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.

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.

It’s that charm and playfulness that keeps Grapple Dog going, through its ups and downs. Slightly unwieldy controls mean the fluidity you’d expect isn’t always there, particularly on the trickier levels that demand more precision, but it’s hard to get too frustrated at something so gosh-darn cute. And when the grapple hook mechanic and nifty level design do come together just right, which is more often than not, the exhilarating result makes the odd annoyance worthwhile. A grappling hook and a dog just go together—I don’t make the rules.

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.

Gal Guardians: Demon Purge is a balancing act: between modern and retro game design, between loving homage and forging its own identity, between “Classicvania” and “Metroidvania”. It walks those tightropes admirably, and the result is a game that anyone with a fondness for Castlevania—whichever era it may be—should check out.

“A darkly comedic narrative game based on real world philosophical papers” is an apt description for Trolley Problem, Inc. but one that feels incomplete. Through its surreal story and black humour, it delivers a thoughtful, fascinating reflection on the moral philosophy underpinning the famous thought experiment. It won’t give you an answer—that was never the point—but it’s a captivating way of delving into those murky depths.

Dying Light 2 is an experience rife with suffering, stemming from its dawdling progression, woeful narrative and intrusive presentation issues. In spite of these shortcomings, the parkour shines once the right equipment and skills are unlocked, salvaging a modicum of joy from this disappointing nightmare.

Its no-frills nature means Room to Grow probably won’t have much appeal for anyone who doesn’t enjoy the sort of eureka-moment puzzle design that it lives by. But those who enjoy going from being completely stumped by something that seems genuinely impossible to wondering how you could have missed something so obvious, there’s something brilliant here.

While Labyrinth of Zangetsu does a lot with a little, it can suffer from its limited scope at times, too. It’s a relatively brief outing, as dungeon crawlers go, which isn’t inherently a bad thing—as a time-poor parent, I appreciate the brevity—but it also means that the game struggles to push its ideas to their full potential. Even with a variety of classes and the option to multiclass, their rudimentary designs can limit options for creative character and party builds. Labyrinth designs are consistently great, but it still feels like there’s untapped potential in the various gimmicks and traps that the game introduces.

Beneath all the new technical capabilities and extra DLC features, the core of Days Gone on PC is still Days Gone, for better and worse. It’s a game that can be a lot of fun to play in the moment, with a good balance between stealth, action, and exploration and the exhilaration that comes with fighting its zombie hordes. But it’s also a game that struggles to stand out from a very crowded room; that despite its story-driven focus and early signs of promise, ends up tracing all the same cliches as every other zombie outing before it.

The transient nature of the microgame concept means WarioWare: Get It Together, isn’t the kind of thing you’d want to pull out for a long haul, but for short bursts of pure, chaotic delight—especially with friends—you can’t go wrong. It’s surprising that it’s taken this long for Wario and his crew to become playable characters in their own game, but their unique abilities (and flaws) are a welcome twist on the frantic nature of WarioWare‘s rapid-fire minigames.

If you come to Onde looking for a typical puzzle platformer or a rhythm game, you might find yourself disappointed. But take it for what it is—a game that takes pieces of the above, and uses them to drive an atmospheric, sensory experience of colour and sound—and you’ll find something worthwhile. Some rough edges and odd design decisions hold it back a little, but it’s a game that certainly leaves a lasting impression.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is exactly what you’d expect from a full-game follow-up to Assault on Dragon’s Keep: a raucous, often hilarious parody of Dungeons & Dragons built on Borderlands’ looter-shooter foundations. Bigger isn’t always better, and it can feel needlessly drawn out at times, but the shooter-looter action, wild energy, and Tina’s Bunker Master antics are a whole lot of fun.

Sam & Max Save the World is a hilarious game that moves effortlessly between surreal screwball comedy, buddy cop sitcom, and sharp satire of American society. That’s reason enough for the new lease on life that comes with a remaster and a Switch release, but as one of Telltale’s formative works, it’s also an important part of videogame history that was at risk of being lost forever.

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.

I’d love to see what the initial vision for Ghostwire: Tokyo was, before former creative director Ikumi Nakamura’s sudden departure from Tango Gameworks, because what we ended up getting feels like the shell of a different, far more interesting game. A rendition of Shibuya that’s authentic, atmospheric, eerie, and brimming personality deserves better than the most banal version of a generic open-world formula that ran out of steam a decade ago. Despite all the potential in its concept, the Ghostwire we got is—despite its ghostly theme—soulless.

Technical struggles in the open world aside, No More Heroes III proves its worth as a brutally satisfying and subversive action game with magnificent boss fights and hilarity in spades.

When Chrono Cross first came out in ’99, it proved divisive for not simply following in the footsteps of Chrono Trigger. In retrsospect, it cuts closer to its predecessor than it got credit for back then, not necessarily in style or game design, but in the way it pushed the boundaries of the genre and the stories that videogames can tell. That it still feels unique and even subversive, more than 20 years on from its first release, is proof its timelessness. And for a large part of the world for whom The Radical Dreamers Edition will be the first chance to (officially) play Chrono Cross? Well, they’re in for one hell of a ride.

It’s an intriguing game in concept, with an abundance of eerie atmosphere and some clever ideas at play, but it struggles to reach its true potential. If you like the sort of moody puzzle games that Darq follows in the footsteps of, the couple of hours you’ll spend in Lloyd’s dreamworld are certainly worthwhile, but this is a nightmare that, strangely enough, feels like it’s over too soon.

Those technical troubles aside, 9 Years of Shadows is a marvelous adventure. It’s a more intimate take on the metroidvania formula, but what it lacks in scale it more than makes up for in clever design and synergy between its moving parts. The sheer beauty of the game and the world it asks you to explore don’t hurt, either.

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.

Upon reaching the end of this review, I’ve come away with a revelation. Yes, Far Cry 6 is the accumulated chemical detritus from years of similar lab experiments, layered and stratified, compounded with time and pressure. But it isn’t a catalyst. I am. I played Far Cry 6 to completion: I pressed buttons to shoot guns and progress the plot; I killed an inordinate number of animals to buy upgrades; I equipped new pairs of pants to make myself stealthier. And at the end of it all, I felt nothing. I was unchanged by the experience.

With the latest re-release of Shantae, the entire series is now readily available on Nintendo Switch. It’s a delightful franchise that’s gone from strength to strength over the past 20 years, and to have the game that started it all easily accessible, with the convenience of save states to help work around some of its more dated elements, is a true joy.

A game that is, in so many ways, immediately familiar, yet also feels fresh and original. The mash-up of farm life sim and creature collecting is a fun one in its own right, but in Ooblets, it’s also the foundation for something else: a rather eccentric take on cottagecore whimsy and wholesome vibes, twee and irreverent in equal measure. That won’t be for everyone, but if you can appreciate the steps its dancing, this is a delightful game.

The Letter is an accomplished visual novel: a riveting tale of curses, ghosts, and tragedy, drawing on the traditions of Asian horror cinema and built upon an inconceivably complex web of branching, intertwined narrative threads. That’s a hell of a feat for anyone, let alone as the first project for a young indie studio.

That limited scope, while understandable for an indie team working with a presumably modest budget and not wanting to bite off more than they can chew, nonetheless takes some of the wind out of Flutter Away’s sails. That aside, this is still an enjoyable game that largely succeeds in its goal of creating a relaxing, soothing atmosphere that you can use to unwind, whether that’s by ticking off simple objectives and seeing a cute story unfold through them, or just taking a moment to bask in the serenity.

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.

Here’s yet another farming RPG, but one that turns the familiar setup in a philosophical, existential direction—and dares to really, really go places with it. What at first looks like another descendant of Harvest Moon ends up bearing a closer resemblance, thematically and tonally, to NieR Automata. That’s not a comparison that’s easy to live up to, but Harvestella manages to leave its mark.