MonsterVine

Though it’s certainly rough around the edges, Gacha Capsule Shop Simulator – Akihabara has a lot going for it, even in Early Access. Selling and opening capsules can make for some very fast-paced and frantic fun, and the consistent store upgrades keep you wanting to push on. I think Gacha Capsule Shop Simulator – Akihabara is plenty fun as it is now, so long as you don’t mind a couple of little hiccups.

Rune Dice is a short, frustrating experience made even more so by a lack of difficulty tuning. I genuinely was in disbelief when the cutoff for content after the first third of the game was reached, which led me to listen to the same music and repeat the easiest level nearly a dozen times if not more to only learn the Bard is incapable of actually besting the latter stages. Rune Dice was already a novelty in concept, and in practice, you may just want to grab a pair of dice and roll those instead.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is a game with pretty obvious flaws that won’t deter fans of the franchise already, but the glacial pace, lack of variety, and limited selection of music may make this hard to swallow for others. There is a “rustic” charm to it as someone who grew up on PC games like this, and it does provide an interesting Warhammer experience even as someone who’s only glanced at the wider property. If you do want to take up arms, the presentation, art, visuals, and well-realized cast, combined with a fairly modular experience, could provide dozens of hours of fun.

007 First Light delivers a massive, bombastic action-adventure that blends elements of IOI’s Hitman series with Uncharted. Its depiction of Bond balances being fresh while maintaining all the required characteristics, and it’s sold incredibly well by Gibson’s performance. This Bond’s first adventure is a worthwhile, satisfying, and creative outing from start to finish. All I can ask for now is even more silver screen-worthy adventures in the future.

Schrodinger’s Call is a beautiful visual novel set in the final moments before the end of the world. It has a strong emotional impact, and while it isn’t a flawless experience, it’s a truly memorable one thanks to its story, beautiful visual style, and incredible soundtrack.

Replaced will go down as a wonderful production that could have been a more robust package.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a totally different experience from past Yoshi games, and that’s pretty much entirely to its benefit. Exploration and experimentation take center stage here, allowing for a riveting and charming platformer that leans more towards the puzzle genre than you might expect. While not every level is a winner, there are far more hits than misses, cementing this game as one of the most unique platformers around.

Bubsy 4D is a far better revival for the boisterous bobcat than I think anyone could have anticipated he’d ever receive. Fabraz nailed it out of the park here, turning a series that was essentially the internet’s platforming laughingstock into a brilliant and extremely enjoyable 3D platformer that I couldn’t stop playing. The camera can be a bit unwieldy on occasion, but that’s nowhere near enough to stop Bubsy 4D from being a top-notch game.

Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen likely won’t do much for older players or people who don’t care for the source material, but it’ll absolutely be a hit with kids who like the show. The gameplay is straightforward but solidly enjoyable, and the presentation feels like a perfect extension of the source material. If you’ve got a child who loves Bluey, this is definitely a great choice for their next gaming outing.

Table Flip Simulator can be a lot of fun to play and has quite a bevy of interesting ideas tucked into a number of the stages, but the rough presentation and hit-or-miss humor drag it down a bit. If you’re just looking for some wacky physics-based mayhem, this is certainly a decent enough choice to go with, so long as you don’t mind its underwhelming visual style and writing.