The story is far from the focus of the game and its strong gameplay and striking visual design more than make up for it. The pounding electronic soundtrack is worth shouting out as well because each song manages to perfectly match the energy of the player at any given moment. There are also a ton of minigames present to shake things up in the post-game, such as a speedrunning mode and a bunch of collectable game cartridges that can be played via the arcade machine in home base. Through its marriage of bullet-hell gunplay and fast-paced platforming of games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Soda Crisis stands out as a phenomenal side-scrolling action-adventure.

It might take some time to get used to Hardspace: Shipbreaker’s controls and zero-gravity movement, but tearing apart abandoned shuttles in the void of space is surprisingly soothing and engaging. While some areas of the game are somewhat unpolished, Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a solid time for those looking to live out the fantasy of a space salvager.

One of the most thrilling parts of Dolmen is the horror element that grows exponentially as the monsters become more difficult and much better at hiding. At first, most enemies can be seen from a distance, but they quickly begin to hide around corners, on the ceiling, or within the environment. A few jumpscares will lead to cautiously approaching every turn and inspecting all of the walls. Horror mixed with features like an intricate upgrade system, daunting combat encounters, and the ability to take on difficult bosses alongside some friends makes Dolmen an exciting title that delivers constant action and intense challenges.

Those looking to learn more about bees, conservation, and genetics will likely enjoy the colorful world and endearing narrative of APICO, making it a great adventure for any player.

Ultimately, Eternal Threads is a slow-burner that tells an endlessly intriguing story through a unique take on time travel. While this isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's something special.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong has some design and technical hiccups, but it offers a dark and compelling story that is told in a unique manner, where situations must be resolved through deduction and intelligence, and each choice puts the player further down the path to victory or defeat.

These smaller issues pale in comparison to what Source of Madness gets right. The gorgeous 2D art style, atmospheric music, and crunchy sound design underpin a combat system that is deep and rewarding, and is sure to keep surprising players deep into their time with the game. For gamers searching for a gratifying roguelite filled to the brim with passion and creativity, Source of Madness is more than worth the cost of admission.

Regardless of its flaws with repetition, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a lot of fun and should have plenty of people excited for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in 2023.

Salt & Sacrifice has the potential to be a great game, but it badly needs balancing fixes to allow it to live up to its potential, especially in regard to its battle system. A few tweaks to the stamina meter, the dodge roll & blocking mechanics, and the enemy attack patterns would do wonders for the game, as would a way to skip the chasing sequences and jump straight to the Mage bosses. As it stands, Salt & Sacrifice is a game full of frustrating moments that bog down the rest of the experience.

Coromon is something that clearly comes from a place of great respect. Pokemon fans will likely find a game that appreciates what people love about the first five generations of Game Freak's franchise, and even when things get a little clunky there's enough for users to enjoy.

It's unfortunate that Loot River feels like an Early Access product in its current state. A scarcity of content and a thoroughly unfinished, unsatisfying feel to the combat, movement, and item discovery makes this title very hard to recommend.

While Dinosaur Fossil Hunter requires patches to fine-tune important mechanics like driving, digging, and cleaning, it will likely be a good fit for players wanting a satisfying fossil extraction game with attention to detail. It is also a great pick for kids who want to learn more about the realistic challenges of paleontology, and the process of getting dinosaur skeletons into museums.

Citizen Sleeper is fantastic. It's a deep and well-crafted narrative experience with a fascinating setting, and is filled with plenty of challenging questions for players to ponder over. This is a game that gets cyberpunk right.

There was some reticence from the Vampire: The Masquerade fanbase when Bloodhunt was announced, due to how incompatible the setting of the tabletop RPG is with a battle royale. Is Bloodhunt accurate to the world of Vampire: The Masquerade? Absolutely not, but that doesn't stop it from being a blast to play. Bloodhunt is a super-powered gothic vampire battle royale that offers a more adult tone and faster-paced action than its contemporaries.

Although the general concepts remain the same for every campaign, the stories keep the game interesting, and varying requirements ensure the space station is different every time. Getting started can be difficult and unnecessarily complicated, but once the basics are understood, orbit.industries becomes a fun and occasionally intense experience that requires a fair amount of strategic thinking to complete. With the option to forego responsibilities in Creative mode, orbit.industries has plenty to offer for space and building game enthusiasts.

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is solid point-and-click turn-based action, but players should note that it takes some time to level up due to the lack of a mission replay feature, and a considerable amount of gold being required to enable healing for multiple party members. Diehard tactical fans might be interested in what King Arthur: Knight's Tale has to offer, but newcomers to the genre might wish to cut their teeth elsewhere.

Wildcat Gun Machine can be beaten in as little as seven or eight hours, so this lack of depth in the game's combat and progression won't be an issue for gamers interested in a quick, simple dungeon-crawling experience. Plus, the game is launching on Steam for only $15, making it a great choice for anyone searching for a solid, affordably priced title. However, players looking for a deep, complex combat system - or a narrative to follow - might want to pass on Wildcat Gun Machine.

MotoGP is a very strong racing game that truly captures the feel of MotoGP as a series. Although it's not perfect and lacks the sheen that comes with a bigger budget, the minute to minute racing is fantastic, and its minor issues here and there are far outweighed by the positives.

There's some valid criticisms to be made over the shallow game roster and even shallower character customization, but at its core, Nintendo Switch Sports is an absolute blast and is simple enough for anyone who wants to give it a try.

Despite the early confusion, The Serpent Rogue is a great pick for fans of craft-intensive games like Valheim. The focus on exploration will appeal to open-world RPG gamers, as well as those who like strong stories with dark or spooky themes. The game's crafting system is well-balanced, and the ability to learn about crafting ingredients adds an extra level of immersion that benefits the main character's role as an alchemist. While The Serpent Rogue may not be great as an entry-level crafting game, it is a fantastic and beautifully crafted fantasy adventure that is enjoyable and challenging from the second players embark on their journey.

Overall, Skábma - Snowfall is a bold and heartfelt game that has a wonderful atmosphere and charming if sometimes simplistic gameplay. It is held back by some technical limitations, but players who don't mind these setbacks will still find an engaging experience.

Heartless Lullaby has the potential to be expanded into a full experience that can give Vampire: The Masquerade fans their own equivalent to a Baldur's Gate title. As it stands, the current version of the game is worth checking out as a free title that only takes a short period of time to finish, especially as a taster for the Vampire: The Masquerade games that are coming soon. It's easy to see why Heartless Lullaby won the Vampire Jam, as the team did an amazing job putting together a game in a month, and it will hopefully lead to more World of Darkness content from the studio in the future.

When Lila's Sky Ark hits that sweet spot of cerebral thinking and abstract design it is a lovely game to play. There are moments where it does struggle, particularly in combat-heavy sections that don't lead to its boss fights, but overall there is plenty of fun to be had, and many secrets to find.

The Force Unleashed is now showing its age, especially in an era when Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has done many of the same things, but better. The Force Unleashed offers a short ride through a galaxy far, far away, and it does have some moments of making the player feel like an awesome Sith warrior, but it doesn't manage to sustain this feeling, with its lightsaber swinging soon becoming like a chore.

As such, Road 96 is incredible. It was an indie hit on its release for PC and Switch last year, and that success has easily converted over to other home console platforms. This is a fascinating, compelling, and immensely replayable experience that is certainly worth exploring.

B.I.O.T.A. is a short, enjoyable title. It doesn't quite match the retro chops of something like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, and it doesn't have a massive twisting map of something like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but it's great for someone looking for a fast-paced action platformer with a retro-style, has stages that are easy to explore (and get a 100% completion at the end), and a story that has the depth of an 80's action movie.

MLB The Show 22 is a very impressive baseball game. Although it doesn't reinvent the wheel with this year's entry, the game is extremely enjoyable and the wider accessibility of platforms will no doubt mean that MLB The Show 22 will reach plenty of baseball fans.

The House of the Dead: Remake can be fun, but that lack of a decent controller is a problem that holds the whole experience back.