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Gothic 1 Remake is definitely a game I recommend to RPG fans, and it's a strong enough vision of a Remake that I honestly feel that anyone interested in Gothic in general could start here and get the same type of experience instead of playing the original if they wanted to (though I am glad I played both and encourage that as well). However, it is a game that does require some patience and tolerance for friction and just a little bit of tedium, which might not be to everyone's taste. Gothic 1 Remake was clearly developed by a team that respects the original game and knew how to reimagine it for a modern audience without compromising what originally made it so special and influential so many years later, creating a very remarkable game in its own right.

Nothing about Elliot feels outright poor, but there's an air of slight disappointment that the game can't shake. There are even parts that I really love: the genuinely bright and whimsical style and soundtrack, combat options, and ludicrous ending, but it feels like the whole package has trouble clicking together. And honestly, maybe part of that is simply how good nearly all of Square's HD-2D efforts have been up until now...On its own, The Adventures of Elliot is just fine; a solid action RPG to fill your time. There's a strong foundation to build on for the future, if another HD-2D action-RPG can actually find that untapped potential that Elliot doesn't manage to reach.

If you already liked Monochrome Mobius, I'm certain you'll end up enjoying Past and Present Rediscovered. I can't deny it's a major improvement, but if anything it's this stark difference that makes the remaining deficiencies all the more disappointing. Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered is a decent RPG, but for a long-running story like Utawarerumono I couldn't help but hope for more. Solely as an RPG, the improved combat carries it a long way - but I don't think this duology ever needed to exist.

The port’s worst problem by far though has to be pop-in. Whether it be assets, textures, shadows, or LOD your immersion will be interrupted often by it popping in awkwardly. NPCs will randomly pop in, or foliage will go in and out as you walk through the world. Sometimes shopkeep NPCs won't even load in when you go to click the prompt, leading for you to wait to browse their wares until the model takes a few seconds to pop in. It takes what should be a gorgeous world and muddles the presentation of it. The surfboards at Johnny’s hotel have edges so jagged they could cut you, or Divine Intel Shrines having a garbled mess of textures. When I see a low quality texture, I’m never exactly sure if it was just compressed by default or if it was struggling to load in. This pop in is where I think the porting team should be focusing on for post-launch support. That, and maybe higher quality textures. While I appreciate the decreased file size, I promise you I would download a texture and asset expansion pack just to get the game looking a little nicer. [Impressions]

From start to finish, Mina the Hollower had me enthralled, which is pretty incredible for a game that ran me about 18 hours for a first-time playthrough (54% exploration rating). Some truly masterful game design on display, along with excellent spritework and sound design, make this an all-timer and an easy recommend for...frankly, anyone that enjoys video games. You can set the difficulty to your liking in a way that I haven't seen, ever, which makes this accessible to a very wide range of players. The exploration is top-notch, the story is riveting, the art style is striking, and the myriad ways the developers pull tricks on you is both amusing and well thought-out. I can't recommend Mina the Hollower enough.

Zero Parades consistently questions the homogenization of media and capitalistic control of art – how we wring the towel dry to get every little drop we can from “franchises” and “IP.” It raises questions on how the very nature of capitalism and artistic expression are opposed, and when you look at what happened to Disco Elysium and its creators, it’s impossible not to see it within that context. There’s no easy way to look at Zero Parades, but through it all, maybe the sheer act of considering the questions it raises, with a sufficient helping of skepticism, is enough.

Resynced feels like the Assassin's Creed game that I've wanted for years, the game that finally unites the disparate halves of classic and RPG in a way that feels meaningful. There are so many smart ideas packed into different Assassin's Creed games that don't get used again, and if remakes are a way to bring those ideas back, I'm on board. Resynced isn't a game overly concerned about sticking to one "formula" or another, but rather embracing everything that has made not just Black Flag, but Assassin's Creed as a whole so distinct and memorable. In that way, Resynced already feels like the next step for the franchise, rather than just a simple revisit to the past. [Hands-On Impressions]

Starbites is a simple, yet solid turn-based RPG. Though its first few hours did not leave a strong impression on me, the game got much better the more I played. Despite a few bugs, frequent backtracking, and the disparity over its 2D and 3D visuals, I can certainly tell that Ikinagames tried their best with this game as a small studio with ambitious goals. They succeeded in providing a satisfying gameplay loop, because Starbites is at its best when it comes to customizing party synergies to push through tougher fights. If you’re willing to give Starbites some time to blossom, I think you will walk away with a satisfying RPG experience.

I wouldn’t be surprised that, when the dust settles, Crimson Desert’s evolution is looked upon in similar ways that No Man’s Sky and Final Fantasy XIV are. There is a lot to love, and a lot to still be let down by in the lands of Hernand and beyond, but it’s still a game that lets me ride a dragon and jump in a mech suit, so that is reason enough to keep it installed on my PC and console! Who knows what other goodies lie hidden still in the desert sands that I will be digging up for months, if not years to come?

Right now, the main thing I hope to see is a UI and text scaling option. It is the only major issue with the game on Steam Deck right now. It likely will come as the team has commented on Steam Deck support before, but I want to prepare you for that if you plan on jumping in with the game's early access release. Beyond that, proper controller support would be nice, but the trackpad and combination of face/shoulder buttons works well.