Author: Marcus Orchard

SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky marks the first-ever official Western release in the long-running Memories Off series. While the franchise has been around since 1999 and, frankly, is a mess to get into, this emotionally mature spin-off is fully accessible to newcomers like me. It has a quiet, calming tone, exploring themes of loss and healing. It’s a welcome change from the more fanservice-heavy visual novels often found in the genre, and though not every route is equally satisfying, this is a story that feels more grown-up than it looks at first glance. You play as Junya, a college…

Grid-based tactics games, anime, and fighting games rule, so anything that combines those things rules too. Re;Act: The Arts of War is a fantastic experience that feels like a love letter to fighting games, collectible card games, and turn-based tactical RPGs. A Brief How to Play In Re;Act, players win by striking their opponent three times. Each turn, players add a piece to their masterpiece (essentially the gauge that builds up an ultimate), draw a card, and start an action chain using blue “intention” cards. The opponent may respond with orange “reaction” cards, followed by more reactions in alternating order.…

Developer & Publisher: Rokaplay Genre: Simulation Reviewed For Nintendo Switch Also Available On: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam I’m no video game historian, but I spend a lot of time on the internet, and I’ve played my share of games since I first fell asleep with a Nintendo 64 controller in my hand when I was 5 years old. Bubble Ghost Remake is the first I’ve heard of the forgotten ’80s gem Bubble Ghost. This remake revives the classic puzzle-action game with a hand-drawn art style, an expanded story, and brand-new stages. Does it fit in modern gaming? Players step…

While a lot of anime things like fanservice and the same shonen battles over and over again can be cringy, the otome genre is surprisingly mature. Him, the Smile & Bloom is even more mature than most of them, with an adult tone and character-driven storytelling. It trades the usual structure of picking a husband and instead focuses on what builds relationships in modern love. Rather than placing you in the shoes of a single protagonist, Him, the Smile & Bloom offers four unique love stories, each starring a heroine and romantic lead. Each route explores a specific romantic dynamic…

Spike Chunsoft kicked off a large Publisher Sale on the Nintendo eShop, slashing prices by up to 90% on dozens of its titles. With so many great deals running from March 27 to April 10, here are five must-play games for anyone looking to snag a bargain. AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES $3.99 on the eShop Who Is It For? AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is a lot like the Zero Escape series and even Ace Attorney. It has visual novel elements mixed in with puzzles and detective sequences. It’s an incredibly well-written game that’s even more relevant since the third game…

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 gives players a grounded RPG that is rooted in realism rather than fantasy, and that alone should put it on RPG fans’ radars. Picking up immediately after the events of the 2018 original, this ambitious sequel doubles down on what made its predecessor unique, offering an even richer, more immersive medieval world, and it’s all the better for it. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 constantly rewards patience, curiosity, and attention to detail and is one of the rare games in which the sequel is leagues better than the original. Set in 15th-century Bohemia, the game continues the…

3D platformers of the late ‘90s were a mixed bag with some strange mascots that just never took off. Glover, originally released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998 is fondly remembered by some, but in the modern landscape, it’s clear that those memories are fueled by nostalgia. Now, over two decades later, Glover has returned to modern platforms, but maybe this relic should have stayed in the past. The game’s premise is simple: after a magical accident, a wizard’s enchanted gloves are separated—one remains good (Glover), while the other (Cross-Stitch) is corrupted by dark magic. With the wizard out of…

Developer & Publisher: Rokaplay Genre: Simulation Reviewed For Nintendo Switch Also Available On: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Sugardew Island is another game in the now too-crowded cozy farming sim genre. I don’t mean to sound grouchy, as I do love this genre. I get excited by every new promising game in the genre – It’s why I’m reviewing this. Unfortunately, though, there are just too many mediocre or worse games coming out, and while I’m not expecting another Stardew Valley-quality game, I just want to see promising a stress-free experience where players can farm, raise animals, and actually have…

Developer: Game Dynasty Publisher: Valkyrie Initiative Genre: Strategy Reviewed For Nintendo Switch Also Available On PlayStation, Xbox, PC Micegard is a short but sweet adventure blending Viking mythology with little warrior mice battling evil toads. While it’s not a deep or particularly challenging experience, Micegard is a fun and engaging adventure for those looking for a bite-sized mythic journey. Micegard tells a tale of mice warriors fighting to protect their village from an invading army. Inspired by Norse mythology, the game follows a group of rodent warriors as they fend off waves of enemies, rebuild their homes, and interact with…

NPC Core is Paizo’s latest rulebook for Pathfinder, offering over 250 NPC stat blocks to help GMs populate their world with tons of characters without having to build them from scratch. The book is structured for ease of use, allowing GMs to quickly drop NPCs into any game and modify them as needed with level adjustments, ancestry swaps, and thematic variations. It releases on March 5, 2025, with a $69.99 price tag, which is on the higher end of Pathfinder books. However, with its hardcover format and almost 240 pages of content, this is a great buy for the right…