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52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

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dhaabi:
02. Once Upon a Katamari || PlayStation 5 || 01.07.2026



For about twenty years, I've been a fan of the Katamari series, and fourteen of those were spent long dormant apart from the occasional mobile title. So for much of my time as a fan, the series has long been dormant apart from the occasional mobile title, though I have spaced out my time playing the games released long ago and am still yet to play one original title which has been beneficial in some way for when I'm wanting to play a new game (to me) in the series. However, that's now changed after an original follow-up console entry was introduced, marked by Once Upon a Katamari (OUaK)'s release this past October. A new entry has been greatly anticipated for many years, and I decided to play it sooner than later this time.

Now, as part of a long-running series that's best summed up as an action-puzzle experience that tasks players with rolling up houses, cities, countries, the world, and beyond in an effort to create a mass of stuff, OUaK is the first game since the debut title that tries and succeeds on expanding upon its core mechanics. As its title implies, OUaK is a game that divides its myriad of stages into historical eras as players navigate throughout time. And, because of this gimmick, what's presented actually plays like a proper follow-up to the series that had grown stagnant which ultimately led to its lengthy hiatus. Before, every game centered around modern-day Japan, whereas now there are appropriately themed levels that brings forth a sense of innovation even from a design standpoint. And while there are still uniquely Japanese-themed stages, they too differ from past games that so regularly reused the same environments and assets.

At the same time, this new title introduces other mechanics and changes, most of which are welcome additions. The most important of these is the power-up items system, which are tools spread through each stage that help the player reach their goals more easily. There are only three tool types in total, and they're limited in number during each stage attempt. At first, I was hesitant about their inclusion, but they're fine additions since stages are designed with their use in mind. I'm still not thrilled by their inclusion, but I think it may have to do with how easy it is to find them. Should the game instead be designed in a way that their placement is random or even hidden from plain view like they presently are, it would make using these tools feel more fulfilling. Another aspect that's existed to some degree but is now expanded upon is the inclusion of narrative cutscenes. In certain stages, they'll feature short story scenes that provide context and the passage of time; while they serve no actual purpose to a game that largely features no plot, they're still fun animations. Meanwhile, perhaps the most interesting changes to the game is its single use of branching paths. Depending on what sort of actions one takes, the stage being played changes to one of two outcomes that results in a different environment to play and different items to collect. It's actually the kind of novelty I think would elevate the series in a stronger direction, so I hope that this mechanic returns in future installments and is more fully realized. And, lastly, a small but still negative design decision is the choice to feature the player's letter grade rank on-screen at all times, as it greatly trivializes the stage completion screen and how fun it traditionally is with The King's totally dismissive and selfish personality.

There's no disputing that OUaK is a content-rich game as it has the most amount of stages in any game thus far. However, it forgoes a lot of what makes these games feel concise while providing a cohesive sense of progression. In every past game, there was only ever one set goal to accomplish, whereas now there is a full list of objectives that, admittedly, are optional but seem so obtrusive to the experience. In short, there is a complete disregard to focus. Besides the main stage goal, there are crowns to find, tokens to earn, the performance rank to improve upon, and a series of objectives that can only be completed one at a time. As a result, OUaK abandons much of what makes the franchise great. There is a common opinion that most if not all of the games developed after series creator Keita Takahashi's departure suffer in a similar fashion, but as someone who's played nearly all of the home console titles, this is the only one that's imparted this feeling. Perhaps related to this emotion is the topic of this game's quirkiness, which the series is known for. Before, it was this strange amalgamation of consumerism and over-consumption paired with this far-out wackiness that's uniquely Japanese (especially for its debut) that shouldn't complement another but does while being so organic too. But now, that design philosophy has never before felt so forced and formulaic.

On the topic of stages, there's a little more to discuss. While the stage count total is at an all-time high, I do appreciate that some have condition barriers to meet before they're accessible. In short, this decision further incentivizes focused play and, more than likely, repeated stage playthroughs. Although unless I'm mistaken, only two stages have these sorts of unlock conditions. If implemented correctly, I think such a mechanic could make the play experience more engaging. Right now, I don't think how level conditions are being utilized is particularly successful, but though I do see greater potential in it. Conversely, an annoying aspect is that Cousins (alternative characters to play as) routinely appear one at a time after selecting a stage, even though the menu states that there's a higher number of Cousins to find. It's a small detail that's probably more annoying than anything else to the casual player, but this is a new change and only artificially inflates the time it takes to earn all the game's collectibles.

And, lastly, I'll mention some miscellaneous details worth pointing out. As any fan of the series knows, the games' soundtracks are almost paramount to the play experience, and without it, the game's ability to provide fun greatly lessens. On that note, the game's music doesn't manage to come close to the high standards that early titles established, meaning it's lackluster but fine. It really didn't leave any memorable impression on me even after a considerable amount of time was spent playing, which really means it serves as actual background music more than a crucial stage design element. Conversely, visuals remain fun. They maintain their low-poly, colorful nature but again, are much more varied and engaging than since the series began on account of the game's varied levels that go beyond modern-day Japan both in time and location. But even for some stages set in Japan, they're quite novel and more than just a simple room or neighborhood but something else entirely, and they're some of the best stages in the game because of it. I played through OUaK as a single-player experience, but there is a new co-op mode called KatamariBall that exists. While this minigame does offer capability to play with three CPU players, it's a bland experience that I imagine is far superior when played online though still significantly worse than the game's primary single-player campaign. This isn't necessarily a surprise, though, because no title has been able to provide a worthwhile multiplayer experience.

On a general level, Once Upon a Katamari has notable strengths and weaknesses, but it does show promise for what's to come in the series. Still, it's far too gimmicky with its multitude of systems and overload of in-game achievements. Perhaps that's ideal for some players, but for me, a game all about amassing a colossal ball of clutter doesn't need to be more complicated than that straightforward premise. Sometimes, what's simplest is best.

kashell:
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

No, Gehenna didn't freeze over. I completed (and for the most part enjoyed) a modern-ish The Legend of Heroes game with "Trails" in the title. The interest for this particular one started after a poll I ran gave exceedingly high praise for it. A lot of the of participants in the poll said it was a good game as a standalone, and it had better pacing than Trails in the Sky. About 45 hours later, I can attest to both of those claims being true. Indeed, this is an all-around solid RPG that doesn't require prior knowledge from other titles. While there were references, they didn't take away the spotlight from the main story and characters. I'll write a review soon, but I'll say my biggest complaint was with the fluffy yet required dialogue and story scenes. Seriously, being forced to go fishing or running five security sweeps on a theater halted pacing. Also, is it a Trails thing to make each Chapter 3 as slow as possible? The game started with a bang and continued up until the third chapter. Either way, a good RPG to finish at the start of the year.

dhaabi:
03. It Is As If You Were Doing Work || Browser || 01.10.2026



While looking for a thoughtful game to play, I came across It Is As If You Were Doing Work among developer Pippin Barr's gameography, whose works were suggested from the developers of another game I played some time ago, Something Something Soup Something (SSSS). I was hoping to play something that was just as impactful as SSSS was to me or even close to it, as it's still a game I think about every so often.

To outline It Is As If You Were Doing Work as succinctly as I'm able to, it's an introspective gaming experience about the value we as humans attribute to the act of labor, no matter how tedious or fictitious such labor may be, and then gamifying it. And, strangely, it's successful. As the in-game About text file reads, the game (or, rather, the program we as the player-character are engaged in which acts as the game we as the player are playing) "is an application created especially for those humans who feel the need to recapture an appearance of usefulness through traditional human-computer interaction." Of course, the application only exists in a theorized world where almost no human works anymore as a result of AI machine-learning having replaced human labor. So when we as the player begin, we log in to the program as one would at an office job at their personal work station. The program is a mock substitution of white-collar desk work to grant compromised or struggling individuals in this new world the opportunity to feel fulfilled by some arbitrary metric, wholly devoid of earned income but instead fueled by the work itself and the routine job title promotions we inevitably achieve.

Regarding gameplay, it's comprised of assorted tasks we're to complete that appear as pop-up windows flooding the screen. While they're all straightforward to accomplish, the effort that's required varies. Some are elementary action prompts: select the correct field option, input the desired field value, or merely click the requested button. Meanwhile, other tasks are slightly more in-depth, such as finding the correct date on a calendar. However, the most interactive task players will engage in are text fields that are often presented in the form of responding to an e-mail. During these sequences, players will actually need to press keys on the keyboard, but what appears on-screen is a pre-written message. there is always a subject the proposed e-mail is about, but the text we're implied to be typing are inspirational messages, though not generic ones people tend to think of when envisioning office space. Instead, what's typed out reinforces the program's design in re-establishing a sense of purpose to those who use it. Interestingly, tasks cannot be ignored. Time may pass resulting in their expiration, but they'll remain on-screen otherwise, meaning they'll naturally overlap one another as windows continue to appear over time. Additionally, tasks cannot be completed incorrectly; so while the program does aim to provide self-worth earned through completing tasks that are objectively simple, it does still force users to put in the minimal effort of performing them correctly.

All the while, completed tasks and just about every individual action grants a point value that leads to the user's promotion. Of course, there are no changes in how the program functions once a promotion is reached, and there aren't even differences to the types of tasks being presented. After all, there doesn't need to be. Working toward job performance milestones to earn a nonexistent promotion and seeing that subtle job title change is all that we need as struggling individuals who long for some sort of work satisfaction to feel accomplished. So, we keep working, and working, and working—until at some point, maybe we don't need the program anymore. We'll either find the sense of accomplishment we strove for and feel temporarily fulfilled or, instead, maybe we'll begin to find it all worthless. But in the context of what this fictional program and actual game is, I don't think whoever we as the player are intended to feel anything but the satisfaction we so longingly missed.

Alongside tasks to complete, there are four desktop icons to open. None of them relate to anything remotely resembling computer work, though they strangely do still award promotion points. Intermittently, the program pauses and opens a loading progress bar signifying our need to take a break. Whether these moments really serve as an intended break for the player-character or instead a stopping point for the real-life player to reflect upon what they've been doing all this time and consider stopping, I'm unsure. Maybe it's both. It's easy to just go through the motions while completing these tasks, just as it is with the work being emulated.

Something I noticed after playing while skimming through press reviews is that my takeaway upon playing was much different than others. While there is some level of humor involved in such an outlandish premise (though maybe it won't be in the years to come), I was much more analytical about my short time playing. While the game itself states that the program is for the 5% of people who haven't adapted to the change in human labor not needing to be exchanged to support one's life anymore, it only made me think of the kinds of people who live for work, so to speak, or those without any hobbies, interests, or life passions. Even when those opportunities are freely granted—when you now have full control of your life without consequence if whether you'll financially fail from doing or not doing something—there will still be people who aren't able to fathom what life is without performing work that's almost assuredly unimportant in the grand scheme of things. It's not as if I've been unaware that some people are like this all this time, though. It's just a sad reminder is all.

What's especially thought-provoking is that, in the end, It Is As If You Were Doing Work actually is just some game and not some self-help program for addicted workers out of a real job. And somehow, Barr has been able to accomplish making a game with such a tedious game loop that really does feel like work yet simultaneously has the work present itself as the game it is with its systems. When you think deeply about the topic, it's not like other gaming works people would objectively classify as games are that much different: buttons being pressed and prompts being read are noticeable similarities, but even gaming objectives such as farming resources or min-maxing character stats take on a quality to that of menial work that's devoid of fun. Maybe the line between what's work and what's play isn't all that objective.

kashell:
4. Mega Man Zero

I haven't played this series in a while and I've been meaning to, especially since they're all included in a nice, compact collection for Switch. I started with this one, and it's clear that the devs had some idea what they were doing. Their vision was there, but not fully realized. Still, for a debut, it delivers. The action is non-stop and seeing the words "level up" pertain to a weapon of Zero's is satisfying. Even more satisfying? Finishing off a damn boss! This game is indeed as brutal as they say, despite having played it a couple of times before. I plan on playing the games in order, so up next is Zero 2!

kashell:
5. Mega Man Zero 2

I'll start with the good: multiple forms to unlock, more unique Cyber Elves, a story that makes me question the game's E rating (and graphics that do the same), and an overall fun adventure that lessened some of the brutality from the first game. When you begin the final battle, there's a blood-curdling scream from the enemy that is just...something else. The dialogue is still Woolsey-ish, but the themes aren't lost because of it. Things went DARK in Zero 2, which is fitting since a lot of the story revolves around a Dark Cyber Elf. Now for the bad. Namely, the bosses. It's common knowledge that touching an enemy will damage you. This just doesn't apply to Mega Man games - it's pretty universal. For some reason, it seems to be extra egregious here in Zero 2. All of my deaths were from an enemy running into me. Never an all out attack or a projectile, but of a collision. It was...kind of annoying. Now I'm determining if I want to jump to Zero 3 or save the best for last and jump to Zero 4, instead.

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