Necrobarista’s focus on death is approached in such a unique way that you can’t help but immerse yourself in its setting. You begin to feel as if you are a part of the group, which makes the idea of letting go so much harder. This is a visual novel experience that transcends traditional systems within the medium and is definitely worth your time. Some of the dialogue might go over your head, but this is an easy recommendation from me.
Ghost of Tsushima makes it easy to immerse yourself in this dark and historical setting. The story’s pacing is expertly tuned to how the player wishes to take it on, and the controls allow actions to be both fluid and responsive. The enemy AI could definitely use some attention, and the menus are exceptionally vast, but in the end, I was glad to find something that reminded me I was playing a video game because there were moments I forgot.
Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia has a great first chapter that may be overly wordy, but sets up a gripping mystery. However, it almost immediately turns into a mess due to poor pacing and character building. The timeline feature works to a point but fails to really capitalize on the system, which ends up doing nothing for the narrative. Hopefully, the sequel delivers a more promising structure for these characters to grow in.
void tRrLM(); Void Terrarium is a roguelike dungeon-crawler that doesn’t punish the player after a death. Instead, it creates a challenging gameloop in more unique ways revolving around keeping a young girl alive. Each item crafted progresses the narrative as your terrarium becomes the set-piece of all your hard work.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris marks a new era of Sword Art Online games, both graphically and narratively. This is an adventure for fans and newcomers that truly builds upon this virtual world through new characters and hundreds of quests. The downside is that you may have to clear a lengthy first chapter to discover everything it has to offer, but luckily for those who do, there’s so much awaiting them. There’s still some quality-of-life work that needs to be done in terms of loading times and assist pop-ins, but as a fan of the previous SAO games, this entry simply blew me away.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 builds upon the foundation that the first entry laid out and made the entire experience more accessible without taking away the challenge for genre lovers. There’s room for balance when switching between single and cooperative modes, but there is nothing more fun than taking down demons with a friend in this adventure.
Mr. Driller DrillLand is the perfect bite-sized puzzle game for the Switch. Its western debut has been long overdue, but this release encapsulates all the zany characters and addictive drilling-puzzles for new and old fans alike. A few new attractions would have made this release a proper remake, but the added casual mode and updated visuals do enough to bring this series to puzzle-lovers everywhere.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is an excellent strategy RPG with all the classic elements of the Brigandine series paired with modern gameplay mechanics. The entire experience is well balanced and addictive across many battles and phases and it is made better through the excellent character writing featured in each campaign, even if some interactions are a bit dry.
The Last of Us Part 2 has a lot to say about us as people after we connected ourselves to these characters in the first entry. The journey is one that is not for squeamish, but it was one that deserved to be told. As the player, we must once again witness the reality of this harsh world and those who are brought up in it.
Waking will have you eager to wake up within the first few hours. Its compelling self-reflective narrative is overshadowed by some of the worse adventure mechanics and systems that I have played in quite some time. Perhaps the game should go through some self-reflecting of its own and figure out exactly what it wants to be because this is a complete mess.
Darius Cozmic Collection is a piece of history for shmup fans. The collection includes a full catalog of the series that allows you to experience some titles that weren’t easily accessible before this release.
Summer in Mara is a whimsical adventure that doesn’t require the player to micromanage their days. The balance of exploration, discovery, and farming-sim elements make this a charming way to spend an afternoon. Still, the repetition of it all will make long play sessions dull.
Outbuddies DX is a far more accessible version of this Metroid-inspired adventure. However, there’s still a lack of direction that causes many moments of frustration, which stem from the game’s complex control scheme and maze-like design.
Persona 4 Golden on PC is the best thing that could have happened to this game. Once held to Vita exclusivity, many new gamers can discover all the great moments that this adventure has to offer. Add in the inclusion of a few PC-only graphic enhancements and Japanese audio, and you now have the definitive version of this timeless RPG.
Warborn has a great foundation of SRPG mechanics and beautiful animations. However, I never once felt connected or concerned about my units or challenged after the first few minutes of a match. Each campaign plays out relatively the same, and after hours of gameplay, you’ll feel like you are merely playing the same mission over and over.
Ys: Memories of Celceta is a game where it’s more about the journey than the destination. Every portion of the map presents a new discovery, and that becomes wildly satisfying across the 20-hour runtime. The story elements and flimsy side-missions don’t always help with the overall engagement, but that doesn’t really matter when the battle system is just so much fun.
Strawberry Vinegar ends up being incredibly straight forward if not a little messy with some of its story elements. I thought the writing was comical and engaging, but then the pacing would be hurt by Rie’s unbalanced characteristics and overly mature attitude. In the end, it’s a visual novel about food and friendship, and you’ll get plenty of that here.
Evan’s Remains is a beautiful game that blends puzzle and visual novel elements together to tell a gripping narrative. However, some dark themes emerge from this with a few convenient “ah-ha” moments that don’t really match up with what is revealed to the player.
Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is an accumulation of the feedback and skills that this developer has received throughout the series. The gameloop of stopping hordes of enemies in their tracks just works, but if you’re a fan of the series, then you’ll be getting more of the same with this entry.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens stays true to classic entries but pushes the series forward with the inclusion of unique abilities and new characters. Thankfully the game’s smartphone roots don’t appear to hold back the console experience, and we are left with one of the best Shantae games to date. The load times and lack of direction might cause a few points of frustration, but not enough to make this experience any less enjoyable.