SMT3 Nocturne HD Remaster realises that the less time we can spend with the cobwebs of the past by opting into the new Merciful difficulty, the more time we can enjoy this world and its story anew.
Humankind is an impressive showing of what Amplitude can do with historical turn-based strategy but is edged out by the series that clearly inspired it. The promise on the box of building a culturally diverse empire is not yet fulfilled, with successive playthroughs showing the moral choice and culture systems as being underdeveloped.
Playing in this Western sandbox is a joy when it is rewarding your exploration and moral choices with strange outcomes and interesting characters. A lack of late-game variety brings its flaws to the fore.
Lean, light, and pleasingly presented, this is a perfect snack on the Switch when travelling on your next exciting adventure.
The best video game adaptation of the wildest manga property gets a better-than-average port. For Jojo's fans only, though.
Fans won't want to miss this recontextualised yet authentic Yakuza brawler. Hopefully, newcomers attracted to the theme can forgive some poorly aged systems and jank.
Adol Christin's most agile adventure excels but its PS5 port can only be recommended to first-time players
The magic of manual map drawing is curbed with the handy auto-map feature, yet pulling off risky expeditions into Etrian Odyssey's dangerous labyrinths remains unmatched.
Nothing else hits that adrenaline button quite like slow-walking through hostile territory with your squad formed in a tight conga line.
Repetitive combat and exploration pad out this wonderfully remastered cult JRPG experience that falls just short of a recommendation.
A stunning One Piece game great for fans and JRPG newbies, but one that won't satisfy hardened min-maxers.
While Final Fantasy XVI didn’t meet this fan’s expectations for a new series entry, newcomers to epic fantasy and action games will be swept away by the eye-melting combat and enormous-yet-approachable scale.
Positively overflowing with meaty, tactical combat and terrific character writing, Trails of Reverie is held back by its dated presentation and sky-high barrier to entry.
This spooky age of piracy has charming supernatural characters and visuals, but the hardcore stealth action on offer is an uncompromising, often unwieldy beast.
Despite underwhelming combat and gameplay mechanics, Thirsty Suitors has stellar style and character writing wrapped up in a charming and sincere package.
This earnest, occasionally awkward epilogue to Tales of Arise isn't essential, but it packs enough delights to reward returning fans.
For the small audience looking for a romantic World War 2 satire featuring a harem of loli leaders, My Little Dictator will entertain for dozens of hours. Just skip the combat.
Star Ocean's 25th-anniversary title celebrates its beloved PS2 classic with a spiritual remake, but its adherence to archaic series' design will ward off new players
A sensory achievement for nostalgic JRPGs left without any enjoyable game under the hood and falls short of an already exceptional 2021 JRPG roster.
Bloated, buggy and with its best ideas in the back half, Neocore's grimdark tactical King Arthur spin-off is halfway decent might and magic.