R-Type Final 2 is a satisfying shmup with many challenging, carefully crafted stages. Having so many different ships gives it a ton of replay value, and also gives you many strategic options for how you tackle a given area. I wish it had a more striking, clear visual style so I could appreciate the designs and stages more (and die less to dopey things). Still, it’s solid in every other regard (and you should try the demo to see that for yourself), so I can’t stay mad at it for long.

Ender Magnolia is a great time from beginning to end. The sequel takes what the first game offered and gives a more refined experience in a new setting. Similar to the first game, the inspirations in this Metroidvania are immediately apparent, and both games avoid taking any massive risks. However, it is the developer’s own take on these inspirations and the commitment to fun combat and exploration that keep me coming back.

FFVII Remake Intergrade is a game full of moments both expected and unexpected. It is packed with people you recognize and, unless you went all in on Compilation of FFVII, don’t. Its fundamental gameplay is tight and does enough that it engages you with what-ifs. What could happen this time and how will things change since Square Enix is able to things out more? And with FF7R INTERmission especially, we’re getting hints of how additional stories could go. We’re seeing an extra viewpoint providing details as to why someone else, Yuffie, was around Midgar and eventually joined the team. It’s a promise of things to come, and suggests the future is bright for FFVII even 24 years after its 1997 debut.

This is one of those games that I’ll think about even after I finish it. As of the time of writing, I still have quite a few mysteries to uncover, as there are some puzzles that just well and truly stumped me. The world it presents is a cryptic one, reminding me of old conspiracy theories from before my time, but it keeps you coming back for more, hankering to pull back the curtains and unlock the doors to discover the secrets behind them.

Chicory is a game for a particular subset of moods. It can be an engaging mood lifter. Or an effective break from life’s stresses. Or even a therapeutic way of dealing with personal troubles. But everyone has these moods sometimes, and coincidentally, everyone should also play Chicory.

1000xResist is provocative in such a way that its characters, events, and lore keep tickling your brain and urging you to continue. You may put the game down for a moment, intending to do something like eat or sleep, but you won’t stop thinking about it. The themes, arguments, and history it suggests keep at you until you go back, pick up your controller, and continue Watcher’s investigation. Even then, when you uncover the truth and reach an ending, it doesn’t leave you. It pulls you back in for more. What did you maybe miss? What would you change? You need to return to the Orchard.

All of Fuga: Melodies of Steel’s elements connect to make for an experience that gets its claws in you and won’t let go. You hang onto every decision, trying to improve your combat abilities and always make the right calls. You shift your crew and pray you’ve made the right decision regarding which weapons to use. You have them talk with friends, wondering if you should be diverting your attention elsewhere, always wondering if one of them will die from a single mistake. It’s an incredibly compelling experience in tactical combat.

Mewgenics is satisfying, and I think the development team isn’t exaggerating when they say the campaign can last over 200 hours. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Thronefall is an absolutely wonderful RTS game from Grizzly Games that pulls ideas from past strategy and tower defense titles, then executes them in a stylish, minimalistic manner. There are no overwhelming choices. Upgrade trees make sense. Stages are broken up into digestible chunks. The only downside is perhaps that there isn’t more of it, but at least we can replay the areas that are there on higher difficulties later.

All in all, though, these are relatively minor blemishes on an impressive, bold follow-up to an acclaimed modern classic. Whether you’ve been champing at the bit for a new take on Axiom Verge or if this is your first experience with a Metroidvania, Axiom Verge 2 is a dense, beautiful game that’s easier than ever to get into and shouldn’t be missed.

Bayonetta 3 is over-the-top in every possible way, and I get the feeling newcomers and long-time fans of the series will appreciate that.

Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 is another example of how clever and unusual a Strange Scaffold game can be. It’s really appreciated. The fact that it also arrived at a time when I ended up dealing with a lot of serious, unpleasant, and heart-wrenching things made its arrival all the more welcome. It’s well executed and quite a delight.

Street Fighter 6 is a fighting game for everyone. With control schemes that will let you do cool things simply by mashing the buttons, a sprawling single player mode, and a character creation system that allows you to cobble together whatever moveset you like, it feels like something designed to give you whatever you want out of a fighting game.

Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime features the same heart and humor as other Bonte Avond games. Even better, it pairs that with a strategy game that might seem simple, but gets more involved as you find frogs. It’s incredibly charming, and Bonte Avond proves adept at making someone smile and tear up within the span of a few hours.

Fantasian Neo Dimension is the best way to play this Mistwalker JRPG. The sharper visuals and resolution make this truly pop in a beautiful way on the Nintendo Switch, where I played it. The story, characters, and fluid turn-based gameplay are high quality enough to feel like a classic spin-off of the Final Fantasy series. If you like JRPGs, don’t miss out on one of my favorite releases in 2024 during a year jam-packed full of thrilling releases.

Minor missteps aside with controls side, Those Games 2 can be a genuinely strong minigame collection. It gives a perfect amount of games for each fake mobile game ad, so you don’t feel like they wear out their welcome. They do get genuinely challenging after the first 10 levels, in many cases. It’s a fun game to play when you just want to take 10-15 minutes to play something and feel smart, and doing so in short bursts helps keep you from noticing that some levels can get repetitive.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 is a more approachable version of an emotional and thought-provoking RPG. This is a game people might not have known what to do with years ago. Now, following the success of NieR: Automata, it’s presented with additional accessibility options, better looking and smoother gameplay, and additional content that gently builds on what was already there.

Tekken 8 is daunting to get into, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the same kind of fear you feel when you start something new and exciting in your life.

It took some time for me to warm up to Mega Man X Dive Offline, but it’s reached a point where I have a hard time putting it down.

Much like the flashy combat, the story also builds itself with significant momentum. It makes Lost Judgment a game that, in addition to being fun to play, really entices you to see it to its end.

A born sleeper hit. It's one of the best puzzlers in a long time, with wireless multiplayer and plenty of unlockable features to keep gamers coming back. [JPN Import]

With a solid localization and a gripping story, Anonymous;Code is definitely a game I would recommend to basically anyone who enjoys visual novels or sci-fi. Very few games had me Googling terms and events with the fervor I had when playing this. It simultaneously made me feel like the biggest idiot and the smartest person in the room. You just can’t put a price on that feeling.

It's a love letter to fans.

While there is no denying that the heart of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake comes from another era, the level of quality across every aspect of this redo cannot be denied. If you love the original game, taking a trip through this version of its world is simply a must. If you’ve never played it, I can’t imagine a better way to experience one of the genre’s all-time classics. Its intentional adherence to the source might make some aspects of it hard for newcomers to swallow, but everything that could be done to make it palatable without changing it too much has been. It’s a true celebration, both of the game and the series.

Chants of Sennaar feels like more than a video game sometimes. Aside from some stealth sections and moments that involved evading hostile opponents that occasionally took me out of the moment, I found myself completely immersed in its world. Every new area accessed was a triumph. Every new word I learned felt like an accomplishment. It’s lovely.

Aokana is one of those romantic visual novels where yes, you are eventually trying to win over one of your classmates. But, it’s structured in such a way that the journey, your school life, and the Flying Circus team you help coach feel equally important. It’s a gorgeous game that looks lovely on the Switch. Its story is often uplifting, and it’s rare to have a game where everything feels so well realized.

SteamWorld Heist II takes the things that worked in the original Heist and, well, gives players more of them. It’s well-considered in so many ways, making sure you’ll have a good time exploring its ideas for as long as it holds you. It ain’t exciting or revolutionary, really, but it sure is fun.

I still feel Super Mario Bros Wonder – Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a 9 out of 10 game, but the upgrade is really geared toward the multiplayer experience. Especially if you have folks who can play with you locally for the new Luma co-star, Toad Brigade Training Camp, or Bellabel Park stages that highlight co-op and versus elements. If you don’t have that kind of community around you, then I think the base version of the game would meet your needs.