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With a short run time, South of the Circle isn't meant to be for someone looking to stretch their gaming dollar.
Hard as it may be - and only increasing in difficulty the further the years rolls on - to truly stand out in a crowded and competitive market that is the glaze of Souls-like appeal, where The Tarnishing of Juxtia may not be scoring high on originality, it just about makes up for in heart and dedication.
The basics of TombStar are well done, with nicely-frantic action that keeps the bullets flowing at a good pace.
Live A Live is one of the most unique games we never got to play in 1994.
Endling may be lacking on the difficulty side, but it more than makes up for it when it comes to delivering a breathtaking story about loss, survival and the environment, topped with a gorgeous art style and an impressive evolving world to explore. It may be a brief journey (clocking in at around four hours), but it's one that's worth playing through, an emotional roller coaster that's still fun to play and gets you invested in the struggles of our furry friends, so don't sleep on it.
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is an enjoyable yet unexpected take on Kunio and company.
Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate Definitive Edition is a game that lives up to its definitive edition claim.
Without digging too deeply into the real reasons behind Interior Night's choice of aesthetic and presentation, As Dusk Falls is one of those cases of a solid foundation let down one too many times by its execution.
Looking past the fact that it features a kitty that can operate a vending machine, Stray boasts drop-dead gorgeous graphics, an intriguing story and unique post-apocalyptic world, and ridiculously fun and silky smooth gameplay that comes from climbing up and down every area possible with natural catlike agility. Stray is an absolute masterpiece that BlueTwelve should be proud of, and you'd be a fool to miss out on on no matter what, so make sure to check out this feline odyssey ASAP.
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium shows that Capcom has created so many memorable arcade games that it takes more than one collection to hold them.
While I found my playtime kneecapped by the physical hardware, Loud has nice tunes playing in sync to plenty of fun note tracks. Astrid’s tale isn’t particularly deep (what happened to her band?), but she’s a likeable character who grows into her music over the three years of the story. The twelve tracks have plenty of replayability thanks to the multiple difficulty levels, and there’s even an extra-hard bonus tune awarded in the free-play mode after game completion. Loud is a capable little music game with a lot of heart, but be aware you need either small hands or maybe a Pro Controller to get the most from it.
With any luck, Escape Academy will be successful enough to warrant a sequel, as its uniquely quirky academic world and its cast deserve to be fleshed out even further with even more meticulously-crafted escape rooms to solve. As is, though, Escape Academy is a fun jolt of great puzzle designs guaranteed to fire up your cortex, topped off with impressive aesthetics that make for some memorable escapes. It may not be complicated breakout one might hope for, but it's still worth checking out.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is one of the most oddly-named collections ever, but features two top-notch platformers in their definitive editions.
Once you get the hang of things Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom clicks into place and becomes a great little action-platformer to blast through.
Krut: The Mythic Wings uses an animated Thai film to create a 2D adventure.
Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei is an action-packed visual novel sure to capture the attention and hearts of otome fans.
With the inclusion of Sunbreak, Monster Hunter Rise is finally a complete package and it does not disappoint.
While a murder mystery survival scenario may not be the most unique concept ever made, Yurukill manages to twist things on its head by going all in to make one of the most unique Visual Novel experiences.
The Delicious Last Course is a terrific post-meal snack to close out the lengthy Cuphead buffet, hindered only by a potentially game-breaking weapon and a relatively short length that leaves you wanting more.
DNF Duel successfully brings the world of Dungeon Fighter Online to a fighting game arena with all the ingredients that made previous Arc System Works games great.