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The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie ties a neat ribbon on the much-prolonged and at times rough arcs of Zero/Azure and Cold Steel. It has plenty of issues of its own, including a relatively weak main plot, gradually declining soundtrack quality, and combat that reeks of excess by this point through feature creep. However, it uses everything the series has built up thus far to make for an experience that is dense with fun things to do. There’s a lot here I was hoping to see more of with the previous Cold Steel games, so better late than never on that front. Trails into Reverie is a hard sell if you aren’t already a fan of the series and haven’t played a good amount thus far (even the much more turbulent Cold Steel IV), which hurts it more than many games in the series. But it does quite well to make sure that the people who have kept up thus far feel sufficiently rewarded. It’s not the highest mark of this series by any stretch, but I found it to have still been probably the highest one Trails has had since Azure.
FOCUS on YOU is a short experience, but a very pleasant one. It’s very easy to recommend, especially to fans of titles like dating simulators and romance visual novels, except for one big point: it’s significantly overpriced for just over an hour of a very limited experience, even if just how niche this is justifies it to an extent. Still, Yua is adorable, and it’s a great showcase of what can be done with romance games in VR.
If Terminator 2D: No Fate’s prime objective was to release into the world a game worthy of the legendary Terminator 2: Judgement Day in the style of the games out at the time the film was popular, then the mission was an absolute success. Terminator 2D: No Fate joins Terminator Resistance as games worthy of the first two films in the franchise. While it’s lacking a little too much Arnie and may not have the runtime some would want, I couldn’t have been happier with the title. Despite having finished it at least half a dozen times now, I still find myself being sent back in time and trying to stop Skynet over and over again
LOVEPICAL-POPPY! doesn’t miss a beat with its comedy, and it’s a fun time whenever spending time with any of the heroines or the other members of the dorm. There are plenty of romantic moments as you get into the heroines’ routes, and the gameplay systems are used well to see their inner thoughts as they fall in love. The routes and heroines all feel distinct, and while I’d consider some better than others, each has something that I enjoyed about it.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a representation of where the franchise is in a way, stuck with one foot in the past and one in the present, without a clear direction of where it wants to go. It certainly has some great moments, is enjoyable overall, and is worthy of the franchise name, but several aspects of the game come off shallow. Waiting eight years since the initial announcement hasn't helped establish this title as the definitive next step for Samus either. While not a complete misstep, it isn’t the strongest action-adventure game or what I personally have come to expect from the same series that put out titles like Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime Remastered. It’s nice to have Samus back, but if there’s a follow-up, next time I’d like a little more Metroid in my Prime.
Kirby Air Riders is like a box full of charming toys. There’s a lot to poke your nose into and prod away at, but it’s not long before I realize there just isn’t much to its many offerings. While its sense of polish and variety is impressive, this has come at the devastating cost of focus. You get lots of ideas and gameplay quirks that are individually fun for a while, but seldom do they come together to form something especially satisfying or cohesive. In its attempts to have lots of things that might please everyone, it winds up not doing any one thing all that exceptionally. As a racing game, it’s mechanically shallow and tracks offer little in terms of skill or engagement, often focused on looking nice rather than providing the player with fun challenges that are interesting to revisit. City Trial fares somewhat better, but having only one map whose changes generally aren’t that impactful means it has to fall back on randomness to do anything interesting. Sure, there are things like Roadtrip or Top Ride that are kind of fun in their own right, but again, these are just a collection of distractions rather than anything substantive on their own. I suppose that’s fitting as the final form of an old GameCube that suffered from many of the same issues, but it’s a shame that time didn’t do this format as many favors as I was hoping. I think fans of the original game will like, if not love this, so in that sense I can’t call the game a failure despite my many misgivings with it. It wanted to be a bigger version of Kirby Air Ride, and for better and for worse, it wound up being precisely that.
A Maiden's Serenade explores Takumi's relationships with five very different heroines and grows together with them. It has plenty of amusing moments and a particularly fun friendship dynamic, but it also explores jealousy, family issues, and the difficulty of understanding each other. Some parts were a little lacking, but overall, it was a good read focused more on relationships than anything else.
In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive made something amazing. You can feel how much love and care went into every aspect of the game, and the result is an RPG that’s exciting to play and tells one of the most powerful stories in gaming, backed by incredible music and visuals. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a generational masterpiece and my new all-time favorite RPG.
Dirtbag Mahjong is a relatively casual little single-player Mahjong game with a fun little twist, starring an irreverent sitcom-esque basement full of largely sapphic/LGBTQ+ goofs. The story mode is hit and miss in its humor and gameplay, but I enjoyed enough of it for what it was. It’s a relatively casual little game best enjoyed at your own pace, where it can be decently fun.
The enormity of Octopath Traveler 0 is something that must be seen to be believed. Official developer comments about the game’s playtime being around 100 hours weren't made with exaggeration, and even with that, I never felt like so much as a minute of my time was wasted. The stories it tells are grand and sweeping, and all fit snugly into a greater work that feels sort of like a playable epic. Octopath’s core gameplay in exploration, combat, team-building and mid battle strategy have also evolved considerably. The eight-character system and high number of party members means that just about everyone is going to approach it differently, and that's before getting into the open world and exploratory elements, which have also been noticeably improved. What ties this all together is the high quality of its writing. It's probably my favorite video game narrative since Dragon Quest VII (which still sits as my favorite in general), combining lots of interesting themes and talking points with a flair for the theatrical. It's over the top in ways that feel deliberate and serve to heighten the emotions felt by the characters, who themselves are very compelling. While I would never say story is the sole reason you should play Octopath Traveler 0, it is the greatest factor in why all of its systems synergize so well. From top to bottom, I loved this game to pieces. It's to a point that, after a while, I began to ask “How in the world are they supposed to top this?”
Last Command is a master class in taking an idea to its creative limit. The game’s concept of “Snake meets bullet hell” is simple yet surprisingly novel, and it constantly demonstrates new ways to incorporate additional twists on its ideas. It has its share of limitations in narrative areas and an unfortunately weak translation, but it makes up for that with some brilliant, inventive combat and boss design, which is where you’ll be spending most of your playthrough. The game became one of my favorites of 2022 from the sheer number of times it managed to do something that impressed me and left me awestruck in spite of its seemingly humble exterior.
R-Type Delta: HD Boosted to me feels like a game laser-focused toward existing fans of the R-Type franchise who may have missed out on it when it first came out. While certainly enjoyable, it isn’t the title I would say would most appeal to newcomers; rather, the value comes from wanting the next challenge in an incredibly challenging series. With a slightly done-up lick of paint, a new soundtrack, and the chance to play this title on newer systems, R-Type Delta: HD Boosted is going to be one for the Shmup masochists to sink their teeth into and for fans of retro to gush over while repeatedly hitting the walls of the stages. It’s good to know going in that this game will kick your teeth in and that progress is going to take time; once you do, you’ll find yourself with a rewarding and infuriating retro shmup that finally has its chance to shine outside of its original PlayStation prison.
Galaxy Princess Zorana is a worthy successor to Long Live the Queen and a great game in its own right. The combination of stat management, tons of potential paths to explore, and secrets to find even after I was crowned kept me playing it for hours. Just be aware, the path to the throne is not a simple one, but through trial and error, you’ll soon hear those important words; All hail Zorana, Empress-Elect of the Celestial Empire.
Purely off the charm of its setting, commitment to its motif, and a relatively fun combat system at its core, I can almost recommend Kingdoms of the Dump. Unfortunately, it just feels incredibly unpolished and undercooked. It’s littered (no pun intended) with incomplete sections, massive swaths of graphical issues, major design problems, and many bugs of the bad variety. The farther in I got, the less polished the game felt, such that by the final act I began to doubt if even the non-buggy parts were properly playtested. The story and characters also just don’t elevate the game past these issues. I had a share of fun despite navigating around these issues. There are plenty of cool ideas here. This game is an obvious love letter to the great JRPGs of old. Sadly, the handwriting of that love letter is very messy in a few too many places.
Whether you're new to Zelda, new to Warriors, or a veteran of both, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a joy to play. With surprisingly deep combat for a Warriors game and an incredible amount to unlock, it'll keep you playing for hours on end.
Home Sweet Homecoming (E School Life) is a romance visual novel that leads you through the experience of high school love. It lets you peek into common troubles that everyone experiences such as anxiously confessing your feelings, sharing various kinds of firsts, and planning an ideal future with your partner. The way it frames its characters' interactions is personal and intimate, making it quite an endearing title for those who might wish to try and relive that specific part of their youth. On the other hand, it is almost a blank slate when it comes to creating a moving and entertaining story. Most of the scenarios depicted in the visual novel are mundane in nature, and hence, are relatively tame in both stakes and possible opportunities for conflicts. While there are glimpses of inner character motivations rooted in their personalities and circumstances, the narrative does the bare minimum to acknowledge this, and as such, keeps them relatively inconsequential for their individual character arcs. This also means that Ryoutarou as a protagonist falls largely flat, having been deprived of big opportunities for character growth or change. Ironically, this makes him an ideal protagonist for self-insert stories, as his presence is largely negligible due to a lack of unique, impressionable traits. Hence, if you’re seeking deeper, meaningful connections and conversations between characters in a story, then this title is not for you. Given the amount of time it takes to finish its story, you’d be better off picking another title from your never-ending backlog. Should you be craving a small reminder of what was or what could have been, feel free to pick up Home Sweet Homecoming as your next title to read! It’s a light and enjoyable way to spend time without becoming overly invested, as it’s mostly a feel-good story with lots of cliches that help depict the excitement of young love. Don’t work that brain too much though, you might find yourself disappointed once you start seeking out the specifics of their loving relationships.
As a collection of iconic titles through the early years of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a great package. It has some curious omissions such as Mortal Kombat Gold or Digital Eclipse’s own Gameboy Color port of Mortal Kombat 4, but all in all, there is enough here for any fan or curious fighter to get stuck into and find their new or old favorite death match. As an online competitive fighter, it’s an unacceptable release. The lack of basic features such as lobbies and crossplay really hampers what could have been the definitive way to play these titles. As it stands, it may be the only way to play most of these online with other people, but it’s a far cry from what fans of the franchise wanted. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection as a Kollection is great, well worth the asking price and time for any fans of the legendary tournament. With patches in the horizon, I can only hope this game ends up a true champion, but if you don’t have much of an interest in the history or preservation of the series, it comes off as a chump.
Lumines Arise offers one of the most joyous experiences I’ve had yet in a video game, one I will keep coming back to for years to come. It’s a meticulously crafted effort of love, love which shines through every part of the experience. It takes a winning formula and touches on it enough to bring it more life than Lumines has maybe ever had. It’s not just one of the best puzzle games I’ve ever played; it’s one of the best and most triumphant releases of 2025 all around. Seldom does a game just melt away the time and the bad vibes quite like this one. Please, play this game.
As a free to play game, Sonic Rumble is fine. It provides a Fall Guys-esque battle royale platforming experience with just enough Sonic flavor to distinguish itself adequately as its own thing, though not enough to quite capture the distilled essence of the blue blur. The developers have also been working on implementing new ideas and improving the experience, which is welcome for a live service game. Unfortunately, almost every positive with this game has some sort of caveat, which makes me question its long-term prospects. Ring Survival is a bit lacking in variety at present and doesn’t feel very winnable if you don’t place really well in its first stage. Its monetization can feel almost predatory especially with purchasable upgrades that provide tangible advantages in stages, and the restriction on game modes availability is disappointing. I don’t regret my time playing Sonic Rumble and had a share of fun, but I also don’t see myself coming back to this game years down the line. I don’t love drawing comparisons to competitors on the market, but it’s hard to find a reason to keep playing Sonic Rumble over its generally superior competition.
Double Dragon Revive will not be the return to form that it should have been for some. Others may look beyond the iffy art direction and new-yet-dated graphics and find a very competent and, dare I say, fun brawler with a healthy dose of combat. You’ll find me in the camp of the latter. It’s always welcome to see the Lee Brothers, and while it’s not quite as addictive or fun as Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons, it offers plenty for fans of the genre and the franchise. It’s one I’ll return to time and time again, and I would love to see a sequel to see how the developers would tackle a remake of Double Dragon II in this style.