Star Trek Infinite is a challenging game to recommend. Grand Strategy games on their own do appeal to a certain mindset, and a Star Trek coat of paint isn’t going to make someone like Stellaris if they didn’t enjoy the gameplay before. A Star Trek fan might be more willing to try the game to sit in the big seat and have the feeling of running the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Star Trek Infinite will reward you with incredible depth and replayability if you stick around long enough to learn its intricacies. You need to meet Star Trek Infinite at its own level, and if you’re unwilling to learn all of its systems, then this might not be the game for you.
Pac-Man World Re-Pac is a great remake of a good game. The visual overhaul of the graphics looks great and the new QoL features help iron out some of the rough edges that are present in many games of its era. The sameness of the stages and the short runtime are blows against the game, but it's still a fun experience, and worth checking out for fans of platformers.
The games in Sonic Origins are among the best Sonic the Hedgehog titles in existence and this package is a great way to experience these games, especially for new fans who were introduced to the franchise by the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. The people who already own these games in some other form won't find anything particularly worthy of a double-dip, as even the convenience of owning them all on a modern system is undercut by all of the original versions of the games being available on the Sega Genesis Classic collection. Those who don't already own the classic Sonic the Hedgehog games can get them in a neat package in Sonic Origins, with a few extra features to keep them interested after the credits have rolled.
Live A Live aims to tell nine different stories, with very different protagonists and settings, all within a short period of time. The jack of all trades approach means that some chapters are fantastic and others can drag. It tries to do a lot of things at once, some of which work and some that don't. Luckily, the good parts outweigh the bad, and Live A Live is a great pick for fans of classic JRPGs, so long as they expect an occasionally bumpy ride.
Sunbreak is the ideal title for people who thought Monster Hunter Rise was too forgiving and that it gave the player too many options for evading the monsters. The Master Rank quests can be extremely punishing, but Sunbreak is intended for those who have beaten Monster Hunter Rise and are looking for that next level of difficulty. It takes time to hit its stride and the omission of Rampage quests is puzzling, but there is some great new content here that is worth exploring, especially for those who enjoyed the base version of the game.
Heartless Lullaby has the potential to be expanded into a full experience that can give Vampire: The Masquerade fans their own equivalent to a Baldur's Gate title. As it stands, the current version of the game is worth checking out as a free title that only takes a short period of time to finish, especially as a taster for the Vampire: The Masquerade games that are coming soon. It's easy to see why Heartless Lullaby won the Vampire Jam, as the team did an amazing job putting together a game in a month, and it will hopefully lead to more World of Darkness content from the studio in the future.
B.I.O.T.A. is a short, enjoyable title. It doesn't quite match the retro chops of something like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, and it doesn't have a massive twisting map of something like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but it's great for someone looking for a fast-paced action platformer with a retro-style, has stages that are easy to explore (and get a 100% completion at the end), and a story that has the depth of an 80's action movie.
The Hinokami Chronicles is an enjoyable adaptation of the Demon Slayer anime, but it never tries to be anything greater. The combat is fun, fast-paced, and lets the player wield the explosive moves of the Demon Slayer Corps in a visually exciting way, but the story mode that makes up the bulk of the single-player content is stretched too thin. Fans of the anime should enjoy The Hinokami Chronicles, but it won't have much appeal to those who aren't already familiar with the series.
Sonic Colors was already a great game when it was released on the Wii and Sonic Colors: Ultimate doesn't detract from the original experience, barring the aforementioned issues with the Switch port. The new content is underwhelming, but the whole package still stands up and it upholds the game's reputation as one of the best 3D entries in the series.
Axiom Verge 2 adds some interesting twists to the Metroidvania format and it does get good once the player unlocks the drone, fast travel, and some of the special abilities. If the player is willing to sit through a slow start and some dicey combat encounters, then Axiom Verge 2 becomes a lot of fun to play, with a world that's fascinating to explore and treasures that are waiting to be found in its beautiful and scary alien world.
Wonder Boy - Asha In Monster World is a polished port.
Marvel's Avengers has hit PS5.
Heaven Dust is a retro survival horror game.
Tadpole Treble Encore is strange and lovely.
The Medium is a psychological horror game that is set across two worlds, but it doesn't quite live up to the potential of its gameplay features.
Lydia is a dark point and click adventure game about child abuse.
Last Encounter is a fun and frantic roguelike that is now on the go.
Black Future 88 is a roguelite that is a little too light on content.
Romancing Saga 3 is a modern SNES RPG, for better or worse.
New Super Lucky's Tale is a throwback to the 64-bit era of platformers.