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Those who have a sense of nostalgia for old-school, turn-based strategy games will likely be able to find some fun with The Dragoness. Despite a lack of personality, bland combat, and a sense of repetition that sets in quickly, something at the core of the game simply works. There are so many other options available to players that offer more, though, that it’s hard to recommend this one to all but the most dedicated devotees of the genre.
Betrayal at Club Low is a masterclass in artful innovation. It gives the player a lot more interactivity and agency than its predecessor, Tales From Off Peak City, and in the process totally re-invents the entire point n’ click adventure genre. Trying out such a bold new gameplay style was a big gamble, but it’s a roll of the dice that’s won big.
Potion Permit is a quaint little alchemy simulator that will delight anyone looking for something cozy. It’s not exactly the Stardew Valley sibling it appears to be, but it has the potential to become just as beloved in its own right nonetheless. If you’re hurting for a cute life sim that blossoms over time, Potion Permit will cure what ails you.
There’s very little wrong with Splatoon 3. Almost everything it does is done well, and the few minor complaints I have are likely to be fixed or involve a card game that most players will likely ignore. Its plethora of quality-of-life changes means this will almost certainly be the best game in the series going forward and the place for new players to jump in. Right now, though, if I have to pick between those quality of life changes or the larger amount of content in Splatoon 2, that’s not as easy a choice as it should be because the gameplay hasn’t evolved in any major way, and little of the new content truly stands out. Which means that while I can easily recommend Splatoon 3 to series devotees desperate for new content and new players needing a good starting point, anyone who falls in between may want to wait for the game to be fleshed out before diving in.
Even after more than a decade, The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero is an RPG well worth the time of fans of its series and newcomers alike. A great cast of characters and an interesting story, along with a ton of quality of life improvements, make this still feel as modern as anything coming out today. While the main plot could have come into focus a bit sooner, and I do wish that the return of some beloved characters hadn’t come at the expense of our core cast, I’m already excited for the next chapter, Trails to Azure, which is set to release next year.
If you’re a fan of Made in Abyss, then Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness will certainly interest you; however, those unfamiliar with the story should wait for an update or two before taking the plunge. The premise is amazing, the story is intriguing, and the dark emotional depths it delves into genuinely shocked me on multiple occasions, but the going is slow and the execution is clunky. There’s a fantastic survival game here unlike any other that presents well on the surface, but dive deeper and you’ll find a whole slew of balancing issues that desperately need sorting. Keep an ear to the ground for a more balanced Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness — there’s something waiting for players at the bottom of all this, but the journey is far more excrutiating than it needs to be at the moment.
Beacon Pines is easily one of the top ten games I’ve played this year and one of the first recommendations I’d give to players looking for something quick but layered. With a lovely art style, cozy setting, exceptional character development, and an edge-of-your-seat story, Beacon Pines is a unique blend of sweet and sinister that proves difficult to put down — in fact, I couldn’t stop myself from playing it from start to finish in one go! If you’re looking for something charmingly cute yet deceptively dark with a clever mechanic and rich world, Beacon Pines invites you to solve its many mysteries and find the true end to this troubled tale.
Mozart Requiem is not for everyone; in fact, it’s really only for people who would consider themselves fans of Mozart or janky 2000s point and clicks. There’s some charm in terms of unique musical puzzles and setting, surely, but the execution leaves much to be desired. I don’t regret buying a physical copy for the Switch at full price — a cart destined to sit in its cellophane for time immemorial — but that doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed. Even though I have some faith the dev team will fix any reported bugs, they can’t fix a woefully outdated experience. Dona eis requiem, amen.
While the two games featured in this collection might feel a bit dated at times—mostly Rhapsody—there’s no denying that Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3 is a wonderful and entertaining look back at where NIS’s journey into the world of SRPGs all began. Given that NIS is running through their old stockpile rather quickly I’m not really sure where they’ll go with Prinny Presents 4 (if there is one). Maybe we’ll get a new localization? Who knows. Either way, I’m looking forward to it!
Small complaints aside, Shovel Knight Dig is still a fantastic game. It deftly mixes Shovel Knight mechanics with rogue-like elements, to create a game that’s more than the sum of its parts. While the difficulty level can feel a bit overwhelming, and may deter some gamers, this is still an entry any fan of the series will find themselves loving. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to burrow into this exciting new adventure from Yacht Club Games!
Deathloop remains Arkane’s best work, and it’s fantastic that Xbox players can finally get in on Cole’s deadly groundhog day. Its unique structure and sheer scope, coupled with the signature Arkane gameplay that has been polished to within an inch of its life, feels like the work of a developer finally fully realizing a vision that began many years ago with the original Dishonoured. Despite the lacking AI, Deathloop is a modern-day classic that should not be overlooked by anyone, something that should hopefully now be made easier by having its audience extended to the Xbox.
No Place for Bravery is another stellar soulslike for genre fans to add to their library on the Switch. By taking the best elements from Sekiro and translating those into a fast-paced, isometric ARPG with deep world-building and compelling narrative hooks, No Place for Bravery does more than enough to provide a title that stands out amidst a sea of samey competition.
Sunday Gold is an intriguing mix of genres that really does a good job at capturing the intensity of a criminal crew going on a high-stakes heist. Sadly, its breakneck pace is often slowed down by too many puzzles that require tedious pixel-hunting to progress. Nonetheless, it’s well worth persevering for the stylishly presented story and exciting capers. If your cup of tea is cyberpunk cockneys havin’ a right laugh uncovering labyrinthine conspiracies and making a few bob in the process, then you’d best have it, my son.
Soulstice is a fantastic time and successfully emulates the glory days of the character-driven action genre, whilst also implementing some neat ideas of its own that make it stand out from the competition. Visually, it may not stack up to the best the genre has to offer, but when you are in the thick of the action, looking like a total badass thanks to the easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master combat system, you’ll be having so much fun that it becomes very easy to overlook Soulstice’s flaws.
Biomutant on the PS5 is a greatly enhanced experience that, whilst unable to fix some of the more fundamental issues baked into its core, is a much better-realized version of the developers’ vision. Running on significantly more powerful hardware than that on which it was originally released, Biomutant’s exploration and combat shine brighter than ever. If you were put off by the technical limitations that held Biomutant back, this version is very easy to recommend, and even easier to sink hours upon hours into.
Honestly, Curse Crackers: For Whom The Belle Toils really took me by surprise. Not only is it jam-packed with content, including an Arcade mode, but the base experience is a ton of fun, with just the right amount of challenge. If you enjoy retro-inspired games or just like platforming, this is the game for you.
Wayward Strand is less an active experience and more like sinking into a comfortable, worn couch. At first, you find the seat to be relaxing, but as time goes on you find yourself sunken into its cozy depths, all desire to move from your resting place evaporated. The floating hospital becomes its own character, just like the colorful cast that resides within; soon, your goal to see the game through becomes less important than learning all you can about the airborne convalescent home. If you’re looking for a game that places more importance on the journey instead of the destination, Wayward Strand welcomes you aboard.
Most players will finish Tinykin in only a matter of hours. It’s a small game that provides a bit of fun before you move on to something else. There are certainly elements of it taken from other games in the genre, but it brings them together in a way that is new and shows a great deal of imagination, and it really doesn’t do much wrong. So if you’re craving a 3D platformer that doesn’t just feel like all the other ones you’ve played before, you should absolutely check out Tinykin.
Anyone who enjoys the Yakuza series should check out Judgment. While it doesn’t stand apart from the main series as much as I might have liked, with its most significant weaknesses being the places it tried to go its own way, the core gameplay from its parent series is as good as ever, and it features perhaps the best story in the entire saga.
While I’d love to see the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio nail the detective side of things in a potential sequel, Lost Judgment is still a fantastic example of what its series can be. And with the addition of school stories, it does stand out from the Yakuza series more than its predecessor, even if not in the way I would have expected going in. With fantastic combat, great cities to explore, seemingly never-ending mini-games and side content, and a story that took my breath away, players should absolutely get lost in this one. While a few issues remain, Lost Judgment improves on its predecessor in almost every way and is a must-play for fans of the Yakuza series.