Team Ninja borrows the open-world familiarity and historical tourism of Assassin's Creed while adapting its own breed of hardcore action for the mainstream.
Team Ninja evolves Nioh's formula in a Three Kingdoms-era action RPG where allies, flags, and stealth make its brutal challenges more manageable than ever.
The long overdue samurai spin-off is classic Yakuza under its period dressing but also underwhelming as a current-gen remake.
Despite the joys offered, Sonic Frontiers is a hot mess of a reinvention that can't commit to its new direction.
That said, the logic of progression or goals is a moot point when the actual traversal does feel good - certainly a damn sight better than Sonic's lowest points in history - and the grind almost disappears as minutes go by and I realise I'm just enjoying running for the pure sake of running. It's probably the most polished experience to have graced Roblox so far, an easy gateway drug to tempt newcomers to the platform. For Sonic fans, it's a glimpse at what could be possible with the hedgehog's future, if this is what Sonic Team's 'open zone' design is going for, albeit with more structure and actual challenges. And besides, it's free - surely it can't hurt to give it a spin?
Baffling writing aside, default story difficulty makes this the breeziest Soulslike ever, while combat still carries depth.
Under its bleak red skies, Umurangi Generation is scrappy at times, but it's also a bold photography sandbox game that isn't afraid to fill each frame of your lens with stark warnings of a world at crisis point. It's more than a game about capturing a good shot, but captures the very times we live in.
The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a small-scale affair, both in terms of technical scope and dramatic themes, when compared to its award-winning inspirations. It's not especially memorable but it has just enough warmth and wit to get you through a spare Sunday afternoon.
A beautiful love letter to Japanese games and culture with a simple but heartfelt narrative from start to finish that's both comforting and life-affirming.
As old-school as it can get in every frame and fibre of its being, Battle Axe faithfully transports you back to the classic Capcom and Neo Geo arcade era with its exquisite pixel art animation and punchy, challenging gameplay.
Nier Replicant is at once an improvement over the original while still retaining its dated design frustrations that’s not quite at the bar of modern remasters. Yet for all its flaws, the story, bolstered by its grand otherworldly score, has the same deep emotional depths that first won over new fans, and if nothing else, you won’t find a more mismatched bunch of outcasts worth caring about.
An engrossing and compelling piece of interactive fiction whether you just follow one character's thread or read every available node, Closed Hands handles its difficult subject with real nuance and maturity thanks to excellent writing that gets you inside the head of each character.
Glyph is a soothing puzzle platformer, which, despite its sparse appearance has plenty of bounce, challenging you with its literal sandbox gameplay.
Olija subverts the expectations of an unforgiving old-school adventure for something more fun and breezing, verging on slapstick combat, yet still dripping with atmosphere thanks to its impressionistic pixel art and excellent audio. Being a castaway makes for a good escape.
Not needing to reinvent the wheel, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 delivers the same fun and brilliant mash-up of two of the best drop-puzzle games ever with a healthy dollop of content, both classic and new. The jury's still out on whether the new Skill Battles will change things up, but regardless, this is a great puzzle package for parties or pros, and hopefully a great jumping off point for newcomers to discover the marvel and skill of competitive puzzle battles.
A larger more ambitious game from Giant Squid that shares influences with Breath of the Wild only to subvert it in clever ways: retooling a bow as an ingenious mode of traversal and puzzle solving, an open world with no map, and a shooter where you don't have to aim. It's an accessible and streamlined approach making for an unmissable adventure to lose yourself in.
An over-the-top arcade football title that's more frustrating and complicated than it ought to be. While it's clearly faithful to its source material, that's unlikely to convert newcomers to Captain Tsubasa.
Moon may look dated and its mechanics and puzzles can be obtuse as hell compared to what you might expect in 2020. Stick with it however and it's one of the most charming and unusual RPGs you can play that's just as influential and relevant as ever.
If you're looking for a sophisticated car sim, you won't find it in Road to Guangdong. What will keep you going over its short duration however is a wonderfully authentic exploration of Chinese/Cantonese culture through two very universal subjects: family and food.
At best, Disaster Report 4 recalls the mundane and absurd human dramas seen in Yakuza and Deadly Premonition, though shares more of the latter's rough low-budget execution. Ultimately, it's an acquired taste but might just scrape through on its peculiar charms to be a cult favourite.