Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is no doubt a great fighting game. It offers a decent story mode and a few extra bells and whistles. On top of that, a top notch netcode and this is a solid fighting game experience. Is it beginner friendly? I’m not so sure. Is it a must purchase for Persona fans? Possibly, but keep in mind, this is a complex fighting game that will require hours of devotion to get into completely.

Disney’s Dreamlight Village is not going to be for everyone, in fact a lot of people who may not realize that the game is a F2P experience may be upset upon paying for the founder’s pack. Yes, the game will constantly give the players tasks, and almost any action just as simple as talking to a character will provide progress. But there is nothing in the way of an endgame, the experience is not going to change, the whole of this game is living your best life in the Valley, making friends and cooking with Mickey. Sure, there is a narrative, but it is very light and not necessary as the chill nature of the game is a pleasure in and of itself to play. The classic Disney music ranging from movie themes to the ole “M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, MICKY MOUSE…” song that I know we all heard as a kid everything about the game just puts you in a good place. [Early Access Provisional Score = 75]

SD Gundam: Battle Alliance is definitely a game that is created for the fans. From the roster of over 60 mobile suits (with more to be added via DLC) across the entirety of the series almost 50-year run its clear to see the passion and work that the team at Artddink poured into this game. The easier combat is complemented by the cutesy art style that the SD universe allows and even though I would prefer a more traditional Gundam experience; I must admit I had a really good time with this game. Even with the lack of an English dub and the easier combat SD Gundam: Battle Alliance may not win over any new fans to the series but for those fans who have been yearning for a new Gundam game this is one that is made for you.

Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a solid game that just doesn’t wow on any level. The concept feels from a different time and anyone who has nostalgia will likely enjoy the game for what it is. Still not entirely sure why this game was chosen for a remake as opposed to perhaps something like Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures from the 360 era. Those were much more competent platform games. Still it is a decent package with some frustrating older design.

I am extremely sad at this reboot of Saints Row, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the absolute bonkers nature of the 4th entry, even if I did love the 3rd. With this reboot I feel like Volition missed a huge opportunity evolve this series for a new generation, not just of consoles but for gamers. As it stands, this game comes off just feeling like its clinging to the tone and design choices from the 360; even the graphics in this reboot from 2022 feel dated and frankly Johnny Gat deserves better.

While Steelrising has some of the trademark ‘jank’ that is in all Spider games, it is that very thing that makes this developer so special. All their games have something that just feels off (but in a good way), but all of their games I loved more than the next and true to form Steelrising is their best game to date.

While this year’s Madden will always feel somewhat bittersweet due to John’s passing, I think that it was beyond perfect that the best version of Madden football would be the one that was made to honor the legacy of its namesake. From the factoids that I learned about Coach, to the superb presentation and soundtrack throughout the entire game, to the fantastic on field play; this years Madden as far as I am concerned has finally broken free of the 2K series and has gone all the way!

The Last of Us Part 1 is a hard game to review. On one hand it is still an amazing achievement all these years later. The story is fantastic, and the characters are some of the best. I love the original game and this remake doesn’t change that. Still for $70 it is a lot to ask for a game that hasn’t exactly been out of the conversation since it released. The removal of multiplayer is also questionable, but I guess it makes sense as players could still play that in the PS4 remaster. There is a lot to appreciate here, and truly this is one of the best-looking games ever created.

For the nostalgic players looking to relive their time with the Dark Alliance series, I could see them picking this up and having a decent time with it. Players that are really big into ARPGs could have some fun, but will more than likely find themselves preferring a more streamlined and accessible title to jump into. It’s a hard sell for many, but there is some fun to be had here if you keep in mind that this game was released in 2004 and for the most part stayed in 2004.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is an overdose of nostalgia for me. I grew up with TMNT constantly on the brain. These games are a treat to revisit mostly because of the quality of life updates the developers have added. I just spent an entire day digging back into all of it. Playing through both arcade games, and of course watching the video of someone beating the dam level, because I cannot do that. This collection is outstanding and I cannot wait for their release of the 50th Anniversary of Atari later this year.

Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed is yet another solid remake of a franchise that somehow hit a downward spiral after the first couple outings. This remake is definitely a lot of fun even if it screams a product of its time. There are some things that have not aged well, but I had a lot of fun with what is here. I would love to finally see a new game now, do NOT remake Big Willy Unleashed…I beg you. As it stands this latest remake is great, I just wonder how well it will do being limited to only new consoles as well as PC.

The depth of the mechanics are to be lauded as I think it’s the best cult management game out there. It refuses to go for simple concepts like “drinking the kool-aid” to build faith and actually makes each character in the cult have their likes and dislikes and forces the player to figure out the best way to deal with the cult as a whole so as to not lose faith in the player. The art and sound design just bring this whole game together into one of the best games I’ve played this year.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak offers new content that is not only impressive in scale but also in its quality. While there are some notable elements like difficulty in searching for multiplayer games and afflicted variations being a bit over tuned holds it back from being a perfect expansion, the positives very easily outweigh the negatives.

Live A Live is an interesting game that will most likely excite some players while losing others. The unique stories are great for short bursts but the lack of investment may turn off some. Still I love that we live in an era when lost games can once again make a return. Live A Live is certainly not for everyone, but for those that it does hit it is sure to please. Maybe it would have been wise though to release this game a little further away from Nintendo’s biggest RPG franchise to give it some room to breathe.

All in all this sums up my Spellforce 3: Reforced experience; come for the excellent written and performed heroes (Doug Cockle of Witcher fame is one of the first you meet) as they journey across the land but stay for the sheer fun of Journey mode, where you can write your own story.

I wish them well, and truly hope that the fans of this long running franchise get the game they ultimately deserve because as it stands this just feels like it could have been so much better with a bit more time in the oven. MX vs ATV Legends is by no means a horrible game, as I said the thrills of the motocross racing and stunts is a high point, as is the racing of the dune buggy but the graphics and all of the issues with multiplayer really sully the experience, especially for someone who has been away from the series since the beginning.

Sonic 1 was a bit rough to get through and while I admire Sonic CD, the time travel mechanic was a bit too much for me when I’m just trying to go fast through levels. At the end of the day, that’s what I got out of Sonic Origins. Fun titles that hold up wrapped around a compilation package that is lacking in some sense and charging for extras that would be free in any other bundle. I can still recommend this one for the die-hard Sonic fans or for people like me that never got to experience these titles back in the day.

Klonoa was a wonderful series that didn’t last very long. It is incredible to see it come back, and more beautiful than ever. These games are truly chill and a joy to play and I am thrilled to see them come back. I hope Bandai Namco decides to give us a truly resurgence of the series, and maybe even DLC to add the portable versions that came out along the way. It is awesome we live in an age where even some of the obscure classics can make a return. Klonoa is still as charming as ever and I don’t want the series to disappear for another handful of years.

Outriders: Worldslayer is by and large a more complete game than its original release. The story and villain feel much more menacing, the new Pax systems allows more depth in character development and the new armor sets and weapons ensure that players are going to have new stuff to chase. All that good is still hampered in my opinion by a lack of world building and lore, the planet Enoch is framed as a dangerous and uncharted world and at times it can feel that way. But I’d love to learn more about the civilizations of the past, more about what happened to Earth; all of this can come with a sequel but as I said before they must sell enough to get there. And while I think that Worldslayer is a step in the right direction, I just don’t know if its going to be enough to keep people playing in the long term.

Capcom continues to treat their legacy games better than most companies, but their delivery method can be questionable at times. Still I had a blast with these games and would definitely love to see how weird it gets with a third outing. Fans of classic Capcom games will find plenty to enjoy, but this is by far the least impressive selection of games, especially considering recent releases.

As it stands, DNF:Duel is not a fighter I will continue to play as it’s not the kind of experience I’m looking for in a fighting game. However, that is not to say that I don’t see the value in having a game where bombastic, overtuned characters do dumb things to each other as I don’t believe every fighter needs to be meticulously balanced and brutally deep to have a place in the FGC. All that really means is that I’ll just be watching instead of playing.

Anyone who has played Resident Evil: Village and is looking for an inexpensive, well made horror game that was clearly made by fans of the genre will likely find a lot to enjoy. I also still think anyone who likes metroidvanias should give this a shot too. I can’t wait to see what Pulsatrix Studios does next.

Bright Memory: Infinite is a shooter that accepts what it is. It feels great, the shooting is sublime, and it is impressive considering the development team behind it. There is a lot here to love and it feels like a shooter from the golden era of the genre. I had a ton of fun and with a low price point entry this is a game that screams to be played. Don’t sleep on this game, it is fast, fun, and truly a technical marvel. Don’t sleep on Shelia’s adventure, just maybe stick to the default outfits.

If replaying stages doesn’t sound fun, then I would likely say skip Ground Divers! because there are only seven stages and that does seem a bit small. I personally think Ground Divers! would work better as a mobile game where pins are put down via the touch screen and other actions can be done via on screen buttons because while intense, most levels are done fairly quickly because of the built in time limit the enemies place on the player. It’s fun. I will pick it up again from time to time and for the price point I think it’s priced perfectly but I can definitely understand if a strategy game about gently guiding a robot to where he needs to be underground isn’t everyone’s interest. I think it successfully pulls off what it sets out to do.

PowerWash Simulator is just a comfort game for me and I can see myself playing this for months to come. There is something extremely satisfying about its progression. Playing with friends is a blast and I just love zoning out and making slow progress. These simulation games are getting wild and this is by far the one to click with me. It had me searching prices of power washers in real life, so mission accomplished I supposed developers.

Capcom Fighting Collection is a wonderful package with some truly great features and only a couple missed opportunities. It feels great to see Darkstalkers once again getting some air time, I just wish we would get a new game after nearly 30 years. The series was one of the best Capcom ever put out, and it shows with how many times that Morrigan sprite has been recycled. It is also cool to see rare games like Cyberbots and Red Earth discussed again. This collection is easy to recommend and I hope Capcom continues to recognize their legacy games going forward.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a great game that suffers the same fate as its Switch sports brethren. It plays great, looks outstanding, but simply lacks content. I truly hope we see more characters, stadiums, and modes as the game goes on. There is a lot here to love, but it feels shallow in the content department for sure. Still if you love the arcade mentality of Mario sports this game is a no-brainer and yet another exclusive gem for Nintendo’s aging platform.

The Shadowrun Trilogy may be dated, but it is a worthy game to check out for people who enjoy turn-based combat. The fact that it is available on Game Pass also makes the barrier to entry much easier. This is also a beefy combination of games to get through with each one offering up their own unique setting and narrative. I am not the biggest fan of these types of games but Shadowrun Returns delivers on all fronts on what it sets out to do making it easy to recommend to just about anyone.