While it’s not my favorite of all time, Homura: The Crimson Warriors was a fun bit of escapism from everything else that surprised me with plenty of action and excitement that I wasn’t ready for. We have a good female lead, a compelling story, and a solid addition that reminds me why I really enjoy Idea Factory 90% of the time. The carnage, the historical information and, of course, the lovely bits of affection that get your pulse racing. If you’re interested in your quest for romance to get a bit bloody, I’d say Homura is a fantastic “slice” of life.
At the end of it all, there isn’t a lot of replay value to Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch. I didn’t expect them to change gears and make an epic RPG, but players have been waiting for ten very long years for this game to arrive. Now that it’s finally here, it looks fantastic and that’s it. It handles pretty poorly and can be wildly frustrating.
Total Chaos will land well with the crowd who devours the single player survival aspect and want a challenging twist on the formula. It’s got bones for something great, but it lacks the execution to push it into a realm where it appeals to me or gets me to notice it. It runs well on the Switch 2, so fans who’ve been waiting to play this in handheld are finally given the opportunity. But it’s just not a fun game if you’re not already in a very accepting mindset for what the game can and can’t do, and what it needs of you.
OPUS: Prism Peak is an awakening disguised as a game. This is SIGONO’s finest creation yet. I implore you to come experience the Dusklands for yourself. Follow the embershine petals: the path ahead awaits.
Ariana and the Elder Codex is a competent and enjoyable adventure that scratches some good itches. The combat is chunky, the worlds are a good size for exploration, the voice work is fantastic and the visuals (when they’re smooth) are pleasing. This one feels good; not necessarily the best in its field, but still one worth mentioning if you’re looking for a metroidvania that’s lower stakes than others. It’s significantly easier than Constance or Silksong, and it’s got the design and soundtrack to make it sparkle.
While Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege has incentive to replay in order to find treasures and unlocks (such as additional animal companions), the game itself is very brazen and straightforward from the drop. If you don’t jive with the excessive blood and gore with the combined difficulty levels, then it’s not going to get better at all. If you like what you see and enjoy the pseudo-historical setting juxtaposed with some allusions to time travel and possible sci-fi elements (no spoilers), then you’re going to have a good time and will want to revisit to learn as much as you can.
Hopefully others can have a good time with this beautiful looking, sweetly written title, because I’m sure Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland is going to be a banger in the right hands. And perhaps, someday, a console port will arrive and make my world a brighter place. But, at the current time, I’m afraid I have to wake up from this one and realize it was all just a dream. Little Nemo is not here for my enjoyment: it’s merely a fading illusion, and now I must face the real world, which, thankfully, is front and center for my eyes.
The point is that Raccoin is positively built to be the time trap of your dreams. It’s got so many visual stimulations, an absurd combination factor, and just enough glitches to make it fun and remind you it’s not actually in an arcade. It’s so cute and detailed, and there’s honestly a ton to unlock if this grooves with you. It’s a brilliant and devilishly captivating game, and I’m thrilled it’s on PC so I can physically walk away from it when I need to.
It’s got some flaws, but so does the human experience, and Incantation embraces the madness, the terror and the very real sense of trying to save someone who may be beyond saving. It’s scary, it’s stressful, and it’s got moments of sad beauty that keeps you invested in the story until the brutal end. People who’ve watched the movie will have a fantastic new perspective, but those coming in cold will still find a tense, upsetting experience that really makes you question: what cost is too great?
Delightful and engaging, Reclaim! hooked me from the very start. It’s weird, it’s offbeat, but it’s pure and unabashed, and that’s really something else. It might not be an adventure for me to visit again, but it’s one that will help share the significance of so many. For gamers who are out of touch with their own antiquity, Reclaim! Azhe-giiwewining might be the right path home.
With all that said and done, the pros far outweigh the cons. GRIDbeat! is truly something marvelous in the music and the engagement. You get sucked in immediately, nodding your head and becoming enthralled in the movement, the mystique and the melody.
All in all, The Disney Afternoon Collection is an equal balance of nostalgia, historic artifice and a celebration of IP gaming that soars and falls in equal measures. These games are far from perfect, but they’re relevant and enjoyable, and anyone who wants to admire the throwbacks from yesteryear owes it to themselves to pick up a copy and have it proudly on their homescreen or shelves. I would love to get a physical at some point, but you know these things sell fast, so hurry if you want to grab one yourself.
Scott Pilgrim EX is so smooth, so fluid, and so easy to get into that you forget about everything else the moment you and your friends are in the mix, brawling and riffing and doing everything under the sun and space together. It’s seamless in loads between areas, the cohesion is top notch for areas and monsters, the loot drops are generous so you can keep buying health and equipment and my kids, who haven’t consumed any Scott Pilgrim media, were full on board from the drop.
While this doesn’t have as long of a tail as Infernax and other great modern NES inspired games, Prison City is a damn fun time with a solid soundtrack, excellent graphics and some truly fun gameplay. Developers who show what’s possible to pull off with the designs of old have a special place in my heart, and I really had a blast as the game got more and more bananas. There’s a great time to be held whether you’re slowly trudging through or actively trying to speedrun, and anyone who grew up loving Commando and Heavy Barrel will have a blast.
Jaws: Retro Edition does exactly what you’d expect it to do and more. You’ve got the original Jaws NES game, and then a version that is superior in every way for someone who doesn’t have neural roots in playing it as a child.
The overall effect is just…mediocre to poor. This would have been better remaining as a DS memory.
There’s probably going to be weeks, if not months, of fans running numbers, dissecting builds and figuring out the best way to succeed, and that will be exciting to unpack…once it’s done. In the meantime, dedicated players who really enjoy SRPG combat with a massive dose of oddball aesthetic will find something truly unique and engaging with Mewgenics. It’s got plenty to experience, so don’t dismiss it right away. But please note that it is a learning process, and, if you don’t get it immediately, it might take all nine of your lives.
Having said that, my quiet, peaceful experience with Fighting Fantasy Classics Vol. 1 was perfect for these cold winter days. I don’t want to venture outside and go do something active and frostbitten. I want to hunker down with a flagon of mead (Mellow Yellow) and get my exercise by turning pages and reading about busting heads. I don’t have to worry about losing my dice underneath the kotatsu, I can just push a button and then keep pushing it if I don’t like the numbers. I’m my own dungeon master, and this is a fantastic, tight and wonderfully replayable solo adventure.
I’m late to the party with Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass. I never experienced it on PC, and this console enhanced version might be wasted on me because I don’t know how much was added. But, like last year’s OFF, bringing a story like this to the wider audience is beyond my wildest dreams and expectations. An early contender for my favorite experience of 2026, this has done the impossible. It’s a real Western delivery of what Mother is supposed to feel like, and it does it with the dedication and love that a creator can deliver.
Lovish has some tight, punishing and unrelenting gameplay firmly packed into an aesthetically pleasing and insane narrative that never tries to justify itself beyond “why not?” The game has as much replay value as you want to put into it, and I personally found it to be a delight and a treasure.