MonsterVine

“Dark Auction left me asking "why" quite a bit. Why are we calling the leader of Germany during World War II "X"? Why was AI generated art used at all, especially in a part of the story that talks about the importance of art? Why isn't this a visual novel, when the 3D exploration adds more tedium than value? Why does the ending feel like it needs a lot more context? Nevertheless, there are still a lot of good moments here, especially in the final chapters when the mystery starts to come together. It's an interesting story with some unexpected developments, but it just feels like it could have been much more than it is.”

“Pathologic 3 is a bizarre remake of a game from 2005 that seems to combine the worst elements from Persona 5 and the Arrow TV series, and wants you to think that it’s somehow compelling. Its lack of atmosphere and plain dressing sap any curiosity I had, and the need for the game to hide even the most basic of information may attract the equivalent of horror game Soulslike fans, but I’d urge anyone to stay away. Somewhere in Pathologic 3, there’s a very interesting Trauma Center game with plenty of lore, decisions to make, and patients to save. Unfortunately, a time-travel and horror story is grafted onto it. Horror fans, you deserve better.”

“Don't Stop, Girlypop! is a fun and fast arena movement-shooter, at its best when you are moving fast and shooting faster. The fun pink Y2K vibes add a level of charm and humor to a well-made, if a bit standard, FPS. The platforming excels at horizontal movement, but fumbles when verticality is introduced. Ultimately, it's a great bite-sized experience and I was glad to play.”

“Avatar Frontiers of Pandora: From the Ashes feels like an AA game masquerading as an expansion. Standalone, rich in content, beautiful, and fun. Some technical issues aside, if you’re looking to scratch that Far Cry itch, look no further.”

“While the tone can be jarring at times, a few areas lack polish, and I wish the characters had been given more depth, The Real Face of a VTuber is an intriguing murder mystery that brings fresh ideas to its courtroom gameplay. It’s well worth playing for fans of the genre, and you might even learn a little more about VTubers while you’re at it.”

“Escape from Ever After is a great game, and considering how people took to last year’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, part of me wonders if this Paper Mario-inspired game will have the same effect. It’s really wonderful to see a two-person team like this fund a successful Kickstarter, who probably played games like Paper Mario when they were younger to understand how to deliver such a strong, reminiscent game, and I look forward to what Sleepy Castle Studio has planned next.”

“Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension does a lot right, bringing a decent amount of new side content and returning Pokémon into the mix alongside great new Mega forms and a pleasantly refined system for finding Shinies. The story lags a bit, but the total package is still worth your time.”

“I love the combat, aesthetics, and banter between characters. I had an extremely rough time in the boss fights due to technical qualms. I tried pushing forward, but losing at an unplayable mess of a boss fight takes you back to the start of the chapter to do everything all over again—a loss of progress. After dealing with this, I gave up and am waiting for fixes. I suggest playing Wander Stars on Steam, because there is something so special here with this RPG teasing well-known anime tropes with a dark-skinned girl of colour lead–a rarity in the shounen genre. But for me, the unplayable mess it became has driven me away from the game’s Nintendo Switch version.”

“Wild Hearts S’ Karakuri system is intricately and excitingly crafted with player experimentation abound. The Giant Kenomo feature breathtaking designs to rival Monster Hunter’s creatures in complexity and ferocity, especially from the art portraits each Kemono has in the game’s Cyclopedia. If you’ve done everything there is to do in Monster Hunter Wilds and are looking to dive into an exclusive on Nintendo Switch 2 with mates, Wild Hearts S delivers a tough challenge for experienced monster hunters.”

“Upin & Ipin Universe is a strong first step in adapting the series into a video game, and its open world has quite a bit of charm for someone like me, not very savvy about the series. The camera is a constant mess, but if you do continue to power through that major stumbling block, there is a lot to enjoy from this game. Character models are cute, and aspects like the crops growing after watering them or little gestures like how Upin/Ipin take off their sandals when getting into the home are little joys. A lot of heart, and reminds me of those early 2000s game adaptations of other 3D cartoons and animated films, in the best possible way.”

“Master of Command is a deeply replayable, razor-smart strategy roguelike whose historical flair and tactical depth outweigh minor AI quirks.”

“Morsels has an incredible look and style, but it's uneven across the board. The difficulty ranges wildly from levels to boss fights, the Morsels themselves range from utterly useless to feeling overpowered, and there aren't as many as I would want for a game where you have to do multiple runs. Interacting with items in each level is far too tedious to make them worth engaging with, even if the secrets themselves are special if you do actually find them.”

“Bounty Star is a good time, with likable characters and an interesting setting ripe for exploration. Those are its strongest parts, but the rest of it is entirely serviceable despite some frustrating jank during combat and unrealized potential in the homesteading process. I could see a sequel to this game, with a bit more depth on the gameplay side, being a real hit that pleases mecha fans, story fans, and farming-sim fans alike.”

“The Séance of Blake Manor is an intriguing supernatural mystery filled with interesting characters and secrets to discover. While the time management aspect might feel intimidating at first, it adds a sense of urgency and helps the player feel like a detective while offering enough freedom not to feel stifled. Overall, it’s an excellent game for fans of mysteries and the supernatural.”

“Your mileage with Super Robot Wars Y will depend on your expectations. If you are coming into this expecting a robust Tactical RPG with an epic story that will be on your mind for weeks after rolling credits, you might not find what you are looking for here. But if you are like me, and see some of your favorite giant robots show up with their theme song blaring, shooting off their iconic moves, you can get a bit more mileage out of this title. I found myself in a tug of war between being subjective and objective with this game, and landed somewhere around the middle. This isn’t a TRPG for everyone, but some of you might get hit just right to have a new obsession.”

“While Type-Noise: Shonen Shojo could have executed some of its concepts a little better, it tells a solid story about trauma and moving on. These characters' stories aren't revolutionary, but they're emotional and heartfelt, and I found myself rooting for each one as I learned more about them. As an adventure game, it also provides a wide variety of puzzles that are both challenging and satisfying.”

“If you’re into weird art projects and vibing to some cool fake cable programming and recapturing that vibe of trying to find something to watch on a weekday afternoon, there’s nothing like Blippo+. But if you’re weirded out by, like, the entire preceding description, you’re probably not going to have a good time. I suggest: drugs.”

“Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1 Re-Raptored features a fun story and match-3 gameplay, but that’s all there is to it.”

“Overall, Tiny Bookshop was absolute perfection, and everything I could have hoped for as someone who loves books as much as I do. It had such a gentle atmosphere and was very stress-free to play. I’d love to see some DLC released for this title or a follow-up.”

“Donkey Kong Bananza’s DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC have the potential to be a lot of fun, but the bundle ends up being a little bit underwhelming. I wish DK Island were more robust and rewarding to explore, and the price point is a bit steep for a fairly straightforward and repetitive mode like Emerald Rush. If you’re desperately looking for more Donkey Kong Bananza to play, this is alright, but I wish it were either cheaper or more extensive in its new content.”