J.R. Waugh

“Tevi has a great layout of biomes and a deep customization system that quickly allows you to customize and prioritize playstyles. Its boss fights are compelling, varied, and quick-paced with great gimmicks, and while its story and worldbuilding are forgettable, its character interactions help outweigh the faults. With an amusing love for waffles, a sharp wit, and a curious mind, Tevi has the makings of a truly memorable game protagonist fans will want to keep around.”

“Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a product of its time as both a hardcore-adjacent PS1-era JRPG and as a host to several problematic romance mechanics. Its plot is exciting yet generic and is wildly insistent about how certain characters should end up together. But beyond that, you'll find a brilliant and modular character stat-building system, glorious battles, some fabulous character portrait art, and a wonderful 32-bit-inspired world for you to explore.”

“Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is full of style and runs perfectly stable as is typical of roguelite games. However, unlike the greatest games from this increasingly popular genre, it lacks enough of a hook to have players wanting to experiment with its mechanics. While the story can be entertaining, it's nothing too special.”

“In many ways, Cities Skylines 2 is addictive, but the word 'addictive' should be taken subjectively. The game has good addictive potential, like the runner's high after intense exercise or a delicious cup of coffee. But it also has bad addictive potential, like a narcotic, as you grind through the performance issues because you know it'll get good again soon, and you know your rig can totally handle it, as you promise to your friends.”

“The terror and isolation you feel here is a devious construct you must outsmart to escape to the surface and makes this feel like a true horror game in the best of ways.”

“Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp isn't a perfect title on its own merits, but it's addictive, stylish, and fun. The wonderful characters make up for an uninteresting and predictable plot. It'd be great to see more Advance Wars and other Wars titles make their way over to the system, but adding matchmaking for online play would be a must.”

“Persona 4 Golden is an essential experience not only for JRPG fans, but people who appreciate a strong narrative with an endearing supporting cast of characters, along with a tight battle system that feels as modern as its iconic sequel. The poignancy of your interactions with the characters will resonate on a deep level with you, and will more than likely warm or break your heart on more than one occasion. It's exciting that modern players get to enjoy this, and if you're a Game Pass subscriber, this is a must-play.”

“Sonic Origins is an essential collection not only for any franchise fan with current or last-gen gaming hardware but also for anybody who appreciates tight gameplay with a banger soundtrack. Sonic is the ultimate "Animal With an Attitude" mascot still having major games released to this day, and while the franchise has had a tarnished reputation due to sub-par releases lately, it remains plucky and pushes forward, never losing sight of its roots.”

“Evil Dead: The Game is a fun, varied horror experience with plenty of challenges and depth, even if you choose not to play as any of the 4 Ash variants.”