Jackbox Survey Scramble is a solid showing which offers a nice selection of short simple games to slip into your rotation as filler. The codes for the room remain on screen throughout, meaning people can drop in and out of the games for maximum flexibility. The survey results could use some tweaking, to avoid you having to guess six different words for boogers when the question is sticky things, but since the intention is to adjust the survey results using player data anyway I have hopes this will improve over time. I’m excited to return in a few weeks and see how things have panned out.

There are certainly areas where All In Games could improve for a sequel, but Ghostrunner is a blast. It's one of the best games of the year and something I'd easily recommend to fans of Mirror's Edge or first-person games in general.

Obviously, it would have been better if the collection had included the first Star Gladiator and Rival Schools games, and it would be nice if Capcom had provided us with characters and features locked to the console ports of these titles. However, you can always ask for more and the point stands that what’s here is already one of the best retro fighting game collections on the market.

Everspace 2 doesn’t have a great story and its systems aren’t particularly deep, but the things it does well more than make up for its shortcomings. Once you get into the rhythm of traveling from map to map and clearing all of the objectives, it’s alarmingly easy to lose track of time. Rockfish has stuffed so many stunning locations into this game. Whether you’re skimming the surface of a desert planet, circling a half-destroyed moon with its core exposed, or navigating through tight corridors to deliver ramen in a floating metropolis, there’s always something new to see. I’m so glad there’s finally an approachable space sim out there, and I can’t wait to dive into the Ancient Rift endgame loot farm. This is a game I’m going to be playing for a long time.

The game engine is just getting a bit long in the tooth. In any case, with what’s shaping up to be one of the best Formula 1 seasons in years, there’s never been a better time to get into motorsports and the best place to start might just be F1 22.

Taking a more relaxing approach to the classic puzzle platformer genre leads The Pedestrian to a big win here.

And yet, as you struggle through the game's often abstruse systems, there is something rewarding in it all. More clarity both over where to go next and what the game itself is built upon would be welcome, but what is here is worthwhile and, for those with a greater tolerance for getting lost over and over or finding the right way and being unable to progress because the search has tired you out to much, A Highland Song holds some promise. After everything, the view is just about worth the climb.

When you fail a Trial of Fire, you learn and you move on. The thing about this game is that every single run is better than the last one, even if it’s decidedly more short-lived. In fact, that’s actually a blessing in disguise - more time for another go before bed, eh?

You will be forced to make hard decisions and live with them as Alex Chen, some of which will have an irreversible impact on the narrative. Yet there’s no harrowing conclusion to be uncovered here. Much like real life, each revelation is a punch you must roll with, whether it’s losing a loved one or conjuring up the courage to confess your love to a crush. No matter how trivial or monumental, True Colors makes each moment matter as it forms the identity of a woman I came to care for and relate to in ways that few games have managed to achieve. This brings me back to the sibling bond between Alex and Gabe, and how it feels like a virtual replacement for the bond between myself and the brother I wasn’t able to bid farewell to. I had that chance here, and I can’t describe how much that means to me. Without being overly poetic or needlessly saccharine, I’m glad more games are engaging with how we can learn, grow, and love as human beings, and the rewards that come with accepting such hardships along the way. Life is Strange: True Colors truly is something special.

I can't help but feel like Stormland is limited by the technology rather than maximizing it. Insomniac, to their credit, is helping push the medium forward and I know they'll be at the forefront as VR continues to grow. Stormland is so much fun to play that I wish there was a more advanced platform to play it on. Having said that, you won't find a shooter with better mobility than Stormland. If you've been waiting for a AAA FPS in VR, it's here.

Utilizing virtual reality to help get gamers up off the couch is a great use of the technology, and BoxVR is about as good as it gets when it comes to fitness games. It's a fast, challenging, and entertaining way to try to lose some extra pounds with your VR helmet.

Silicon Dreams is a tremendous detective game. The way you grill these androids for information is highly engaging. I was surprised many times by the responses I got from my interrogations and the narrative continued to get more and more compelling as I went on. If the idea of delving into the minds of androids to see what makes them tick sounds like a fun time, then you should experience the dystopian nightmare that is Silicon Dreams.

Venba is a truly wonderful game, and executes what it sets out to do wonderfully. The art is gorgeous, the music is excellent, and the storytelling is somehow both broad in what it manages to elucidate about the South Asian immigrant experience while deep in the family dynamics it portrays. The cooking gameplay does eventually get a little stale towards the end as it attempts to include more recipes with less detail, and quite honestly, it’s more of a visual novel that touches on cooking than an actual cooking game. That said, I still found myself sniffling and wiping tears away by the end. It’s a sincere, full-throated love letter to Tamil culture and first-generation immigrants everywhere, and in that sense it is unique and singular in its ambition. I loved Venba, and have already recommended it to my Indian friends. I can only hope that it reaches far beyond that audience.

Even after playing Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero with a massive grin on my face for more than 60 hours, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of everything that it has to offer. Its smart evolution of Budokai Tenkaichi’s combat, stacked and detailed roster, and near endless amount of modes and features make it one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time.

As someone who adores games like Spelunky for forcing the player to digest every bit of information, Sifu strikes that exact same spot with the force of a freight train, delivering a combat system that is truly unrivalled. As a game, it's one of the most engaging I've played in some time, it's just a shame that it won't appeal to all players thanks to its surprising difficulty and that it took some developmental liberties with representing Asian voices.

I have no doubts that the Steam Workshop will do wonders with this game. If modding is supported properly by the developers, which it appears will be the case, we could have some seriously impressive mods down the line. I’ve already played around with the Beyond Stranded mod that adds a bunch of new traits, survivors, and expeditions - it’s a clear indicator of what is possible given enough time and effort. As it stands, though, Stranded: Alien Dawn is already a good game, but with more customization, narrative elements, scenarios, and general expansion on some solid foundations, it can become a great game.

Although it may be short, its masterful movement and shooting are a shotgun blast to the face - and I mean that in the best way possible.

Though flawed in areas and certainly a victim of the limitations endemic to virtual reality, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is an admirable attempt at maturing the medium and modernizing an all-too-stagnant gaming space. It’s a warts-and-all sort of experience which, at the moment, can only really be appreciated by VR veterans, but, even for casual players, Saints & Sinners is a worthwhile undertaking which stands head-and-shoulders above the complacent competition.

Halo: Reach is probably better played on a console considering the issues encountered on PC, but they aren't enough to wreck the release. The campaign is excellent, showing why Halo is one of the most acclaimed first-person shooters. There might be some drops in the frame rate, but the gameplay is still excellent. The story is engaging, showing what it means to be a soldier in a time of peril, with the final level being incredibly memorable.

Despite my minor grievances, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters is exceptionally fun. It’s a treat for the eyes, ears, and the bonce. It’s violent, gore-filled, crunchy, and full of charm. Underneath all of that is a wealth of depth and customization that begs to be explored. If you’re a fan of the setting then this is an easy sell. If you aren’t, then this is still a fantastic introduction to a wacky universe that’s well worth delving into.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD really does revitalise this maligned Nintendo classic. Motion controls proved divisive at launch, but with two robust control schemes included here, and the extra fluidity of 1080p60 visuals, this should finally please everybody. The linear structure of the game and relatively empty space of the sky will still frustrate some, but the core sword fighting gameplay and linear Zelda structure is better here than it is in many other games. If you want a traditional 3D Zelda experience, then Skyward Sword HD is an easy choice.

Two years ago, Sackboy: A Big Adventure proved Sumo Digital was more than capable of creating its own unique vision of Media Molecule's banner Little Big Planet series. Now in 2022, as I write this while listening to the game’s choral remix of Material Girl, I can’t help but be excited for what is next for weird potential of future Sackboy games. People should go back and play this game, just not on PC.

Despite having spent plenty of time in Littlewood (yes, I kept the default name for my town), I still often find myself wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. When will I be thrust back into a life of combat to defend the town and community that I have spent hours upon hours rebuilding? There’s been nothing to indicate that that is going to happen, and I hope nothing ever will. I have every intention of continuing my journey in Littlewood for a long time - whether that comes in the form of extended hour-long playthroughs or five to ten minutes at a time.

Those looking for an easygoing yet surprisingly deep JRPG will be taken with Monster Hunter Stories 2, even if some of its more notable flaws are harder to forgive. But once you look past those, you’re left with a wondrous little adventure with an engaging battle system, lovable characters, and an emotionally resonant narrative that sunk its claws in far deeper than I ever expected it to. If you’ve never been able to vibe with the mainline games, give this one a punt.

From milking bugs to slaying frogs with jetpacks, Tails of Iron is an off-the-walls, brilliantly intuitive sidescroller, but it has a heart and keeps you gripped from start to finish as you slaughter a conveyor belt of would-be challengers. It’s not about avenging your father, not entirely - it’s about family and community. Vin Diesel would be proud. Sadly, it’ll probably get lost in the busy end-of-year shuffle among the triple-A powerhouses. But in the downtime between releases, make some room for Tails of Iron - it’s one of 2021’s best.

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is both a pleasing and frustrating puzzling journey that leaves you thinking both about the steps you make in-game and the ones that you might or might not make in your real life.

The Outer Worlds 2 shows that Obsidian won’t be left behind as other great RPGs launch to critical success, and that the developer needs to play to its strengths. I only hope that it learns to take itself more seriously, because the setting is brimming with potential that is yet to be realised.

Monster Sanctuary is a Pokémon game smashed together with pixel-art, JRPGs, and Metroidvanias. If that's not a recipe for an indie game hit, then I don't know what is.

As confusing as this might sound, Exo One is every bit relaxing as it is intense. Its exploration of the mysterious and deep reaches of space combined with its perfectly arranged soundtrack creates a different kind of sci-fi experience that should definitely be checked out by fans of the genre. As far as I know, this is Exbleative’s first title, but it’s an absolute banger. I’ll be eager to see future projects from the studio, science fiction-based or otherwise.

Even if it can be a little too easy and was over far before I’d have liked, Gunbrella’s incredible movement options, surprisingly intriguing mystery, and punchy gunfights quickly made it one of my favourite indies in recent memory and a universe I’d love to see more of in the future. Just remember, there’s a 100 percent chance of blood raining from the sky, so you better bring a brolly.

I love the world of SteamWorld. Heist 2 is as flavorful as ever, with great characters, funny writing, and a great soundtrack by Steam Powered Giraffe. The overworld exploration is charming too, with its own pirate ship progression system and simple naval combat. I really want to like SteamWorld Heist 2, but I can’t get past the more tedious aspects of the grind, or the long, punishing missions in the late game. It’s an improvement over the original to be sure, but I’ll have to wait patiently for SteamWorld Heist 3 to see if this series can finally reach its full potential.

As somebody who grapples with my mortality every day, Necrobarista helped me want to live each day to the fullest - lest my time be stolen away in the blink of an eye. And for a game to have that impact on a person, for a work of art to rattle the soul that thoroughly, is perhaps one of the highest forms of art that I can think of.

I'm as conflicted about Stellar Blade as it seems to be about itself. It's competent and occasionally interesting with combat as unique and rewarding as it is repetitive and frustrating. Less style over substance than it is beauty over brains, there is a good time to be had in Stellar Blade, but it comes at the cost of knowing there are better versions of this game that will never be realised.

While their restoration itself leaves a lot to be desired, The Gate Rune And Dunan Unification Wars is still the easiest way to access the first two games in the Suikoden franchise, and despite my many quibbles, the quality of the original titles bears out. That is more than enough to justify this collection’s existence, even if it does feel like a bit of a squandered opportunity.

Lost Ark feels like a reward after so many hashed-out and rocky launches of new games. You know what you’re getting with Lost Ark, it’s an experience that has already been through the tests and tribulations of its first two years of content. Its story won’t speak to everyone, but the endgame experience is worth a few cutscenes here and there. Lost Ark is one of the most polished titles I’ve played for some time, especially an MMO.

I’ve admittedly spent all of my free-time playing WRC 9 since installing the game on my PlayStation 4. With its ongoing in-game events, it’s hard to imagine that changing for me anytime soon.

Apart from that, there’s a lot of fun to be had with Black Myth: Wukong, and it’s a must-play for anyone that enjoys a good soulslike. It’s also perfect for anyone with soulslike fatigue and weary of the brutal difficulty that usually comes with them. It’s beautiful, frantic, challenging, and a delight to play.

Fittingly for a game where our hero hears multiple voices in her head, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is confused about who it is, what it wants, and where it's going. Is it an indie game eager to be unique in the marketplace, or another triple-A hit with the usual trimmings? Is it a peaceful puzzle game, or a mini soulslike? Is it an inwardly reflective tale about the demons of trauma, or a very literal tale of gods and monsters? Is it even a game, or is it an interactive art piece?

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a very good game that feels like it’s already been left behind by modern genre conventions. There’s nothing all that frustrating in that - we shouldn’t expect games, especially those made by studios the size of Ember Labs, to be constantly groundbreaking, but so much of Kena feels borrowed from elsewhere that it’s difficult to call it great. It’s a solid, enjoyable experience, and charming enough that you won’t care that you’ve played versions of it before. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a pretty nice wheel nonetheless.

Gears Tactics transitions the series into a new genre admirably well. Although there is much to be desired regarding mission variety and replayability, the developers did a great job interweaving classic Gears combat and weaponry into a tactical format, making for a positive experience overall.

Paper Trail is a beautifully crafted adventure that utilises origami techniques to create a unique puzzle game with cosy vibes, stunning illustrations, and a captivating storyline. It had my attention from the first fold to the final destination, and the journey was beautiful.

Dragon Quest 7 has always been the series' most ambitious entry - a sprawling anthology of tragedy and hope that attempted things no other Dragon Quest has matched. It was also, frankly, too long. Reimagined solves that problem without sacrificing what made the original special. For series veterans, it's a chance to revisit a flawed classic in its best possible form. For newcomers, it's finally a reasonable entry point into one of the franchise's most rewarding narratives.

This is the best Fire Emblem game to play ever. No exaggeration. I have not experienced all of the very early games, but I have seen enough to plant my flag for this one. But to fully experience? Way down the list. It's frustrating in the extreme - I just do not care about these characters and their plight, and even the ones where I might have, the game offers me no reason to invest whatsoever. I highly recommend Fire Emblem Engage because the gameplay and battles are stellar. Just be prepared to find yourself skipping a lot of stuff by the end.

Patch Quest is a novel dungeon crawling rogue-lite that has unique ideas which set it apart from some of the most noteworthy in the genre. However, it quickly becomes repetitive, with a huge, sprawling dungeon full of discoveries to be made that leave little impact on the world back home, turning it into an adventure that soon becomes aimless and disjointed.

Annapurna Interactive has a staggering back catalogue, but 2021 has frankly not been great for the publisher. Last Stop failed to leave any kind of impact, Maquette is a game with Bryce Dallas Howard in it and not much else, and Twelve Minutes, despite being loaded with star-power, wastes its time loop mechanic in service of a ridiculous twist ending that derails the entire game. With The Artful Escape, plus Neon White, Stray, and Solar Ash to come in the near future, it feels like Annapurna is back.

Dredge is a nice, enjoyable fishing game with a low-fat horror coating. The mechanics, upgradability, and weird fish variety are enough to make for a lightweight and engaging time. But if your primary interest is in the narrative or atmosphere, you may find yourselves disappointed.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a game of two halves. You have the village management where you’re decorating empty spaces and making numbers go up - this is the half that’s generic and shallow. The other half is a more-than-decent action-adventure populated with a pretty great cast. The gameplay cycle keeps you flipping between these two halves often enough to keep you interested and distracted, but when you look at Azuma with a few steps taken back, it’s not the prettiest sight.

With a tighter script and more polish, this could've been a fantastic game that paralleled the trauma of child loss to the evil enterprise of colonial expansion. Instead, it's one that insincerely mines trauma from a colonizer's perspective... then asks you to do a half-hearted physics puzzle.

Arizona Sunshine 2 does everything the original game does well. It’s a visually stunning experience with well-designed levels, an engaging narrative, and enjoyable gunplay. While the new features like explosive crafting and buddy commands fall short of being meaningful additions, they don’t hinder the overall package. If you loved the first game or are looking for a good story-driven shooter, then I recommend giving it a try.

Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection gives you plenty of bang for your swashbuckling buck.

This is a punishing set of games that plops you into a temple and expects you to get out using your own puzzle-solving prowess. If you're looking for a game on your Switch that takes the idea of Indiana Jones but substitutes the action for obtuse brain-teasers, then look no further. La Mulana 1 & 2 offer up a challenging puzzle experience and figuring your way through these ruins will make you feel smarter than a whip-lashing Harrison Ford.

As a whole product, it’s hard to fault a package that gives us a faithful remaster of one of the most beloved Sonic games, and a great Shadow game to boot. I only hope now that Sega trusts itself to look to the future some more, and keeps moving ahead with the new formula that Sonic Frontiers - and now Shadow Generations - promises us.

Just like its PC and console versions, PowerWash Simulator VR is a bizarrely enthralling game. The to-the-point gameplay loop provides the perfectly formulated dopamine drip feed to keep me going longer than I ever actually plan to. It’s refined, calming, and super satisfying to see an absolutely ruined skatepark become squeaky clean. Compared to most games on the VR market, it provides an above-average level of polish and content. The biggest disclaimer I can give is that if you’re someone who wants action-packed gameplay with linear direction, you might find this game a bit underwhelming or directionless. For everyone else, it’ll have you putting power washers on your Amazon wishlist before you know it. [Meta Quest 3]

Eidos-Montreal’s Guardians of the Galaxy is brilliant, but the one thing holding me back from giving it a higher score is how dated many of its conventions seem. The power cooldown has no plan B, QTEs are everywhere, and again… Eagle Vision. It’s a few years behind the times, even without George Michael's dulcet tones. It’s fun, but it certainly isn’t fresh, and for a lot of people, that will be enough. In some ways, it's an experience not to be missed. In others, it's an experience you've had before.

Even with the confusing cut content that hopefully gets added back in at a later date, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is the perfect way for newcomers to get into the series with its most action-packed and visceral entry. Veterans are still likely to prefer the ridiculous cruelty of the original game, but most fans are just going to be happy to see Ryu return and right most of Sigma’s wrongs.

Wanderstop balances the discomfort brought on by seeing a game strike so true at the heart of burnout with being an absolute pleasure to play, full of delightful secrets and a healthy helping of whimsy. I’m awed at how well it’s all balanced and how, despite some occasionally schlocky dialogue, it so effectively gets its point across.

As a longtime fan, it's a little frustrating. Luigi's Mansion and Fire Emblem are evolving, but Pokémon doesn't seem to want to. And as long as it stays fun and lovable, it doesn't have to.

Honkai: Star Rail feels like the consummation of all the knowledge that Hoyoverse amassed so far after the two juggernauts that preceded it. With a good amount of content to tackle at launch and such a compelling story being told, all that remains to be seen is where the Astral Express will take us next.

As a longtime fan, it's a little frustrating. Luigi's Mansion and Fire Emblem are evolving, but Pokémon doesn't seem to want to. And as long as it stays fun and lovable, it doesn't have to.

What it comes down to is a game that is easy to recommend for fans of the first, but a little hard to review in general. It's a lot of the same stuff and while I enjoyed the co-op more, I can't definitively say this is a better experience. It's still a really great game and one that fans of Castlevania and Bloodstained are sure to enjoy, so don't hesitate to grab it if you liked the first.

The Skate part of Skate Story is very good, offering variety, pace, and a unique approach to boss battles. But it's less intricate by design than other skating sims, and that's to make room for the Story part. Your mileage may vary on this, and there's clearly a lot of thought gone into every element, but sometimes so much of it comes off as noise. Or maybe you're smarter than me, and you'll just get it.

Avowed is a valiant attempt at fantasy you can play your way, but while it delivers well enough with combat, the narrative just isn’t there. Too ambitious in what it wants to do, it falls way short. It’s a very mediocre version of the masterpiece it tries to be, but it’s also a solid version of Just Another Video Game. The story goes nowhere and all ends the same way, but maybe the journey is just about worth it.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is Yu-Gi-Oh! at its best. The kid gloves have been taken off to give us a complex, deep game full of exciting plays and powerful combos, but presented in a sensible and readable way, free from Joey Wheeler shoutin' about da heart o' da cards. Whether you're a veteran duelist, a lapsed player, or someone who's had a vague interest at some point in the last 25 years, this is the way you want to get into Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Atelier Yumia is lush. It’s vibrant. It’s a feast for the eyes. I expect that some will compare it to Xenoblade Chronicles’ own spectacular designs, and while I’m not quite sure I would go that far, I ultimately came away far more impressed than I had anticipated by the diverse biomes on display. Suffice it to say, this makes everything in the previous paragraph that much more engaging.

Recommending Doom Eternal on Nintendo Switch ultimately boils down to two factors: the Switch is the only gaming system you own, and/or you plan on playing the game near-exclusively while on-the-go. Honestly, for a Nintendo Switch title, Doom Eternal is solid. It just feels like a game that benefits from being played on a more powerful platform.

Remnant: From the Ashes is one of my all-time favorite games, so the sequel had a lot to live up to. Remnant 2 makes many bold changes, and not all of them are successful, but it doesn’t lose the core of what makes Remnant so popular. It’s still a rock-solid shooter with a captivating setting that’s full of challenging boss fights, unique weapons, and plenty of mysteries to discover. If the post-launch support for Remnant 2 is anything like Remnant: From the Ashes, we'll have a lot to look forward to over the next couple of years while Gunfire Games refines the systems and adds new locations and game modes to try. The cliffhanger ending certainly indicates there’s a lot more to come, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

The price point for entry feels quite reasonable. There is a one-time promotion for new players that provides ten packs for $4.95. From there, bundles of packs, a pre-order for an expansion, and an “Equipment” tab which offers cosmetics like card backs also become available. Compared to all the other online card games out there, this feels perfectly average in asking price, but growing a collection as a free-to-play player feels somewhat slow by comparison.

Rytmos is a meditative music-making experience with a specific goal in mind – sharing the music of the world, with the world. With well-designed puzzles and diverse influences, it’s worth the play if you’re keen on a relaxing, musical experience.

I’m hopeful for My Time at Sandrock. While it does have its hiccups left over from the beta that impacted my gameplay from time to time, they were my only real problems with the game itself. My Time at Sandrock is an enjoyable, well-paced game that eschews genre expectations. I enjoyed tangibly seeing how my own, personal progress was helping to rejuvenate the flatlining spirit of the town.

Thirsty Suitors excels when it wraps a mechanic in a narrative thread, but when the story takes a backseat, those minigames and combat interactions are left wanting. Everything is wonderfully presented in a fantastic maximalist style, from your parents tasting a perfectly-prepared meal in a flashback to their childhood to you front-flipping down the stairs and into your coat in one smooth action. A South Asian spin on Scott Pilgrim, Thirsty Suitors is a game that excels in excess, and falters when one or two of those layers are stripped back.

Radiant Tale - Fanfare! handles its romance well, but the game leaves me wanting more engagement. I enjoy visual novels, but I hoped for some sort of mini-game or higher narrative stakes. The lack of real friends for Tifalia rings hollow as well, making it difficult to latch onto anyone. Radiant Tale - Fanfare! is a colorful adventure, but one that falls short of delivering a memorable experience.

NEO: The World Ends With You is the sequel we’ve been waiting for. While its new cast of characters have a lofty legacy to live up to, they manage to cement themselves as equally memorable even if their own journey begins to intersect with one we know so well. Combat falls victim to repetition, yet the ideas that surround it are substantial enough that such flaws are easy to forgive. If you’re after a vast JRPG adventure, it’s time to surrender yourself to the underground and never look back. TWEWY is back, and I hope it’s here to stay.

Those minor issues don’t stop Marvel Cosmic Invasion from being yet another stellar beat ‘em, but they were enough to just keep it from matching the heights Shredder’s Revenge reached, which might also be down to how much more I prefer Turtles to Marvel. Whether you’re stuck comparing every brawler to TMNT for the rest of time like me or not, Cosmic Invasion is still a great experience that proves once again that Tribute is the best there is at what it does - and what it does best is very nice.

VALORANT is a good game. It isn't for everyone, catering to a competitive, esports-focused audience, but that doesn't mean it's off-putting or unwelcoming. Riot's attention to detail and commitment to quality shines through with VALORANT, so even if you run into a few bad apples – laugh it off and enjoy the thrill of the fight.

Ultimately, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax doesn’t seem to quite know who it’s for. It should be aimed at Persona fans, but the steep learning curve and lack of fan service elements lean away from that idea. As a fighting game, it doesn’t seem that compelling either, and asks for heavy investment in a story that’s relatively light on gameplay. It will find some fans, but it doesn’t look likely to pick up many outsiders. But hey, at least it has rollback netcode now.

The game is incredible, and for anyone looking for a great party game that is easy to jump into, Fall Guys might be the game for you. I'm not a big battle royale person, but Fall Guys will be my battle royale of choice for a long time. With its bright visuals, thrilling gameplay, and an excellent soundtrack, Fall Guys will make its mark on the battle royale genre in a way that no other game has before. If you are looking for a party game to play with your friends this summer, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is the game for you.

As a longtime fan, it's a little frustrating. Luigi's Mansion and Fire Emblem are evolving, but Pokémon doesn't seem to want to. And as long as it stays fun and lovable, it doesn't have to.

Ronaldo aside, the roster is fantastic, the game has a graphical style that pops, and the ability to edit color pallets allows for an excellent level of customization. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves puts its best paw forward and proves that SNK still has what it takes to compete with the big dogs in the fighting game arena.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a breath of fresh air. Its tireless commitment to its aesthetic, and enticing, varied gameplay make for a memorable experience. One that is as charming as it is enthralling. In an era where Capcom largely produces remakes and sequels, games like Kunitsu-Gami are more important than ever. Every inch of Kunitsu-Gami feels deliberate, and the passion of those who developed it bleeds through. Kunitsu-Gami is carving a path forward for Capcom, and at the end of that path is a more creative gaming landscape.

Mouse is an enjoyable and visually stunning shooter with just enough uncapitalized potential to make me mourn what could have been. It looks amazing, the music is spectacular, the voice acting is top-notch, and it feels great to play in the moment, but its unwillingness to put up even a semblance of challenge is its biggest downfall. I’d still very easily recommend it, but sticking it on the hardest difficulty is almost a requirement.

The fact that Capcom has bundled these games together is a great value and lets an underrated rendition of this franchise be experienced by fans both old and new.

Putting those minor gripes aside, Reanimal is a breath of fresh air. It’s a roughly 7-hour experience chock-full of exciting and tense moments that will have you on the edge of your seat for most of the runtime. It’s a true evolution of the Little Nightmares formula, and while some technical issues can frustrate at times, and it loses a bit of its tension as it draws to a close, it’s still an experience that I would easily recommend to any horror fan.

Overall, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on Nintendo Switch is well worth picking up if you liked the version that came out on console earlier this year and want a portable copy. It holds up very well on Nintendo’s system, and springs a few surprises with how well it handles everything. As for newcomers, this is probably as close to Warped as we’re going to get, so classic Crash fans should grab it too, even if it’s not quite Crash with all the trimmings.

If it wasn't for its awful art style and attitude that screams "look how rad we are fellow teens!" then I'd probably like it a whole lot more. But as long as it adds more content, I can see this gaining an audience with players who are really into over-the-top sports games like Rocket League. Just remember the five D's of dodgeball and you'll have a fun time in Knockout City.

Mario Party Superstars is an excellent package for long-suffering Mario Party fans, but it's almost certainly not going to lead to any new converts. Online multiplayer is a nice feature to have at launch, and the variety of 100 minigames will keep things feeling fresh for your first dozen hours of play at least. But with that said, this is quite literally the safest Mario Party entry imaginable, and even with a hot nostalgia injection, I think I prefer Super Mario Party as the Switch's premier place to ruin your relationships.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an inviting game. From the onset, it's hard not to get sucked in with the tropical setting, and new characters. The humor can be very clever. The action starts right away, introducing players to what could be the greatest world in the Shantae games yet. At six to eight hours for the main playthrough, the game isn't too long, but there are still things to do for completionists. Combat can be easy, but this shouldn't wreck the enjoyment too badly. Shantae continues to show why she is the queen of independent games.

Despite its uninteresting story and occasional jankiness, Ghostrunner 2 still manages to be a great successor by understanding why the first game was such a success, sharpening nearly every mechanic, and building upon them with the addition of the bike and wingsuit. It might not be the most innovative sequel in the world, but considering how great the original Ghostrunner already was, that’s no bad thing.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a dynamic game that provides novelty with every chapter. The combat is packed with robust and interesting mechanics, and it is easy on the eyes. While there are a number of niggling issues, it manages to capture some of that old-school magic from an era of games that weren't afraid to go off the rails. Relink doesn’t nail everything it does, but it does quite a lot successfully. I expect that it will find an adoring audience, and surely the co-op aspect will give it an extended life among its audience. Just don’t come for the story.

If you’re after an anime-infused action romp in a similar vein to Akira or Sword Art Online, Scarlet Nexus is almost certainly worth a punt. However, there are a few caveats. Combat is excellent yet not without its flaws, while the story being told and characters you encounter don’t have nearly enough depth to feel emotionally resonant. The potential for something brilliant is here, but much like Code Vein before it, this is a game that seems determined to stop itself from achieving something truly special.

The difficulty without much progression and lack of any kind of guidance can make BPM feel a bit unwelcoming, which is a shame when its mechanics feel so great to learn. It's worth diving into for the core premise alone, but don't expect to have anyone hold your hand through hell.

Planet of Lana is a delightful puzzle platformer that hits that sweet spot in more ways than one. It’s not too challenging nor too simple, and though it could have delivered endless levels of similar ideas, it only takes enough time as it needs to tell the perfect story of friendship and survival.

This all leaves me feeling mixed. On a basic level, Revenge of the Savage Planet is pretty fun. Despite shotgunning most of it in two days, I was happy to play more. Moving from a double jump to a grapple to a rail grind to a stomp is simple fun...But it feels like some identity has been lost in the game's expansion. In broadening out to encompass four planets and change, Revenge loses touch with the series' foundations. It's a more curated open-world experience than, say, Assassin's Creed Shadows, but it isn't nearly as different from that kind of mainstream triple-A open-world game as its roots would lead you to expect. Revenge of the Savage Planet seems to have confidently marched in this direction, but I'm not sure it was the right one.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a game that is full of charm and wit, with a world that is so fun that it makes you want to explore every corner of its colorful landscape. The combat system lets it down (outside of the boss battles), but it's more of a grind than a nuisance. Paper Mario: The Origami is a great game despite its flaws, and it's a return to form for the series.

Lost Judgment delivers another fantastic thriller that ups the ante when it comes to its intricately woven plot and interesting cast of characters, all while making you question where the line is drawn between the law and true justice. And when all is said and done, you can sit and celebrate with some sushi.

In terms of the rhythm genre, AVICII Invector doesn’t necessarily blow me away overall, other than the cathartic connection I had during some of the levels. But if you’re a fan of the genre or AVICII and his music, AVICII Invector is definitely a well-executed game that should be added to your collection.

The wait to get the game fully stable is worth it, since this expansion is looking likely to shoot straight to the top of all the best expansions ranked lists. Snowy Escape offers more depth than pretty much any Sims 4 expansion I've ever played, and that's not just the snow.

The Star Force Legacy Collection brings back the underrated spin-off in the best way possible. It looks and plays better than ever while also featuring a number of worthwhile bonuses both hardcore fans and newcomers alike will appreciate. There are a few remaining flaws to take into account, but seldom did these truly infringe upon the experience.

Sometimes, you don't need to be the hero of the epic adventure. Sometimes, it can be more fulfilling to enable others to maximise their potential in your stead. Sometimes, the safety and security of your own four walls are the escape from your traumatic past that you needed. Buy another round, and I'll tell you that tale, too.