Console Creatures

Midnight Moments may have won me over in a genre I normally don’t gravitate towards. I say may because I’m still playing it and working on more scenes filled with glowing streetlights, citizens chattering, and buildings where I can imagine almost anything happening inside. This is a very well-designed chill game with no pressure and a great canvas of vibing creativity.

As far as multiplayer party games go, Heave Ho 2 is one of the most engaging due to how simple it is. Anyone can play alongside you, and it’s easy to pick up and play on a whim. The developers have a winning idea that really only needed bigger levels and more variety, and they’ve delivered just that, with a lot more insanity to match their ambition.

Truck-kun Is Supporting Me From Another World?! is a ridiculous subversion of classic anime tropes. It's a blast to play and even though it's simple, it doesn't overstay it's welcome.

Backyard Baseball (2026) is not struggling in terms of being a modern-looking reimagining of a ’90s classic. And it is rounding the bases easily as a bridge between generations. However, the gameplay experience needs some more time in the batting cage before this new experience receives the title of being a hit. Clunky controls and a batting situation that is either far too easy or inexplicably hard are currently holding things back. And with a $52 price tag, this is just as expensive as seeing an actual baseball game, which is wild for the current entertainment proposition. There’s a Hall of Famer here; it’s just not quite here yet.

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game includes all the elements for a standout experience within the Avatar universe — excellent mechanics, a good roster, a solid roster, and attention to detail. However, it has some growing pains that need to be addressed with obtuse tutorials that really need revision to drive home the basics for those looking for them. And despite a story written by the series’ creators, it leaves a lot of potential on the table.

It’s a tricky thing to enjoy the main gameplay loop of a game like Hyperwired, but struggle to find it on a consistent basis. There is a lot to dig into here and quite a bit that I enjoyed; it was just bogged down by a few too many systems. The game looks cool, sounds great, and has some fun ideas. I only wish they all came together in a stronger package overall.

Most of what Halo: Campaign Evolved does on a technical level is refine, not replace. And while the core gameplay is great, most of that already existed back in 2001.

K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut is frustrating because it just ends up feeling like a bunch of ideas tossed together without actually understanding what makes each piece work. Your choices don’t carry any impact, your schedules are so RNG focused that you just hope your group gets better, the story entirely drops plotlines for seemingly no reason – it all feels disjointed and disconnected. The story has a throughline of a stalker following your group that genuinely goes nowhere and is resolved with a line of text. The writing is so stiff and awkward that it feels like it was written in another language and machine translated to English. It’s littered with grammatical issues and spelling mistakes. It also ends right after debut, leaving all of your work to get your idols together ending on such a random note. There’s no way to keep playing to support your group and help them navigate stardom, it’s just over. K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut ends up feeling like an experience carried by references and some early enjoyment out of the simulation aspect, before tripping and falling flat for the rest of the ride.

Star Wars fans will be wowed here by an experience that is more than just a little respectful of the IP. While PowerWash fans should likely be finding themselves excited that the additions made in the second game are back better than ever.

As far as ports go, Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster is great, but its bizarre upgrade path (or lack of one) and the lack of save transfer really disappoint. The duology to this day is still worth discussing, and moreso playing, and it delivers a satisfying experience with its excellent storytelling, characters, and locations. Even now, almost everyone I know has played these games, so it’s easier to say go and play them again than it is to say here’s why you should play these decades-old gems.