Jason Coles
Overall I really like The Jackbox Party Pack 8. I've been enjoying messing around with it with my friends and will definitely keep delving into Job Job, Drawful Animate, and Weapons Drawn. On the other hand, I find the trivia games to be a bit dull, and I think The Poll Mine has a short shelf life, at least when it comes down to how I like to play games.
Medieval dynasty is a fun, relaxing survival RPG, even if it's not always exciting.
While I really enjoyed Lost Judgment, the mishandling of some of the core, and incredibly sensitive themes really did reduce the experience. I still think it's a good game, but my feelings about it have definitely diminished since the opening hours, which I'm rather disappointed about. Still, if you like the Yakuza series and its spin-off games in general, you'll probably love this.
Aragami 2 has lots of potential but falls into repetition, some odd story choices, and frustrating online play.
Bandai Namco combines excellent writing, stunning anime visuals, and a deep, rewarding combat system to make one of the best JRPGs of the year.
HUMANKIND is as deep as you could possibly want from a 4X strategy game, but the constant addition of new things to think about never feels overwhelming because everything's explained so well, and often with a good bit of humour too. It's an excellent game, and if you've never delved into the 4X genre before, this might be your best chance to do so.
My time with Omno was pleasant, and while I don't think it's a life-changing experience by any means, it does have a certain life-affirming quality to it. Simply put, Omno is an enjoyable journey through a magical world, where so many other games would fill such a setting with chaos.
I like playing Curved Space, but I found it most enjoyable when played in fairly short bursts. The ideas and the gameplay are both good, but the level design runs counter to the fast-paced gameplay when you simply can't find an enemy. The music slaps though, so that's a nice touch if you do find yourself enamoured with the strange mix of impossible spaces and bug shooting.
From its compelling story, to its wild enemy designs and combat, I'm kind of in awe of Scarlet Nexus. Where Bandai Namco games often have a niche appeal, I've got no reservations about recommending Scarlet Nexus. I'd definitely suggest skipping a lot of the side stories, but everything else here is the kind of anime-infused greatness that will appeal to nearly everyone.
Roguebook is a game that will feel crushingly familiar at first, but reveals itself to be more nuanced and interesting the more you play it. It's definitely a fun game, and while it feels like there have been more original roguelike deckbuilders recently, Roguebook is still good fun, and there's enough here to keep you going for a long time if it clicks with you.
The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a solid collection of three games that are enjoyable, but are also showing their age. If you're coming here for a challenge, then you'll likely be very happy with what you find, but times have changed a lot since these games released. As long as you're fine with that, then you should pick up the mantle of the Hayabusa Clan and start chopping off arms.
Any game so good that you can't resist doing just one more battle in is a game well worth paying attention to, and Tainted Grail definitely manages that.
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers is a genuine joy to play and a fun spinoff from the main series. EDF is a silly series even with its dark undertones, but World Brothers is a lot more light-hearted, and could well lead to a lot of new players looking forward to Earth Defense Force 6.
Quantum League really is quite special, a Time Paradox Shooter that justifies the buzzwords with its overlapping timelines of first person shooting. It just needs more players...
Subnautica: Below Zero is a masterfully horrific experience that encourages you to push on despite your fears. It's a fine balancing act of the horrors you'll face underwater and the rewards you can get for evading them. It's really very hard, but it's also really very good.
Overall, I like Dandy Ace a fair bit, but the story doesn't do quite enough to drive you to do more runs, and there were a few times when things felt grossly unfair due to the sheer volume of enemies that some rooms spit at you. The card combination system is wonderful to use though, and that'll keep mechanically-minded players involved for a fair while with Dandy Ace.
The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is an incredible achievement that goes beyond just being a DLC expansion. This is another load of thread connecting yet more pieces to the potential of the already brilliant base game. With all of these plates spinning, it's impossible to know how well a run is going to go at any given time, but it remains incredibly fun trying to figure that out.
Trials of Fire is uniquely entertaining, and it's an absolute joy to play because every run is challenging, and every fight is a blast to play thanks to the intricacies and strategies you can develop. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody who's looking for a roguelike that's less action and more strategy, and especially so if you love a good TTRPG.
I can't really recommend Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury enough. Whether you've played the original game before or not, the addition of online multiplayer is a big win, while Bowser's Fury is a testament to just how pure a Mario game can be while still feeling fresh and exciting. Put simply; this is an essential game for Mario fans.
Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition manages to give budding yokai hunters even more to do, and whether you missed the PS4 version of the game or not, it's definitely one to sink your teeth into if you fancy a challenging experience.