Rebekah Valentine

“Pokemon Legends: Z-A finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokemon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well.”

“Animal Well is a beautiful, multi-layered puzzle box that’s both fun to simply play around with, and an utter delight to slowly crack open, secret by secret.”

“The Indigo Disk is a blast to play alone and with friends, but it’s still held back by all the same technical issues that made Pokemon Scarlet and Violet a disaster.”

“The open-world gameplay of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is a brilliant direction for the future of the franchise, but this promising shift is sabotaged by the numerous ways in which Scarlet and Violet feel deeply unfinished.”

“Live A Live is a fascinating JRPG time machine that's getting its dues at last thanks to a remake that brings out the best in its seven stories, strong combat, and unusual structure.”

“Rune Factory 5 is entertainingly chewable fodder thanks to the soil fertilized by its predecessors, but its attempted leap to a 3D world leaves it struggling with lots of frustrating technical issues.”

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an ambitious revamp that successfully revolutionizes the defining Pokemon experiences of catching and battling, but is unfortunately set in a drab, empty, and at times tedious world.”

“Like the themes of its story, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are solid and enduring – leaning on the past, with all of its triumphs and tripwires.”

“TOEM is a short but satisfying little photography adventure packed with witty writing and picturesque moments to capture.”

“NEO: The World Ends With You successfully captures much about what made its predecessor so special, but it does so at the expense of its newer characters and stories.”

“Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a pristine little adventure with fun puzzles, a surprisingly rich paint mechanic, and a story that's disarmingly real, difficult, and heartfelt.”

“New Pokémon Snap is a photography game with occasionally clunky progression, but which is eager to show off its delightful subjects and let them surprise you.”

“Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is familiar comfort food for farming game lovers, and plenty of it.”

“At the heart of Harvest Moon: One World is an interesting twist on farming sims, but its bland, soulless world kills all potential.”