Andrew Thornton

“I really enjoyed playing TR-49, but it’s too wrapped up in its characters for me to totally forgive the fact that I came away from it not caring about any of them. Still, the formula at the center of this one is a winner, and if you’ve already played some of the genre’s very best, TR-49 is absolutely still worth a look.”

“Foolish Mortals does a good job of a lot of things, and once it gets going it offers a spooky good time for fans of adventure games. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel and I do wish its interface had a bit of an overhaul but fans of adventure titles will have an excellent time with it. This isn’t a game that’s going to win over anyone who doesn’t already love the genre though.”

“If you’re looking for a creepy mystery, you won’t do much better than The Séance of Blake Manor. It looks great, it sounds fantastic, and it offers a wonderful cast of characters who you’ll love investigating. From the first time I sat down with it until I figured out all the mysteries hiding in that hotel I couldn’t stop playing it. This is one of the very best games of 2025.”

“R-Type Delta is an incredible SHMUP that sits among the very best of its era, or any era for that matter. Its high level of difficulty and low level of adaptability may turn some players off, but genre fans who haven’t gotten a chance to play it absolutely need to check it out.”

“My complaints with Forestrike are ultimately quite minor, though. It’s an incredibly unique action game that requires a great deal of planning and foresight to see your way to the end. If you aren’t able to slow down and approach a game with patience than it won’t be for you but if you’re willing to meet it where it is you’ll find a compelling game which feels entirely singular.”

“I won’t go so far as to call The Namco Legendary Pack a must-purchase. The history captured here isn’t unique enough for that, especially when you consider only a handful of playable games have been added to the overall package. Still, what’s here is interesting, well presented, and offered at a reasonable price for the couple of hours of education and entertainment it can provide. If you’re a fan of Namco’s earliest works, it’s worth the price of admission.”

“Still, despite that, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage is the most complete version of a fantastic game that you’ll find on modern platforms and a must-purchase if you love the series and haven’t played it anywhere else recently. PS4 owners can even upgrade for a reduced price, which is probably worthwhile. It ultimately offers a pretty minor upgrade to the game’s recent packages, though.”

“The problem, ultimately, is that this is a collection of really lackluster titles. Even the best game here isn’t worth your time. It’s hard to recommend to anyone because they’re not even bad in an interesting way; they’re just poorly designed. If you are somehow the rare person who has spent the last 30 years holding a torch for this annoying bobcat, then this is the collection for you, but everyone else should stay away.”

“Still, Quartet features a fantastic story, interesting characters, and a fast and fun battle system. It is a journey that fans of the genre should absolutely check out. While it can be a bit linear at times, my only complaints are very minor in the context of everything it does right. Quartet may have influences from the past, but it feels like a modern RPG in the ways that matter.”

“Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC may not reinvent the game, but it provides a strong reason to return to one of last year’s best releases. After a few minutes of remembering the controls, I was extremely happy to have even more tombs to raid and enemies to conquer. If you liked the main game, you’re almost certain to have a good time with The Order of Giants.”

“For fans of the various properties here, Super Robot Wars Y is a no-brainer. Even as someone unfamiliar with a lot of these properties, it was still cool to see the few characters I did know show up and interact with each other. I can only imagine how cool that would be if I knew the rest of this crew. Still, after playing it, I’m curious to check out a few more of these series because so many of these characters are likable and grabbed my attention. Even beyond the characters, there’s a ton of quality strategy RPG goodness here for anyone who enjoys the genre. Super Robot Wars Y may not break any new ground there, but it’s well executed and will keep you busy for a very long time.”

“Whisper of the House, at its best, gives me a lot of the joy I found when playing Unpacking, and if you’re looking for more of that feeling, then you could certainly do a lot worse. There’s also an intriguing mystery here that gives you a reason to keep searching through Whisper Town even when you aren’t setting up a house. While there is fun to be had here, every time it gets away from simply unpacking places, the experience simply isn’t as cohesive.”

“Despite a bit more repetition of songs than I would have liked and the curious lack of a VR mode in a game that seems perfectly designed for it, Fresh Tracks is a blast to play with a killer soundtrack and incredibly well-designed mechanics. Any fan of rhythm games should absolutely check it out.”

“Ra Ra BOOM has some weaknesses. Its story doesn’t really connect, and the melee combat lacks the sort of flow that the best games in the genre manage. Still, its twist on genres, which combines various gameplay styles into one interesting experience, is largely successful and makes it worth a look for beat ‘em up fans.”

“Despite these concerns, I’ve had a lot of fun with Abyssus, and I imagine I’ll continue to do so. It’s not the most complicated game I’ve ever played, and it has some balance issues, but it just feels so good to blow enemies away and to chain abilities together that can cause massive havoc around you. I’ll just make sure that when I come back to Abyssus, I’m consistently doing it with a crew of friends who are all ready to cause even more of that mayhem with me.”

“I don’t begrudge a game the ability to make money. I want to see games succeed. Constantly being hit up to spend more and more just isn’t a good experience, though, at least for me. It feels predatory at times and makes me simply want to stop playing it. The game underneath all of those transactions is well-made, if very derivative of Persona 5, without hitting the highs of that title. Still, if they released a version paced like a regular RPG, I expect I’d want to see it all the way through. As is though, Persona 5: The Phantom X isn’t for me. Those who know what they’re getting into with gacha titles, I suspect, will have a good time, particularly if they love Persona, but it won’t change the mind of anyone who isn’t won over by the genre.”

“Front Mission 3 Remake at its best is held back by a weak story and characters, but the best gameplay in the original trilogy means there is absolutely fun to be had by players more focused on the strategic battles and mech customization. The core game mostly holds up after all these years. The awful aesthetic choices, though, make this the sort of remake that is hard to recommend because it’s a worse experience in many ways than the version that came out over a quarter century ago.”

“I’m not sure these games are quite up to carrying this package. Dragon Breed is still a fun game and worth playing, while Mr. Heli is an interesting time capsule that I’m glad I checked out, but neither of these is a lost classic that modern players desperately need to play. They range from fine to pretty good, but that’s only enough to recommend Irem Collection Volume 3 to big fans of the genre.”

“GEX Trilogy is ultimately a good collection of the main GEX games, but it’s not a very good game because none of the games it collects are very fun. Those with nostalgia for the character will surely find some enjoyment in revisiting his adventures after all these years, but anyone who didn’t enjoy the character twenty five years ago will be better served checking out the many better platformers available on modern platforms.”

“Despite some issues, it’s fantastic to see HITMAN World of Assassination available on the Switch 2. This release would simply not have been possible on the original Switch and is an excellent example of what its successor can offer. These are wonderful games and while this may not be the best version of them, their flaws are easily overlooked if this is the only way you have to play these games or if you really want to play them on a portable. That said, if the plan is to play mostly on your TV, I’d consider any of the other systems you can play these games on first.”