What this This Way Madness Lies lacks in terms of narrative depth, it more than makes up for in refreshing combat and clever characterization. It’s a breath of fresh air that also serves as a heartfelt sendup to both classic JRPGs and classic literature.

Aside from these grievances, Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is an incredibly fun and relaxing game. If I had played it without a deadline, perhaps the interruptions for the cutscenes might not have been such a big deal. The storybook aesthetic is pleasing to the eye, and some of the locales — especially the Observatory — are breathtakingly beautiful. Leave the napping to Noby; this is a farming sim that enthusiasts of the genre absolutely cannot sleep on.

As an interactive museum exhibit, Atari 50 is quite successful, if with a clear point of view. As a labor of love, it’s filled to the brim with everything Digital Eclipse could fit. Whether it transcends “well-crafted curiosity” status, though? That’ll depend on your nostalgia for a library of games that has some trouble standing the test of time.

Tactics Ogre: Reborn is everything that it should be. While its gameplay systems may feel archaic in this new age of tactical RPGs, it somehow enhances the harshness of its narrative. This will no doubt make it daunting for those unfamiliar with this style of tactics title. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but remains a tried and true classic. And those who haven’t yet had to experience the Ogre Battle series will be in for a treat. As its themes of self-sacrifice and perseverance against all odds stand the test of time, even if its gameplay may not.

You can’t go into Harvestella thinking, “So is Square Enix’s Rune Factory/Story of Seasons game?” It isn’t fair to the developers or the game itself. Yes, this is an action-RPG with farming and life-sim elements. But it’s also very much trying to be its own thing. It needs time to grow. A think a few patches would help to act as stakes to help bolster the game would do a world of good. If Square Enix tends to it well, I could see a successful successor spawn.

Lonesome Village is pleasant. The world is bright and colorful. Despite things being Very Wrong around town, there’s no sense of pressing danger. It encourages you to take in the scenery and solve puzzles at your leisure. While that means it can feel a little too rudimentary, it’s generally a good time. Especially as villagers start to return and you get a chance to interact with more (virtual) “people” again.

Yomawari: Lost in the Dark is the third entry in the deceptively cute Yomawari series of horror games and continues an effectively frightening tradition. Fans of J-Horror will likely appreciate the slow and atmospheric situations, but there are plenty of jump scares to keep you on your toes. The story is simple, but effective, and the unique way it goes about conveying the tale will keep you glued to the screen. Just make sure you don’t look away, though. There’s no telling what you’ll see in the dark.

By the end of it, everything swells together to create something that lingers in the back of the mind, gnawing away like a memory desperate to resurface. SIGNALIS is a game that I will never forget. And I will never forget the promise that was made between ELSTER and Ariane — of their love as selfish and cruel or beautiful and compassionate as it may be — that persisted through endless cycles of distortion and tragedy.

God of War Ragnarok is as slick and beautifully crafted a game as you will play this generation, and my experience with it has been delightfully bug-free.

Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher does a good job of infusing Ultraman essence into an established series, all without potentially putting people off of it. Things are handled well, and the kaiju are fun to collect and train even if you aren’t aware of their backstories.

Despite iffy monetization choices and the general feeling that the game might not last long enough to become a permanent part of your rotation, Dragon Ball: The Breakers is a frantic and fast-paced interpretation of a genre otherwise saturated in horror movie tropes. Steeped in fun Dragon Ball in-jokes and goofy humor, there’s there’s a lot of slapstick joy to be found in the game, so much so that it wouldn’t be out of place if the Benny Hill theme kicked in every so often.

It isn’t a stretch to say Star Ocean: The Divine Force is the best Star Ocean game in years. The atmosphere is great, even if it can feel a little unsteady sometimes or as though it is borrowing a bit too much from past entries. It’s enjoyable in the ways that matter. Combat is fun. Moving around with D.U.M.A is easy and efficient. Even the Es’owa minigame feels worth your time. It’s generally satisfying, not to mention an encouraging step forward for a series that was clearly in trouble.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a game with dating sim elements focusing on other elements and letting the lovey-dovey stuff gradually build in the background. The thing is that Paradigm Paradox can be an interesting visual novel, but isn’t the best if you’re looking for a really romantic Switch otome game. The majority of the routes feel clipped and rush, “telling” you there’s suddenly a meaningful relationship between the heroine and other characters without “showing” you how it happened. The game is stylish and the localization is fun, but it left me wanting more substance.

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.

Cats may enjoy leaping into boxes, but solving this game requires you to jump out. Flexible thinking and imaginative creativity are the keys to success in Nine Noir Lives.

Anno: Mutationem is a gorgeous-looking sendup of classic cyberpunk anime, with a narrative, characters, and combat that easily backs up its stunning aesthetic and visuals.

Whether or not it truly needs to exist, the fact remains: The Last of Us Part I does exist, and it happens to be the best version of an already pretty good game. The additional accessibility options alone justify it for that section of players. Meanwhile, those who are interested in experiencing its story when it looks its best, whether as a first-timer or a veteran revisiting an old favorite, should strongly consider playing it. For everyone else, the other versions are available for less.

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is a solid and charming adventure game. It is sure to captivate point-and-click adventure game and JRPG fans alike. Its stress-free, easy-to-pick-up nature makes it the perfect game to play with kids or by yourself. Most of all, it reminds players of what it truly means to think outside of the box. If you’ve ever daydreamed about entire worlds, scenarios, and characters during class, why not help Kenta do the same?

Soul Hackers 2 succeeds at fusing appealing character elements and story into a more traditional dungeon-crawling mode. In a lot of ways it does manage to travel that middle path between the extremes of its sibling series. But its bright spots don’t quite mask the moments where the moments where both its halves can fall short.

While it’s unlikely to transcend genre preferences, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a gift for those who love JRPG trappings. There are lands to explore, combat systems to optimize, and lore implications for longtime franchise fans. And at the very least? You certainly get your money’s worth.

Live A Live is a success, both as a self-contained remake of a quirky cult classic and as a prototype for the future of JRPG remakes. Its weaknesses are those of the preserved original’s game design, but it makes these sacrifices intentionally and has a lot to offer those interested in its pace and structure.

Super UFO Fighter could have been a great, fun sandbox in the vein of Stick Fight, Duck Game, or BombSquad. Using a tractor beam and weird objects to accomplish varied tasks? Yeah, great! But as it is, the game lacks the creativity to try anything other than its one trophy grab idea. (Actually, there’s a hot potato mode too, but it’s very easy to break and not worth discussing.) Committing to one game type can work too, right? But that one mode has to be full of nuance and competitive depth. And this game simply doesn’t have that either.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak can really only get better from here. Like Rise, it provides a solid foundation for whatever direction future content updates or installments of the series go next.

Overall, DNF Duel is a great fighting game. It appeals to casual players, while still offering a fair bit of complexity to keep more experienced players entertained. It’s definitely a title I’ll go back to from time to time. Ultimately, it feels like a game that could develop a consistent following in the years to come. If it gets the right opportunity, that is.

I’m shocked at how enjoyable and well-executed LIttle Noah: Scion of Paradise is. Its a roguelike that ticks all the right boxes. It is approachable, but still challenging. You can go in knowing you’ll grow slightly stronger, but the unpredictability of which Lilliputs you’ll and randomization keeps things fresh. The enemies can be quite strong, but it is possible to learn patterns and survive through proper planning and insight. It is a fantastic game and one of 2022’s better surprises.

Generally, it is easy to dig into Ground Divers. Yes, it gets very difficult very quickly. Sweltering Sand Wasteland is a wake-up call after Secret Bamboo Springs. However, the game is manageable if you pay attention and wisely direct Tsuruhashi. There’s a charm to it. Not to mention the different difficulty levels and additional challenges for each region offer a reason to go back and get the three stars to fully “complete” them.

I’m not sure whether to think of Yurukill as a decent shmup with a good adventure game attached, or a good adventure game with a decent shmup minigame inserted into it. Perhaps it doesn’t matter, as the two disparate flavors taste great together all the same.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is the sort of Musou game that not only gets what is special about Fire Emblem in general, but about Three Houses specifically. It’s a very involved title. The story gets quite detailed. So much so that folks who don’t have that Three Houses experience might not get the most out of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. But it’s generally an incredibly solid Musou game and a lot of fun if you are aware of everything going on.