Fans of the Demon Slayer anime and manga will definitely want to pick this 3D fighter up, as it recaps the continuing saga of Tanjiro and co. Non-fans can appreciate the colourful graphics and truncated anime plot in the single-player mode, but probably won’t find as much value when compared to your super-fan of the series. At the very least, this cash cow of a title has some merit as it is crafted with love and care courtesy of Cyberconnect 2.
[Y]ou cannot help but be astounded by the atmosphere and beauty presented by this indie offering. This is the kind of title that would make not just its country of origin proud, but the indie gaming landscape as a whole. [...] Artis Impact is but a sizeable taste of what pure game-making talent and love can achieve in the field of small-scale JRPGs.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is one the best 2D action game throwbacks that's long overdue, given the last Ninja Gaiden game was back in 2014, a 3D action title, and utter dogs***. It's beautiful, plays great and has spot-on controls, it's accommodating yet challenging, has a Hard mode that will test your mettle; there's a lot to love for old-school ninja fans out there. In short, the whole 2D pixel-savvy action-heavy package that utterly delights. Even with some odd bugs here and there, Sega's ninja efforts may have their work cut out for them thanks to this pseudo-indie effort.
While I'm happy to take the Big N down a peg when they're complacent and being greedy little s***s as a corporation, I'm just as happy giving them praise when they do right for its audience. Donkey Kong Bananza is that rare case where credit is definitely due. Feel free to go bananas with this long-awaited return of DK being the star of his own adventure; I know I did.
Good luck finding people willing to pay its current RM177+ price tag though, even if it's for supporting locally-made games. Because I feel most children with taste would be incredibly insulted by this broken-down offering that lasts about 3 hours tops.
All in all, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a decent action RPG that's worth adding to your Soulslike collection when you're done with From Software's finest and noteworthy clones like Lies of P. If you already hated the genre, you're not going to find anything here to convince you otherwise.
Shadow Labyrinth is at least worth a rental or an afternoon or two of your search actioning time, provided you're fine with mediocrity. If you need a transcendent search action game though, this ain't it.
[D]on't even think about condemning this star runner to the glue factory like most judgmental folks. This steed's a clear winner in the video game F2P pony show. Just make sure Lady Luck be kind to you; the RNG can get brutal at times.
You could do worse than with a game [like Ruffy and the Riverside] that actually tries hard to capture that bygone early 2000s era of cerebral-challenging platforming, even if all it has going for is its deft use of 2D artwork onto 3D landscapes. At the very least, this game deserves a sequel that will hopefully iron out its flaws and repetitive moments.
My 35+ hours with Death Stranding 2: On The Beach was laced with so many emotions and feelings: ennui, excitement, joy, confusion, and satisfaction. It still has the trademarks of a Kojima-written narrative -"Muffin Man"-style dialogue, bats*** insane moments, subtle-as-a-sledgehammer storytelling with obvious symbolism. But that's what makes this sequel all the more endearing; you may cringe at some moments, but you won't be bored with the thread being spun here. Nor will you be left out of the lurch with the interactive experience you're getting.
Raidou Remastered is a fine remake of an underrated PlayStation 2 action title involving the Shin Megami Tensei demon-summoning brand. New players will enjoy what's in store though they shouldn't expect a Persona game. Veterans will appreciate the many, many changes that make the combat challenging and fun, as well as the new look and voice acting. Consider this case solved and filed under "well-deserved", even if some of its fighting can get spotty in the latter half.
Lost In Random: The Eternal Die is a fun roguelite jaunt at most, with some polish and tweaks that are welcome in the genre. You'll make good progress with the game's story while also revelling in its intense action and temporary roguelite power-up system that's in tune with its analog gaming backdrop. It's not a royal flush, but it's a steady hand that's enough to sate your roguelite action-heavy tendencies.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a well-made and hard-hitting metroidvania that hits all the right notes and sticks the landing with its proverbial yoyo shenanigans.With lovely graphics & sound from legendary composer Yoko Shimomura (catchy tracks and all), a cute plot concerning gentrification of all topics in a landscape of anthropomorphic beings, and fun-yet-challenging metroidvania action using your yoyo and other related antics, file this title under the dark horse category of standout indie games of 2025.
With a unique aesthetic and familiar-yet-fun gameplay, SEDAP! A Culinary Adventure is a fun food-filled romp that'll last you for a few hours if you prefer a food-serving party style-action game experience without the fuss of extra people to work with. It's a veritable Southeast Asian feast for the eyes & reflexes, one covered with love and a unique grub-centered coat of Ais Kacang ice shavings with the overload of syrup.
MercurySteam has a lot going for with Blades of Fire despite its drawn-out story and path that does wear out its welcome over time. While not exactly the most engrossing of all action RPGs with Dark Souls DNA, Blades of Fire is still worthy of your time due to its approach to weapons-crafting and nuances to its combat system.
It's always good to see indie developers like Sabotage continue making meaningful content for its magnum opus JRPG, and the Throes of the Watchmaker DLC adds more value to an already stellar title. The fact that it's free is also surprising, considering most of us would be fine paying a small sum for this addition. Still, one shouldn't look in the mouth of a gift horse and just roll with it like how a posse of insane clowns would deal with Faygo and fat chicks.
Shotgun Cop Man makes the fantasy of using your firearm recoil to fly all the more enjoyable and replayable, as these stages are meant to encourage you to get better scores & perfect playthroughs. Simply put, it's a blast.
Veterans will love the callbacks and tributes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 pays to its inspirations, and get a sublime experience out of it. Even if you're new to the genre, its narrative and unique world will draw you in, with its turn-based and combat mechanics spellbinding you like a world class French arthouse flick would to film critics. Très magnifique, une expérience merveilleuse, as they say.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is truly the full package for SNK fans and fighting game veterans looking for a new 1v1 fighter that can go toe-to-toe with this generation's Street Fighter 6. The 17-character roster (with 5 more coming) have a ton of variety and expanded moveset for all sorts of playstyles, the game's aesthetics are full of life and uniqueness, the fighting mechanics are a good balance between simple and complex with tons of nuances, and the extra single-player modes will keep you occupied. It is truly a sublime fighting game experience for both newcomers and veterans.
This Gal Guardians sequel hits all the right notes for a fun if cumbersome search action experience: lovely animation and aesthetics, great action and boss fights, and a nice map to uncover. However it does suffer a bit for some repeated boss moments (like the scarabs in Yohane the Parhelion), some not-so-intuitive backtracking options, and the fact that you have to grind for bones to get the top-shelf navigation powerups. Still, it's far from being abysmal and is at least worth your time if you fancy an anime-infused search action game featuring characters from Inti Creates' Gal Gun universe. And some jiggle and fanservice to go along with it. For chrissakes, there's an achievement for getting bathed in a big-boobied dragon girl's oil saliva; that pretty much gives you an idea of the title's demographic.