Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is an impressive achievement, building in some nice new elements on top of the solid foundation set by the first game. It only makes some minor tweaks, but these add some fun new elements, useful tools, and great tension, all while letting you deepen your bond with this lovable crew. Just prepare to have your heart broken unless you’re an incredible tactician.

Crow Country is one of those games that answer all of my needs for an old-school survival horror title. The game isn’t shy about its inspirations and it is a clear homage to PS1 survival horror games. While it is a somewhat short experience, Crow Country shows that sometimes less is more. And I want more of this.

News Tower is a satisfying business management simulation that involves optimizing offices and reporting procedures to ensure success. It feels like there’s are opportunities to keep investing and growing. It can even be so satisfying that it stays compelling for hours. There are some minor issues and sometimes it might feel a bit too easy or routine when you get used to things, but I still very much recommend it.

Ender Lilies proves to be a somber experience, providing a melancholy but hopeful story that utilizes environmental storytelling to its fullest. As a platformer it functions well and has its own unique gimmick that helps create a fresh take on the genre. If you were hesitant about picking it up in early access, the full product is more than worth your time.

Super Mario RPG breathes new life into an SNES classic, allowing players to re-experience one of Mario's most unique and adventurous titles on the Switch.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby has been blowing up on social media lately, so people who didn’t know about it before might have seen what the gameplay is like through screenshots or videos. The heavy RNG and long career mode might be a turn-off for some, but I still urge people to try it out, especially while we’re still receiving daily log-in bonuses for the global launch. It’s definitely a game you have to experience to understand what all the hype is about.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is packed to the brim with challenging dungeons. The amount of content available is staggering and will keep returning fans and newcomers alike busy for hours. While the steep learning curve of the series can turn away those jumping in for the first time, the game does a good job at keeping the difficulty intact and welcome newcomers alike. Features like the online rescue systems, Monster Dojo, and plenty of in-game manuals explain the mechanics clearly without subtracting from the experience. I fear that the series might still struggle to connect with new audiences, but if you’ve ever been curious about it, this might be the best time to jump into the Mystery Dungeon train.

DOOM: The Dark Ages feels packed with situations that test a player and challenge them to use every element in their arsenal. Not to mention, it’s also quite accessible and filled with collectibles that make it worth replaying Chapters in its story. However, I do feel like it is geared toward people who played DOOM and DOOM Eternal, with a narrative that sometimes necessitates prior knowledge of the storyline since 2016. Also, the mecha dragon and Atlan mech sections don’t leave the sort of grand impression one might expect.

Ultimately, it feels like the game could have benefited from a smaller scope or a more linear structure. Focus on the duels could have created a more engrossing product, especially if it honed in on the narrative for a more concise and cinematic experience. But as it stands, Ghost of Tsushima is another AAA open world title and doesn’t seek to define itself as anything other than that.

Even though some areas are less polished than others, Honor Among Thieves is still an extremely enjoyable game, with colorful characters and enough scenarios that the game never gets stale.

Persona 5 Strikers nails the atmosphere perfectly and doesn’t make it feel like you have to review everything beforehand. It succinctly lets you know that the areas you’ll explore are larger and you may have to do a little more research to prepare, but your team has your back. Granted, it is something that will be best enjoyed and appreciated by those who know and love these characters. But overall, Persona 5 Strikers is a fantastic fusion of what the Persona and Musou series have to offer.

Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster may initially butt up against your nostalgia if you have fond memories of the original, but over time, I really began to appreciate seeing its visuals and sound explored in creative ways.

Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness refines a gameplay system that was already great, and offers a ton of challenges to keep you busy! And hey, maybe this time, more players will be fortunate enough to discover it.

Reanimal is an ominous, tense adventure that puts you in unsettling situations and leaves you to draw your own conclusions about what’s going on. So much so that it almost feels like the end is only the beginning of analyzing what’s happened here. While short, there are some interesting puzzles and encounters, the pacing is good, the NPC intelligence in single-player is competent, and there’s some great character and environmental design elements at play. A few bugs that will likely be patched out in a few weeks aside, it’s a great horror game.

Planet of Lana II is quite a successful sequel that builds on the original in pretty much every way. Wishfully also tells its story in a fascinating way that still leaves every intention and action crystal clear. It might take some time to adjust to inputs, but it’s a brief adventure with interesting puzzles and a promising cliffhanger.

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative, like AI: The Somnium Files, is simply a fantastic adventure. Its plot is fascinating, and I love how it handles its investigations. It is absolutely a worthy successor, though I very much recommend people play both games.

The art and graphics in Cassette Beasts are beautiful, and perfectly match the whimsical, and at times terrifying nature of New Wirral. Without spoiling anything, the design for each boss battle is spectacular. Likewise, character portraits are beautiful and full of personality. In contrast, the game world is simple and not filled with too much detail, which helps with navigation and clarity. Because of this simplicity, the pixel art pops-up and the art style benefits a lot from it.

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.

I adore Dawnfolk, and I relish every opportunity I get to go through the game’s modes and build up a new homeland. It’s one of those city building and management sims that offers a sufficient challenge, but also doesn’t penalize you for decisions you make as you find your way through situations. Given the array of options also offered beyond a traditional campaign, it also felt like Darenn Keller somehow considered any possible situation I might be in when I head into a session, resulting in it feeling like I always have a moment for it.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is great for many reasons, ranging from being a means of preserving fantastic games, easily play Power Stone, and reminding people the Rival Schools series existed. The roster of games available is sound, though I’m not a fan of Capcom Fighting Evolution. The online component seemed stable under the conditions I tested it and like a boon for accessibility. Not only that, but the actual accessibility features that make it more inviting for beginners and allow us insights into development via the Museum are lovely. I suppose it’d be appropriate to call this a sensible collection that fills missing gaps when it comes to accessing Capcom’s library.

Unpacking is an incredibly chill game. It’s exactly what you want to play when you need to decompress. There’s a place for everything, and it’s up to you to put it in that place. There’s no rush. Enjoy looking at what the person accumulated. Think about what certain items mean. Hope that they find happiness in each new place. Then, if you feel like you need to calm down or want to enjoy the art again, head back and do things different next time.

As far as handheld fighting games go, Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei is among the best. The fighting system is well designed with lots of special moves and defensive options. There is enough depth to the system where you can really see the difference between an expert player and someone who just purchased the game. [JPN Import]

A beautiful and impressive game.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land turned out to be a good Switch game, but the Switch 2 Edition with Star-Crossed World is a great, must-play adventure for the new system. The performance upgrades are a big deal, and they make the game look even more stunning and responsive in handheld mode. The new challenges and levels in the expansion are creative and inventive, and they’re fresh in ways I didn’t anticipate. You really shouldn’t miss this game.

Dead Rising was great in 2006 and it continues to be great as Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. The tension of going through the main story cases, escorting survivors to safety, and trying to complete all side objectives all while managing your in-game countdown is as exhilarating as it was 18 years ago. Perhaps the most impressive thing this new remaster achieves is making me believe that this is how the original 2006 game played. The QoL additions are a game changer and I can’t imagine going back to the original control scheme. Unfortunately, some characters in the new English dub don’t sound as good as the original cast. On the brighter side, that is probably the only sore point I can find in the remaster.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society scratches a particular itch I’ve had for a while. While the game starts as standard fare for the genre, it quickly shows that there are a lot of tricks under its sleeves, mainly in exploration and how to tackle diving into the labyrinth. There were times I felt I was playing a puzzle game while I explored the labyrinth, just to suddenly be reminded that this was an RPG with a deep combat system, all surrounded and neatly wrapped by a whimsical and at times scary story, not unlike that of classical fables.

You’ll get the most out of Triangle Strategy if you bring a little patience to the proceedings. It starts slow. It throws a lot of story at you. The most interesting tactical powers show up in later levels. And you only see some of its compelling narrative beats in a second or third play. It’s destined to be a game you either shrug off in the early hours or add to your list of favorites.

The beating heart of GSH is one of awing action and great craftsmanship, one in the same as its parent's. It may be jaded posturing from an over-analytical critic, but nothing will eclipse the original Gunstar Heroes. That comparison isn't everything, though, and as far as handheld action games go, nothing will eclipse Gunstar Super Heroes.