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Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is probably still the best place to start if you are new to Yakuza but previous players won’t be missing much. The new story scenes and Red Light mode aren’t worth it in my opinion to pay full price again for this if you played Yakuza 0 before. If you are new though I can’t recommend it enough and the new English voices are a nice addition.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is the best version of the game you can play, that is undeniable. This version cleans up all the performance issues that were present on the Nintendo Switch while also giving a nice resolution boost with HDR. The Zelda Notes feature is kind of useless to me but others may find it helpful.
When I think over my few hours spent with Sunshine Manor, I can’t think of a lot I didn’t like about it. It has a great retro presentation that makes good use of creepy imagery, the sound design is well done, and solving the puzzles never was frustrating. Some may wish it was longer or more challenging but if you just want a spooky adventure to last you a night this is one worth going on.
Gastro Force wears its DOOM inspirations on its sleeve but it doesn’t do anything to elevate itself to being as memorable. It plays well and looks good but doesn’t have enough variety in the visuals, enemies, music, or weapons to really stand out.
Days of Doom has an appealing comic book presentation and some nice ideas but it doesn’t do enough to standout from other tactical roguelites.
Smurfs Kart is a family-friendly kart racer that makes good use of the Smurfs license but runs out of gas a bit too fast. The controls are easy for anyone to pick up, the tracks have some nice layouts, and the characters feel different enough but there just isn’t enough here for modes to make this a must-play for kart racing fans.
Sephonie is an interesting puzzle-platformer but one that didn’t leave a lasting impression on myself. The sci-fi story didn’t do much for me, the platforming and puzzles needed more work to make them more enjoyable, and the visuals aren’t very detailed. There is plenty of options to make it so anyone can get through it but I think there are many better options in the genre out there to spend your time on.
Moving Out 2 provides more variety and adds some new features to improve on what the first game did so well. There is some fun level design across the different dimensions, the writing is funny once again, and there is plenty of ways to play with friends locally or online regardless of their skill level.
Sword and Fairy Inn 2 is a relaxing management game but one that didn’t make the transition from mouse and keyboard to console very well. Navigating menus with the controls here is annoying and while building up your inn is fun for a while, the repetition of tasks starts to set in later on.
Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a platformer straight out of the PlayStation 2 era and whether that is a good or bad thing is up to you to decide. While the gameplay and visuals are pretty basic, I enjoyed running and jumping through these levels for the few hours that they lasted.
Ray’z Arcade Chronology is a great collection of vertical shoot ‘em ups but one that could’ve been even better. The games here have great emulation quality and will provide plenty of hours of shoot ‘em up fun for any fan of the genre. It’s just that it could’ve been even better if all the titles were included in the digital version and if there was more extra content like Museum type stuff.
Enclave HD provides quite a bit to do across its two campaigns but as an HD re-release it sadly disappoints. The visuals didn’t get enough of a touchup and the gameplay and mission design very much show their age.
Boo Party is a fun, casual adventure game but one that has some issues and shouldn’t be played by younger players. The game doesn’t provide guidance in the form of a map or quest indicators and this could turn some players away. I didn’t mind those things too much and quite enjoyed the visuals, music, and funny writing.
Under the Warehouse presents a strange and eerie setting but is a bit boring on the gameplay side of things. I liked the PS1 era visuals but doing a lot of the same fetch quests over and over left me a bit disappointed in it.
Pretty Girls 2048 Strike is another solid entry in the Pretty Girls lineup and one that requires a bit more thought than other entries. It’s easy to play and having to think to move the number blocks around properly and combine them to attack the opponent is enjoyable.
Layers of Fear (2023) is the definitive way to experience this series. The new narrative content helps tie together these previously released titles more effectively, the Unreal Engine 5 visual overhaul is very impressive, and the sound design is top notch.
Pixel Ripped 1978 is another great entry in the franchise and brings a lot of Atari love to the show. The story and characters were enjoyable, the game is full of fun retro easter eggs, and jumping between the two worlds was unique and fun.
Reverie: Sweet As Edition may not be very original but its charming world and cute presentation is worth experiencing if you are a fan of the classic Legend of Zelda games it was inspired by. It won’t last you very long but I’m pretty sure by the end of it you’ll be happy you played it.
Ayre and the Crystal Comet intrigued me with the idea of being able to fly through an open world on a dragon but that world just doesn’t have much to see or do in it. The game feels good to play but it just needed more gameplay content to actually engage with to make it interesting.
Color Pals has a nice colorful art style and solid platformng but doesn’t do much to stand out in a crowded genre. It can provide you with an hour or two of challenging platforming action but it doesn’t have much variety and won’t last you beyond that time.