Issa Maki
The Radical Dreamers Edition isn't as bad as it's made out to be, but to say it's a far cry from what it should have been is an understatement.
Whatever Shantae's future holds, her past is worthy of dedication, but it's up to the player to prove themselves worthy of inheriting its legacy.
Catan is a serviceable rendition of the tabletop classic – just don't go in expecting dedicated support or functioning online servers.
While The Quarry is by all means a decent game, it embraces being Until Dawn's shadow instead trying to step out of it.
The core gameplay of Neoverse is addictive, but ultimately held back by the confines of its creation.
Fans of Kingdom Hearts or rhythm games will both find something to love here, but most will be left wanting more.
Supermassive's latest entry will please fans, but the improvements to its gameplay continue to lag behind the well-crafted story.
Like most developers in the virtual trenches, Survios deserves more credit for its efforts than it receives, and Onslaught will probably go down as another example of this.
Fans will be pleased with Little Nightmares II, but others might not be convinced by the premium entry fee and low replay value.
Wo Long is fun and well made, but the features that allow it to shine aren't quite as developed as they should be.
What we're left with is a Frankenstein's monster of a game, with nowhere to call home and no one to love it. The worst part is that it's a damn fun time that deserves attention for its merits.
Blackwind is an ambitious game that proves it can do it all – just not at once.
While House of Ashes may fall just short of eclipsing Until Dawn's brilliance, it's easily the best entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology, representing that significant bump needed to move the genre forward in a meaningful way.
Battle Brothers isn't for everyone, but those willing to take the beating will have access to a rewarding game with tons of replay value.
Sackboy turns in a solid performance, but treads over ground that has clearly been walked on by others.
If you're a fan of indie games, JRPGs, or a combination of either, Wandering Sword is certainly worth the investment. But just keep in mind the cowboy's sad, sad song: every rose has its thorn – or in this case, thorns.
Rift Apart improves upon its predecessor in virtually every way possible, becoming a technical marvel for ninth-generation hardware from PS5 to Steam Deck – even if Insomniac doesn't quite run as far with the concept as I would have hoped.
When I compare Sword and Fairy: Together Forever to the heavy-hitting JRPGs of the 8th generation such as Persona 5, Final Fantasy XV, Tales of Beseria, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, not only is the outcome favorable, it can flat out surpass them at will.
There won't be a shortage of games to celebrate in 2022, but if you get the chance to rock out with your Wang hung Lo then, by all means, take it!
The most polarizing AAA game of 2019 receives a fresh coat of paint, elevating it beyond its 8th generation confines.