Niche Gamer
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When it comes to gameplay, there has never been a title quite like Denshattack. Fusing parkour, speed, and a complicated tricktionary make for an experience wholly its own. And that experience is pure adrenaline, packed with heart-pumping stunts, gorgeous and varied settings, and an unscratchable itch to dive back in for just one more try at that elusive gold medal.
Dialoop is not a lost cause, but with a core gameplay loop that’s no better than average and holds little variety, the subpar presentation and abhorrent visuals make this title a forgettable one.
Rhythm Heaven Groove is a triumphant return from a decade-and-a-half hibernation. While it struggles to abandon some of the archaic visual design the series has grown attached to, the juiced-up soundtrack, consistently strong rhythm games, and wonderfully intriguing Beatspell RPG have me believing that this series has the legs to carry the music into the modern age.
Whether this game is our appetizer before a brand-new Star Fox adventure, or simply a one-off tribute to the iconic series, it’s the best Star Fox ever, and I say that with no reservations.
Dark Scrolls is retro for all the right reasons, and very few of the wrong ones, and you’ll get plenty of substance considering its budget price point.
The Adventures of Elliot comes close to nailing it when it lets you loose and explore a world across eras at your own pace. There’s a lot to like; it looks great, exploring is fun, and it feels good to play. It falls short when it comes to likeable characters and having a story to care about.
Minor flaws aside, LumenTale: Memories of Trey is very fun and feels like the real deal.
If you love painstakingly planning and constructing the ultimate team base, maximizing the energy output of your technology to make beautifully automated machines, or simply basking in the atmosphere of a quiet, peaceful world, you’ll feel right at home with Solarpunk and its rewarding gameplay loop.
The story is short — you should have no problem finishing the entire game in a single sitting — and by design, there are no filler moments, save for the intermissions between chapters. Bending the boundaries of visual novel conventions, and Roger shares a poignant, beautiful story that’s best experienced first-hand.
There’s a lot to like about Rise of the Tomb Raider if you ignore the rehashed story and average gunplay.
Gothic Remake proves it is still possible to build one, and to build it without a soulslike label, without hand-holding disguised as inclusion, and without ever once doubting whether the player can handle what is being asked of them.
Calamity Angels: Special Delivery is a game that shines more in concept than in execution.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is a pretty good and gripping experience, but there is no doubt that it fails to escape the long shadow of Disco Elysium. It’s not as funny or deep and comes across as a bit lightweight.
If you’re pining for a big new Mario game and need something to hold you off until then, I wholeheartedly recommend Yoshi’s new adventure.
While Moses & Plato – Last Train to Clawville was mostly fun to play, it didn’t feel like the game had enough depth. Additionally, despite featuring controller support, it was incredibly difficult to use the controller to play the game and felt more like a hindrance.
Mina the Hollower is a serious adventure that is playful, charming, silly, and brutally challenging.
Starbites has the nostalgic heart of a long-lost PlayStation 2 classic. Play it, assemble the Heroic crew the right way, then relax and enjoy roaming through the world of Bitter. Lukida is doing good, give her a chance!
Schrödinger’s Call is a definitive visual novel, it takes the multimedia nature of the format and blends everything seamlessly.
Nitro Gen Omega was a delightful surprise in 2026, especially since the year’s midpoint hadn’t offered much for fans of this genre to celebrate.
At the end of the day, Directive 8020 is just the first game in the second season of the Dark Pictures games. My complaints about the ending could be resolved in future games, or it might just be a one-off issue. I would have liked to see the game have a bit more accessibility options.