As a remake, Pac-Man World Re-Pac definitely ticks plenty of boxes when it comes to transforming an older game into one that fits into the present gaming landscape. The platforming is solid, the presentation is up to snuff, and there is no beating nostalgia sometimes. The game is unlikely to garner a new following save for a curious bunch, and is purely aimed at hardcore Pac-Man fans who are looking for something new yet old to enjoy, yet, that is not such a bad thing after all.

The complexity of the game can definitely be a huge barrier to entry, and there’s a repetitiveness that comes with hunting games that might turn you off if that’s not something you enjoy. Still, God Eater 3 functions as a strong, complex JRPG and a good way to test out the series if you’ve been curious this whole time.

I am still heavily invested in the story of Batman: The Enemy Within, and I’m excited to see how things develop from here. But little niggles like inconsequential ‘big’ decisions still feel too heavy-handed and put into the story for a bit of shock value that doesn’t really amount to much in the end.

At the end of the day, it is quite impossible to look at Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising without thinking ahead to Hundred Heroes. On its own, it is a capable action-JRPG that looks great, with solid combat and platforming to keep players distracted from completing repetitive quests, but as part of the larger universe, it lays an inviting foundation for what is to come with well-realized characters amid a larger unfolding conflict. And as someone hoping for that Suikoden magic to be recaptured, New Neveah becomes an irresistible world to spend time in.

Transference certainly showcases the potential of VR storytelling in the style Spectrevision are attempting. Even if its short story isn’t always effectively told, and some of the puzzles distract, the atmosphere that’s been created through detailed world design, incredible lighting effects, and intense sound design makes for a terrifying experience.

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is possibly the weakest of all the Souls-Borne expansions, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Shay is an interesting character, offering a maturity we haven’t seen much of in the series, his story is engaging, and the naval combat is still great fun, but none of it is enough to counter the frustrations that we thought the Assassin’s Creed series had left behind.

There is a lot for you to do in Portal Knights. Exploring the well-designed and colorful worlds while taking on groups of challenging and unique enemies is consistently fun but the shallow and repetitive quests and almost unnecessary crafting system make the game frequently tedious to play.

Making a debut on new hardware has its pros and cons, but for NHL 22, the overt emphasis on Superstar X-Factors was a huge gamble to take that did not pay off. If this is your first NHL game in a while, then there is a solid foundation in NHL 22 with various game modes that can appeal. For fans who are hoping for more, however, it is disappointing to find little to no improvements despite all the hype, just like a draft pick that turned out to be a lemon.

The dual-reality mechanic goes just about far enough to keep its slowest gameplay moments interesting, and paired with a fantastic narrative and exceptionally eerie atmosphere, it's an easy recommendation for fans of Bloober Team's work in the past and the horror genre in general.

Altogether, its daft enemy AI and some wonky camera controls can’t bring down this phenomenal stealth experience. Aragami is pure eye candy with its feudal Japan-inspired visual style, which perfectly complements its unique and engaging shadow concept.

Volume is a solid game. Its new-age telling of a certified classic is intelligently done. Its gameplay shines every now and then, but is overall lacking during most scenarios. Yet still, it is recommended if you are a fan of stealth and puzzles.

Although most of the games feel very basic, they still have that trademark Nintendo charm, and I still can’t get over how ingeniously these cardboard sets come together. If you’ve been into the past Labo sets, the VR Kit is a no-brainer.

Dawn of Ragnarok might be Valhalla’s largest campaign expansion by scale, but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much The Wrath of the Druids and even The Siege of Paris. Unless you’re a hardcore Valhalla fan or someone who is particularly enamored with finding a collecting the (admittedly cool-looking) new armor sets, wait for this one to go on sale to satiate your craving to plunder.

There’s the elements of greatness in this latest installment, it just needs to step out of the shadows. Right now we have a strong set up, but with the slow start to the story, waiting for the payoff is going to feel like an even bigger drag.

Aside from some indie crunch, The Sinking City is a moody yet faithful dive into the world of Lovecraft that would make a great starting ground for anyone new to the genre. It would be nice to see the world and combat tightened up a bit, but its incredibly rewarding mystery-solving makes it a stellar investigation game that succeeds at such a naturally mystifying genre where many others fail.

No Man’s Sky is no doubt a magnificent feat in game development. I am left humbled by all that I have seen and intend on continuing my journey in an attempt to see as much as possible, well aware I will never see it all. Space has its hooks in me and I don’t think I’ll ever want them to relinquish their hold.

The quirkiness, presentation, strong voice acting, and characters help push past the simplistic gameplay and the narrative the game tells is surprisingly engaging.

A deeply-involved game with a huge number of things to keep players busy. With a freshly-generated map and sequence of events for each new start, the experience is ever-changing and presents a wide variety of ways for players to approach it.

You’re not going to see Miitopia listed as a game of the year contender anywhere, but it’s a decent game for a console that has not seen many first-party releases over the last year. It’s absolutely worth picking up if you’re just looking for a silly game that can last you a while.

The game sticks the landing in many ways that matter, but these flaws are hard to ignore as its runtime carries on and you start bumping up against them more often. Sonic Frontiers falls short of a home run, but is still a successful step in the right direction from a studio that has demonstrably stumbled trying to do so before.

I expected a game with terrifying scares and a confusing plot, but what I got was a game with okay scares and a fantastic plot. Layers of Fear 2 didn’t live up to any of my expectations, but given what I expected, that’s a good thing.

When it comes down to it, Last Stop is an entertaining journey that just goes completely off the rails in its final half, failing to execute on the interesting ideas it comes up with at the start. I know that endings shouldn’t take away from the ride, but when you’re playing a title that is almost completely narrative and character-driven, I just couldn’t help but feel a letdown when credits rolled.

Even with some questionable combat choices and the odd spikes in difficulty, Deadlight is a game that breathes new life into the zombie genre.

This isn’t an inherently bad game by any stretch of the imagination; it’s just not one that managed to withstand the test of time, no matter how much Capcom tries to polish it up. And if you’re a new player who adored Resident Evil 7 and you’re wondering if this little spin-off game is worth jumping into, I’d say have a go with Revelations 2, see how you feel about it, and then take things from there.

A solid game, fun and showing a surprising amount of depth in both its story and mechanics. If you’ve been looking for a good monster hunting experience and don’t have a Nintendo 3DS, this is definitely a game you’ll want to check out.

I was pretty satisfied with my overall experience with Boyfriend Dungeon when the end of the summer rolled. The writing was solid, and I ended up caring about a lot of the relationships that were formed. It is just a shame that the somewhat lacking combat and issues with a couple of the characters and situations arise that end up bogging the game down a bit.

The story goes some surprisingly emotional places, and the sheer variety of gameplay styles is a huge strength. Code Vein is easily one of the sleeper hits of the year, and it's an experience that's a joy to sink your teeth into.