Despite repeating huge chunks of Death Stranding 1, almost beat for beat, Kojima pulls it out of the bag in the end. The core gameplay loop remains satisfying enough to get you through to the good stuff, but I can't help but feel disappointed just how similar this game is to its predecessor.

There isn't much to say about Zombie Army VR. It's not bad, but it also doesn't stand out from the zombie shooter hordes, and it even fumbles the series' only truly distinctive feature, the X-ray killcams. It's a by the numbers zombie shooter in VR that might be enjoyable enough if zombie shooting if your gaming version of comfort food, but there are better options out there.

Rematch can be fun in bursts and over time it should grow to have a decent community. The emphasis on player skill over unlocking perks and skill points is refreshing, but can be hindered by the control scheme and camera. Some issues also need to be sorted too. Rematch is a nice distraction as an arcadey football game, and it has its place, but it is a small club that needs to build over time to challenge the bigger ones.

TRON: Catalyst is a safe spin-off of the iconic TRON: Legacy world - it presents big ideas but only ever dips it's toes into those waters, wrapping things up as a mostly okay game that existing fans will likely find a lot of joy in nonetheless.

How does Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster hold up in 2025? In short, it holds up poorly unless you’re a big fan of the franchise, or just love JRPG tropes with a passion. Even the combat mechanics that lends the game its name wear thin, leaving little about this game to really recommend against more inventive JRPGs or Switch 2 launch titles. For the first time ever I'd rather play a racing game than a JRPG.

There’s a satisfying strategy sim here, running behind design choices that try to streamline the experience, but don't necessarily make it more accessible. Awakening feels like a reshuffling of ideas without necessarily evolving the Nobunaga’s Ambition formula or pushing it forward. We’re hoping the next instalment is a little braver, or at least cherrypicks the best elements from past games, refining them into the ultimate Sengoku strategy game.

Raidou Remastered is one of those games that all Persona fans should pick up without question. There are a few too many niggles that hold it back from being perfect, but for many people this could just be one of the all-time greats, and the perfect game to tide you over as you wait for Persona 4’s upcoming remake.

While ‘Survival’ part of the title is clearly wrong, the ‘Kids’ bit is on the money. Survival Kids is a good option if you’re looking for a chill game with a less-experienced partner or your kid when they get home from school. It’s a colourful, amusing but altogether simple game that gets pretty samey if you’re looking for even a semblance of challenge.

Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon has a lot of promise but maybe it just wasn’t ready to be released just yet. It needed a bit more time to iron out some major issues like the regular crashes that can be triggered by all sorts.

Mario Kart World takes that big and bold step into a different style of racing. A big open world, bigger lobbies, and a Battle Royale style multiplayer mode add up to a Mario Kart that is both familiar and refreshingly new. It's not as tightly tuned as Mario Kart 8 was, but this is still a lot of fun, and essential for the Nintendo Switch 2.

The Alters is one of the stand-out survival games of this generation. Imbued with a fascinating sci-fi concept for the ages - one that asks genuinely fascinating ethical questions – and with high-pressure survival mechanics that keep things stressful from beginning to end, this is quite the experience. Did I enjoy playing it? Not really, but good grief, I’ll never forget it.

To a T is a cute game about acceptance and community, but it doesn't do enough to keep it's concept fresh or engaging for the duration of the game, and there's a major lack of enjoyable gameplay to pair with it.

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine Master Crafted looks very good with its 4k resolution, improved textures, and upgraded character models. It gives people the opportunity to play through the original story of Captain Titus, maintaining the feel of the original release. There were issues with the Master Crafted edition I do not remember experiencing when playing the Anniversary Edition including enemies getting stuck and control issues, though these will hopefully be patched out soon.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is packed full of exciting content, memorable characters, and unforgettable adventures.

Fast Fusion should be an instant buy for new Nintendo Switch 2 owners, providing an incredible dose of futuristic racing and a great graphical showcase for the new console at a bargain price.

After a day of playing Mario Kart World and Fast Fusion, Welcome Tour was a light, engaging way to wind down from high speed thrills. While it could arguably be a free pack-in exhibit, the £8 asking price is low enough that you shouldn’t feel too hard done by for the curious. If you want a undemanding and easily digested introduction to the way the Switch 2 works, then look no further. If you want an actual game, buy one of the other launch titles.

Despite its shortcomings in multiplayer, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a jam-packed experience that I still don't want to put down. It so easily lulls you into a loop of adventure and exploration and gathering, and just when you start to tire out from your adventure, you're reminded of three other things you could also be doing for a change of pace. I don't know if I'll stop playing it any time soon.

The spirit of Gorkamorka lives on in Speed Freeks, with a frantic blast of multiplayer mayhem the perfect antidote to the grim dark realities of other Games Workshop titles.

More akin to playing through a proof of concept than a finished game, Scar-Lead Salvation fails to live up to the pitch of being an anime Returnal.

Hypercharge: Unboxed delivers on its promise of plastic-bashing toy warfare. However, for more mature gamers and fans of the genre, it doesn’t go deep enough, playing it safe with serviceable albeit rather basic gameplay.

Death end re;Quest: Code Z is a major fumble for what has so far been Idea Factory's most promising franchise yet. The idea of a sci-fi horror mystery dungeon adventure is right up my alley, but confusing writing and frustrating gameplay mechanics hold this one back and make it one of the most frustrating games I've played all year.

Elden Ring Nightreign is a fun multiplayer offshoot, but it also doesn't come close to the dizzying heights we're used to seeing from FromSoftware. It's an interesting experiment, and I am glad it exists despite my mixed feelings, but it's a shallow happiness when I expect far more profound experiences from this company.

Pispistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a fantastic top down adventure game that deserves to be considered in the same echelon as classic Nintendo titles. It takes the traditional Zelda framework and reimagines it to create a world that is incredibly fun to explore. The thrill of nailing the yoyo traversal mechanics remains throughout and while the combat can be a little repetitive at times, this is equally the case with Link's various adventures. All in all, this is peak indie gaming and comes very highly recommended.

F1 25 is a clear improvement over last year’s entry, with improved handling, the returning Braking Point story mode and more all coming together to create an excellent F1 racing experience.

RoadCraft is the current culmination of the MudRunner ethos, balancing the series’ tough vehicular action with new mechanics, improved multiplayer, and a renewed focus on fun. Slow fun, but definitely still fun.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is a highly influential classic, one that deserves a lot more love from Capcom than this drab remake has to offer. There was a brilliant opportunity to spoil the player with behind-the-scenes developer content here, but that chance has been squandered. Instead, you get to swap weapons with a button press rather than by going into the menu and sharper visuals. You're best off saving your money and digging your PS2 out of storage, I say.

It’s fluid, the new mechanics all make perfect sense, and there are plenty of interesting builds to mess around with and try and figure out. If you liked Monster Train, you’re going to love Monster Train 2. [Review in Progress]

The Horror at Highbrook is one of the best tabletop-style games I’ve played. The card-based mechanics are complex but introduced in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed, while the writing is top-notch and the atmosphere develops perfectly. Whether you’re a fan of board games, horror writing or just after an excellent written Lovecraftian mystery then this is an easy recommendation.

Blades of Fire is a very good game, blending tough action RPG combat with a fun and unique weapon forging. The story is a little by the numbers and exploration does have a lot of back and forth, but the different regions and enemies look great and the narrative is elevated by Aran and Adso's relationship.

The Flayed Man is a fantastic little point and click with a grotesque setting and wonderful atmosphere that deserves to reach a wider audience. Check it out and support the devs, as this taste shows that they have a massive amount of potential. The story and the aesthetics will stay with me longer than many higher priced games and it’d be a crying shame if their ambitions end here.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a near-perfect compilation. Each of the games brings something unique to bear, whether in the systems they employ, their arcade-perfect visuals or the participating characters. Whether you’re a newcomer to these titles or someone who loved them the first time around, this is an incredible collection of some of the best fighting games of all time, on modern hardware, for an unbelievably reasonable price.

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete pulls together two classic RPGs that are as endearing and enjoyable as they were two decades ago.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is a fun and flashy shooter stuffed with engaging content - it's a thrill-ride from beginning to end. In the shadow of DOOM Eternal, though, the more varied set-pieces and methodical combat cause its flame to burn just a bit less bright than I was hoping for.

Revenge of the Savage Planet is a fitting follow-up to the excellent original. Its impact is mildly diminished by being a little too forgiving, and it’s a surprisingly chilled experience despite everything wanting to murder you, but one thing is for certain; Revenge of the Savage Planet is a great time, and I want to see more from the Savage Planet franchise.

Spritifall is a stupendous roguelite that feeds on Smash Bros. style brawling. Brilliant fun from beginning to end, Gentle Giant have crafted one of the best recent entries in the genre.

Too much of my time with Kiborg was spent thinking how much more fun I’d be having if the game dumped the roguelite elements and just went full old-school third person action brawler. So many of its failings could be ignored in that form. Instead, Kiborg is a slightly underwhelming rougelite that looks like it should be far more fun that it is.

Captain Blood is an odd release as it feels like a relic of its original release context. This does leave it being a nostalgic experience for those old enough to remember this era of games, but there isn’t much that isn’t done much better by its influences. Releasing decades later actually does it a favour as it feels very different to the expansive open world experiences that dominate modern gaming. As a curiosity it makes for an interesting time but it mostly confirms why such games belong in the past. Not so much buried treasure, but it's certainly better than walking the plank.

An inventive blend of easy-going Tetris with roguelite deck building and strategy, Drop Duchy is another great puzzle game to sink into in 2025. You can feel like you've seen it all after a few successful runs, but there's depths and further challenges to take on for those who want to shoot for high scores.

There are various secrets and written pieces of lore scattered throughout the game and I found probably around 75% of these in my playthrough of just under 6 hours. The replayability mostly comes from the different endings that are hinted at by the achievement list and I do want to revisit Moroi to find out whether these hidden endings provide more answers.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a beautiful experience that excels in almost every area – the combat and character skill customisation is some of the most intricate I've seen, the storyline is routinely surprising and emotional, characterisation and performances are immaculate, and it both looks and sounds absolutely stunning all the time. It's a stunning accomplishment for Sandfall Interactive's first game, and with a core team of around 30 (with outsourced help). It's sure to be in contention for Game of the Year awards, and anyone not playing it is seriously missing out.

Shotgun Cop Man is fast-paced and fluid platforming bliss that evolves mechanically through the game, but it lacks any kind of visual variety to help make the hundred or so levels stand out from each other in any meaningful way.

Oblivion Remastered is the perfect nostalgia hit for fans of The Elder Scrolls eagerly awaiting the series’ eventual sixth instalment. It’s a revival that respects those gamers who loved the original, while sprucing it up enough to entice a new generation of players.

Star Overdrive has bags of heart and a huge amount of ambition, and it manages to bring those things together with enough style to cover up some of its less-polished elements.

Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy is a very good remake of an already well regarded puzzle game. While the story is a little predictable, it looks very good, the puzzles are well designed, and the environmental story telling is well constructed.

Promise Mascot Agency is an excellent game that has a great cast of characters, a chill world to explore, and fun moments sprinkled throughout. You can complete it and get all the achievements or trophies in around 20 hours, but even after the credits roll you may just want to drive around Kaso Machi and take in the vibe of a small town with a big heart.

Steel Seed is not going to win any awards for originality, but it's a solid stealth-focused action adventure game that is entertaining throughout.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves struggles not only to understand what it wants to be, but which audience it wants to be for. While the game can be a sweat-inducing treat at its highest level of play, casual gamers might not get a lot out of it and the bevy of distracting guest characters and stage song composers in the game make it hard to see the title for its own merits.

The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy is a must-play for fans of tactical RPGs, sci-fi thrillers, and just high-quality incredibly well written games in general. It's a wild ride from beginning to end, and I'm still not even truly sure if the ride has actually ended or not.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a renewed take on a beat 'em up that probably felt a little outdated back when it launched in 2012, and while the revamped graphics and the engine are both nice, they're not enough to make this feel like a game that's really worth sinking your time into. It's a fun five minutes or so here and there, but it's just not doing enough to really make it an enjoyable time.

Rusty Rabbit is good, simple, rather old-school, fun. Sure, the flat and uninspired combat means this Bunny lacks a bit of hop, but it still bounds along at a gentle pace, providing a satisfying Metroidvania without the insurmountable difficulty of others in the genre.

The Talos Principle Reawakened isn’t just a fancy remaster with tarted up graphics, it truly is the definitive edition of one of the greatest puzzle games of all time and is a must play for any fans of the genre, or indeed any fans of quality gaming in general. The new additions are welcome, with the editor mode being particularly exciting. While you may not ever find out your true purpose, playing The Talos Principle should become part of your journey.

Commandos: Origins is probably very good; an interesting historical setting, charming visuals, and deep and varied strategic options. You won’t notice any of that if playing on console however, you’ll be too busy wrestling with the terrible controls to be having much fun. That, and the buggy visuals, make this one to be missed unless you're on PC.

Blue Prince is an excellent, intricate, and intriguing puzzle game that will have you thinking about solutions even when not playing it. While there's some minor foibles, coming across a puzzle and scrolling through your notes for an answer from previous runs is very satisfying. Blue Prince is one of the best puzzle game available.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster is a good look at how 3D platformers were put together in the 90s, but the gameplay falls seriously short of modern standards. There is just so much that could be better when it comes to the gamplay that would have made the experience more tolerable and enjoyable, but what we have is a bang average 3D platformer.

Bleach: Rebirth of Souls is the game that Bleach fans have deserved for such a long time. It's a fresh and inventive arena fighter that combines the classic energy and atmosphere of the series with a fresh, stylish, and modern coat of paint.

Wanderstop is beautiful, difficult, easy-going and complicated. It’s a showcase for what games are capable of on an emotional level, and a heartfelt indie ode to finding yourself when everything looks lost.

If you are a mud enthusiast, then you’ll find a lot to love about AI Limit and will likely see it through to completion. If, like the rest of us, you’re ambivalent about mud, then AI Limit doesn’t do nearly enough with its combat, nor with its world-building, to keep you playing for long.

Atomfall is an interesting game. It might not be wholly unique in anything it does, but it combines its core ideas in a way that feels fresh. A big part of that comes through the drip feed of the underlying story, whilst another is the glorious British countryside that makes up its maps. It likely isn't going to blow your mind, but it's an enjoyable journey and you would still be missing out if you didn't give Atomfall a go.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a great action game that's not reinventing anything by any means, but is consistently fun to play. The visuals are lovely, the action is a lot of fun thanks to ever-evolving skill trees, and the boss designs are great too. If you're after a Soulslike challenge, it can fit that bill in some ways, but it should also have a broader appeal thanks to the easy mode and more.

Fans of Assassin’s Creed have waited an era or two for a series entry that lets you be a ninja and explore Feudal Japan. Thankfully, the wait has been absolutely worth it. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an astonishing achievement. Vast, impossibly detailed, immaculately researched, and enormously fun, Shadows is easily one of the best games in this storied franchise.

With a smattering of improvements as it jumps to Nintendo Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition offers up an epic sci-fi tale set in one of the very best open worlds.

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is a fresh step forward with just as much charm and joy as the rest of the series. It's an incredible starting point for newcomers and an exciting change of pace for long-time fans.

Split Fiction is an excellent continuation of the split-screen co-op joys that Hazelight has made their own. It takes a little while to get going, both in terms of gameplay and narrative, but once it hits its stride, there's just so many moments that will fill you with joy and delight.

Suikoden I&II HD Remaster is a polished window into JRPG history with only a few minor flaws that keep it from feeling absolutely perfect.

Even in its remastered form, Glover is really frustrating to play, and not an enjoyable experience at all. With the amount of games out there and the limited amount of time most of us have, you would be better off getting something else, unless you really want a nostalgic trip to experience a rather bland re-release of a 3D platformer.

Knights in Tight Spaces is an incredibly follow up to an already amazing game. It fuses a wonderful amount of style with plenty of tactically strategy, and the party mechanics at play and side quests all help to make it almost feel like a solo tabletop role-playing game, which I mean as an incredible compliment. If you like the sound of this game at all, or hanker for more Fights in Tight Spaces, then you'll probably love it.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a fun spin off that has allowed RGG Studio to indulge in silliness. Majima as a pirate captain is a perfect fit, and the new characters are a good addition. But the actual piracy can quickly become a bit too repetitive and unsatisfying.

Afterlove EP is a heartfelt project that looks to explore the theme of loss, grief, and moving forward after the death of a loved one. However, it is marred by some bugs that cause loss of key conversations, and you can get softlocked out from seeing the ending.

Whilst these remakes bring the second Tomb Raider trilogy to modern systems, but they simply can't match up to the original trilogy – Chronicles and Angel of Darkness in particular were let downs when they released originally. I can't see this remaster gaining these games any new fans, especially since they control like some kind of device that exists to torture game developers that specialise in traversal mechanics.

While not striking the same feeling of EA’s golf games of old, PGA Tour 2K25 is HB Studios' best effort yet. There’s enough here to keep you going for a while and if the PGA Tour 2K series continues on this trajectory, might just have the best take on golf games in years to come.

Two Point Museum is a great management sim that takes the Two Point game blueprint and tweaks it to another charming and whimsical setting. There's great strides to allow for more customisation and creativity, a revamped structure to make revisiting levels more rewarding, and great variety in the core disciplines, but there's also a few snags along the way and elements that could improved through updates and DLC.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the best Monster Hunter game we’ve ever had. The best storyline, the best visuals, and changes to the combat that revolutionise the way the game plays. That said, striving for the widest audience yet has dulled some of the series' difficulty, and you may have to wait for the toughest parts of Wilds to fully reveal themselves.

With the mainline Musou series entering a new era, Warriors Abyss is a fun yet flawed repurposing of past games that feels like a sendoff, as if Omega Force is closing the book after a very long chapter.

Dog Man: Impawsible Mission is a light and breezy platformer that will keep fans of the books happy for a number of hours. However, parents might need to be on hand to get past some of the trickier sections.

Stories From Sol: The Gun-Dog is a decent visual novel, and a good opening salvo for what is supposed to be the first entry to a wider universe. While most of the story is self-contained, there are major plot points left open to be resolved in later releases. The different visual styles all look good, the story is fine if familiar, and you can get through it in an afternoon.

I really enjoyed Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, especially travelling between different locations. The new dice system is a bit too much, though, and little would have been lost if only one of the broken or glitched dice concepts was used. The story and writing are still great, though being spread across a wider setting means it does lose some of the magic of the original.

Civilization 7 has made a lot of changes, and while some were positive, the shortcomings made me wish I was playing Civ 6. That said, for anyone getting into the series for the first time, this is probably a great place to start.

Avowed is an incredible RPG. Its vibrant world and stellar cast make every moment a joy to take part in, enhanced by a script that gives equal measure to drama, action and humour. Coming hot on the heels of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, Microsoft’s software revival is well underway.

I have to say I'm not really a fan of rogue style games or Doom style shooters, but Robobeat has proven to be the exception to the rule. It's fast, slick, and once you have learned the mechanics, really quite easy to master.

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is a fun and polished JRPG full of the most electrifying JRPG combat I've ever experienced, but it fails to weave its own compelling narrative, relying on filler to plug the gaps.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black offers a comprehensive remake of Team Ninja’s finest game, rendered in beautiful modern visuals. Combat is as bombastically brilliant as it ever was, though the awful camera will put off many of those new to the game, it really hasn’t aged well. Still, as a reminder of how good Ninja Gaiden can be, this remake offers a tantalising taste of what we can all look forward to when Ninja Gaiden 4 is released later this year.

In our experience, you’re not relying too heavily on dynamic resolutions and upscaling to high the graphics presets provided by Sony, but there’s plenty of scope to tweak settings and apply some upscaling to get core ray tracing features and a solid 60fps performance that matches or betters the game on PS5. All in all, Spider-Man 2 on PC has proven to be a reliable performer in both of our use cases.

Coridden is quite simply one of the coolest concepts I've played in absolutely ages, and as a big fan of co-op games, is immensely refreshing. I adore this game, and I really hope we get more from this from the team at Aftnareld to shows off more of what they can do, because their first attempt is a triumph of ingenuity.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 continues to fulfil the uncompromising vision of the first game. It weaves together a world of lords, knights, peasants and bandits in medieval Europe, with poor Henry of Skalitz caught somewhere in the middle just trying to cope. It's grand in scale whilst being full of fine details and it sometimes gets in its own way a little bit, but if this is your kind of game it'll be one that you don't want to end because there's nothing else quite like it.

There’s a lot to like about Big Helmet Heroes, it’s a delightfully silly and fun side-scrolling beat ‘em up, but substantial patches are required to fix the game before contemplating a purchase.

Bloomtown: A Different Story is everything I want from a video game. A hugely enjoyable story, slick script, bombastic battles, and the freedom to interact with the world in odd and inventive ways. It's pretty much essential.

There’s a lot to like about Laika – Aged Through Blood with its motorvania concept that absolutely delivers, offering a fresh and compelling take on the often staid metroidvania formula. Personally, the high difficulty was not for me, the grind becoming so choresome that getting the bathroom cleaned became deeply alluring. Still, if you like a serious challenge then you might enjoy Laika – Aged Through Blood. Just give it a miss if you’re playing on a Nintendo Switch Lite or in handheld more.

Eternal Strands weaves its myriad influences into something memorable, beautiful and utterly enthralling.

Cuisineer is a game with a strong core idea, but doesn't invest enough in its systems to keep it interesting. The excellent combat and good restaurant running soon become repetitive as a result. If the basics are enough to keep you coming back then Cuisineer might work for you, but for me this dish has turned stale.

The Mute House is one of the most faithful survival horror experiences currently available and is highly recommended for any fans of the genre. While clear in its influences, it also has some new ideas of its own. They don't entirely come off, but I appreciate the distinct vision at play here and once you take the game on its own terms you are set for a memorable time. I just don’t think I ever want to do that tile pattern puzzle again.

As it stands, then, Assetto Corsa EVO is not yet an essential buy. It’s got a cut price for the Early Access launch, so it’s tempting to grab the game now and dabble with it, but as usual, you’ll also need to accept that it’s a rough draft – and rougher than expected at this point in time. It might not take too long, but there will be a wait for this to start to realise its potential. [Early Access Review]

Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos is not the follow-up that Hyperdimension Neptunia fans want or deserve. There are specks of charm and fun to be had here, but you'll have to dig deep, and after just two or three hours of digging, it'll all be over.

You know what you're getting with Sniper Elite: Resistance; a spin-off covert mission that matches the scale and scope of Sniper Elite 5, but doesn't really go beyond it. It's more Sniper Elite, and there's still plenty of enjoyment in that.

I was more excited than a mouse starting on a cheese-dinner to finally play Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, particularly after I had such a great time with the original game, but this sequel left me underwhelmed. Sure, the same gorgeous world to explore and brutal combat to endure is present and correct, but it is bogged down by poorly implemented and unnecessary new gameplay mechanics hold it back.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is a blast with friends, but returning fans may find that not enough has changed to warrant a return visit.

Even when you do eventually beat the game, you're then thrown into a new game plus cycle that means you can just keep playing and making your character stronger and stronger. It's such a blast to play. In fact, it's so good that I've been meaning to write this review for about a week now, but every time I think about Heroes of Hammerwatch 2 I seem to end up playing it instead. Speaking of which...

Dead of Darkness is a great 2D Resident Evil tribute that brings plenty of its own ideas to the table. There could have been less reliance on instakills late in the game and the attempts to feed in some Eternal Darkness style sanity effects are underdone, but the core gameplay, the puzzles, and the twisting narrative are all well worth the price of entry.

Synduality Echo of Ada is the ultimate extraction experience - sanding off rough edges and putting a shine on the most exciting elements of the genre. Bundled together with cool mechs, customizable characters, and tight combat just makes this sweet experience even sweeter.