We really like the premise of Wilmot Works It Out, and don’t mind a shorter experience! But the game really only hits its stride in the final chapters, leaving us wishing it expanded its later offerings at least a bit. Still, it’s charming, and if you want to really dig into the Marathon post-game, it could be worth checking out.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake ultimately did a decent job of bringing back a classic series entry by including newer features from the more modern entries, although it’s still not enough to convert me into believing this to be the best one among the series entries with personal viewpoints. (Romance of the Three Kingdoms 10 still holds that dear spot for me.) But while the Tales event triggers are a highlight, a number of glaring issues in its localization make it rather difficult to recommend this game over the prior entries unless you can play the game in its original Japanese build.

All of these systems come together to make for the first Romancing SaGa game I ever finished and truly enjoyed. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a great JRPG in a packed year of them well worth checking out. Whether you are new to the series or a familiar veteran, there is something to enjoy. Sure, the 3D visuals are colorful and pretty, but nothing too spectacular, and the title certainly lacks the dedicated characters and plot of other JRPGs. However, it makes up for this with the fantastic focus on player choice that is uniquely rewarding and memorable.

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.

While it may not have the immersive mechanics to be a great VR introduction, Batman: Arkham Shadow is fun to play and faithful to its Arkham predecessors. And yeah, picking off enemies one-by-one feels great.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream shines in some departments but flops in others. I wish the game had concentrated more on the primary campaign because the story here is terrific, and with a few tweaks to the open map environment and battle mechanics, it could have been a quintessential play for any fan. But the multiplayer feels so half-baked and unrewarding that only hardcore fans will enjoy the long, tedious grind to grab every morsel item.

I enjoyed Inti Creates’ approach to gameplay in Card-en-Ciel and appreciate how it built on the tactical deck-building found in the Mega Man Battle Network series. While it looks similar, it feels like its own thing. That’s great! Unfortunately, the actual story surrounding Neon and Ancie’s adventure is pretty weak and not handled well, and there’s no personality to any of the dungeons we explore. It’s a case where there’s some good gameplay we can sink our teeth into, but the style isn’t quite there even with colorful characters and some fun cameos. It can be entertaining, but lacks Mega Man Battle Network‘s charm.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is up there for the best in the series. It boasts the most amount of content from high-quality boards to characters to minigames. The variety is enough to carry this game on its own, but the quality of the core experience is exceptional as well with how each board works and the many different types of minigames. Though the additional modes, with the exception of Bowser Kaboom Squad, are all pretty much misses, they do nothing to take away from the top-tier solo and multiplayer party experience Super Mario Party Jamboree has.

Neva is a sweet little game that left a significant impression on me. Every frame looks like a painting, there’s a surprising amount of challenge and the way it builds these characters without saying a word is masterful. If you’re a fan of short, artful experiences in games, you need to play Neva.

Ys X: Nordics is a solid addition to the Ys series, but it should have stayed docked. The ship combat, which should have been a thrilling new addition, ultimately feels bland. Despite this, the game more than makes up for it with its land-based exploration and fast-paced, duo-driven combat. Fans of the series will no doubt want to pick it up for the continuation of Adol’s story and the exciting new setting. And if you’re new to the Ys franchise, this isn’t a bad place to start.

The Silent Hill 2 remake was surprising. It’s surprising in the way that I’m already playing it over for a second time. It’s surprising in the way that I enjoyed what the game had to offer, not being the biggest Silent Hill 2 fan myself. (Silent Hill 4 will always be my favorite, even if it isn’t the best.) Maybe that distance is what has allowed me to appreciate it more. Though I highly doubt it. The Silent Hill 2 remake shows that Konami is just as capable as it’s competitors in breathing life into their classic horror games. And I earnestly hope that other Silent Hill games will be given this treatment, or that it’s success means a certainty of more new stories in this horrible haunted town in the future.

As a whole, Metaphor: ReFantazio is quite charming and fun. It’s interesting to see so many familiar elements from Shin Megami Tensei and Persona in this sort of high fantasy game.

After being unimpressed with Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash and Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, I was pleasantly surprised with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero.

I really appreciate the chances that Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost takes, in terms of gameplay, because it is a solid rhythm game! The track listing is fantastic. It’s drawing from all the amazing Touhou Project music we love. I just wish the story was either handled better or more approachable for those who aren’t familiar with the series, as that’s going to be quite a barrier for most people to overcome if they give it a chance. Knowing you need to go through that to even unlock your songs is a lot.

I really appreciate Crypt Custodian for knowing its strengths and exploring them throughout the roughly 10 hours it took me to complete the game. The mix of Metroidvania and isometric platforming elements mix really nicely in a title where precision and readability are king. You won’t find a nail-biting challenge in this game, but some extra post-game boss rush modes can prove really demanding and give you that edge. And while the subject matter can be a bit much if you’re sensitive the same way I am to pet an animal death, Crypt Custodian made me look back fondly and remember my childhood pet and every animal I’ve ever loved.

The Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred expansion has me torn. I love a lot of the new changes, and I really wanted to say that I loved the story, but I don't.

I like the idea of I-Chu: Chibi Edition, as having a one-purchase version of a mobile game that grants you to access to almost everything is appealing. However, the way it forces you to unlock everything, the awkward localization, and the still frustrating gacha system hold it back. The music is good! The rhythm game element is pretty solid! Once you get some decent cards, you can make some strong teams! It’s just all of the other stuff surrounding it bogs it down.

9 RIP is another one of those Otomate otome games that experiments with what we expect from these sorts of dating sims, and it’s a great success as a result. The chance the developer took on storytelling means the love interests get more moments with the heroine and also feel like stars of their storylines. It involving urban legends and some horror staples mean we get some unexpected and fun romance options. Plus, the aesthetic is great. There are a few elements that might not be as appreciated people, but I feel like that comes down to personal tastes rather than actual failings on the part of the developer or game itself.

Keylocker was a frustrating experience. There’s some solid writing and a world that I’d love to explore further. Sadly, it’s buried under an unintuitive combat system and poor plotting for it to realize its full potential.

I keep bringing up competitors like Civilization and Humankind not just for obvious comparisons or to be cruel, but because Ara: History Untold sought to position itself as big mix up for historical strategy. And I want that! I love this genre, but only having a few big games flying that banner has led to it becoming a bit stale, and more competitors and new ideas could shake things up. But unfortunately, Ara doesn’t do much to really drive things forward. Most of the new additions have been tried before and the crafting system, the one actually unique part, fails to add much more than extra busywork and spreadsheeting. It’s still totally functional as a historical 4X, easily alluring me back into the one-more-turn mindset, but it doesn’t succeed in bringing much that is really new to the table.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom features all of the amazing hallmarks of the series, yet feels completely innovative, unique, and fresh.

Metro Quester: Osaka is an absolutely great game and follow-up to the original KEMCO and Thousand Games RPG. It maintains the same feeling of desperation as you strive to find resources. There’s the same thrill as you uncover new paths or helpful items. The battle system still feels really different and efficient. I highly recommend it and, if someone hasn’t played the original, might even say to play this entry if you only can pick up one of them.

Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography feels like the sort of edutainment game that you use in conjunction with other learning tools to help make learning a language more fun. It’s honestly a cozy tool! You explore the streets of a city. You get to see what can or can create a flashcard when you take photos. There are little tests of your knowledge. However, it does feel supplemental to a regular experience and, since it is more about building up a vocabulary collection, may not be enough for some people on its own.

Frostpunk 2 is a worthy enough survival city builder sequel. Like the original, it is absolutely stunning to play, though I do recommend against Steam Deck. It just doesn’t run as well and the input controls aren’t the best here. If you have a beefy PC or modern console, this is a real looker to play. With the complicated decisions, larger scope, and new Council Hall decisions, Frostpunk 2 is one of the most elaborate and complex sim games available.

I’ve been playing Reynatis on the Switch, so I can’t comment on other systems, but there are a few issues. Firstly, the game crashed on me a few times, which was annoying, but luckily, there is an auto-save system, so I never lost too much progress. The main issue was the camera angle, which in some of the cramped environments is just pure bad. If I were playing in handheld mode on the Switch, this would be even worse, and sometimes I wouldn’t even be able to see the character performing their move, so I always stayed playing on the dock. To its merit, the loading times were excellent and faster than I expected on the Switch.

When it shines, Space Marine 2 can be really good but there’s just a few too many irritating flaws to recommend it as much as I want to.

Of course, if you’re just here for a fun linear adventure, you’ll have a blast. The Plucky Squire is an imaginative romp full of joy and wonder despite how much it holds your hand in the process.

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.