Star Wars: Galactic Racer scratches an itch I didn’t realize I had for this kind of stupidly fast arcade racer, largely thanks to a roguelite campaign that injects adrenaline into every run. Managing risky builds and chasing the high of that big payout makes it easy to get carried away, and even easier to crash and burn. It is repetitive in the same way a classic arcade cabinet is, but that magnetic pull remains; it leaves you frustrated for all of five minutes before you’re right back at the starting line for another tour.
I had a great time with Gears of War: E-Day, even when the campaign started showing its unpolished edges. The combat is still incredibly satisfying, and the free-roam sections gave me some of my favorite moments; it gave me more time with characters I ended up caring about more than I expected to. That made the campaign's weaker points stand out more, though, with the repetition and occasional technical issues becoming egregious at times. Neither was enough to sour the experience fully. I finished it satisfied, thinking I probably could have used a little less Locust shooting, which is about as Gears of War a problem as you can have.
Two games in, this remake is making a very strong case for why Trails in the Sky deserves to be revisited. The story and characters remain the heart of Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, and the new presentation makes Liberl feel more alive than ever. Some dungeons drag, and the sheer amount of dialogue can test your patience, but there is so much good here that I was already wishing for the 3rd Chapter before I was even done with the game.
Some of the best moments in Orbitals came from my friend and me just stopping to smell the roses. We had a great time figuring out its puzzles together, especially when a simple gadget led to a solution neither of us expected. That sense of discovery carries through the adventure, helped along by a world that is as strange as it is gorgeous. The problem is that some of its best ideas barely have time to develop throughout its 10-hour runtime, whether they come from the story or the mechanics. For all the things we wanted more of, though, we never stopped having fun with the game.
After playing through the original and Elite years ago, I love how much I still enjoyed going back to Akihabara to re-experience Steins;Gate. Reboot doesn’t fix everything I wanted it to, especially that painfully slow first half, but the new material and Worldline gave me enough surprises to make another trip worthwhile. It’s still the same story I fell in love with, just with a few new reasons to get attached to it all over again.
Time hasn’t changed the conversation around Pokémon Sword and Shield, but it has made it easier to appreciate what the games accomplished. Galar may never reach the heights many fans imagined seven years ago, yet its approachable design and memorable Gym battles still make it a worthwhile journey. It fumbles in places that deserved far more ambition, though the journey itself remains one that I still enjoy returning to years later.
‘and Roger’ trusts you to meet it on its own terms, and that trust is rewarded with one of the most affecting stories I've played this year and the last. Its interactive ideas are simple, but every one of them serves a purpose beyond keeping your hands busy. I know for a fact that it's a game I'll remember far longer than the hour it took me to finish.
Even after its hiatus, Nintendo’s weirdest rhythm series still hasn’t missed a beat. Rhythm Heaven Groove's infectious soundtrack and delightfully absurd minigames make it almost impossible not to smile while playing, even if its biggest new idea, Beatspell, leaves you wanting more. It doesn’t push its 20-year-old formula after a decade away, but it’s such a joyful game that you’ll gladly keep coming back for an encore.
Even though we’re retreading familiar territory here, Star Fox on the Switch 2 is a welcome retelling of a remake of an SNES classic. It’s basically a gorgeous cinematic facelift for a thirty-year-old game you’ve likely beaten four times already on different consoles. Fortunately, that means it is still insanely fun to barrel roll through space with your crew. The flip side, of course, is that the campaign is still short, even if you go back to chase down high scores and medals. I am just happy, though, to see Fox McCloud back in the cockpit of his own franchise instead of just taking up a slot on the Smash Bros. roster.
Solarpunk doesn’t capture the spirit of its namesake until far, far later into the game, but it’s at least a relaxing sandbox where you can do pretty much anything you want (as long as it fits within the confines of its cozy game genre). Its best moments come from building alongside friends and watching a small floating island grow into a thriving home. It’s definitely not a game for everyone, especially since it can feel a bit empty at times. However, players who enjoy setting their own goals and taking things at their own pace will find plenty to like among the clouds.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on the Switch 2 is full of compromises, sure. That didn’t stop it, though, from being an impressive port of one of the best RPGs in recent years. It’s blurry and unstable in handheld mode, and I do agree that these distract from the experience, but the brilliance of its combat, characters, and storytelling isn’t lost to the weaker hardware. It may not replace the PS5 version, but as a way to experience a massive adventure like this anywhere you want, Rebirth feels at home on Nintendo’s handheld hybrid.
Despite a handful of shortcomings, STARDUST: Wish of Witch is an easy game to like Its story may follow well-known tropes and its combat does not always make full use of its ideas, but its cast and the sheer quality of its presentation carry it a long way. Kniv Studio’s debut leaves a big impression and makes me excited to see what the team does next.
Much like the game that came before it, Zero Parades is dense and only works if you’re willing to sit with its long conversations and rather slow buildup. It does a lot of what its predecessor does, but it still manages to be its own thing once you get past the comparison. It doesn’t always feel smooth or easy to follow, but it often rewards your patience with truly glorious moments.
Mixtape is much like many coming-of-age stories you’ve probably heard before, but it tells it with so much warmth and creativity that I wanted more of it. As a game, it won’t surprise everyone, but its writing, music, and the dreamlike essence of its presentation make even predictable story beats meteor down to the surface with so much emotion that by the time the night was over, I felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends I’d only just met.
Kiln is built on a really fun idea, and for a good while, it’s a blast. Sculpting wearable pots and crashing into other players carries an infectious energy that’s hard not to enjoy with friends. Unfortunately, beneath all that molded clay is a multiplayer experience that still feels too thin, too repetitive, and too unfinished to hold attention for much longer than a few good nights of goofing around.
Aphelion is easy to admire from a distance, but the closer you get, the emptier it feels. Its story relies on a relationship it never really builds, and the gameplay does little to keep things interesting in between the nice-looking moments. Aside from the performances and the immaculate soundtrack, the game is as distant and impossible to connect with as its namesake.
It’s easy to enjoy Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta for what it is: a fast and straightforward JRPG that still feels good to play even years later. However, its age shows in ways that are almost impossible to ignore. It’s a decent entry for newcomers curious about Ys, but returning players may find there’s just not enough to justify another trip through Celceta.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a weird, funny, and sometimes endearing life sim where the best moments come from pure randomness and your own imagination. It works best when you just let your Miis interact and watch the small stories they create on their own. The repetition and lack of online sharing are unfortunate, but it still manages to stay entertaining in short bursts thanks to how much personality it squeezes out of simple systems.
Even though People of Note doesn’t always find its rhythm, it’s still a decent turn-based RPG with a strong identity. The story and characters are likable and relatable, but the pacing rushes important beats and leaves some arcs feeling undercooked. It’s consistently enjoyable, sure, just not as deep or as bold as it could have been, especially in its gameplay mechanics.
Ariana and the Elder Codex doesn’t do anything absurdly new, but it understands what makes this kind of game work and sticks to it. The combat and build variety carry the experience, even when the story becomes predictable and the enemy design feels thin. It’s a solid and well-made action-platformer that’s easy to enjoy, as long as you know what you’re getting into.