Destructoid

There are some novel ideas here, and if you’re looking for something outside the RPG status quo and with a darker vibe, Monark could fit the bill. Just go in knowing that it can get arduous, and you’ll need to overlook those faults to find what Monark does that’s really different.

That’s not to say that GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is bad. It didn’t succeed in completely killing my enthusiasm for a new game in a forgotten series. No. It just made me want a deeper, more polished experience, and that’s not the worst thing for a game to do.

Its aesthetic is well executed. Its flavor of humor seeps into all facets of the UI and even the music. The tunes that get played at you are a mix of visual novel style elevator music and elevator music that is underscored by loud purring and every note is played as a “meow.” It’s almost cute until everything gets drowned out by a pained, feral grunt.

The King of Fighters XV represents SNK’s strongest efforts to reignite the flames of its most prestigious franchise. With fantastic fighting action, a compelling roster, splendid visuals, and revamped online options, KoF XV is a treat for both series veterans and the fighting game community at large, though newcomers may still find themselves dizzied by its myriad mechanics and steep learning curve.

Sol Cresta isn’t just a revival of a classic franchise, it’s a fully-fledged shmup that stands on its own two feet. It’s a bit of an ask price-wise, but the polish speaks for itself.

Horizon Forbidden West is adopting some tried and true classic open-world design philosophies, too. Crafting and gathering are back, and it’s still just as serviceable as it was before. The crafting wheel keeps things efficient, and the detective vision (Focus) still justifies itself more than a lot of other projects.

Sifu is a challenge worth taking on and overcoming. It’s a story of vengeance with a little heart at the end, and though it might not land perfectly, it’s got a lot of style and action to back it up.

It’s fine that it isn’t the best game — it deserves the same care when it comes to porting as any other game. Just seeing it get another chance warms my heart, even if it doesn’t quite itch my trigger fingers.

Infernax boasts neat pixelated visuals, great “horror comic” artwork, a pleasing chiptune score, and one hell of a challenge — packaged with the sort of bloodlust and satanic panic that might’ve seen it land in front of the senate 35 years ago. I miss those days. And, if you do too, then perhaps a weekend with Infernax is just what your sanitized brain needs.

Power to the People is well executed in everything it does. It’s aesthetically pleasing, has that horn-heavy soundtrack that almost every city-builder uses to lull you into a trance, and there wasn’t any part of the formula that I didn’t feel was locked solid.