If the prospects of anime erotica do not turn you off, and if you don’t mind a not-so-serious dating sim with challenging puzzle bits that require a ton of focus-switching, you can do worse than HuniePop 2: Double Date.
Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely a massive CRPG undertaking. If it weren’t for the glitches and bugs in the way, I’d say CD Projekt has a helluva masterpiece in its hands.
Still, Drawn To Life; Two Realms balances its cutesy art style with its surprisingly emotional storyline that serves as a bookend for fans, while also ramping up the hardcore difficulty one would expect of a 2D platformer with nerve-wracking brain teasers.
Despite its outerworldly setting, Haven’s message & writing highlights the pros and cons of a relationship that many couples, and even ex-couples, can relate to. Except for maybe the bit where you feed a marble cake to attract a giant alien manta ray to serve as your makeshift taxi cab.
Even if you're burned out by simulations like Project CARS 3 (a pretty inferior sequel, to be frank), you should give DIRT 5 a chance if you aim for a simple arcade racing game with great-looking frills, noteworthy challenges, and a straightforward path.
Pumpkin Jack is a good first effort from a one-man game-designing army. It’s fun for its short length, it offers a bit of variety with its puzzles and challenges, and the platforming & design is solid.
And that's all that matters in Foregone: the core loop gameplay. It's just fun. Sure, it needs a bit more meat with its narrative, a slightly higher difficulty curve, and a bit more weapon variation, but the overall package is slick and entertaining.
As entertaining timesinks go, Genshin Impact has it made. The game has a ton of potential to grow to become stellar and eye-opening; perhaps even better than its aesthetic sources of inspiration and contemporaries. As of now though, it's settling just fine with a bronze medal as online RPG comfort food.
For better or worst, Microsoft Flight Simulator is as deep and as accurate as they come. Asobo Studios has created a lovely-tailored simulation meant for anyone with aspirations to fly planes. But as an actual game that should be accessible since it has a generally appealing premise? I’m still on the fence about it.
If you want a smooth cruise with hand-holding for the first half of the game, this isn’t the place. But for everyone else who long for a late 80s and 90s challenge that’s made somewhat fair and tailored for this generation, Battletoads (2020) is a surprising effort if you think this era’s crop of games aren’t hardcore enough.
As it stands, Panzer Paladin is a good tribute that comes with rockin’ music and a lovely dose of 2D action. It needs a bit more work to rise above the many 2D clones, but it still warrants a playthrough or two if you’re curious about this year’s “neo-retro” offerings on PC and the Switch.
Fae Tactics is clearly meant for old-school gamers and even sorta-new turn-based gaming fans who want to experience a 90s style of gaming with a 2020 touch. It’s not a huge reinvention, but it’s an enjoyable diversion.
Samurai Shodown is a great return to form for SNK’s swordfighting series. While it seems to be going for the Street Fighter V style of release and comes with the bare minimum, at least this game includes a standard arcade mode with endings and a fun (?) final boss called Shizuka to fight against. If you don’t mind paying triple-A price to train up for this game for future fighting game tournaments -and there will be if the Neo Geo World Tour is of any indication- then go nuts and play this 2D weapons-based masterclass.
Blazing Chrome is challenging, well put-together, and replayable as heck, even if it comes off as familiar at times.
If you miss the good old days when Technos wasn’t bankrupt and you had an inkling over what the Double Dragon/Kunio-kun series are, you owe it to yourself to try out River City Girls. It’s fun to play, it’s best with a friend, and it’s just gorgeous to look at in motion. If you hate brawlers and simple beat-em-ups with a slight grind, this won’t change your mind.
While Vitamin Connection needs work on its controls and some of its repetitive aspects, it succeeds at entertaining a gaming group with its combination of influences and cutesiness on most accounts.
All in all, this is one comfortable drink worth ordering. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind if you’re looking for a transcendent experience.
If you’re sick of playing victims in horror games, watching thrillers through the lens of a hapless protagonist, and instead just want to vent your frustrations on them, this role reversal of a game will sate your bloodthirst.
Animal Well makes a damn good first impression with its awesomely-crafted pixel art, moody aesthetics, and ambient sound work. And within hours while you're playing and even after finishing the game (6 to 8 hours tops), you won't forget a sight like Animal Well.
The only major issue in Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns is that it's not as detailed or fleshed out as the Tides of the Foscari DLC. But with such a steal of a price tag to use Contra characters and go hog wild on the rest of the game and DLC stages with overpowered superguns? There's really not much fault to find in that, if I'm being honest.