the thing I actually wanted.

Biomutant is a solid debut from Experiment 101. Though a couple of the game’s concepts don’t feel entirely fleshed out, there’s still a lot to appreciate. The amount of variety in both the narrative and in combat ensures that no two players have an identical experience. With a fluid combat system and enough style to spare, Biomutant is still a formidable RPG.

I was thoroughly impressed with Knockout City. Velan Studios has created a dodgeball game that has solid mechanics and is really easy to pick up. The skill ceiling is also incredibly high, making room for some really competitive gameplay. With a plan to heavily support and add on to the game over time, Knockout City is a welcomed addition to the sports game pantheon.

Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield succeeds at getting you into the action with little complication, even if it has less depth than a kiddie pool. It does a poor job at explaining Wally’s situation (everything I know about the story came from outside the game) and this further prevents the experience from being more than something that feels like a prototype. It has a low price that matches well with its truncated runtime and the soundtrack is good enough to help you forget some of the shortcomings. Maybe Aerial_Knight’s next outing will have the recipe for success.

If you want a high-quality visual novel, a good mystery story to follow, and a time capsule of game design all in one, the Famicom Detective Club remakes feel like a solid call.

If you want a high-quality visual novel, a good mystery story to follow, and a time capsule of game design all in one, the Famicom Detective Club remakes feel like a solid call.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends is an excellent change of pace from your standard online multiplayer games. The PvPvE style works surprisingly well, creating new obstacles and offering unique strategies at every corner. The gameplay loop can get a bit stale once you get familiar with the maps, but Sumo Digital has the groundwork for something quite special with Hood: Outlaws and Legends.

The game is an easy recommendation for anyone that has been pining for the shoot-’em-up glory days or any fan of arcade-style games. There is a lot of trial and error that is inherent with games of this nature and if rote memorization coupled with some light strategy in weapon choices doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, you might not find it here. There are multiple difficulty modes, however, that add continues and alter some boss patterns. I found the easiest setting offers a fair challenge while still teaching lessons to take into the more demanding difficulties. R-Type Final 2 is a prime example of a competent product that fills a niche perfectly. Even though R-Type Final was meant to be the last game in the franchise, this new sequel proves there’s still some fight left for shmups.

Resident Evil Village does great as an action game with solid horror elements. The combat is visceral and vibrant, the environments are splendid and mysterious, and the story had decent enough oomph to keep me involved throughout.

Housemarque reminds audiences that it’s got the chops to be one of the premier-tier game developers with Returnal. The game is wholly difficult with a roster of powerful enemies and bosses to overcome, but also gives the player everything they need in order to succeed. The game just gets better and better as you go on, as recognizing patterns and learning to adapt is endlessly rewarding. Despite some issues with RNG, it’s hard to knock this creepy sci-fi adventure. Returnal is a must-play PS5 exclusive for any roguelike fan itching for their latest challenge.