The original Spelunky's only obvious shortcoming was that its level design was somewhat limited. Spelunky 2 takes what made the original so great, fixes that shortcoming, and leaves us with one of the best-made indie games you'll ever play. A truly sensational effort from Mossmouth.
OlliOlli World is a wonderful skateboarding game that delivers everything I could have ever wanted. Its gorgeous pastel color art, flawless optimization, and slick controls combine to create a premier indie game.
Trails From Zero is a wonderful game that offers the very best story telling and world building that gaming has to offer. Its presentation and dialogue heavy gameplay won't be for everyone, but if you love a good story and are looking to get immersed in a brilliant world, look no further.
Although it would have been nice to see a little more innovation from Cold Steel III, this finale to the Erebonia arc is still one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The world-building and character development are as exquisite as ever, while the gameplay mechanics are still well above average, albeit unextraordinary. Regardless, assuming you have played at least Cold Steel III and know enough about the Trails lore, this latest addition is well worth your time.
The Eternal Cylinder is a gorgeous adventure game that features one of the most compelling stories I've seen in years. Its strict linearity may be frustrating for some, but that slight downside is vastly outweighed by this game's many strengths.
Rogue Legacy 2 does everything a sequel should. It builds on what was already well done in its predecessor while reworking any ideas that weren't executed as well. Cellar Door Games has made something both franchise fans and newcomers should be extremely excited to play.
Octopath Traveler 2 is one of the best JRPGs ever made. It continues to deliver on what made the original so good while improving on its weaknesses. Its only true flaw is that the new Crossed Paths stories are treated as a side act rather than the main selling point. Despite this shortcoming, when all is said and done Octopath Traveler 2 will be remembered as an all-time great.
An extremely fun and cozy adventure game that will have any animal lovers smiling in no time. A handful of bugs and performance issues do impact gameplay somewhat but it's easy to overlook given Alba's creative brilliance. I would have preferred a slightly longer story but that aside this is one of the best indie games I've played in years. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not at least giving it a try.
Rogue Heroes isn't trying to be extraordinary, but for that very reason it ends up being a fantastic game. By not falling into the trap of doing too much, Heliocentric has delivered one of the best Zelda-inspired action RPGs on the market. And at such a modest price, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to not at least try Rogue Heroes.
Dandy Ace is a sensational roguelike that can contend with the very best the genre has to offer. Although gameplay can get a little repetitive, its colorful visuals and well-thought-out combat mechanics more than make up for that. This is a challenging yet fun game that is well worth your time.
Tales of Arise is a genuinely exceptional JRPG that does little wrong. The reworked combat mechanics aren't perfect, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn't matter. Its storytelling, character development, visuals, accessibility, and PC version quality have all been produced to world-class standards. Bandai Namco should be proud, and fans should be thrilled.
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a wonderfully crafted 2.5D adventure game that features well-made puzzles and engaging platforming sequences. Its surprisingly intricate confrontation mechanic coupled with the underlying messages about complex social issues ensure that this is a game for all ages, not just kids. It does a fantastic job of encouraging exploration and is overall a game well worth playing regardless of if you fit in with its core target audience or not.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream is the best installment in the franchise yet. The vast innovations made to the alchemy gameplay loop make sure that the franchise's main selling point is the best it has ever been. Not only will Atelier fans love this, but just about any JRPG fan will have a great time playing it.
Two Point Campus is a fantastic management game that picks up right where Two Point Hospital left off. It isn't the most innovative successor, but it doesn't have to be. Two Point Campus offers more than enough to keep you entertained right up to graduation.
Forza Motorsport 7 is Microsoft's latest in their annual racing game series. Previously an Xbox exclusive, more recent titles have been ported across to PC courtesy of Xbox Play Anywhere. With there being a huge market gap on PC for collection focused simcade racing, does Forza 7 deliver the experience we've all been waiting for?
A wonderfully crafted Metroidvania that should have genre fans plenty excited. It's blending of combat, platforming, and puzzling keeps the gameplay fresh and varied throughout its entire 20-hour story. It may not be the most revolutionary game ever made, but it does what it set out to do very well.
Patron is effectively a more difficult version of Banished. But there are enough subtle differences to differentiate them and the game's overall polish is fantastic.
Reflection: Second Light is a perfect example of what a sequel should be. It takes the ideas put forward by the original and improves all of them. There's better exploration, better visuals, and, most importantly, much better character writing. The original was an average and forgettable JRPG. In contrast, Second Light is one of the best JRPGs released in recent memory.
A high-quality translation and port that builds on the wonderful work done by a passionate community. Trails to Azure's story is impactful, but issues with its pacing can make it feel longer than it needs to be. Even so, this is still a great JRPG that fans of the genre would be silly to pass on.
A lot of anime games are full of personality but lack refinement and polish. Fairy Tail undermines those expectations by being well made whilst still capturing what made the original manga so special. Newcomers may find the limited retelling of the plot hard to follow but franchise veterans should have a blast.