Chained Echoes is an incredibly uneven RPG heavily inspired by the likes of Chrono Trigger and Xenogears. With bad writing, poorly thought out mechanics, and an overly complex… everything it can be hard to get through. Even so, there is a little fun to be found here, mostly near the beginning.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky concludes the story and character arcs which began in the first chapter in an incredibly satisfying way. While it reuses a bit too much to my liking, the combat is much more engaging, with mechanics being polished and enemies being tougher. It can be a bit too tough in some regards, with ranged characters being almost useless, but it reaches higher highs than the first chapter overall while feeling like a more uneven experience.
High on Life is a decent enough game that doesn't quite live up to its potential. The combat feels unfocused and lacks depth, while the story and humor only hit their stride in the final moments. Still, it's worth a playthrough if you enjoy the more aggressive side of shooters with some light platforming.
Dragon Quest Treasures is a bland adventure that sucks out everything that makes the franchise charming. There's quite a lot to do in the game, but none of it is fun or feels good. Playing this game feels more like checking things off your to-do list: the act of crossing things off may offer a hint of satisfaction, but you don't actually like doing the tasks on it.
Unavowed is easily one of the best adventure games ever made. The story and characters are fantastic, the visuals immaculate, and the puzzles unique and inventive. Wadjeteye games are always good, but they've set the bar pretty high with this adventure.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet try to take the franchise in a new direction, but can feel empty and hollow as a result. The open world has bright spots, especially multiplayer, however a lack of care in its design leads to a game that's haphazard and lifeless.
Espire 2 can be a fantastic stealth game, with interesting levels, unique mechanics, and great music, but getting there requires suffering through myriad performance issues.
Two Point Campus: Space Academy is more of what you love the game with a sci-fi twist. The three new maps and six courses each present something new and unique with something to enjoy for players of all skill levels. While it's not ideal for newcomers, this excellent management sim just keeps getting better.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival has a massive song list with multiple modes and addicting yet simple gameplay. The DLC and subscription service adds an incredible amount to that list, but does make me worry for the future of the game. Even so, this is a great choice if you want to jam out alone or with friends.
While The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me contains some incredibly effective horror, it has the rug pulled from under it by a flubbed finale and some immoral choices the game considers "correct."
The Entropy Centre is a mind bending puzzle game that's constantly introducing new ideas to feel fresh. Rewinding objects never gets old, and will change how you think for hours after you put the controller down. Add on top some hilarious writing, charming characters, and an intriguing mystery and you've got an instant classic.
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate Episode 1 has a lot of rough edges, but is still an engrossing murder mystery with some unique VR elements. The seven hour adventure can be tough to get through thanks to some UX and technical shortcomings, but it's more than worth it for the exciting finale.
Frontiers boldly plants one foot into the future with its "open zone" structure while keeping the other stuck in the past with mechanics and level ideas that are over a decade old. This approach results in a satisfying game even if it does not push the series into as many new frontiers as it could. It still hits many of the right notes that long-time fans will appreciate and works especially hard to satisfy those who have felt like the past few Sonic games have been missing some personality.
Bayonetta 3 has a lot of issues, especially in terms of story, but is well worth playing for the core combat. While the game seems to be doing its best to get you away from that, once you're fighting, there's nothing like it out there.
It Takes Two is a fantastic co-op game, and feels right at home on Switch. Sadly the visuals take a big hit, but in return you get a few more options on how to play. It still remains difficult to get a co-op partner for the full game let alone enough controllers, however if you can manage you're in for a great time.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure isn't at its best on PC, with consistent stuttering and not many graphical options, but it's still a fun experience you can play with just about anyone.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a bold and exciting new direction for the series with incredibly fun combat, great characters, and a gripping story. It stumbles more often than it should, but this grand return was more than worth the wait.
New Tales from the Borderlands is confusing, messy, and accomplishes nothing over the course of 10 hours. The game meanders from incident to incident hoping you'll laugh at a constant barrage of bad jokes, and lacks any heart.
BONELAB is an incredibly interesting piece of tech with a terrible shooter holding it back. The physics barely work, the mechanics are cumbersome, and the puzzles are unintuitive and frustrating. There are a few moments where the combat can shine, but that's not enough to make the game worth it.
Resident Evil 4 is a fantastic game no matter what you play it on, but the jump to VR has a few issues. The controls feel good in a vacuum, but certain options will make the game exponentially harder. If you're someone who doesn't get sick in VR, this is one of the best titles on the platform. If you do get sick, however, stick with the 2D versions.