Astonishing action RPG that presents a seriously engaging crime drama alongside pure silliness.
+ exceedingly charismatic characters (including two of the legitimately coolest protagonists in any media)
+ several masterfully directed cutscenes that rival high-profile movies in efficiency and impact
+ large number of well-made mini games and side quests offering dozens of hours of varied bonus content
+ excellent voice acting
+ remarkable story execution with two switching perspectives that constantly accelerate and ultimately converge
+ intriguing yakuza politics making it clear that much is left to tell
+ very lively metropolis owing to the countless NPCs
+ unrestrained comedy in all but the most important scenes
+ good soundtrack especially for climactic moments
+ decent brawler combat that makes one feel suitably powerful
- slightly jarring transitions between different cutscene styles
- poor texture quality and annoying visual blur
- basic and flawed UX (lots of pointless clicking and walking, fixed save points)
- often unavoidable stunlocks in fights
- conceptionally smart but heavily overexplained MacGuffin
- tedious fetch quests required for progression
- some plot conveniences (mainly fatal wounds being ignored)

Barebones remake of the game that laid an incredibly solid foundation for the renowned strategy series but clearly had much more to improve upon.
+ well-thought-out gameplay systems that barely needed to change over decades
+ quick and responsive inputs
+ a lot of possible army customization
- minimal story with just a couple lines of exposition between levels
- generic character models for everyone
- constant flood of forgettable new units who often don't say a word
- low enemy variety favoring certain weapons heavily
- only a single type of objective (capturing the enemy base)
- too much downtime between action due to large maps with relatively few enemies

Undeniably cute but super shallow and frustrating action game.
+ vibrant visuals with adorable art design and a unique stylization
+ energetic if potentially annoying voice acting
- mechanical bloat highlighted by the bad opening tutorial
- incredibly plain and rushed story setup
- unresponsive top-down combat made worse by the lack of defensive options and immediately hard-hitting enemies

A simple interactive visualizer for your own music library that doesn't provide the challenge most rhythm games do.
+ quick and always playable song conversions
+ functional albeit basic presentation
- frequently delayed timings (which is somewhat mitigated by the generous input judgment)
- annoying loss of control after failing an obstacle
- very low difficulty ceiling that usually translates to almost perfect first tries regardless of the kind of song or settings
- unvaried and somewhat unclear (all centered) hit note sequences

Traditional JRPG that does everything serviceably well and displays just enough unique ideas to establish its own identity.
+ exceptional replayability because the story is immediately split into two paths with different casts, focus, and tone that rarely cross and only join at the very end
+ interesting weapon system to share skills between characters
+ solid balancing that makes the heroes feel appropriately strong while letting enemies hit hard
+ beneficial speed-up button (if only it worked outside combat...)
+ helpful maps to navigate the often labyrinthine areas
+ not amazing but generally decent soundtrack
+ creative albeit few enemy designs
+ adult main cast on one side
- mediocre writing especially for the story conclusion
- poorly integrated ending requirements
- excessively drab environments even in the few "towns"
- bad antagonists who never seem threatening or even entertaining

Fundamentally basic rhythm game that succeeds by virtue of overflowing style and being satisfying to play in the moment.
+ bubbly anime-like presentation with unique backgrounds, character art, and hit notes
+ huge selection of contemporary songs from smaller eastern artists
+ excellently made beatmaps in terms of timing and difficulty
+ impactful customization options in characters and pets
+ different enemy encounters enlivening the stages
+ more than reasonable price for both the base game and the single DLC
- no genres represented outside of electronic music
- impractical menus (owing to the smartphone roots)
- no depth beyond the two-input gameplay

A F2P space travelling JRPG that offers top-class presentation for a mediocre story centered around gacha elements.
+ dreamy soundtrack that suits the various atmospheres perfectly
+ likable characters who make up for their lack of complexity with beautiful designs and precious personalities
+ creatively distinct set pieces that are fun to explore despite limited area sizes
+ cute sense of humor with a lot of references, hidden events, and remarkably funny dialogue
+ flashy and fast (once speed-up is unlocked 1-2 hours in) turn-based combat with a wasteful but often practical autoplay feature
- very little content besides the main story as of yet
- slow, unskippable dialogue filled with technobabble
- lackluster depth in mechanics compared to the raw stat influence of time-gated and/or monetized items

Exceptionally well-made twin-stick survival shooter that makes great use of the virtual youtuber franchise but isn't dependent on it.
+ large pool of distinctive playable characters who each get their own weapons and abilities
+ colorful presentation with a lot of charming designs
+ challenging levels that gradually approach bullet hell tiers
+ fun item synergies (though not very balanced)
+ catchy if a little monotonous music
+ decent UI apart from minor quality of life issues
+ good amount of long-term content including a whole farming side game
- significant unlockable stat boosts making grinding necessary for success
- very poor performance/optimization compared to similar games

Outstanding sequel that builds an ambitious narrative over the previously laid foundation.
+ excellent additions to the main cast along with well-written characterization for everyone else
+ serious plot about the future of a nation as well as more intimate stories
+ intricately developed and constantly changing region that can be explored quite freely
+ great execution of the usual "Trails.." gameplay loop with relatively minor repetition
+ spirited soundtrack as expected
+ small combat refinements and a balanced difficulty
- only decent ending that could have been elaborated upon

Easily addictive top-down auto shooter with a satisfying rogue-lite progression system but very little depth.
+ decent number of weapons with combinations that play differently and are still all viable
+ constant unlocks for more than a dozen hours of gameplay
+ fittingly energetic soundtrack and presentation overall
+ many distinct stages each with their own unique enemies
+ manageable scope that relies on secrets more than repetition
+ relatively clear visuals despite the absurdly cluttered screens later in runs
- lackluster synergies between items
- fairly homogenous characters only differentiated by stats
- negligible difficulty that is most dependent on using overpowered items and luck
- incredibly shallow experience overall akin to an idle game

Fairytale-like JRPG whose boundless charm makes up for its many small flaws.
+ large and lived-in setting that contains medieval and futuristic regions, countless optional areas with hidden secrets, and even evolves throughout the story
+ genuinely lovable main cast with memorable designs and funny personalities who come and go frequently
+ wonderful pixel art style that shows an insane amount of detail and unique assets everywhere
+ thematically uplifting narrative that sees the protagonist grow up both physically and mentally
+ numerous endearing NPCs who frequently change dialogue and have their own little stories
+ impressive amount of expressive animations everywhere
+ robust inventory and saving mechanics
+ decent cutscenes for all major events
+ enjoyable if unexceptional soundtrack
- rudimentary turn-based combat system with focus on positioning and stats
- random encounters and slow attacks wasting a lot of time (which can be negated by an early spell and emulation speed up, respectively)
- sometimes frustrating progression (hard-to-see doors, confusing map, companions disappearing)
- abrupt changes in plot direction and significantly lower quality in the first part due to the game being a stitched-together version of two full games

Slow fox running simulator wherein you seek out glowing objects while listening to a couple's childhood stories.
+ nice music that gives the game a meditative nature if nothing else
+ decent voice acting (excluding the recording quality)
+ very short playtime (1-2 hours for non-completionists)
+ neat ending sequence due to a vocal song and slight community involvement
- useless collectibles strewn about
- bothersome pop-in of trees and grass
- boring environments in terms of design (needlessly large and arbitrarily filled with generic assets)
- trite narrative that is told in an awkward dialogue format
- incredibly simplistic gameplay with floaty movement — the only thing you'll be doing

A decent sequel with only minor adjustments to the original's fun gameplay loop.
+ noticeably tightened if unsurprising combat
+ still highly entertaining ensemble of antagonists
+ smoother movement to go along with the more open (but small) setting
+ good amount of hidden objects and side quests
- less atmospheric and focused set pieces (meaning no horror, as well)
- unimproved detective vision tarnishing the otherwise fine graphics
- mediocre writing that strongly appeals to already established fans of the universe (random character appearances steering an erratic narrative)

A competent version of the old AC formula that has a lot of things going for it even if many parts disappoint.
+ meticulously crafted and reasonably scaled recreation of London at the start of the interesting industrial revolution
+ decent utilization of dual protagonists with entertaining personalities
+ neat street gang mechanics that make the gradual overtaking of the city much more apparent than simple changing colors
+ high production values apart from minor glitches
- poor stat-based upgrade system that inhibits specialization
- shallower combat and lesser parkour (animations, no jumping) compared to previous games
- brute-force approaches almost always easier than pure stealth
- addictively repetitive open-world activities and collectibles
- too many moments where sincere writing is abandoned for the sake of comedy or coolness
- mediocre story with few surprises and no particularly satisfying missions

Tepid puzzle adventure game that ultimately boils down to a superficial sight-seeing tour of pretty but soulless environments.
+ generally great-looking realistic graphic style with a few caveats: poor close-up textures, frequent clipping, and a lack of individuality
+ classical piano- and string-based soundtrack that accompanies every step as pleasant ambiance
+ no difficult hurdles to delay progression
- clunky controls hindering the constant platforming
- crude level design with a main path that is either too open and empty or overly narrow with invisible walls
- uninspired hidden collectibles
- not the least bit of interesting story or lore to be found
- wholly unsatisfying conclusion