Lynked: Banner of the Spark from developer FuzzyBot is a cornucopia of different types of gameplay experiences rolled into one title and balanced in ways that work well together. The story is good, the action is easy and fun, and the crafting/building helps to bring a juxtaposition to the game’s action component. While not all of it works, the game still brings what it needs to create a big, unique, and entertaining experience.
American Arcadia, from developer Out of the Blue Games S.L. and publisher Raw Fury, was a suspenseful and thrilling adventure. While the gameplay didn’t challenge the narrative for the limelight, there were still enough interactive elements to call this a solid gaming experience.
Labyrinth of the Demon King from developer J.R. Hudepohl harkens back to a simpler survival horror time and recreates most of the right elements that reflect that era and genre. While it’s strong in story, atmosphere, and creepiness, it falls short with its mechanics.
StarVaders from developer Pengonauts is an addictive deckbuilding turn-based game with meaningful content and thick strategic gameplay options.
Days Gone Remastered, from developer Bend Studio and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment, brings a more defined and pointed experience, as well as a bigger world and a more refined amount of gameplay. While the story feels disconnected from said gameplay, which does hurt the game, the overall gameplay experience is pretty solid.
Lunar Remastered Collection from developers ASHIBI Co., Ltd and GAME ARTS is a sight for sore eyes in a sea of modernized turn-based and action RPGs. It’s a firm reminder that old-school gaming is still fun after all these years, and it’s a definitive reminder that the Lunar series is some of the best turn-based RPG games ever.
Out of the Park Baseball 26, from developer Out of the Park Developments, is top-tier when it comes to sports simulators. Managing a baseball team and working with the organization is detailed so well on a micro level that you’ll find so many different approaches on how best to prep your MLB team. All of it is wrapped with a well-planned and implemented bit of information architecture, which makes it super simple to navigate through. In the end, this is a new bar for sports simulators.
Steel Seed from developer Storm in a Teacup is a gorgeous and stunning stealth-action game that does a lot of things right, but also stumbles at times with difficulty.
Fatal Fury: City of Wolves from SNK Corporation is a long-overdue fighting experience that does its best to throw variety and meaningful content into the mix. Most of what it tries to do is on point, though the experience, especially on the campaign side of the tracks (Episodes of South Town) could have been a bit longer.
Amerzone from developer Microids Studio Paris is a Myst-like experience that features a heavy narrative, great characters, and incredibly challenging puzzles. It may not be for everyone, but those who want this type of gaming experience will certainly be thrilled with the delivery.
FragPunk from developer Bad Guitar Studio has a lot going on, most of which is positive. The game is easy to jump into, there are a variety of modes to play to keep the gameplay fresh, and the game just looks and feels cool. Not all of it is gold, but it’s certainly close.
Kemono Heroes from developer Mad Gear Games and publisher JanduSoft is a fun action beat ‘em up that keeps the gameplay simple, delivers creative enemies and levels, and throws some good boss fights into the experience. While the upgrades are a bit restrictive with their progression, the game offers far more fun than not.
Rusty Rabbit from developer Nitro Plus is a fun, deep adventure led by fun characters, a good story, easy mechanics, and a strong RPG backbone. Repetitiveness does drag the experience down a bit, but this 2D platformer stands strong with its positives.
I, Robot from developer Llamasoft and publisher Atari reignites a forgotten Atari arcade classic from the 80s. While the visuals have been refined a little, the core gameplay from the original arcade title is still intact, which includes its chaotic style and psychedelic personality. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a fun, nostalgia-driven arcade adventure nonetheless.
Bionic Bay from developer Psychoflow Studio is an outstanding atmospheric platformer that will keep players locked-in with its simplistic mechanics and complicated gameplay mixed within an intriguing story.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die from developer Stormteller Games is a wonderful game on the Nintendo Switch 2, if you can get used to the Switch 2’s controls that come with it. Beyond that minor hiccup, the game still brings the same addictive gameplay experience and presentation as the bigger consoles. Having the game on the go is a huge plus as well.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle from developer MachineGames and publisher Bethesda Softworks brings the Indiana Jones world to life with a great story and fantastically designed game.
INAYAH – Life After Gods from developer Exogenesis Studios is a fun and flawed metroidvania adventure. Its narrative is quite good and purposeful, the art is out of this world visually amazing, and the backend design is complicated, as it is motivating. The repetitiveness of enemies and level design drag the gameplay down a bit but for the most part the game still delivers a worthy adventure.
Blue Prince from developer Dogubomb and publisher Raw Fury is everything it is cracked up to be. It’s easy to pick up and play, thick with strategy and play-driven decisions, and simple to come back to repeatedly in the face of failure thanks to some amazing gameplay elements that were methodically built for its design.
The remastered game represents the old one nicely without going too far or destroying any of the original game’s essence. While some of the 90s gameplay concepts in Croc – Legend of the Gobbos Remastered are still stuck in the 90s, some elements are improved. This may not hit with new gamers but it’s undoubtedly going to please those raised during that 90s video game era.