Eric Hauter

“A gorgeous remake of a classic JRPG that many players missed out on, this version of Dragon Quest VII swings hard towards accessibility (and might actually overshoot the mark a little bit). Visually gorgeous, with a fun episodic structure, this is a great way for fans to revisit this story or encounter it for the first time. My only caveat is a warning to be very careful with the "Quality of Life" settings, which make it entirely too easy to break the game, removing all of the challenge (and therefore all of the fun).”

“A great crossover between Demeo's polished and approachable gameplay mechanics, and D&D's world building, characters, and storytelling. Battlemarked is a blast in multiplayer, and doubles as an engaging single-player tactics game. It's perfectly acceptable to play Battlemarked flat, but real ones know that VR is where the magic comes alive. A few quibbles with the advancement system are not enough to rub the sheen off of this inspired iteration on Demeo's stellar core mechanics.”

“Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment successfully marries the button mashing combat of the Warriors formula with the visuals and sounds of Tears of the Kingdom. While the repetitive mission structure can get a little tiring (plan on taking breaks) and the game doesn't push any boundaries, the satisfying combat, impressive technical performance, and faithful recreation of Tears of the Kingdom's world make this an easy recommendation for Zelda fans that miss the sights and sounds of Hyrule.”

“Dispatch is possibly the greatest narrative game ever made, if only they could smooth out the actual dispatching. I absolutely love this world, this story, and these characters. I just don't like the parts where I am scripted to fail, and I further don't like that those parts ultimately don't matter. Whatever, ignore my whining. This is a great game.”

“There are very few games on the market that I would grant the title "King's Field-like". Verho - Curse of Faces stands as the best of them. This game could not nail the PS1 ASCII Entertainment vibes any harder if FromSoftware made it themselves. Newcomers will want to try the demo first, but King's Field fans should not hesitate to take the full plunge. You will not be disappointed.”

“Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a fantastic introduction to the series for newcomers, and a no-brainer for series veterans. This is one of the best and most reliably fun JRPG franchises on the market today, packing a fantastic narrative, a beautiful world, a rewarding battle system, and memorable characters together in one deep and sprawling package. You can't miss with this one.”

“Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile will likely intrigue fans of mystery adventure games, but others will likely find the game's somewhat obtuse puzzle structure frustrating. The 70s setting is fun, and the characters are well done, but overall the game feels a bit too mechanically dated to draw in new fans. If you know you like this sort of thing, check it out. But the merely curious might want to keep on sailing.”

“While not redefining the genre, the new Kirby is an insanely clever take on platforming that delivers a ton of laughs with its stellar co-op. The Star-Crossed World material adds a fair amount of value for veterans and makes an already sizable game even bigger for newcomers. This is a fantastic game to play through with a kid or a buddy, with challenges and secrets piled into its densely packed levels. Another winner for the Switch 2.”

“A rich, character-driven choose-your-own-adventure story and a deep, rewarding job system make The Nameless: Slay Dragon a must-play for fans of classic RPGs and visual novels alike. It may be slightly rough around the edges, but its many strengths easily outweigh its few flaws.”

“Ruffy and the Riverside is both an homage to classic platform games and an entirely new take on the genre. Its fantastic texture swapping mechanic lends itself to a stunning variety of environmental puzzles, many of which offer a high level of head-scratching satisfaction. Ruffy and the Riverside has sleeper hit written all over it.”

“There is a lot of jank to CarX Street, yet the game is miraculously still pretty lovable. Don't go into it expecting it to make much sense, and you'll likely have a good time. With design that is bordering on anti-player, the game forces you to pay to refill your gas tank while constantly ramming you off the road with cross-traffic. But somehow, someway, it's still pretty fun.”

“Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma confidently advances the life sim genre while still keeping one foot comfortably in the past. With streamlined farming and town management mechanics, deeper yet-still-accessible combat, and the usual great writing and character work, Guardians delivers a consistent good time for new and old players alike. This beautifully animated game is a great way to break in that Switch 2.”

“Palia offers a pleasant world to explore and a bunch of fun activities to keep you busy. But the purposely languid pacing and the lack of group features have me wondering if this would be better as a more streamlined single-player game. I must give credit where it is due for producing something new and different in the MMO space, with decidedly non-gross monetization. Though it might not be directly for me, many players will fall in love with Palia's friction-free gameplay and friendly characters.”

“The absence of multiplayer is a slight drawback, and the cosmetic ticket system could use some loosening, but all of that detracts very little from the sheer joy of this package. The new basement setting is fun, stylish, and packed with potential. This is the best these tables have ever looked (and played), and the feeling that you are really playing them is undeniable.”

“A beautifully rendered but ultimately familiar adventure game, Karma: The Dark World is neither scary nor thrilling. Meticulously build and gorgeous to look at, the gameplay is nonetheless a slow roll through a pre-rendered Kafka-inspired story, with little in the way of interaction beyond some environmental puzzle solving. I can appreciate the artistry at work here, if not the final product.”

“The vibes are right, the story is good, the graphic are fun, the sound effects are amazing, and the Xenomorphs are legit frightening. But all of that is almost undone by an antiquated save system, which combines with bugs to strand the player in frustrating gameplay loops. As a franchise fan, I would still play this game. But Xenomorphs aren't the only bugs you're going to be fighting.”

“Void Crew is a game that thrives on chaos and camaraderie, delivering an intense co-op experience that rewards communication, quick thinking, and teamwork. When played with a full, committed crew, it's one of the most thrilling multiplayer games I've played. But for those who lack a dedicated team-or the patience to wrangle strangers in online lobbies-the game's steep difficulty may prove more frustrating than fun.”

“Wall Town Wonders is a visual delight, an charming burst of creativity that will awaken the inner child in any player. But the amazing experience of having a community of tiny humans taking up residence in the walls of your home is marred by the fact that interacting with the titular town can be a struggle. Technical issues mute the magic somewhat, but cannot stifle the fact that this game is indeed a wonder.”

“At times, Arkham Shadow is the coolest VR game ever made. But a bevy of game-stopping bugs and some of the sharpest difficulty spikes I've ever encountered keep this bat from immediately soaring. An incredible - and incredibly gorgeous - VR translation of core Arkham mechanics, but still too rough around the edges for such a prestige franchise. Give it a couple of weeks and it will be a nigh-perfect experience, but it's a shame it's releasing in this condition.”

“Not a remake, not an action RPG, but definitely a very refined MMO experienced tailored to be inclusive to solo and console players, New World has received a major shot of accessibility with the release of Aeternum. With a welcoming community, a refined story, and some very fun crafting mechanics, there is a lot of material here to dig into and enjoy. If you are looking for a new title to sink 1000 hours into, you could do far worse than this one.”