Chocobo GP fares better than most Mario Kart competitors, delivering a rough-around-the-edges experience that's still fundamentally fun most of the time. Its weaknesses and frustrations, though — combined with the incoming deluge of new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tracks — will likely limit its audience.

Elden Ring is a potentially great game that is hindered by massive performance issues. It doesn’t do anything particularly genre-defining, as it mostly sticks to what FromSoftware always does. It will no doubt please fans of the Dark Souls series. But its lack of accessibility options and somewhat restrictive multiplayer may leave some wanting. Ultimately, I think it will potentially offer a better experience down the line, as the day-one patch has already changed some fundamentals of the game. With no real improvement regarding its performance on PC, Elden Ring is a hard game to recommend until a more stable version is available.

When it comes down to it, The Hundred Year Kingdom’s greatest failing is that it doesn’t make you think. Each session ends up feeling the same.

I think whether or not someone will enjoy Atelier Sophie 2 comes down to how much they loved the original game and its characters. There are marked improvements from Atelier Sophie. It is clear Gust took what the team learned from more recent installments and applied it here. But it might not foster the same enthusiasm as other installments, due to its focus on certain characters. It might even leave you a bit frustrated when you need to perform certain actions to get needed recipes or run into inaccessible areas because you don’t have the correct “keys” to open those metaphorical doors. People who love Gust and Atelier Sophie will likely be all-in and satisfied to see Sophie and Plachta’s relationship grow. Everyone else may want to wait for the next entirely new entry.

Final Fantasy VI was an incredible game when it debuted in 1994, and the FFVI Pixel Remaster is just as wonderful. It is a fantastic JRPG. The set pieces here can still feel innovative all these years later. The game still manages to give many members of its exceptionally large playable cast attention. When you happen upon a secret, say an additional bit of storytelling, it still feels special. There are some minor quirks to this release, but it’s honestly lovely.

There are elements I don’t like, but I’m now officially a big Grapple Dog fan. Granted, more because I love the characters, music, and world, rather than find it to offer revolutionary platforming. It’s a good time. Just know going in that it might often demand your best, but not always help you execute things exactly.

KOF XV is pretty great, especially at launch. It is responsive, it looks great, and it offers a large roster of characters. I would have liked more to do on my own. Especially since I’m a big fan of the characters and would like the Story mode to have more… well, story to it. But SNK clearly put a lot of work into getting it right, and it shows.

The whole game is a pleasant surprise. Given the premise, I wasn’t sure if I’d take to it. I mean, a grandfather deciding his high school-aged granddaughter is ready to be engaged and sending her to live with four suitors he selected? It gave me pause. But I really loved how things turned out. Hibari is a fantastic heroine, the bachelors are often a lot of fun, and its great pacing means Variable Barricade is a great way to spend some evenings.

What we have here is a situation where everything true about Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars largely remains true about The Forsaken Maiden. The story is different (and engaging), but the mechanics remain largely the same. Which means what might have been an issue before still is now. I think it did a good job of telling its story and getting people to care about the characters. Its tale builds tension well with foreshadowing and asides. Between its use of cards, its narrator, and aesthetic in general, it’s pretty great at establishing a mood. If you enjoyed the previous installment, odds are you’ll like this one too.

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.

While it’s far from perfect — its set piece moments could use some work, and its cross-generation release limits some of its ambition — Horizon: Forbidden West does more than enough right to deserve your time and attention. It’s a big enough game that you can pick and choose your favorite things to do and have a full experience, and the story it tells compels you to keep going and see more.

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.

Egglia Rebirth is a really fun game. It feels more like an indie JRPG than it does a mobile tile, which works in the Switch version’s favor. Players who spend a lot of time with it will potentially feel rewarded by its systems. Though, if you’re someone who wants to make the most out of their time, you might feel frustrated with how slow the game can be sometimes. That said, it’s an interesting title that feels standout in comparison to most modern releases. Overall, Egglia Rebirth is a game that rewards players with patience, and will surprise some with its layered mechanics.

While it isn’t perfect, it shows a lot of promise! It’s a fantastic first step for what future Pokemon spin-offs could look like. It’s certainly more refreshing than some recent mainline games, and I felt more excited each session playing than I did with Pokemon Shield or Pokemon Brilliant Diamond. I wouldn’t say it’s the most essential installment or should be someone’s first experience with the series, but people who love Pokemon should really play it.

Despite those small things, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection blew me away on the PS5. The breathtaking landscapes and fluid gameplay heighted by the addition of improved feedback from the DualSense controller took a fantastic experience to another level.

Windjammers 2 is a safe sequel, restraining ambitions to make sure what’s delivered is fun enough. That means some might be disappointed! But it’s ultimately a fun game to play, especially with friends.

Ultimately, RPGolf Legends could be a suitable distraction for those who have been waiting too long for a game like Sports Story. It’s forgettably pleasant and largely inoffensive, a stopgap for those who need it. If ArticNet continues to work on the franchise, we’d really like to see a focus on mechanical depth in the next installment.

Overall, God of War feels like a game made with a specific audience in mind, and I don’t fall into its parameters. Regardless though, the God of War PC port holds up well, gameplay remains similar, and it can be accessible to people with a variety of rigs. For that reason alone, it may be worth a shot.

Ultimately, Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker marked the end of an era. Plot threads from A Realm Reborn onward come to a close. The story is rife with fanfare, paying homage to past expansions in ways that sometimes feel overmuch or hit in just the right way. While the story isn’t as effective as it could be, the combat adjustments and quality-of-life improvements make Endwalker a strong expansion.

Oink Games has indicated that more games could join this collection, and we’d be all for it if the conversions are as high-quality as these.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a game that manages to feel both carefree and thoughtful. It is easy to run through each level. You know time is at a premium. You have an idea of what your characters can do. But at the same time, success comes from planning ahead. Being careful and biding your time can be critical. Given that you can be in and out of an area in minutes, it keeps things from getting stale. But that swiftness makes repeated runs even more inviting as you search for answers and secrets.

I didn’t expect to enjoy Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani as much as I did. With so many Switch otome games out now and it being another date supernatural boys game like Cafe Enchante or Hiiro no Kakera, I wondered how it’d set itself apart. But it’s such a genuine visual novel, and one where the relationships gradually grow between the heroine and bachelors. It’s really quite lovely.

If you’re looking for a fresh take on the formula, Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX ain’t it! It’s very much the game it once was, just with some handy quality-of-life upgrades. But that in itself has a lot of merit these days.

Otomate knows how nonsensical the concept for Cupid Parasite is, rolls with it, and I am here for it. It is absolutely a lot. But it’s so different that it’s refreshing. Especially since Cupid is a great heroine. That does mean that, for some, it’s so ridiculous that it might be distracting. Especially since part of the game is dedicated to making the men seem incredibly weird. But the real heartache comes from the fact that it launched in such a state. Especially since, a month later, it is still like this. I enjoyed it, but I strongly recommend waiting for the patch.

The thing about Danganronpa S is that as I play, I can think of how it could be better. Giving a player all N-rank cards at the start would have been nice. Especially since there are four variants of each character and nine Hype Card upgrades for each of them. Not to mention 30 presents are there. It’d mean you’d be able to build people you like immediately. Even if they wouldn’t be great. Also, given that people are paying $20 for this, the gacha rates shouldn’t be so terrible. Rather than play Danganronpa S, I’d suggest people get Danganronpa V3 and play through its minigames (and review its story) again. Given it’s $29.99, compared to Danganronpa S’s $19.99, it is worth it. As is, I can’t help but feel like this should have been a free-to-play game.

Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster reminded me of just how fun the older Final Fantasy titles were. It will potentially be something of a hit-or-miss for die-hard fans of the original entry, with its poor user interface and reimagined pixel artwork. However, this is a great a time as ever for newcomers to check this classic entry in the Final Fantasy series out. As it offers a fair amount of quality of life improvements that will appeal to modern sensibilities and make the game easier to pick up and play.

Arcadia Fallen feels like something of an experiment. It tests the limits of how much freedom you can allow a player, in terms of responses, while still making things feel like you’re making a difference. The result is that the more frequent responses don’t offer the impression of carrying much weight. Meanwhile, the choices that do matter almost break the immersion a bit by how much they stand out. Still, the character designs are good, your allies stand out, and the effort that went into the game is obvious. It’s the sort of game that people who enjoy should give a try.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi excels at providing you with a DRPG that feels fresh without feeling completely new. The high risk, high reward gameplay is incredibly challenging at first and becomes rewarding once you find your stride. I often found myself wishing the game opened up a lot faster and was smoother to play, but those issues feel small in the grand scheme of it all.