Looking at the gameplay only, Ready or Not is a fun, challenging, tense and enjoyable FPS. It’s offers a nice diversity in a world of Call of Duty or Battlefield games, but there’s something missing.
Irem Collection Volume 3 is just another partial collection of games that I feel should be released as a bigger package; more games for a slightly higher price or let players pick and choose what they want to buy.
Heaven Dust is a great homage to early Resident Evil games and solid enough to stand on its own. Plenty of puzzles, exploring, shooting zombies and even three endings for players to enjoy.
Submersed 2 The Hive definitely gets an A for effort, but F for execution. I forced myself to play this; I *really* wanted to enjoy it, but how the character moves made it impossible and mostly frustrating as some sequences require precise movement.
Look, I get the nostalgia factor LUNAR Remastered Collection and that the core games come from a different time, but this collection will mostly appeal to those who played the originals. But to newcomers or first timers, it’s hard to recommend this faithful collection.
The Lost Cube is a fun, addicitive and fairly challenging platformer that plays perfectly in short bursts. Each level makes you think as to how you can get through it; although the game’s pacing feels a bit unbalanced in terms of level complexity, it won’t dether the overall experience.
Sir Lovelot reminds me of a bit of Super Meat Boy, but easier and less hair pulling challenging. It’s a fun addictive little platformer that will have players go “one just more level” until they reach the end.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is definitely one of the better RPGs to (re)release this year. Easy to pick up and play, but still challenging, demon fusioning is a fun and addictive mechanic; trying to make your perfect crew. But some quality of life improvement do make the experience a bit irritating. The forced auto-targeting causing headaches during boss battles, the constant hand holding can feel like a detriment. On the good/bad side of things, it’s shorter than most RPGs, clocking in at around 20-ish hours, story only. If you don’t explore and rely on the handholding, it can be ever lower. As a die-hard fan of the original, and the SMT universe as a whole, I still enjoyed my time with RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army despite its shortcomings and I strongly recommend it,
Next of Kin is an enjoyable, albeit short, gaming experiences that touches on some tough subjects. While it does feel a tad predictable, the soothing score adds a layer of dread of what’s about to happen. The lack of hand holding is fine, but can feel tedious at times as you try to figure out which item you need to investigate. If you’re looking for something short to juggle between longer AAA experiences, Next of Kin is an enjoyable experience that might make you think.
Is Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny a good game? Yes, absolutely. It was back in the early 2000s, it is in 2025. Is it outdated? Yes. It takes a of time to adapt to the archaic mechanics such as the combat, camera angles/changes and the lack of guidance and hand-holding, but if you’ve never played it and looking for a challenging action game, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny is for you considering you can tolerate the “outdated-ness” of it. If you’ve enjoyed back in the day, it’ll fit like an old glove. There are worst ways to spend money
Blazing Strike is a highly enjoyable and surprisingly decent fighter jam packed with content to keep fans entertained for some time; only once you’ve adapted to the slower movement. Also releasing this so close to Capcom Fighting Collection 2 won’t do this game any favors. Thanks to its slow movement, it’s a great entry point for those looking to dip their toes in the genre; while hardcore fans of the genre might find the lack of speed boring.
Clearly inspired by the Half-Life series, Kvark is a great FPS with a perfect old school feel; fairly balanced, interesting story, creepy ambiance. There’s also a decent variety of weapons to pick up and have fun with. It is also surprisingly lenghty and there’s quite a bit of areas to explore. However it does become a bit annoying constantly seeing the same enemies over and over; and the trailway section kinda slows the game down a bit. If you’re looking something substantial that feels different than common FPS, Kvark is a must-play; whether you’re an old veteran FPS player or tempted to dive into the genre.
Stratogun is an overall enjoyable, highly challenging shmup experience with a minimalist approach. There’s a decent variety of perks and weaponry with RPG lite mechanics making this game a bit addictive. However, the limited usage of perks and constant weapon overheating takes a fair challenge and turns it into cheap hits/deaths. Fans of the genre will revel in this unique challenge, whereas newcomers of the genre should look into a different shmup.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a no-brainer. Whether you’re a fan of the genre and want to re-experience these classics or a newcomer looking for a starting point in the fighting gaming community, this collection is a great addition to your collection. This package contains some of the best of Capcom’s games, with a few hidden gems with less commercial success. While the controller isn’t the best to use, it won’t hinder your progress. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is one of 2025’s must buy games. It’ll definitely be worth every penny.
Combining objectives based missions and arena shooter mechanic makes Sker Ritual stand out from most shooters. Each map is unique and fun to explore, and it can easily be enjoyed solo or with friends. While the game won’t fully help you complete objective and you might have to be required to grind for points, it doesn’t deter from the overall experience. If you’re looking for a tense shooter with a unique twist, Sker Ritual is a must play.
Post Trauma is a great, enjoyable, albeit short survival horror game. The environments, settings and characters all do their part to offer an unnerving experience. The fixed camera is a welcome addition and throwback to classic gaming. Despite its flaws; lack of map, backtracking, questionable voiceover and sometimes clunky movement, Post Trauma is a fun and creepy experience. I strongly recommend playing this little gem, whether you’re a long time fan of the genre or looking to dip your toes.
I was actually looking forward to Pocket Bravery. I remember pre-ordering it like over two years ago when it was announced. But oh boy, the final result is highly disappointing. While the quantity of content is through the roof and is surprisingly as more diverse (if not more than) Street Fighter VI, the gameplay and feel of the game feels off and semi-responsive; complemented by cheap A.I.. Considering the price tag of this and high quality fighters available on Xbox, it’s hard to recommend Pocket Bravery.
There’s something with The Last Hero: Journey to the Unknown, but unfortunately it falls short as a whole. The game offers a waves of enemies instead of traditional go from A to B type of level design, which is a nice change, boss fights are fun, albeit very easy and there’s a handful of enjoyable special attacks to purchase and use. But the questionable level design, questionable hit detection and restrained to using a short range sword does break a bit of the fun. The game is ideal for younger players in your family, but they might need some help for a few levels. If you can tolerate the shortcomings, it’s a nice, short adventure. Otherwise, there’s a myriad of better platformers available.
Breakout Beyond is another version of a great puzzle game from early age of gaming. Easy to pick up and play, great use of power ups and focus mode to help through some of the harder levels. However, it’s greatest feature is also its greatest downfall; lack of gameplay variety and replay value. If you’re looking for something different to keep you busy, Breakout Beyond is a great way to spend some time and money.
Bleach Rebirth of Souls is great fighter that can stand on its own thanks to its unique approach and gameplay to the genre. The game offers a decent roster of 30+ characters out of the box, gameplay is easy to pick up and hard to master, and there’s enough gameplay content to keep players busy for months. Despite Story mode feeling more like a watching an anime (felt like 40% playing, 60% watching) and burying the shop under layers of menus in story mode, the gameplay is solid enough to sink its teeth into players. If you’re a long time fighting genre player or looking for some different, Bleach Rebirth of Souls is a must play.