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If Sonic Frontiers was an experiment to create a new foundation for the franchise, as the Boost formula was for the last 14 years, there is a lot to polish, to study similar games in the genre, and the message of “bigger is not always better” is the one that remains. While several conventions of the last games were discarded in favor of a new experience, there are not enough changes to provide something completely new either, and this baggage is one of the most notable problems. The lack of polish throughout doesn't help either. However, it is refreshing to see the franchise take a new direction, even without complete commitment, and who knows, maybe between two or more attempts along these lines, we won't have to be so methodical when recommending a 3D game of the blue hedgehog.

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DORAEMON STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of the Great Kingdom is an extremely cozy experience. It's easy to become immersed in its world and attached to the characters, them being from the classic series or new to the game, and it's always a pleasure to see your farm evolving, even getting giant vegetables or putting your favorite animals in competitions on event days. The partnership between the two IPs here is very well executed, with the gameplay of Story of Seasons being a great way to tell the type of emotional story in here, which brings different reflections and teachings that Doraemon usually proposes. The only issue is the constant interruption of your activities for a new conversation that we are not always in the mood to listen to.

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Anyway, RWBY: Arrowfell is a game that exists. It's not objectively bad—sure, there are many things much worse—but it's definitely not a game I'll even consider playing again. But the cartoon is cool, so go check it out, but be careful with the fandom's opinions; don't let them influence your understanding of the series. First you need to form your own opinion.

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It's a good port, nothing substantial to complain about. It's a shame that I don't feel like it's a franchise that lives up to the explosive reception it had. They're simple and cool games, but the second one certainly leaves a lot to be desired. It didn't need to exist, it didn't add anything and its layer of fetishism in neuro-atypicalities certainly didn't complement the responsible and frightening discussion that the original brought.

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SIGNALIS is a tragic melody, like the one played by Orpheus' lyre. From the beginning, we sail with the certainty of doom, but we never stop sailing. There are no villains or evil to be avoided, but rather a world being consumed by itself, in an ungrateful, empty contempt. Still, the game is capable of teaching hope. When we reach the credits for the first time, we understand that we have not truly reached the end, and then, the player can find strength in the recovered memory, when understanding the truth behind the game's mission. From then on, our choices can lead us to three different endings that dialogue directly with the way the player interacted with the game, giving it a spiritual conclusion.

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Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits is a curious mix of gacha arcade and fishing. Unfortunately, the game fails to offer a detailed learning to new players and the complexity of its mechanics may be frustrating without bringing enough reward for learning the proper way to play. Even so, the good gameplay mode variety and its apparently genuine obsession with the fishing context and aquatic creatures may be enough to make the game something very pleasant for some players.

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Bayonetta 3 isn't a bad game, but it's not even close to PlatinumGames' best creation. With issues of scale and tone, it's hard to recommend the title to those who are passionate about Cereza's dynamics with the other characters in the series, but it could be a good gateway for new fans of the genre, at least.

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Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a special game, made with care and attention. Going from a concept as questioned as it was in the 2017 Kingdom Battle reveal to one of the best Mario games today with so much dedication from the developers is certainly admirable, and the result could only be pure satisfaction. This is one of those occasions where the sequel is near-perfect, taking everything its predecessors did and improving upon it, removing what didn't work.

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Yomawari: Lost in the Dark is one of the most unique horror games in the market, it has a great and disturbing artstyle, with chibi characters, disturbing creature designs, an excellent sound design that adds a lot to its immersion, and a very enjoyable mystery to discover. It is also pretty interesting how it creates more of a non-linear experience with you being able to progress in almost any order you would prefer, just be careful not to get frustrated as this is not a game with a lot of action, and it can take a while for things to happen until you find the items and paths necessary to progress.

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Despite an exotic combination that stands out, unfortunately Paradigm Paradox is a very superficial otome game. With very short routes and a story that seems rushed, it doesn't manage to develop the characters' relationships in a satisfactory manner and its ambientation ends up sounding as a badly designed excuse. Though there are some interesting moments due to the boys' nuances, it's hard to justify getting the title when all other Aksys otome games so far are more compelling.

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Nier: Automata is one of the most iconic games of recent years for a reason. Its technical execution is brilliant, but it is the way the narrative is told that keeps us hooked in that universe. It is impossible not to feel the anguish, fears and questions that such beloved characters feel. We may even reach the end of the experience, but all of its themes end up taking root in us, and it is difficult not to feel emotional in the final sequences. Not that feeling emotional at these times is silly, after all: “being alive is basically a constant stream of embarrassments”.

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The package as a whole becomes a strange option: why would you buy the double pack when Chaos;Child is available on its own and Head isn't even close to acceptable? What's the point of playing Chaos;Child now if the best Chaos;Head experience will soon be available on PC? What's the point of owning Chaos;Head if it probably can't be fixed on Switch, except through illegal features? And even if the translation is fixed, by some miracle (considering that it's not Spike Chunsoft's practice to do so), you'll still have to play the censored version, while on PC you'll be playing the full version, likely fixed by fans.

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With so many control, training and customization options, it's an almost perfect package, with the only shortcomings being the distribution of music genres and the decision to not include at least the tracks already present in the previous game on the Nintendo Switch. But if we could recommend just one game in the series for the console, this is a good place to start!

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A story of unfathomable determination on a suicide mission. A cry for artistic freedom amidst market dependency. An elaborate puzzle with intricate solutions. A complex and intense action game. An atmospheric and thoughtful work. A very well-planned progression system. Ambition and polish in harmony. An arcade game in the greatest classic style. An original work. Innovative ideas and perfect execution. Many of these phrases can be said and related to many games, but few can honor them all at the same time; and this difficult task is accomplished with frightening ease by this timeless classic.

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero is one of the biggest JRPG releases of 2022. The fact that we're finally getting the game in the West after 10 years is impressive, but it also brings some problems, especially since it's part of a series that is extremely well-known for its narrative.

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After a few weeks "processing" what happened at the ending, I appreciate the boldness of having a more poetic and symbolic narrative rather than a personified story tied to exaggerated characters. In my opinion, the ending reflects the symbolic poetry behind every detail of the title, from the insertion of references to the choice of sound compositions and the secondary mission system. The final credits made me suffer, awakening a painful but gentle cry for the comfort of understanding the value of the natural cycle instead of the self-destruction caused by the anguish of death.

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Although I see a great limitation and superficiality in the narrative design, find significant problems in the gameplay, and find this game visually too simple, the final balance of this work is still slightly positive to me due to the inventiveness of its battle system and the charisma of its art. I believe that some design choices are more understandable for the mobile platform, although still criticizable, but they stand out even more now on a platform dedicated exclusively to games. In any case, the title is recommended for fans of casual JRPGs, especially those who are not very demanding in terms of text, and enjoy light elements of social interaction.

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In short, the title brings together elements that will greatly please fans of analog games, who would like to experience the experience of a game narrated by a virtual dungeon master, while at the same time it may disappoint those seeking a more complex experience. In any case, the title presents itself as good fun and a good way to relax between more intense games.

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Amnesia: Later x Crowd brings a pack with two visual novels that never released before in the West, and it manages to actually do a better job when developing the characters and their relationships. However, a good part of the content is mediocre and, as usual for fandiscs, its value highly depends on the player already having established a relationship with the characters. For those who have already been charmed by the original, this is an enjoyable ride that will be worth diving in; but for anyone else, it's hard to justify the interest in this pack.

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Overall, despite an interesting mystery concept and the routes' variations, Amnesia: Memories is one of the otome games I liked the least ever since I started playing titles in the genre back in 2012. The absence of quality of life elements, the little development of the characters and the various small issues make the experience a very average visual novel that isn't worth a highlight when compared to so many works with much better quality on the console, like Cupid Parasite, Variable Barricade, Code:Realize, Collar x Malice, etc.

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