Arc System Works is a legendary fighting game developer, so it was no surprise when they released a killer spin-off of Granblue Fantasy in 2020. After all, this is one of the most well-loved mobile RPGs ever made, even though it's technically never received an official release in North America. But a gorgeous, anime-style fighting game? That was the perfect way to appreciate this incredibly deep world developer Cygames had created.

It's acceptable to have reservations about buying massive games published by anyone, especially by new or even long-standing studios, with titles like Stray fully blowing up because of the internet when the reality remains that it wasn't much of a game, but rather a feline experience that was the first to really get a massive crowd. Black Myth Wukong does not do it to you. It treats you like a paying customer, delivers what you paid for and expect, avoids dumb ideas or gimmicks, and remains loyal to the source material,

Hollow knight has to be one of the most mysterious games about it's lore. You can make a full playthrough and know little to nothing about the secrets this game has. Hollow Knight keeps its lore hidden in mysterious tablets, items, people, etc. So far we don't even know everything about Hollow Knight yet. The craziest thing is the sequel is coming out sooner or later and this game franchise will be a pile of lore for any new players.

"The Mooseman" invites players to delve into the secrets of Finno-Ugric mythology, offering a unique and immersive experience across three distinct realms. As the Mooseman, journey through layers of ancient wisdom, confronting riddles and unlocking abilities to ascend to the Upper World. BACKGROUND STORY: Crafted from the egg-shell of the deity Yen, the universe unfolds with the Lower World in the ocean depths, the Middle World for humans, and the Upper World housing ancient gods. Spirits guard their secrets, setting the stage for a captivating journey through Finno-Ugric myths.

SHOULD I PLAY WARM SNOW? Absolutely play it if you enjoy action-packed roguelites with tons of unlockables and a unique setting. Warm Snow takes place in a fictionalized version of seventeenth-century China where the kingdom has fallen into chaos thanks to a strange phenomenon known as “Warm Snow.” I had to slice my way through multiple locations and thousands of mutated enemies to get to the bottom of this bizarre event, equipping myself with different relics and weapons as I did so. This is as tightly designed and fun of a roguelite as I’ve ever played and definitely worth the dozens of hours you can put into it if you want to unlock everything.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it. Disney Illusion Island is a charming, cartoony platformer starring iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. This enchanting Metroidvania only falls slightly short due to its lack of difficulty and lightly repetitive gameplay. Regardless of those issues, it’s one of my favorite games to play with friends right now and one of the best platformer titles I’ve encountered this year.

UnHoly Neighborhood emerges as a distinctive entry in the realm of point-and-click adventure puzzle mystery games, offering players a captivating journey through a gloomy neighborhood teeming with surreal elements. Background Story: The narrative centers around Peter Grim, the protagonist on a quest to solve the mysterious kidnapping of his wife, confront a strange storm, and navigate a city overrun by giant rats. The dark riddles of the neighborhood serve as the backdrop to this intriguing storyline.

SHOULD I PLAY BLASPHEMOUS 2? This is the easiest “YES” I’ve given in ages, unless you can't handle how nasty it is. Blasphemous 2 is a sequel to what was already one of the best and most memorable Metroidvanias of the modern era. But much more than just retreading the exact same territory, this sequel builds wisely on the strengths of the first game. It’s not just a long adventure and not just a return to the disturbing, gothic world of 2019’s

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? I strongly recommend skipping The Outlast Trials for now, unless you have a group of three other friends who all love the previous Outlast games and who are all available to play together at the same time. The Outlast Trials is a bold experiment for developer Red Barrels, taking the basic elements of its stealth horror franchise and adding co-op and live service elements for the first time. Unfortunately, that experiment is a failure, at least in its current state.

SHOULD I PLAY DANMACHI BATTLE CHRONICLE? Only play it if you really like DanMachi. DanMachi Battle Chronicle is a visually stunning gacha game based on the popular light novel/manga/anime series DanMachi or Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? in its full English title. The game features a well-made story backed by great voice acting and cutscenes, but it falls short with everything else: repetitive gameplay, slow progression, limited content, and a poorly designed shop.

If you played the original Blasphemous anytime since it came out in 2019, then you know it was a disturbingly bloody little game that proved that pixel-art graphics can still bring the gore and grossness. And if you played it, you'll also know that on top of being filled with messed up enemies and cutscenes, it was also an extremely good Metroidvania. But whether you played the first game or not, you should take note of the impending release of

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it as soon as you’re able to. Wuthering Waves is still only in a limited-release closed beta, and it may be a while yet until it’s more widely available. As soon as you’re able to get into the game, though, I strongly recommend it. This stylish action-RPG brings a unique world to life on PC and mobile devices, with a blend of fantasy and sci-fi that focuses on the mystical properties of soundwaves. Even in this early state, I’m already sold on continuing to explore this strange new world.

[Music credits: "Fantasy Orchestra 3 BGM 86" by Nico - "Fantasy Orchestra 2 BGM 112" by Nico]

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? If you’ve got any appreciation for the Metroidvania style of game at all, then you owe it to yourself to play Afterimage. Coming off a successful Kickstarter campaign just a year ago, developer Aurogon Shanghai has released the next masterpiece in a masterpiece-heavy genre. With tight controls, compelling progression and exploration, and especially a stunning hand-drawn art style, Afterimage pays homage to the classics while also undeniably forging its own strong identity via a fascinating and diverse fantasy world. It’s really good.

We're always looking for the perfect game for the Halloween season, and it doesn't get much more perfect than World of Horror. In the works for years now, World of Horror is like a love letter to everything about the horror genre—but with a special focus on the unsettling body horror of manga artist Junji Ito and the unspeakable cosmic horror of author H.P. Lovecraft. What's most amazing about World of Horror is what it accomplishes with so little, though. The visuals are extremely lo-fi—in fact, the game's black-and-white art was literally created using MS Paint! Despite those humble tools, though, solo developer Panstasz has created some memorable and truly disturbing imagery.

Diablo IV has been through some big ups and downs since launching last summer, but the game's third season is about to begin, and it may be the biggest and most interesting one so far. The world of Diablo may be mostly known for angels and demons, but this time mechanical monstrosities will be getting in on the action. Titled "Season of the Construct," this season will see players journey to the depths underneath the desert of Kehjistan, where ancient robotic technology has sprung back to life and been made to serve the forces of evil. Players will make camp at the town of Gatehall and explore various vault dungeons full of the titular constructs as they attempt to master this powerful force for themselves.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom came out way back in May, but from the first time I glued a sword to another sword, I knew it would be one of my favorite games of the year. It manages to be so many things at the same time, from a physics sandbox to a puzzle-lover’s playground to a shockingly detailed engineering simulation. Oh, and it also happens to be a phenomenal Zelda game. Most games are filled with boundaries and restrictions, but in Tears of the Kingdom, you can do just about anything you want to do if you can find a way to make it work. Sure, you can’t walk up to dogs and pet them, but

SHOULD I PLAY WARHAMMER 40K: ROGUE TRADER? Absolutely play this game if you’re a Warhammer 40K fan or you’re chasing the high of Baldur’s Gate 3’s crunchy tactical battles. Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader isn’t as visually lavish as Larian’s magnum opus, but it’s packed with all the Warhammer 40K goodness a fan could ever want, and it’s set in a wild and unpredictable landscape of frontier worlds that provide some much-needed variety to the usual buffet of cookie-cutter space marines.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Absolutely play it. Phantom Blade: Executioners is a flashy action game that mixes the best elements of classic side-scrolling 2D brawlers—think Streets of Rage and Golden Axe—with a deep yet approachable combo-based fighting system that feels like something out of Devil May Cry. The result is a brilliantly fun, bite-sized title that’s worth some time even if you’re tired of gacha games.

Without a doubt, the Runeterran lore of this game is one of the best there is. It's what got me hooked in the game. You can pick up a champ and eventually know who they are and what they are fighting for because their respective stories are reflected on their gameplay mechanics, voice line interactions and visual design. It's well-executed than other games and genres out there. Also, their alternate universes for their various skin lines are as vast and as rich with amazing storytelling. Arcane, the series on Netflix was based on this game's lore and set of champions.