Although it's a mostly great experience, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a clear step below the S-tier Zelda games like Twilight Princess, Tears of the Kingdom, and so forth. There's still plenty of fun to be had if you're a fan of the classic Zelda games and perhaps this return to that formula is the shake-up that the series needed following Tears of the Kingdom.
Mika and the Witch's Mountain is a fun escape into the life of a bubbly little girl who wants to become a witch but who makes new friends and has unexpected adventures along the way. It may be short but it's certainly worth playing if it's your kind of game. 🧹
Ultros is a loopy sci-fi adventure and when I say loopy, I mean that in both senses of the word. However, I can definitely say that Ultros is an unforgettable adventure which is something few indie games manage to achieve. 🌌
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an awesome and unforgettable adventure and I'm happy to say that the Zelda series is still killing it in 2023. With that being said; please, Nintendo: we really need to experience a brand new Hyrule in the next Zelda game.
Pirates Outlaws is pretty fun once you start unlocking things and there's a lot of stuff to do in the form of quests, feats, earning repute, trying out characters, and beating the alternate game modes. There's enough content to keep swashbucklers invested for dozens of hours but for me, the core gameplay just isn't fun enough to keep me entertained.
Advance Wars 1 and 2 are timeless classics and I know those are big words but these games are deserving of that honour. I was obsessed with Advance Wars 2 back in the day and now, I'm loving the franchise yet again. Plus, fans of the series can rest easy knowing that Nintendo hasn't abandoned the Advance Wars franchise and it makes me wonder what's next.
Pokemon Scarlet is the most immersive Pokemon installment yet thanks to its seamless open-world, heartfelt story, an interesting new battle mechanic, and fun raid battles. Whether you're in it to speedrun, for the competitive online scene, or you just want to catch 'em all; Scarlet and Violet have you covered. Let's just hope that it'll be patched soon.
Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer's Legacy is a fun and interesting take on roguelikes and survival games with a colossal amount of things to do and I know that a lot of people thoroughly enjoy it. However, there are just too many problems for me to overlook, especially the overbearing load times on PS4.
SpellForce III Reforced is a very ambitious RPG that I'm sure you'll enjoy if you're a fan of classic CRPGs like Baldur's Gate. However, learning how to manage an economy in this RTS game has a fairly steep learning curve. Then again, maybe you want this because you're an experienced RTS player and you've never played Baldur's Gate; I won't judge.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus definitely provides a great experience with a novel take on the classic franchise but I still feel that grinding is not needed in a Pokemon game which I've always felt should primarily be about simply having fun in a laidback world.
If you're a Pokemon fan and haven't played the original Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum then you're missing out. The Sinnoh region is an absolute joy to explore and it's super-fun trying to catch as many Pokémon as you can.
King's Bounty 2 features fun tactical battles while telling a memorable story as it immerses you in its high fantasy world. But, boy oh boy, prepare for a barrage of ridiculously long loading screens and plenty of other unstreamlined elements.
If you're a pixel enthusiast and enjoy classic games like the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, you're sure to love Arietta of Spirits. It has an awesome heartwarming story and tries to be like a classic SNES adventure game and it succeeds well at doing so.
Orcs Must Die 3 provides excellent orc-killing mayhem. With many imaginative traps and weapons, tower defense fans are sure to find something that catches their fancy. Plus, its gameplay is similar to the original so you enjoyed that, you're sure to love this, too.
ScourgeBringer is a fun but extremely difficult roguelike that'll appeal to a very niche crowd. If you enjoy a soul-crushing challenge then go ahead but be warned; it's one of the most frustratingly difficult games out there and it punishes you heavily for your mistakes.
I want to give Tower of Time a thumbs-up as I enjoyed the gear and leveling systems and the story has a strong impact. Unfortunately, it's not well-optimised for console and suffers from too many fundamental problems so pick it up for PC if you're feeling adventurous.
Moonlighter: Between Dimensions offers solid value. The Wanderer Dungeon took me 10 to 15 hours and Moonlighter is still a pretty good dungeon crawler that I appreciate for its graphics, music, and bosses. However, be wary of its more repetitive aspects.
Levelhead is one of the best platformers so far this year. If Butterscotch Shenanigans fixes some annoying issues that I had with the level editor then I'd consider it golden.
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is a fun blast from the past for fans of classic RPGs. However, it's too rough around the edges for me to recommend unless you're a huge Dungeons & Dragons fan.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a simple game about traveling the USA while listening to and telling stories.