Listen, I really liked Ghostwire Tokyo quite a bit; the story of Akito trying to save his sister and KK’s need for revenge made a good pairing. As I said above both men grew over the course of the adventure and ended it differently than they began and that is what I love to see from any story…. growth. The spooky bits here aren’t as intense as Tango is usually known for and that may be due to the FPS nature of the action in the game but nonetheless Ghostwire Tokyo is a game that should be played and since its finally come home to Xbox the barrier of entry is even lower and if you like ghosts and things this one won’t disappoint.

Despite the permanence of typical Atelier quirks, Atelier Ryza 3 is a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy featuring some of the best the series has to offer. While this marks the end of Ryza’s journey as the heroine, her influence to this unique and charming franchise will be felt long after the credits have rolled.

Lunark was a blast from the past for sure, I enjoyed my time with the sci-fi adventure game. As I said Flashback was one of my favorites and playing Lunark I was smiling the whole time thinking back on the fond memories I had as a youth. The more I played the more I really liked Leo and enjoyed seeing his story unfold, while there are issues with checkpoints and controls to get used to at the end of the day Lunark tells a great sci-fi story that fans of the genre will surely enjoy.

Jedi Survivor is a great Star Wars game with a lot of technical mishaps that really drag it down. The story is excellent, and I loved the characters. The combat still feels good. I just wish the navigation system was better.

While King of Arcade can be funny, the few laughs it evokes aren’t enough to help this game rise above just being mediocre. There will be some who will see this game as away to relive those memories of playing arcade games in dimly light rooms for hours with friends around cheering. It can be that, to some extent, but the lack of care that’s on display with the actual arcade games themselves hurts King of Arcade, especially when Arcade Paradise exist and did this better.

Despite that, Minecraft Legends is a wonderful collection of genres that makes the usual RTS skill ceiling lower and approachable. Being a Minecraft game, Legends is set up for additional levels and scenarios via the Myths and Legends option at the main menu, which means the developers have plans to have fans continue mopping up Piglins for the foreseeable future. There are some fun and uniquely ‘Minecraft’ strategies to pull off in multiplayer, I just wish the campaign held the same appeal to me; while its not awful it’s just the tutorial for the multiplayer game to me.

Even the reversion of the melee controls from the original didn’t make me like this game any less and for those of us who have been waiting for the sequel since it was announced in that now classic trailer, Dead Island 2 delivers on the promise and provides and fun, sunny jaunt in a zombie filled ‘HELL-A’ that is an absolute blast with friends but also fun in solo.

At the end of the day, Mato Anomalies feels like a budget title with a lot of things going for it. It has some decent mechanics and some interesting story bits if you are willing to read a lot. The RPG side of the game can have some difficulty spikes and level grinding side dungeons will be needed in some instances, but for RPG fans and visual novel fans, if you can get past the different mechanics and are willing to learn some unconventional ones, this could be a decent experience for you even with the lower budget feel.

Despite having some of the best combat I have seen in a 2D game and loving the dark and dreary art style I just couldn’t vibe with Have a Nice Death the same way I have with other games in the genre like Hades. While there are a few weapons to try and some combos to create with curses, It just never reached the same heights as the latter did for me. I will say that the writing here is top notch, and the commentary on display whether on purpose or not was genuinely funny. While I may not have loved this game personally, I do think there is a lot here for others to love not the least of which is the jingle that plays when Death spawns back in his office after having to RIP (Rest In Paperwork).

I love a lot of what Rift Rally is offering. There is a healthy amount of content and the setup is fairly painless. It is worth mentioning though this is not a cheap entry. The standard edition clocks in at $130 which feels steep for those only mildly interested. There is also a Collector’s Edition that comes with a special RC car, a Hot Wheels Die-Cast car, and a special unlockable car in the game for $150. The price is fair, but be sure you have the interest and more importantly the space before diving in.

There are lots of games about the environment here lately and it’s understandable as to why given that is a very hot button issue in society today. Terra Nil’s approach to take that very real fear of the worst environmental disaster but instead of continually stoking the flames of that fear they present you with the tools of opportunity of recovering from the brink, in a word showing that there is hope for a better tomorrow. Much like the avatar that players will play as in game, Terra Nil is a fantastic little game that comes in, does its job and vanishes into the night once it’s done.

Road 96: Mile 0 wasn’t a very long game at all but I mostly enjoyed what I played. As I said it’s a prequel so I know there are things that I would have appreciated more had I played the original; that being said those fans looking forward to this will find a decently developed game. No real bugs are issues other than the juggling of the tone of the game, the rollercoaster ride of emotions wasn’t necessary in my opinion.

Despite some shortcomings, Process of Elimination weaves an intriguing tale, bolstered by a cast of endearing characters. While it might not topple the giants in the visual novel genre, it is a story worth experiencing all the same.

Deceive Inc has a new and unique premise and an engaging gameplay loop but its lackluster combat which is going to be inevitable in each match just pulls this otherwise killer spy simulator and sends it out to Die Another Day. While it has the benefit of being unlike any of the other hum-drum deathmatch games out there at the moment, I just hope that it can find a large enough player base to stand the test of time.

I can see what this team was going for with this game, but sadly Romancelvania is a jack of all trades but master of none. If this was a straight up visual novel, I think the experience would have been richer, but with the lackluster combat, wonkiness of controlling Drac themselves and the last few contestants just feeling like they were thrown in the mix; I come away wishing for better for this game. It’s not a horrible game, but its not really a good one either, if you want to experience it for the laughs just know that it will come with the tears of having to deal with the combat.

As for right now though I cannot recommend this to anyone when better games trying to for the same things are readily accessible, cheaper, and more successful at doing being a 3D platformer.

Postal 4 is a game that should be avoided. I can see now why some console makers did not want this travesty on their machines. This game is not fun or entertaining at all. Some of the voice work is decent and I laughed maybe twice in my entire playthrough, but on the whole it is embarrassing at best and offensive at worst. This is not a game that succeeds in its offensiveness and instead feels worse because when they attempt to be edgy it comes across as desperate.

The only thing I really loved about Saga of Sins was the graphics and art style. The combat was passable but overall just felt very simple for my taste and maybe it was the fact the game focused on the seven deadly sins but I kept getting a Dante’s Inferno vibe. Delving into a world presented in stained glass only to save the town that is stained in sin is some clever wordplay but even with the great graphics and art style, Saga of Sins just didn’t do it for me. I did enjoy the innocent levels more than the action-oriented ones but even that isn’t enough to save this one’s soul in my opinion.

All in all, I am really encouraged by this year’s game. They’ve made some significant improvements on some important legacy issues that have held the game back for way too long. There is a ton to do here and a lot of different ways to experience the core gameplay. Showcase remains a highlight and the expansion of MyRise continues to flesh out the series as a single player experience. I’d like to see GM mode get a significant rework next year to make it feel like a more fully fledged option and continued work on the physics around foreign objects if you are a fan of wrestling games at all, WWE 2K23 is an easy recommend.

While Like a Dragon: Ishin! Might not be the strongest entry in this venerable franchise, its emphasis on weapon combat and an interesting take on historical characters and events makes it one worth experiencing all the same.

It’s not Digital Eclipse levels of work but obviously someone cared to make all this available and I do think it is worth owning for anyone into Wonder Boy or action-adventure games like Metroid and Zelda.

The Pathless is a very solid action-adventure game, one that arguably is something that Xbox lacks. While a two-year-old game won’t set the world on fire in sales; I can recommend this to those folks who may have been waiting for this release on Xbox, the bright colors and almost anime-like graphics and exceptionally well-done soundtrack make for a chill and mostly rewarding experience.

With an unforgettable cast of characters, enthralling story and a deep, enjoyable combat system, Trails to Azure is truly the full package. It’s not just one of my favorite games in the long running Legend of Heroes series, but one of the finest that the JRPG genre has to offer.

In the end, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is nice to see. I love that the series is making a comeback. I just wish we could get the original trilogy on modern consoles. Those games are lost to time and would benefit from just a remaster at this point. Still more survival horror is always welcome and we are truly living in an embarrassment of riches in the genre. I wish it was on the same level as others coming back, but for that we need the original trilogy. Make it happen KOEI Tecmo!

I can’t recommend Digimon World: Next Order and honestly I have begun to question why I liked it as a kid. I am sure it had to do with the later cool evolutions that happen but there are better games and even anime’s that showcase this better than having suffered through this game. While seeing some of the old faces brought back some nostalgia in the end it was just that, and the game was just a chore to play… literally.

The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is a weird release. While Xbox owns the developer, Private Division still retains the distribution rights to the first game. Which means the normal free upgrade is not here. Instead we have the definitive version of a great game locked behind some weird monetary decisions. If you never played the original, this is by far the best package available. If you did and are looking to upgrade what is here is nice, but not worth another $60. If you own all the DLC this is a solid $10 upgrade. Still I wish it was more accessible or at least a save transfer existed. It taints an otherwise solid release.

Metroid Prime is one of the best games ever made and this new version retains everything that made it special. I have enjoyed revisiting this masterpiece so much and am so happy new players are able to experience it in its finest form. I hope this shows Nintendo that the Metroid series is truly one of the best in their repertoire and we see more games in the series. I cannot wait to see what Retro accomplishes with Metroid Prime 4 when it finally releases.

Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is exactly what I thought it was going to be and sometimes that is a good thing. Games don’t have to change dynamics to be fun and while the dual sister mechanic is fun, it isn’t game changing. I had a lot of fun with this title as I do most Inti Creates jams. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy anything they put out, or classic homages to games like Castlevania or Mega Man. This developer has done a nice job of taking the torch from Capcom and Konami respectively.