GamerFocus

“Exploring the open world of Valkyrie Saga in search of secrets is a delight. It offers excellent platforming challenges, an open and engaging progression system, and a mysterious lore. Although its numerous bugs and technical issues can be quite annoying, and its low-poly retro style isn't particularly striking, it's a highly recommended game for curious players who enjoy leaving no corner unexplored.”

“Cairn is the first great work of art of 2026. It not only elevates climbing mechanics but uses them to tell a grand narrative about obsession, the human potential to push beyond one's limits, the sacrifices necessary to achieve this, and whether they are worth it. It's an appropriately difficult game and can be frustrating at times, but overcoming each obstacle is supremely satisfying.”

“My Hero Academia: All's Justice is undoubtedly the best game adapting Horikoshi's work. Its combat system has evolved significantly compared to previous installments, and while it does have flaws and some missions in the new modes are repetitive, it compensates for these weaknesses with a decent integration of Quirks into its combat system and a well-executed active partner-switching system that allows for creative attack execution. Although it's not a demanding game for fighting game fans, All's Justice is a great entry point for understanding the basics of the genre without the absurd implementation barriers of the genre's flagship titles.”

“Double Dragon Revive introduces interesting ideas such as unique character moves and combat that attempts to be complex. However, these intentions are undermined by fundamental gameplay flaws. Despite a noteworthy soundtrack, Double Dragon's return feels dull and underdeveloped.”

“Gigasword presents a unique approach to Metroidvania gameplay, requiring players to navigate the map with and without the giant sword to progress. However, some aspects feel unnecessary, such as having to retrieve mineral loot after death or the inability to access fast travel within the map. Players are forced to revisit the very sections that initially offered the game's innovation. Many common enemies are repeated, and certain boss battles are significantly more challenging. A technical issue on the Switch prevents players from experiencing the full game.”

“Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle represents a technical achievement for its time and marks the return of one of SNK's more obscure and lesser-known franchises. Its innovation lies in the tag-team combat system for 2D fighting games, a mechanic that, along with Chain Combos and improved speed, adds personality. However, it features a small roster of characters, lacks the strength of other SNK franchises, and suffers from an excessively high difficulty level. The modern PC port by Code Mystics is outstanding thanks to the inclusion of Rollback Netcode, support for up to four simultaneous players, and a highly customizable practice mode.”

“It's a good game that mixes a lot of genres so we have a little of twin-stick shooter with melee combat in arenas that feel a little "hotlinemiamilike", survival horror sections and even a little skating. The atmosphere is amazing, the soundtrack is a beast and the plots works well. But the unbalanced combat and awful stealth mechanics really hurt my feelings for the game. I'll remember it fondly, but I don't know If I will wanna play it again.”

“It features quality-of-life improvements like a training mode and netcode rollback. However, it needs a little more love for the game's story. Extra content like the gallery is extremely limited and doesn't have a mode to listen to the soundtrack separately. It's worth noting the low price, which makes it an excellent option for one of the best games from the end of SNK's golden age.”

“Consume Me reminded me of my own teenage dramas, even though I had radically different experiences than the protagonist, proving that the themes it addresses about growing up, maturing, and feeling pressured about one's appearance are universal. It's packed with fun minigames, has a great sense of humor, and interesting time-management mechanics. Some UI elements can be tricky, and some of the themes it covers aren't handled well, but it definitely deserves the recognition it's earned.”

“The improvements to the narrative, which provides a cohesive and well-constructed framework for series crossover, are one of the title's greatest achievements. The inclusion of the Assist Link system and the MXP skill tree add depth without breaking the game and give players an incentive to create devastating attacks. If you're a fan of the genre or want to explore new series, check out SRW Y. This is a game you shouldn't miss.”

“Time Flies is a short and simple game with simple graphics, but that's not a flaw. It has excellent puzzles, a great sense of humor, and deep themes that make it a great experience.”

“I'm a veteran of the survival horror genre but I never truly felt comfortable with any of the control options it offers and its narrative never felt satisfying. But for every flaw it has, there's one thing it truly excels at: the setting is exquisite, it perfectly handles the retro visual style, and it has excellent puzzles and great level design. Definitely worth a try for genre fans who are always looking for more classic-flavored experiences.”

“This game simply disappoints. Its story mode is shallow and the single-player modes lack depth. The combat system is—despite its simplicity—promising, but it suffers from a serious imbalance between characters and mechanics like the Rush Combo, which easily allows for automatic combos, kills the player's motivation to experiment with more complex mechanics.”

“This Switch version is nothing special. Aside from adding an explorable city that only grants access to each mini-game location, it lacks content beyond repeating the same task over and over again in short, unexciting games.”

“Quantum Witch tells a proudly queer and humorous story about complex themes such as religion, manipulation, divinity, and freedom. It could have offered more in terms of gameplay, but the multiple narrative paths and its adorable aesthetic left me more than satisfied.”

“Copycat is a pretty effective game at manipulating the emotions of cat lovers. While I feel it lacks narrative elements, some of its minigames are too simplistic, and it doesn't quite manage to fully grasp all of its themes, is a short experience that may be worthwhile.”

“This is a niche game that probably won't appeal to a large portion of the fighting game community and the lack of an online mode doesn't help. However, its concept is very appealing, and fans of the films it references will inevitably be drawn to it, even if only to give it a look. It's a game made for a very specific and small group of players, but you may belong to that group and not even know it.”

“A very good option for those who miss RPGs with turn-based combat like they were made more than 20 years ago. It has an intriguing story, excellent characters, and very good chibi-style visual art. The numerous fights can be a bit tiring, and some scenarios feel more labyrinthine than they should be, but it's a game worth playing, whether you're a fan of Maliki's webcomic or have never heard of it before.”

“Bleach: Rebirth of Souls offers a combat system with interesting, innovative and strategic mechanics. Thanks to that, this is a fighting game with enough depth to appeal to the community of a genre as demanding as the FGC.”

“Despite its simple appearance, it manages to deliver an immersive and terrifying experience thanks to its great use of sound, and the grotesque, but memorable character design by François Coulombe-Fortier.”