Sign in Subscribe
Impression

Gaming when life is tough - Games Round Up July & August 2026

Kasur

• 4 min read
Share
Granblue Fantasy Relink key art showing Gran clashing swords with sparks flying in close combat

The past two months have been very hard for me. For the first time in my life I felt so numb that even my favorite hobby in the world barely gave me any joy. I still tried and played a lot of different titles for a bit during this period of time and want to give them a brief impression in this post.

Denshattack!

This game was honestly my biggest surprise of the year and possibly the only game on this list that I might still want to give a full review to in the future. Denshattack is a game that on paper isn't really for me. It's hard to describe, but it mixes games like Tony Hawk together with a more classic arcade-like level structure.

You play as a train rider and do wild tricks with a train. This sounds as crazy as it is. What makes Denshattack so amazing though is how creative it is. No two levels feel the same; new mechanics keep getting introduced. Denshattack is one of those games that feels different to play every hour.

Denshattack gameplay screenshot showing a train grinding through a stylized forest level in Kochi Prefecture

Splatoon Raiders

I loved my short time with Splatoon Raiders. It takes the core gameplay from Splatoon 1-3 and puts a fully new spin on it. Splatoon Raiders is more like an Action RPG. With tons of different items and skills to equip, you truly build your own character, and at times it does feel like a mini Path of Exile.

The game is also on the harder side, which really surprised me. Honestly, I feel that if Splatoon Raiders had come out at a different time in my life, this could have become one of the highlights of the year for me. However, as it stands, I did have a few really good hours with Splatoon Raiders, and if you're looking for a fun game with tons of customization, then Raiders is the right pick for you.

Splatoon Raiders screenshot showing Inkling characters standing next to a diving suit machine on a wooden dock

Two anime Action RPGs that came out around the same time. Granblue Fantasy was a blast at first for me. I played the Switch 2 version and it was very charming at first. The structure felt like a small MMORPG combined with Monster Hunter-like missions.

At a quest counter you select a quest. Sometimes those happen in smaller open worlds with many enemies, and sometimes you focus purely on a boss encounter. Those are really MMO-like, with attacks that affect certain areas on the floor and require tactics to beat.

Over time you unlock more and more characters that all play very differently. This almost feels like many modern gacha games, which brings me to DragonSword: Awakening. This game is pretty much a Genshin Impact clone, but as a buy-to-play game without any gacha elements. When I say clone, I really mean clone. The world, the way characters level up, the way you farm resources, it's all Genshin Impact but without the same level of polish.

Both games felt good but not amazing to me. Again, at another point in my life I might have played them more, but in the end both are in the typical 7-8/10 area. Good games if you like the genre, but no must-plays.

Granblue Fantasy Relink gameplay screenshot showing a four person party fighting enemies in a snowy ruined temple

Cozy Games that calm your soul: Fields of Mistria & ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs

In the worst of times, when nothing worked anymore, I turned to cozy gaming. ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs is a special little shoutout I want to make. I still plan on playing it more and exploring it fully, but the idea behind it is amazing.

You own a small electronics shop in Tokyo, and customers come to you to repair their old Game Boys, MP3 players or Tamagotchis. The repair itself is simple enough to be relaxing, but at the same time there is some complexity to it. For example, sometimes parts are simply broken, so you order other broken devices to take out good parts and fix your customer's device.

There is also a small and charming story attached to your customers, and in general this game just has an amazing vibe and attention to detail.

Last on the list I want to talk about Fields of Mistria. As a child I was a huge Harvest Moon fan, but in recent years no farming game could really get me the same way. However, Fields of Mistria is special.

Fields of Mistria pixel art screenshot showing two characters talking outside a stone cottage

On one side it feels like your typical farming game, but well executed. All the elements are there — farming, the mine, dating characters, taking care of animals. But Fields of Mistria ties all of this together with a great sense of progression.

This is for two reasons. On one hand, Fields of Mistria always shows you something exciting on the horizon. Be it a new tool, a house for the farm animals, or an upgrade for your bags — there is simply always something to work for. On the other hand, Fields of Mistria brings magic into the farming sim.

Over time you learn spells and can spend points on a skill tree that gives you many different and exciting permanent upgrades. From all the games I mentioned above, Fields of Mistria is the one I played the most during the time I felt the worst. It gives you enough cozy feeling to be relaxing and enough great progression to keep you motivated.