While it’s still relatively short — experienced gamers could likely speed through in one or two hours — there’s still enough to recommend.

Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion is built on one of the more strategy-focused systems I’ve had the pleasure of playing recently, and the formation and command systems are top-notch ways of adding some additional depth to the typical tactical style.

What RIVE does well is in its design of levels and enemies.

Penal Colony provided just the right amount of backstory and twists to leave the player wanting to find out what’s next in the story. Survival horror makes a triumphant return with Revelations 2 and this is another significant step in the right direction for the decade-old series.

Fraught, lonely, and emotionally devastating, Enderling: Extinction is Forever is a powerful example of the kinds of experiences that are only possible through the medium of video games.

Concrete Genie has outstanding design and a style which bring the game to life, and keep it from fading into the background alongside every other game on the market. And yet, due to its odd design choices in the final stretch of the game, it’s hard not to say that it falls short of becoming something spectacular, mired by incongruous gameplay designs and an unclear vision on what kind of game it wants to be remembered as in the end.

Not A Hero is a game that rarely slows down, offers a ton of variety to both primary and secondary missions, and is seeping with beautiful nostalgia. While it’s sometimes wearisome trying to get through a single mission that keeps getting you down, when you finally get past that hurdle, there’s always something new waiting.

At the end of the day though, Afterparty will leave many with a bit of a hangover, wondering if there was more that could have been done with the drinking system and its branching narrative.

When you’re climbing up to the fifth floor of a late-game dungeon while fighting battle after battle in a bland-looking environment, it’s tough to stay engaged or excited, even though it’s a relatively short experience overall.

I’m sure anyone who loves a good survival or post-apocalyptic game will enjoy this one. Yet, I can’t help but wonder how much better the game would be had Farm51 chose to focus on what made it unique instead of adding in a bunch of other elements that were underdeveloped.

If you want a wonderful, head-nodding score to keep you in tune with your inner psychopath, look no further. This game is outrun music at its finest.

While it’s clear there’s more drama bubbling below the surface, ready to burst out, Bloom & Rage is shaping up to be my favorite narrative adventure game since Life Is Strange: Before The Storm.

While it may not hold the same appeal to new players, returning fans can revisit this classic and find themselves transported to a different era. With Age of Empires IV currently deep in development, time will tell whether this venerable series can truly make the jump to the modern age.

All told, when Layers of Fear (2023) is firing on all cylinders, it feels like a genuinely mind-bending thrill ride as pathways behind you twist and contort in the blink of an eye. These qualities are best exemplified in the lithe and tight debut title. That said, what truly flies in the face of the collection’s overall charms is its uneven storytelling, repetitive puzzles, and buggy technical performance. In essence, much like the fractured psyches of the artists that form the soul of these vignettes, Bloober Team’s latest collection is simultaneously beautiful, fascinating, and deeply, profoundly… aggravating.

With all this in mind, I highly recommend playing Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, especially if you are looking for a different direction for this genre. Even those who enjoy strategy games will be puzzled by its multiplex timeline system. I certainly can’t wait to see the alternative endings with my next phase of playthroughs and look forward to the outcomes of other players as more personality types introduce unique pathways.

Fortunately, the fantastic gameplay, music, story, writing, and character design are all ways that No More Heroes 3 more than makes up for the game’s shortcomings. It has been well worth the wait for diehard fans and is easily recommendable to anyone who enjoys action games.

Once the clunky stealth controls of The Consequence are married to the less than cooperative camera, all that’s left is an idea that never seems to come into proper fruition. What does exist is a frustrating experience that had some potential. Unfortunately, it takes more than potential to make something worthwhile.

As a first foray, it is an incredibly impressive effort from Creative Asselby Sofia, a team that has done incredible justice to one of the most important tales of the ancient world.

Chroma Squad is terrifically enjoyable. Fans of tactical RPGs will have oodles of fun, and those who also look fondly upon the youthful days of the Power Rangers will get an extra kick.

True to Revelations 2’s nature of throwing more questions than answers at you since its debut episode, the player is still left with too many mysteries even at the very end.

If you’re looking for something to break through the mould, look no further than Event [0], an innovative indie title with a lot of charm.

An impressive, creative, and inventive game on paper. In practice, it ends up being a rather middle-of-the-road experience, with unfulfilled promised of potential greatness. If you’re looking for an inventive new take on the Metroidvania genre, Carrion might be what you’re looking for –but don’t go into it expecting it to be Super Meat-troid.

An absolute must-play for action-RPG fans. With the variety of game styles represented, the well-written dialogue, and rich (if sometimes predictable) story, it’s a classic in its own right and filled with nods to genre greats.

Tokyo Xanadu has a few quirks here and there, but I still had a fun time battling Greeds and bonding with my in-game friends. Despite the obvious flaws in its plot, Tokyo Xanadu more than makes up for it with its fast-paced action and combat system. If you want to dust off your Vita and play a new action RPG, I would recommend picking up the game.

And that’s why the addition of Page and Squire difficulty modes is the biggest redeeming factor for this game. Those easier options are there if you need them so you can enjoy the game no matter what your skill level is. All the while, Knight and Legend modes offer an adequate challenge for long-time fans of the franchise.

Sadly, the title sometimes seems to crumble under itself. There is really no excuse for a game of this size to suffer from framerate issues and problems with the core mechanics, and these complications ultimately bring the game down.

Ultimately, if you don’t mind paying for what could be only an hour of gameplay to experience the excellent story and compelling characters of Rocksteady’s Arkham games, except this time in virtual reality, then Arkham VR will probably be perfect for you and for showing off your new kit to friends and family.

Above the Law certainly delivers where it matters most. A New Frontier’s third episode continued to tell its dark overarching story, while not forgetting about its rich characters and their motives. Unfortunately, its ending felt all too cliche and predictable, making this fall just short of the episodes that preceded it. With that said, Above the Law definitely feels like the ‘calm before the storm’ episode and does a good job of moving things forward.