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Zero Parades is a somewhat baffling, sometimes broken, and sometimes captivating experience. Given the history, I do not blame people for coming into this with a wary eye. The somewhat rough optimization, buggy technical state, and sporadic voice acting are a bit frustrating, but despite these things holding the game back, I surprised myself by getting drawn into the world of Zero Parades.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales shows Square Enix taking some bold new directions, but they aren’t fleshed out enough. The overall story and side quests are great, and the Magicite system gives us some nice customization on how we use our weapons. However, it doesn’t stop the combat from feeling basic and repetitive, and there are some little holes here and there in the story experience. And while I love the visual style, there wasn’t enough distinction between the eras to make it feel unique the longer we play. There is still a fun game here, but each part of the game feels like there’s something missing.

Gothic 1 Remake is exactly the kind of RPG I wish we saw more often. It doesn't try to impress you with constant cutscenes or turn you into a hero within the first few hours. Instead, it drops you into a dangerous and punishing world and lets you earn everything yourself. Not every mechanic is great; some systems feel outdated, and there are definitely moments where the game tests your patience. But when everything comes together, the sense of progression and adventure is inescapable.

Ultimately, I had a wonderful time playing Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. The focus on experimentation with a multitude of different creatures in a gorgeous storybook setting works well, and creates the gameplay loop that I not only enjoyed, but that I can’t remember experiencing before. It’s a little on the easy side, and can feel very repetitive towards the end, but there’s still a lot to enjoy.

Voidling Bound is an interesting and unique take on the creature collector style, and its stylized focus helps it stand out from the pack. The decision to only have 9 creatures that can branch out makes each one feel significantly different from each other. The evolutionary lines and progression systems feel rewarding and distinct, and some of the areas in the hub help streamline and speed up the process to make the grind feel less obnoxious. The missions can feel a little bit repetitive, and it’s easy to focus on one or two creatures instead of all of them, but that doesn’t take away from how rewarding it feels to make them progressively stronger.

Honestly, I don’t really see Mixtape as a traditional video game. It feels more like a beautiful little art project that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. If you appreciate strong artistic direction and want to experience something that feels like a gorgeous 3-hour interactive movie, you’ll have a fantastic time with Mixtape. But at the same time, it's definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is pretty much what I had hoped for from when I heard the game announced. A humorous retelling of the Dark Knight Trilogy, complete with a sizable recreation of Gotham City filled with collectibles, built-for-fun gameplay, and you can bring a friend along for the ride.

007 First Light is easily one of the best Bond experiences I’ve had in years. IO Interactive perfectly understood what makes James Bond special and combined cinematic storytelling, clever mission design, fantastic gunfights, strong music, and immersive spy mechanics into something that truly feels worthy of the legendary IP.

What is perhaps most impressive about Mina the Hollower is how effortlessly confident it feels. Many retro-inspired games are content to imitate the aesthetics of the past while sanding away the rougher edges. Yacht Club Games understand that the magic of those older games came not just from how they looked, but from how boldly designed they were. Mina embraces mystery, difficulty, experimentation, and discovery with absolute conviction.

Yerba Buena is an intriguing experience that gets better after its opening. The story and gameplay get significantly better after the opening act, expanding in gameplay depth and with plot points that keep me interested. I couldn't really connect with our playable character, and that did make it hard to enjoy her perspective in the story. Some of the puzzles can be a bit too difficult, but apart from that, it's a great puzzle game that will keep you hooked.