As the first entirely new Ratchet & Clank in almost eight years, and the latest entry in one of the defining franchises of the PS2, Rift Apart had a big legacy to live up to. But boy, does it manage to step into those magneboots, delivering a decidedly modern game that creatively pushes technical boundaries, while also being grounded firmly in the joyful, playful design philosophy of that golden age of 3D platformers. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart feels like something from an alternate dimension where that early 2000s style of platformer design never went out of vogue.

Like I said at the start, I can’t tell you how well (or not) the Resident Evil 4 remake compares to the iconic original—plenty of people far more qualified than me have already done that. But as someone getting their first taste of Leon’s encounter with Los Illuminados in this latest release, Resident Evil 4 hits every mark: a finely-tuned balance between action and survival horror, both tense and exciting, with an intriguing story and a degree of craftsmanship that few other third-person shooters can match.

More casual audiences may find less appeal, with little in the way of different game modes or novelty features—these are, after all, emulated ports of decades-old arcade games. But for the historically-curious who want a dive into a slice of Capcom’s more esoteric history, or competitive fighters wanting a more convenient way of playing some games that still hold up, Capcom Fighting Collection hits the mark. And even if nothing else, the first-ever home release of Red Earth makes it worth the price of admission.

All three games in the Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack are a joy to dive into, whether you’re exploring them for the first time or revisiting some not-to-old friends. The new additions bring a lot to what were already delightful games to begin with, and to finally have all three games on Switch makes for a nice, convenient way to visit (or revisit) some real gems. And hey—now that Mysterious Trilogy is done, maybe Koei Tecmo will turn its eyes to the PS2 games? I sure could go for some Atelier Iris on my Switch…

In a medium that’s so happy to turn war into a frivolous entertainment, it’s rare to see a game actually engage with the realities of war in any meaningful way. You might not expect it from the cute character designs, but that’s exactly what Fuga: Melodies of Steel does, and with remarkable success: weave a harrowing but ultimately hopeful story about the destruction that war leaves in its wake and the desperate lengths people will go to to save those they care about.

It would have been easy to take this remaster too far, to polish it too much in search of broader appeal. But its messiness, its scrappy nature, and the surreal atmosphere that stems from that are precisely what make SaGa Frontier as memorable and beloved as it is among its cult of fans. Restored content, revamped visuals, and new conveniences are great to have, but SaGa Frontier Remastered‘s greatest achievement is how it keeps the maverick soul of the original alive for a new generation to enjoy.

Fun new ideas, tweaks to old systems, and a captivating new chapter in Sophie’s story all help Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream feel like a natural next step after Atelier Sophie, despite the handful of other Ateliers we’ve seen in the meantime. But more than than that, what makes Sophie 2 stand out is what has always made this series stand out: its absolute commitment to pure, unadulterated joy. That’s what you come to Atelier for, and it’s what Sophie’s latest outing delivers in spades.

“Final Fantasy meets Nioh” is in easy assumption to make about Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, given appearances, and while that’s not exactly inaccurate, it’s an incomplete description. Team Ninja’s pedigree and inventive riffs on Final Fantasy staples makes for an action RPG that’s hard to put down, but what really sets Stranger of Paradise apart is the subversive way it approaches its source material. This isn’t your typical origin story; it’s a deconstruction of that first Final Fantasy and a reflection on the legacy it left in its wake—one that’s entertaining, often funny, sometimes biting, but above all, is willing to question its own canon in a way that you don’t often see from a series as high-profile as this.

Scarlet Nexus reminds me a little of The Caligula Effect, in a way. Not in theme or style, but in tone, in energy, and the way it uses the JRPG format to go down some fascinating, thought-provoking paths. But where such games are not unusual from smaller developers, it’s a rare joy to see a publisher like Bandai Namco take the same risks, and to see those experimental ideas get the budget they need to truly shine. In a world where the “punk” suffix is often just a shallow aesthetic choice, Scarlet Nexus truly lives up to its “brainpunk” vision.

At its heart, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is just more Taiko—the foundational rhythm game hasn’t changed a whole lot since Drum ‘n’ Fun. But that’s only because it doesn’t need to: the taiko drumming core, and the only thing a new entry really needs is new songs to play with. That’s what Rhythm Festival delivers, with a strong base tracklist and huge additional selection with the Taiko Drum Pass. Fun minigames help round out the package, but it’s that rock solid rhythm foundation and endless charm that make Rhythm Festival a must for music game fans.

Grief is a familiar theme in art, but in being both so universal and so personal, it’s something that will always resonate. Lost Words: Beyond the Page is an poignant, original approach to a common idea—both an abstract metaphor for grief in its fantasy world and a moving exploration of the creative catharsis behind it. Most of all, it’s a game about the power of words to make sense of a world turned upside town, and to cherish forever the memories of those we’ve lost.

Complaints about the Bond system aside, Persona 5 Strikers is an impressive effort indeed. “Warriors but with Persona characters” would have been cool, but the reality of Strikers is much more ambitious: a game that combines the best parts of each franchise in a way that builds upon them both. Persona 5 isn’t a game that needed a sequel, but in drawing on what both Koei Tecmo and Atlus do best, Persona 5 Strikers makes it work brilliantly.

Loop Hero is something truly unique: you could fairly describe it as a sort of reverse tower defence roguelike deck-building strategy RPG, but that doesn’t really do it justice. It’s a game that takes all those pieces and combines them into something that isn’t quite like anything else out there. Sharp writing and a story that moves effortlessly between morbid humour and murky existentialist musing tie it all together nicely, but its in the fascinating experience of exploring the little details of its web of intertwined systems that Loop Hero finds its true brilliance.

That little complaint aside, Bravely Default II does a wonderful job of scratching the classic JRPG itch, while also subverting the genre’s tropes and conventions in fascinating, sometimes surprising ways. It’s a fresh take on the familiar tale of four Heroes of Light, full of charming characters (Adelle!), beautiful locations, and sharp writing, with captivating battle and job systems to go with it. Even if, for me, it doesn’t quite hit the same highs as Bravely Second, it comes damn close—and that’s high praise.

Even without a museum to sate that historian interest, Capcom Arcade Stadium is a fantastic compilation. The game list has a nice mix of familiar classics and hidden gems, with the usual quality of life touches, rotating special challenges to keep things fresh, and charming, nostalgic presentation. It’s also the collection that finally brought the bullet hell masterpiece Progear to console, and that alone is worth the price of admission.

Ever since its announcement, there have been concerns about Guilty Gear Strive and the new direction it’s going: concerns that it would try too hard to make the game approachable at the cost of depth, that it would oversimplify things, that it’d lose what makes Guilty Gear Guilty Gear. And sure, Strive is a different beast, with a different tempo and a different focus, but it’s still got all the quintessential pieces of Guilty Gear in place: the tactical depth, the interplay between systems that creates fascinating strategic opportunities, the rich characters, the hype, the big juicy combos. It’s a little lacking in bells and whistles and the lobby system leaves a lot to be desired, but the core of the game is rock solid—and, really, that’s what’s most important.

Otomate has a rare gift for weaving together enchanting, sexy romance and thoughtful, often challenging themes. Olympia Soiree is as fine an example of that as any, using its romantic themes to go down some dark, confronting roads—but roads that need to be travelled, to say things that need to be said, and ultimately ending up in a hopeful place. And with the studio’s penchant for sublime artwork, sharp writing, and absolutely gorgeous character designs, it’s an enthralling journey from start to finish.

A deep, complicated, fascinating web of puzzle-solving that’s constantly playing with new ideas and finding creative interpretations of its basic rules. It’s a game that gets fiendishly difficult, sometimes to a fault—there’s a hint system, but it’s limited and often not all that helpful, and the game doesn’t always do a great job of introducing new ideas in a clear way. But the other side of that coin is a series of truly genius puzzles that make brilliant use of those core ideas, and are a true delight to solve.

The fact that Nintendo would remake Famicom Detective Club at all might be one of the most welcome and unexpected surprises of this year, and they’ve turned out remarkably well—dated puzzle design notwithstanding. An art style that combines the best parts of visual novel stills and fluid animation helps to lay the groundwork for a pair of truly engrossing detective stories. The way each mystery unfolds as you piece together the clues is nothing short of masterful, with the atmosphere, nuanced storytelling, and emotional underpinnings to tie it all together beautifully.

The fact that Nintendo would remake Famicom Detective Club at all might be one of the most welcome and unexpected surprises of this year, and they’ve turned out remarkably well—dated puzzle design notwithstanding. An art style that combines the best parts of visual novel stills and fluid animation helps to lay the groundwork for a pair of truly engrossing detective stories. The way each mystery unfolds as you piece together the clues is nothing short of masterful, with the atmosphere, nuanced storytelling, and emotional underpinnings to tie it all together beautifully.

Samurai Warriors has long been a vessel for an exciting delve into the Sengoku era—one that, despite its extravagances, always puts authenticity at its core. That’s truer than ever in Samurai Warriors 5, with a new, more dramatic approach to storytelling and a singular focus on the legacy of Nobunaga Oda, and the way it balances an extremely divisive historical reputation is nothing short of remarkable. With some welcome refinements to the endlessly enjoyable action-strategy game at the Warriors series’ core to round out the package, this is a fantastic new direction for Samurai Warriors.

It’s that melancholy feeling that pervades every aspect of Olija that makes it so effective. This is a game about being lost, about being isolated, about being a stranger in a strange land where you looked down upon even when you’re not being outright attacked. It’s bleak, powerfully so. But it’s also a game about hope: a game about finding your own place even in such hostile and lonely world, and about how, sometimes, the most foreign land imaginable can end up being the place you call home.

None of these are things that alter the story in any tangible way, but they make the player a part of what’s happening in a way that ties into that theme of connectedness. This isn’t your story, but you’re still part of it, even as a passive observer. It’s a story that will continue with or without you, but that doesn’t mean you’re not connected to it as part of the same Bigger Thing as the forest that’s telling the tale.

All this in service of a tale that effortlessly juggles lighthearted humour with careful traversal of serious, difficult themes like domestic violence, while building to an especially emotional conclusion. A Space for the Unbound is an enchanting, sometimes confronting dive into a slice of Indonesian history, and a journey will worth taking.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is one of the best case studies in augmented reality I’ve seen yet, at least as far as pure entertainment is concerned. It’s the Mario Kart you know and love, but with your home as the course—something that could have easily fallen flat or come across as a shallow gimmick, but instead manages to hit every note near-flawlessly. There’s nothing quite like racing around your own living room, throwing shells every which way and hitting those boost pads while weaving through your furniture and trying to dodge the cat that keeps trying to catch your kart.

Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water isn’t scary so much as haunting, and that’s an important distinction. Where plenty of horror games begin and end with trying to scare the pants off their players, this one looks for something much deeper, and turns to the long, rich history of yūrei folklore to find it. That’s what I missed when I first played it five years ago, but a remaster is a perfect opportunity to revisit and reassess—and I’m so glad I did. This is a game that deserves a far better reception than it originally got, and I just hope I’m not alone in giving it the benefit of the doubt a second time round.

Boasting a polished presentation, enjoyable gameplay that more closely resembles modern pro wrestling and two brilliantly executed modes in Showcase and MyRISE, WWE 2K22 is genuinely delightful and a defining chapter in its franchise’s legacy.

It works because, as much as it’s a “bigger, better, more” approach to a sequel, Hidden Depths it never feels excessive or like it’s just about pushing bigger numbers for the sake of it—a trap that far too many sequels fall into. Everything here, from the more pristine visual finish to the way the relics you dredge up help paint a picture of the world that was, helps to build up that atmosphere that made the first game so captivating: peaceful, serene, a little melancholy. There’s a serious warning tucked just beneath the surface, but it’s also a game that wants you to just enjoy being in the moment and find a piece of peace. It’s that atmosphere that made Submerged so memorable, Hidden Depths never loses sight of that.