Bullet hell aces might enjoy Angel at Dusk despite an erratic framerate that wavers during the game’s busiest moments. With visuals comprised of pulpy viscera, bones, and teeth, Dusk is dark and visually distinctive. When it comes to play, the title’s five-stage campaign might feel succinct, but it’s bolstered by modes with branching paths and runs where you collect and build overpowered loadouts.

Like a prodigious medical school grad, Fall of Porcupine shows breathtaking potential. For a while, the game makes good on its premise detailing some of the unstated difficulties of working as a junior doctor. But then the game seems to fold under the weight of its ambitions, delivering a particularly disheartening third act. Porcupine reminds us that the truly talented are susceptible to burnout.

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef's hand-drawn art is fantastic and the action is suitably frenzied. But do yourself a favor and play it on another platform.

Scar-Lead Salvation might be worth a cautious look if you’re in the mood for some scrappy third-person shooting. For everyone else, it’s more a case of missed potential than a direct hit.

Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade dazzles with its ukiyo-e-inspired visuals, character-specific narratives, and customizable combat, offering a vibrant roguelite that’s rooted in a mythologized Edo-period Japan. However, repetitive level design and uneven difficulty spikes, dull its blade over time.

Parcel Corps is a game with a dozen good ideas and two underdeveloped ones. Although playing as a bike courier delivers some moments, unreliable physics and using your awkward in-game phone weakens the enjoyment associated with jumping, wall-riding, and stunting through cell-shaded environments.

M.A.S.S. Builder nails the thrill of mech construction, letting you craft jaw-dropping machines that feel like they’ve walked out of a Gundam movie. Unfortunately, once you take them into battle, repetitive missions and shallow combat make it feel more like a filler episode than a main event.

Planet of Lana is downright gorgeous but worrisomely shallow. When it comes to play, the game’s puzzles and basic stealth can feel a bit antiquated and probably won’t challenge your cognitive skills. That said, younger players might appreciate the Ghibli-esque visuals.

Yars Rising delivers a notable deviation from the original Atari 2600 title. Here, Howard Scott Warshaw’s classic is imaged as a hacking mini-game placed inside a metroidvania adventure. While these transitory throwbacks and their variations are absorbing, the principal play between them is too lifeless.

Caverns of Mars: Recharged lingers on the low-end of Atari revivals. SneakyBox adds in elements like different types of weaponry and the ability to slow your descent, but none of these profoundly expand on a rather basic formula.

Although this is a proficient port of Mitchell’s 1996 arcade title, the pricing feels prohibitive. As such, only the most fervent Strider fans should consider a purchase of Cannon Dancer – Osman until a sale arises. This six-stage jaunt is likable, at least until the last level, but it also feels inferior when measured against Capcom’s classic title.

At about two hours, Jitsu Squad’s campaign is succinct. Typically, that kind of conciseness is accompanied by a comparable amount of polish. But here, there are a few too many blemishes to recommend the game for Switch owners.

With an adorable cast and near-perfect performance, Alice Gear Aegis CS Concerto of Simulatrix makes a stunning visual showing on the Switch. But the graphical beauty isn’t tantalizing enough to disguise the game’s gacha roots. Mechanized maiden battles aren’t well balanced, resulting in little more than a grind for cute costumes.

Delightful visuals and rigid controls make Curse of the Sea Rats a decidedly uneven experience. The Don Bluth-looking animation is superb, which might be enough of a draw for some. But more particular players will be disappointed by conventional navigation and combat which is often a chore.

Swinging around the Grombi islands mostly works and interacting with inhabitants can be comical. But without the possibility of even causing accidental mischief, Completely Stretchy’s open world can feel a bit sterile.

God of Weapons blends bullet heaven chaos with an inventory management system that gives your brain a short, end-of-stage workout. The lack of tutorials will frustrate but the blend of action and item arrangement gives Weapons an edge.

Exo-Calibre delivers some charm with a squadron of anime-styled pilots, but it makes no contributions to the shoot-’em-up playbook. This is serviceable and safe STG that borrows more than it builds. Vampixel’s latest might be fun for a play or two but its forgettable in the long haul.

With its skeletal tutorial and complex supervisory tasks, venturing into Pro Cycling Manager 2024 can be overwhelming. Undoubtedly, this is an experience suited for the statistically obsessed, who find enjoyment in seeing their decisions potentially garner advantages. As with simulations this sophisticated, there’s some unfortunate jank, which is perplexing for a franchise that is nearly two decades old.

Panty Party Perfect is an entertaining action brawler about pairs of panties perpetually engaged in combat. The result feels like Virtual-On and looks like a Victoria’s Secret commercial. Yet with thin single-player content and a meager online community, this one's best enjoyed in chaotic bursts against some local friends.

At present, the game is lacking polish and the potential to be a scumbag. Yet there’s enjoyment to be had when your ship is gliding along smoothly and a fire breaks out below deck. As such, those without patience will want to wait for a deep discount before sailing the simulated seas.

With a quaint world populated by mushroom folks and a sense of discovery that’s rooted in scientific methods, The Last Alchemist reveals promise. But sadly, this potential is tainted by a control scheme that’s persistently uncooperative. The lesson here is that a formula can skimp on fundamental ingredients.

For Rick and Morty fans, High on Life is a day pass to Roiland Amusement Park, where wisecracks complement the alien bounty chases. For anyone who isn’t enamored by the brand of humor, the aspiring thrill ride will be decidedly middling, with uninspired gunplay.

Under Par Golf Architect is a chill, satisfying course builder that nails the basics but never really challenges you. It’s fun to tinker with, just don’t expect it to truly play under par.

Combat can be fatiguing rather than stimulating, and frustrations are plentiful. But underneath it all is a game with potential, influenced by an assortment of classics. Hunt the Night, but only if you are tolerant and can forgive some conspicuous imperfections.

Street Racer Collection feels more like a nostalgic sampler than a full-on retrospective, serving up four varied entries of Vivid Image’s spirited ‘90s kart racer. While it’s not the complete history fans might hope for, it’s a mildly fun, curious time capsule that demonstrates the power of split-screen rivalries.

Should a remake attempt to improve on the original work? The developers of Rainbow Cotton side with historical accuracy. This rebuild of the ill-received Dreamcast game largely eschews improvements, which feels like a missed opportunity. This is for stalwart fans of the series only.

Look past the game’s beguiling ‘arts and crafts’-inspired visuals and Ufouria: The Saga 2 is woefully unmarkable. Exploration, combat, and the game’s dialog are all just adequate, rarely producing the kind of enjoyment delivered by Ufouria 2’s peers. 33 years in the making, Sunsoft’s follow-up is tragically unessential.

Following nearly a decade-long retreat, EA Sports PGA Tour has returned. But instead of attempting to beat its competitor with a decade and a half of honed experience, the game often focuses on flash. The 30 courses here all look beautiful and lifelike, while the golfers all mug convincingly after bungling a nine-foot putt. But essentials like smooth swinging and the ability to customize a competition are missing at launch.