The name of the game is simplicity. Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World offers an experience that takes aspects of many genres and boils them down to the basics, for better and for worse. This mix of mindlessness and analysis creates an entrancing paradox that's fun to experiment with. While the game has little in terms of innovation or challenge, it offers itself as an escape into a weird world that you can invest in as much as you want, allowing a haven of your own design that grants success with some effort, patience and time. It'll suck you right in if you can stomach the syrupy sweetness and hollow banter.

If you are an adamant fan of "Duel Masters," this may be your new best friend. However, due to the repetition and because it isn't at the same level as "Magic," this is not my cup of tea.

Though Plants vs. Zombies on the DS may claim to have the most features, it fails to live up to expectations in all the areas that matter most. The new minigames add very little, the graphics and sound are garish, and the controls are too limited for a game that has been so much more impressive elsewhere.

Lost in Random is a magical experience in several areas. The story, presentation, and world are a joy to experience from start to finish, with a few minor exceptions. On the other hand, the combat is initially refreshing but is hindered by the length of encounters and a lack of depth in its mechanics, so later encounters feel like a frustrating chore. It's a fun action-adventure in short bursts, and Lost in Random deserves much more attention than it has received.

Myst still holds up after all this time, despite not being the definitive edition of the game. The puzzles are still smartly done, even if they can be quite obtuse, and the tranquil vibe of the environment and presentation remains effective in both regular and VR modes. The inclusion of both movement styles and different control methods is great for accessibility, even if most people will default to the old methods, but the lack of improvements to a few areas and removal of certain things from realMyst is a letdown. This is still a fine title that is worthy of being in an adventure gamer's library, especially if they've never played it before, but realMyst remains the better buy if you intend on playing with a keyboard and mouse. That said, we're all secretly hoping that this causes Cyan to revisit and remaster the other titles instead of visiting the original title yet again in the future.

If you like high-fantasy realms, but are willing to overlook alterations to what are ultimately some pretty arbitrary conventions concerning weapon types, and you have like-minded friends who'll play with you offline, Dungeon Siege III is definitely worth your time. If you're going to go it alone strictly for story and gameplay, then know that you've already played this game before in similar form, probably a dozen times.

One Piece Odyssey is a nice RPG for fans of the franchise. It's clearly crafted with a lot of love, and there's a ton of great banter and interaction between the cast members. The core gameplay is perfectly serviceable, but it never really reaches the realm of "great," and it takes a bit too long to get going. It's probably not going to attract the attention of anyone who isn't a big "One Piece" fan, but for those fans, it should be an enjoyable little RPG. At the end of the day, how much fun you'll have boils down to how much you enjoy punching bad pirates in the face with your favorite pirates, and there's a whole lot of folks who want just that.

Cursed Mountain is a very good surprise for all survival horror Wii owners.

A solid and very enjoyable space-fighter themed take on Ubisoft's traditional open-world formula. It has a good amount of content and is a genuinely fun experience. The only thing dragging it down is the vestigial toy system, which works against the rest of the gameplay. Fortunately, the digital version of the game allows you to entirely side-step that trouble and contains enough content at the regular retail price to make it worthwhile.

All in all, the Resident Evil Revelations Collection is a sub-par port of a pair of fun games. It's by no means unplayable, but it's not the best way to play either title. The new features are either ignorable or actively detrimental, and the ports suffer from extended loading times and lack of ambition. If you're a fan of the franchise, it's probably something you can push past, but the Switch version only adds a couple of minigames and the ability to play Revelations 2 on the go. Fans of the franchise who missed out on Revelations may want to snag the collection, but casual players may want to wait and see if the loading times are patched.

The single-player Conquest mode and robust multiplayer capabilities do help to redeem this title and are certainly worth a look, but if you already own NBA 07, you should carefully consider if NBA 08 offers enough improvements and new features to justify a purchase.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - The Crystal Bearer is basically the opposite of traditional Final Fantasy games. Combat is relegated to a puzzle-like minigame, the plot is lighthearted and silly, RPG elements are minimal, and you're never really placed in a challenging situation.

WWE 2K25 remains a good game, but the cracks are beginning to show. The addition of Chain Wrestling is awesome, but the increased prevalence of Trading Blows slows down the game greatly. The large roster is great, but we could do without the multiple variations of wrestlers taking up spots. The graphical presentation has quite a few blemishes that should be fixed, but it's generally good, and the same can be said for the audio if you can ignore the generic entrance music. MyRISE and the 2K Showcase are splendid, but The Island is too much of a cash grab when MyFACTION already does this. If you can ignore some of the microtransaction-heavy elements, you still have a very good wrestling game with enough content to last until the next WrestleMania season. It'll be interesting to see if WWE 2K will suddenly become the next NBA 2K in that it's a decent game that tries to bleed you of every cent.

Like any good walking simulator, The Invincible thrives on its story. Even though it feels similar to what the book already touches on, the differences are enough to make the game feel new and somewhat fresh, considering how many people may be approaching the game without prior knowledge of the novel. The decision to go with a walking simulator works as far as being able to effectively deliver the story, and it pays off with a gripping narrative, but some of the dialogue sections can run longer than expected. If you can live with some of the bugs that still need ironing out, you'll find this to be a fascinating experience that's well worth checking out if you're a genre fan.

For newcomers, this is a great entry to use as a jumping point into the series. For series veterans, the changes, omissions, and small additions make it a lesser product than its predecessor, but if you're interested in the lore, 4-II is still worth checking out.

Ultimately, Everspace is a really fun roguelike/action game. The by-the-numbers space shooter gameplay is amplified by the roguelike elements, and it's the perfect game to pick up and play in short bursts. Unless we're lucky enough to get FTL on the Switch, it's the closest thing you can get. Unfortunately, the limitations of the Switch show through in the port and can drag down the overall experience. It's worth playing if you can look past its foibles, but it may be too big of a barrier for some players.

As far as children's movie tie-in games, Kung Fu Panda a rare title that reaches the top of the barrel. It's well-designed, keeps the gameplay fresh, looks and sounds great, and appears to be a game that the developers actually tried to make into something fun, rather than selling it because the cover boasts the mascot of the week's popular cartoon character.

Pangya: Fantasy Golf is a decent golf title on the system, and it's nice to have something else to play other than Hot Shots.

A fun game, but if you played the first, you played this one.

An incredibly well-made game that is a lot of fun, although it's a bit on the easy side.

Toy Story 3: The Video Game is a very interesting title. On one hand, the Story mode tries its best to deviate from the movie for a bit, and while it works, it barely raises the game beyond a decent rating. On the other hand, the open-world nature of the Toy Box feels so refreshing and fun that one wishes it were the entire focus of the game.

A game worth playing if you're a dracophile, if you like the character or like animated movies, and if you're not averse to starting over with a fresh slate.

Like the first game, Pokémon Black: Version 2 is a solid title that most fans will enjoy. The addictive qualities remain, and partaking in the quest to meet and capture every Pokémon is still as exciting as it was several handheld generations ago. While the base game is still great, longtime fans will be less enthused by the restrictions, despite the many improvements and included modes. For those looking for their next series fix, this entry will do nicely.

Tesla vs. Lovecraft isn't going to win you over if you crave innovation. There isn't anything here that hasn't been seen in other twin-stick shooters, but there isn't much for those wanting something off the wall, either. The story is lacking, but the game provides a solid and lengthy shooting experience, and even though there isn't a shortage of that genre on the PC, Tesla vs. Lovecraft is good enough for fans to check out.

Though it has lots of similarities with Capcom's big series, Toukiden: The Age of Demons can stand on its own.

I can't overstate [how] quickly I became engrossed by the multiplayer.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered is an excellent remaster of a very weird game. It's one of those games that is difficult to necessarily recommend because so much of what it does evokes love or hate. If you're curious about the franchise, it's probably a lot easier to hop in with SaGa Frontier Remastered or Scarlet Graces. If you like games in the SaGa franchise or want to try something different, Minstrel Song is a worthwhile experience. If you already know that you don't like the franchise, you'll probably be annoyed and frustrated with this offering.

At its core, Rock of Ages is a nice little twist on the basic strategy genre.