The Last Case of Benedict Fox

The Last Case of Benedict Fox

The Last Case of Benedict Fox is an aesthetically pleasing Metroidvania that expertly nails its setting and tone. While the quality of its combat and puzzles will vary from player to player, the game suffers from plenty of inconsistent mechanics and a few technical issues.

Cassette Beasts

Cassette Beasts

Cassette Beasts is an innovative take on the classic Pokemon formula. Trapped on a mysterious new world, you’ll use a cassette player to record the forms of strange monsters around you as you attempt to find a way home. Oh, and you won’t be capturing these monsters, you’ll become them.

Gun Jam

Gun Jam

Gun Jam is a rhythm-focused shooter that is visually pleasing, kitted out with an energetic soundtrack that absolutely rules, but its lack of impact with its weaponry and limits on levels and characters greatly hold this title back, making its offerings feel surprisingly shallow.

Resident Evil 4: Remake

Resident Evil 4: Remake

Resident Evil 4 Remake is, without question, the definitive remake. From improving its story and characters across the board, all wrapped up in gorgeous visuals thanks to the RE Engine, RE4R is a damn impressive game that simply needs to be played.

Hunt the Night

Hunt the Night

Hunt the Night is a retro-style action-adventure game that combines The Legend of Zelda with Bloodborne. Its brutal difficulty may deter most players, but a solid story and ferocious combat reward those who stick around.

Batora: Lost Haven

Batora: Lost Haven

Batora: Lost Haven is the very definition of a mixed bag. While its combat and art design perform a lot of the heavy lifting, its story ends up feeling emotionally weightless due to the game’s fast pace not letting those choices have the time to feel impactful.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem’s current state is unfortunate, as the game is littered with bugs and a pretty unwieldy controller layout. Regardless, if you can weather the rough edges, there is a truly fantastic action RPG to really lose yourself in.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Team Ninja has a well-known history of delivering stunning action spectacles and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is no different. By taking advantage of a deflecting system, you’ll save ancient china from an evil that threatens the land. As you make bonds with a huge cast of characters, you’ll also gain powerful monsters as summons, changing the tide of battle in your favor.

Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

Trails to Azure is a crucial component to the Legend of Heroes series, a game that shows the shift of power of Crossbell and its surrounding nations. As the SSS look to explore the deeper issues at the heart of the nation, Lloyd and his teammates will have to rely on each other even more if they attempt to make it out alive.

Wanted: Dead

Wanted: Dead

Wanted: Dead is a beautiful mess. Its story and voice acting are atrocious, and its checking pointing system will infuriate you, However, despite those issues, and more that continue to pile on, Wanted: Dead is a complete banger of an early 2000s action title, for better and worse.

Scars Above

Scars Above

Scars Above sees you take on the role of scientist, Kate Ward as she and her crew are transported to a strange alien world, one riddled with a mystery that could devastate the universe as we know it. With a versatile rifle that can freeze, electrocute, or burn enemies, Kate will need to rely on her skills if she is to survive.

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Like a Dragon: Ishin! follows the tale of Sakamoto Ryoma, one of the most prolific figures in Japanese history. While draped in the visual identities of past Yakuza characters, you’ll slash away at enemies in a breathtaking and emotional story, all while singing karaoke, planting crops, and wrestling naked in a bathhouse.

Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts has a mobility and pacing to it that really stands out. While its moment-to-moment design is heavily influenced by Monster Hunter, its Karakuri mechanic, of weaving wooden constructs out of the air, is a refreshing and fantastic addition to a formula that is extremely fine-tuned by this point.

Fire Emblem Engage

Fire Emblem Engage

Fire Emblem Engage plays well within its toolbox of combat, offering superb level design, improved visuals, and a mechanic built upon past Fire Emblem characters. While Engage is a blast to play, its story, characters, and dialogue all disappoint.

Dead Space

Dead Space

From the improved story to making Isaac a stronger presence in the game, to the Intensity Director always keeping me on my toes, the Dead Space remake is a masterclass of how to reenvision a beloved classic and has become the new benchmark on how it should be done. 

Hi-Fi Rush

Hi-Fi Rush

Hi-Fi Rush is an energetic fusion of games like Devil May Cry and Sunset Overdrive that have you attacking on the beat. As Chai, you’ll team up with a fantastic group of characters as you attempt to stop an evil corporation from taking over the world. Hi-Fi Rush is bombastic, engaging, and an absolutely wild ride.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake

In almost every aspect, The Cosmic Shake is a far better effort here than that of Rehydrated, illustrating that Purple Lamp Studios took the feedback of their remastering effort and made a whole new adventure for its titular character that feels like a brand new entry in a long-running series.

NeverAwake

NeverAwake

NeverAwake has you dodging enemy fire, dashing through lasers, and combatting monstrous foes all in the dreaming hellscape of a young girl in a deep sleep, haunted by her memories. As Rem, you’ll unlock those memories and attempt to wake her up.

Blacktail

Blacktail

Blacktail beautifully tells the tale of Yaga, a young girl on the hunt for her lost sister, Zora. Armed with her handcrafted bow, a magical spell, and blamed for the missing children in her village, Yaga sets out to not only find her sister but to clear her name as well.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion aims to revamp its dated original through a modern lens, bringing all-new visuals, mechanics, and tweaks to freshen up the 15-year-old original. However, regardless of the wealth of enhancements provided here to considerably modernize the title, Crisis Core clings to its portable limitations just a bit too much.