It’s hard for me to say this, because I like Tales of Berseria a lot, but as a remaster, it’s not bringing a lot to the table. In fact, between the censorship and the audio mixing issues, I’d go as far as to say that it’s taking away from the table. The saving grace here is that it’s ten dollars cheaper than the original (at least on Steam), despite it coming with DLC. While I do still recommend playing it if you haven’t tried it before and you like JRPGs, people who have already played Berseria might as well just boot up the copy they already own.

A-Train: All Aboard! Tourism is definitely impressive. People have an extraordinary degree of control over all elements of transportation and the entire health of towns. It demands you pay attention, to be sure. There are some technical issues here, to be sure. (Patches were released as I was playing, so it seems Artdink is aware of problems.) People willing to give it a chance could find a simulation they could spend months playing. Though, I would recommend anyone interested sample the demo first to be certain it is something they can handle.

Sure, Maglam Lord isn’t an epic AAA experience aiming to compete with Tales of or Shin Megami Tensei, but it is a pretty solid adventure all told. The Switch version does suffer from a touch of slowdown from time to time. It mostly happens if you’re in the middle of a really awesome combo in battle. But when you just want to sit down and enjoy something a little more lighthearted, it certainly scratches that itch.

Doesn't have the action you'd expect from the name. It plays more like a platformer game at times mixed with the idea of stealth action. Along with the frustrating controls the game makes it hard for gamers to get into.

True Swing Golf’s brilliance is in its simplicity almost anyone even non gamers will enjoy. [JPN Import]

Bloodrayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites does have a great tension in its combat, as well as a fantastic variety of moves that will have you carving through a gorgeous castle of monstrosities. It’s when you start slipping around, tumbling off cliffs, stumbling into enemies, or scrambling to jump to a platform just overhead that the game starts to wear your patience down quickly. It’s still enjoyable, but it feels like everything is made more annoying based on a handful of elements.

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain really does do a good job of giving us a Kiki’s Delivery Service sort of game, and it’s often quite relaxing too! Mika’s a fun protagonist, and the island is this vibrant setting filled with big personalities and life. Sometimes the broomstick-riding can feel a bit fiddly, but it’s genuinely a delightful simulation about being a courier witch.

DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power attempts to do a lot. And there’s a lot of fun stuff there. Like I genuinely enjoyed playing dress-up. Some of the missions and boss fights are genuinely challenging. The general ambiance is also quite good and captures the style of the series perfectly. The only issue I have is that it gets a bit tedious at times. While the missions can have diverse objectives, they can lead to a lot of button mashing. Being limited to when you can use powers is a little frustrating too. Still, it is charming in its way. For a title made for a younger audience, it’s quite a quality affair and I appreciate that. It doesn’t talk down to anyone and tries to offer light versions of meatier gameplay elements.

Like Super Meat Boy, this title is bold and experimental and while Super Meat Boy Forever’s genre does differ, the game manages to hold onto most of what made the last game so compelling to begin with.

The Casting of Frank Stone is an interesting attempt at feeding Dead by Daylight fans more lore through different means. I think there’s a lot of potential there, but so much of the game could have just remained on the cutting room floor, tightening up the tension and overall experience to make it a more engrossing B-horror flick. Because there isn’t anything wrong with bad or corny, it just isn’t enough to be so bad that it’s good. It’s just kind of there, and it’s a game I won’t be playing again.

The thing about Slitterhead is that the main conceit of the possession mechanic is innovative. However, the story and one-note nature bog it down. Siren had a similar method of storytelling, in that it presented a comprehensible plot yet left enough things ambiguous that to this day, fans still discuss and debate on the finer details. The problem with Slitterhead, in my opinion, is that the story isn’t so gripping that it would have that kind of impact on the playerbase. I do really enjoy how the game feels and I’m still excited for future projects from Bokeh Game Studio though. This was a really cool debut from the studio. Despite its cult classic status and passionate fanbase, Siren got pretty middling reviews from critics at launch, so time will tell if Slitterhead is exonerated in the same way.

Twinkleby is a very low-stakes sort of decorating game that moves it its own leisurely pace. You set up houses. You watch the little folks wander around and use the objects inside. They sing for you when you do a good job and they’re happy. I do wish there was a little more to it, in terms of challenge and available items. It is charming enough, if you feel you need another decorating sim on your slate.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a charming Pokemon mystery adventure that is anchored by a heartfelt story.

It may not be the next great JRPG, but if you’ve been looking for a tactics style game that provides a decent challenge, I’m going to recommend picking Monark up when your budget allows. It fits right into the niche, and the story’s twists and turns might just surprise you. If you look past the bland character models and focus on their individual stories, there’s something charming and alluring lurking below the drab surface.

Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World’s greatest sin is that it is simply adequate. There’s nothing earth-shattering about this remake. It looks fine, but isn’t nearly as striking as Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. It plays okay, but there are times when you feel the frustrations and limitations of Asha’s moveset. It is okay and people who loved the original will probably appreciate it being freshened up. But as far as remakes go, it’s nothing special.

Magna Carta is a gorgeous game with enough creativity in its story and gameplay to distinguish outside the genre. However, to really appreciate this game be prepared to put in fifteen hours into it because it probably won’t suck you in at the very beginning.

While this foundation is great, though, it only goes so far. Despite having the potential to be my next online gaming obsession, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions will, unfortunately, take a backseat for now until more worthwhile content and modes arrive.

Choose from a cast of Kirby’s most iconic copy abilities—including the brand-new Wrestler ability—and duke it out to be the last Kirby standing. Familiar friends and foes like Bandana Waddle Dee and King Dedede also make an appearance as playable characters in the Kirby Fighters 2 game, available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch system.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a mixed bag. It’s an excellent remaster that balances preservation and improvement. However, two-thirds of this package are games that are, at best, merely fine, even with improvements. For The Last Revelation though? It’s worth it for that alone.

This is a collection that is lovingly crafted for fans of all levels and is well worth a look for a peek at the simpler, arguably more thrilling days of Yu-Gi-Oh! That said, it is missing some of the best games in the series like The Duelists of the Roses and the Nintendo DS World Championship titles, so here’s hoping this collection is only the start.

I still love The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered. I wished this new release could have fixed some of my gripes with the original game. While it can be an obtuse and stubborn game to learn, once you get past this you are met with a pretty and charming world, as well as a strategic combat system with some interesting ideas. The best thing going on for the remaster is that it makes accessible an 8-year-old game that was trapped on the Nintendo 3DS. For fans of the SaGa series this is a must.

Ultimately, if you want a hack-and-slash RPG with high-speed and fun gameplay but with a middling storyline, this could be a sleeper hit for some players. While not as deep as I wanted it to be, the game handles its mission format and character-progression system well enough. I just wish the story had a little more depth to match its intriguing post-apocalyptic themes and world setting.

Sword Art Online Last Recollection is a great action RPG with accessible combat that makes every encounter exciting. While some players may have an issue with the game’s more linear-level designs, the game stays anchored by an emotionally charged story with a likable cast of characters. Overall, SAO manages to streamline the best systems from its MMO origins while integrating them into an action-packed adventure title.

Nostalgia for a character like Pac-Man can only do so much, and I fear the uneven nature of Shadow Labyrinth could prove too off-putting. The story isn’t handled well and can plod along, many gameplay elements aren’t precise enough, progression isn’t well-balanced, and the 2D skeletal animation with its paper doll puppets don’t feel like the right choice. There are too many other titles that do what it does better in every way. If you love Bandai Namco classic series, that are some fun references, but you need to put up with a lot to see them.

If you don’t already care about Shiki, Rebecca, and their journey, then the Edens Zero game isn’t going to make you, and that’s the greatest sin of all. If someone truly loves the anime and manga, they may be able to find something to enjoy about this action-RPG, but it’s a middling game. While it clearly isn’t a budget title, there are times it feels like it due to combat, performance, and the execution of its story. If at some point in your life, you owned a piece of merchandise with Happy on it or used an avatar of Shiki, Rebecca, Weisz, Homura, or Pino online, I think you may still have a good time with it! You could even love some elements like the boss fights! But it’ll be very difficult for anyone who isn’t already a fan to get into this PC RPG.

Trinity Trigger does nothing new. It doesn’t advance the genre forward and it doesn’t offer many surprises to veterans of the genre. However, as I said at the start of this review, it’s hard not to love a humble comfort RPG. Especially when it’s as charming as this one.

Synduality: Echo of Ada has the potential to become a fun mech-based exploration third-person shooter game with a waifu/husbando companion. But while I wanted to recommend it to my fellow mecha-loving friends, I really cannot at the moment due to the lack of personalization features in that aspect.

I get the feeling that unless someone is extremely invested in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, they won’t get anything out of Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. The background it offers for characters like CJ, Garoo, and Isha and the series’ world is great! It’s pretty valuable, in terms of lore and establishing a mood. But the actual experience is average and takes a while to get interesting. It never really hooked me. Rather, it made me want to go back to other games that did it better.