The Riftbreaker: Metal Terror is a decent DLC expansion that, while it doesn't change much regarding the main gameplay loop, more than makes up for it with its vast array of new weapons, buildings, and an intriguing story surrounding an ancient civilization. The game has also upped its enemy variety, allowing players to be more creative with their arsenal while putting their management skills to the test. Unfortunately, it also won't really change your mind if you weren't attracted to the game the first time.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has its flaws like any other game. However, its qualities more than make up for them, bringing a beautiful JRPG experience like none other before seen in the series. The Class system is varied and fun to experiment with, the story is one of the best in the series history, and the aesthetic and production values are incredibly high. This game offers tons of content that will keep you glued to your Nintendo Switch and last a long time.
Metal: Hellsinger offers a great variety of metal songs that will make your journey through hell a very pleasant one. Combined with the relentless enemies and dynamic gameplay, this game is sure to give you hours of entertainment so long as you know how to stay on the beat.
Temtem is a fantastic game when you look at its story and gameplay mechanics alone. However, when you see the variety of activities it has to offer and the way its economy is structured, it will make you second-guess your stay after the main story campaign is done and over with.
Warhammer 40K: Shootas Blood & Teef is a great game if you are in for some mindless fun alongside your friends. Its variety of weapons can be fun to engage with. While its campaign is short, you can still find enjoyment in the PvP mode or try new weapons with your friends.
While the game can be fun at points, its archaic and dated design choices can make for an overall frustrating experience. Its combat doesn't require much thought, and the game can be "difficult" for the wrong reasons. Still, it's high points are still noteworthy highlights for the overall experience, and when everything works properly, you do feel as badass as the main character is supposed to be.
Hi-Fi Rush is a fantastic game that combines two very popular genres and makes a wonderful and innovative game with a low skill floor but a high skill ceiling. The game is both accessible to newcomers to rhythm games and very challenging for veterans looking to be tested in several other areas that don't necessarily have to do with just rhythm games. The combat is varied, the combos you learn are great to execute, and the music is a joy to listen to. Overall, a great success.
Perish is a game that can accomplish its objectives but requires a lot more polishing. The game offers a great way for up to four players to enjoy a shooter experience in which you can face off against several hellish creatures cooperatively. While those are definite pluses, the aforementioned issues can take players away from the experience.
While Freelancer Mode introduces a lot of new elements to the table, it also brings a myriad of bugs and issues that can take away from the overall experience. The freelancer mode is by no means bad, but it definitely has issues executing its concept due to its flawed RNG and mechanics.
Wanted: Dead feels like a callback to the worst games of the Xbox/PS2 era. The game has a distinct lack of polish when it comes to its enemy design, and, combined with the horrid voice acting and confusing storyline that's only explained through supplementary material, it feels like the ultimate case of wasted potential that could've become something better had the developers put a bit more thought into it.
Scars Above offers a great shooter experience that's a bit rough around the edges in some areas when it comes to realizing its vision and potential. While these problems are noticeable, I don't feel like it takes too much from the full product while offering a haunting survival horror experience with a unique gimmick that makes players think about the best approach to the way they face the environment around the enemies.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key has to be one of the most straightforward and beautiful RPGs in the series as a whole while also being way friendlier to new players than other installments in the series. This is a game that even non Atelier fans will be able to sink their teeth into easily while being able to fully customize their experience through the game's new Synthesis system and its Secret Key mechanic.
God of Rock has to be one of the worst attempts at combining rhythm games with other genres. While the game has a solid foundation, it really doesn't have much else as it fails as both a rhythm game and its fighting game aspects feel more like an overcomplication of something that already works well in other versus rhythm games.
Overall, Omega Strikers is a good recommendation if you are looking for a game to help you pass the time. Its gameplay loop is easy to get into yet tough to master if you wish to take it seriously. The game has done its job of supporting various content creators like Alpharad and Cr1TiKaL through emotes and specialized teams that players can "contribute" toward with wins, so I believe the game will have a good scene for some time.
Honkai Star Rail highlights the issues that Genshin Impact had despite how many issues have been addressed. The game's barebones RPG mechanics will definitely improve over time, but it still will take a lot to convince any enthusiast to pick this game over other turn-based RPG gacha games.
The Lord of the Rings Gollum is a game that has a lot of technical issues that also ultimately drag its presentation back. However, it still is a charming game in its own way with its setting, writing, and some incredible environment design that can catch your breath at times. This game is a cautious recommendation for players that aren't Lord of the Rings enthusiasts.
The System Shock remake offers a lot of great graphical enhancements and beautiful stylistic choices that make for an overall enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, it's dragged back by several aspects that haven't aged well over the years and have become more accentuated after the advancements that gaming has made in all these years.
Amnesia: The Bunker has become one of the best horror games in an ever-changing landscape on par with titles like Resident Evil 7 and The Dark Descent. This game not only is a return to form for Frictional Games but it also paves the way forward thanks to its systems that encourage creative solutions to problems and an ever-changing nature that will keep players on the edge of their seats as they face off against the supernatural threat that's roaming the halls of the bomb shelter.
Trepang2 offers a lot of choices in terms of customization, gameplay, and mechanics for players. While the enemy AI isn't that clever and the difficulty surrounds changing damage values more than making enemies smarter, it more than makes up for it with its memorable set pieces, gun variety, and incredibly chilling horror moments.
Hi-Fi Rush continues to provide to an already complete experience with it's latest update that brings 2 new game modes to the table. While I believe that it won't do much to attract new players who already settled to some of the more noteworthy highlights of the year, this should please the dedicated fans of the game and players who adore rhythm games that have added depth and challenging game modes. I certainly hope that future updates bring more to the table the way the Hi-Fi Rush Arcade Challenge! update did.