A.J. Maciejewski
As a puzzle game enthusiast of over 30 years, I must say that Princess Farmer is one of the best puzzlers that I've ever played. It's hilarious, thoroughly fun, and features an absurd amount of variety. If this is just season 1, I can't wait for season 2!
Ganryu 2 is incredibly difficult but it presents the ideal blend of challenge and satisfying action so you'll keep coming back after getting your ass kicked over and over again. With loads of secrets and a pitch-perfect presentation, this is one swanky old-school ninja game.
Lucky's Tale proves that VR and 3D platforming go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, why the heck aren't there more VR 3D platformers? Either way, what you get here is an absolute treat and I even enjoyed it more than the non-VR Lucky's Tale games.
Moss: Book II does an excellent job of building on the established formula of the first game while offering a much more diverse game world and a pitch-perfect blend of puzzles, platforming, and combat. However, it's still somewhat short and unsatisfyingly unchallenging.
I haven't played anything quite like tERRORbane before and its concept of making glitches fun is impressively satisfying and silly.
Toodee and Topdee is a brilliant puzzle platformer that joins Tandem: A Tale of Shadows in a unique genre that I'd like to see more of.
Chinatown Detective Agency could be rewarding for the average pantomath and the story is intriguing stuff but if you don't enjoy doing your own research in order to progress in a video game then you'll likely find it to be more of an annoyance than a fun adventure.
Although this short adventure doesn't have much in terms of gameplay and its story is predictable, A Memoir Blue does a good job of portraying the life of a young athlete in the spotlight while showing how she got there and how she deals with her personal struggles.
As a fan of Demon Turf, the platforming-focused Neon Splash made me very happy. I hope to see much more of Beebz down the road!
Mastering Kombinera requires precision and careful planning which makes it a great time trial game complete with plenty of replay value.
If you want a modern take on '80s arcade racers then you can't go wrong with Slipstream and its authentic approach to the genre.
In the end, Z-Warp is a simple shoot 'em up that doesn't do much out of the ordinary but it's still a blast for the short while that it lasts.
Even as someone who can finish any Mega Man game before breakfast, I found Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril to be one maddeningly difficult game. It does a lot of things right, though, so it's worth checking out for any hardcore retro game enthusiast.
LIT: Bend the Light takes a familiar puzzle formula and fleshes it out in such clever ways that you'll end up enjoying it for a very long time.
I enjoyed my time with The House of the Dead: Remake but it's certainly not as fun as the classic games. It does a lot of things exceptionally well while failing at others so it ends up feeling more like a fan-made adaptation than a true remake.
I love a good baseball game so thankfully, MLB The Show 22 is a great one. From its wide range of options to its clever adaptive difficulty, it's easy to have the hours tick away as you hit dingers and climb the ranks.
Taito Milestones may simply contain 10 classic arcade titles and nothing else but some of these games offer timeless enjoyable challenges that you can spend hours trying to master. I just wish there was some kind of bonus content to scratch more of that retro itch.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a quirky and silly looter shooter that simply doesn't distinguish itself enough from the mainline Borderlands games. It's still a lot of fun, though, especially when you play with friends.
If you're looking for a hardcore SRPG then you'll likely be disappointed by Relayer but it's still a satisfying spacefaring adventure that features enjoyable cinematic combat, incredible audio, and a memorable cast of characters.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition brought back a lot of lovely memories and thankfully, Chrono Cross is still a great RPG all of these years later. The fact that you get an officially translated Radical Dreamers is rather peachy, too.