Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a fun action game to start 2025. If you’re a fan of the previous entries in the series, this is a great pickup to continue the momentum. If you’ve never played a Dynasty Warriors game, Origins can still be fun but you may want to wait until it’s available on sale. The action will keep you hooked, but you’ll want to look away from the screen during the boring story scenes. 2025 is set to be a big year for gaming, and Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a great way to start things off.

Primal Survivors is an average title with nothing to really make it stand out or be remarkable in any way. Afil Games has been pumping out titles lately, but I'd like to see what they could do with a little more time on a single game as opposed to the mad rush of cornucopia titles.

I'm not going to be the one to tell you not to buy it, but I'm also not going to be the one to give a glowing review of a game that does leave a bit to be desired. What I will do is simply say that F1 23 is still an enjoyable enough game to justify passing up on purchasing this year's edition.

Despite its dated graphics, stand control choices and ugly character models, there's still plenty to love about the Hotel Renovator. Whether you're trying to make your lobby more presentable, finding accommodations for a survivalist that wants a sleeping bag and tent in their room or just helping your run-of-the-mill vampire find a place for the night, it's a nice surprise. So before the game's graphics have you running for the door, take a stab at this with your steely knives.

Another Code: Recollection collects the original Another Code with its sequel Another Code: R which never saw a North American release. While the original DS title was an absolute classic with clever puzzles that require unique usage of the DS's features, the simplified and dumbed-down Switch rerelease turns the puzzle game into a basic visual novel. While the first game's story is unique, the sequel is painfully slow to get through. Despite my love for the original, this is a very hard game to recommend, especially given its $60 price point.

Caves of Lore can be addicting for any adventurer looking for variety and diversity in RPG exploring. I would caution anyone looking for a straightforward saga with easily accessible quests, Caves of Lore is for stat managers and detail oriented gamers. It would seem that Caves of Lore is already picking up praise as the game has won the Gold Award from Games Without Borders and has a 96% positive rating on Steam. Mike Robins spent a lot of time and details on making sure this gem scratches that old-school itch and he nailed it.

Detective Pikachu 2 makes a lot of fun choices to make sure gamers know the story will differ from the movie. But different doesn’t equal interesting. While there are many interesting plot points, they are separated by miles of incredibly simple and boring game play that challenges players at the same level most children’s programming does, by waving the answer directly in your face. Younger gamers will get a kick out of this low stakes detective story but older gamers are in for an absolute slog.

It’s hard not to enjoy Mortal Kombat 1, but the main story is too tied into the overall gameplay, which makes the “it doesn’t make sense” execution of it too difficult to ignore. The events of the story itself indicate that none of this should not be happening. While the rest of the game goes off without a hitch, the plot holes of lore-heavy focus and deep integration of its story take away from what Mortal Kombat 1 really could be.

While WrestleQuest’s well written and heartfelt story combined with it’s fun 16-bit throwback sprites look like it’s getting ready for a Royal Rumble, the combat and the game breaking bugs get it launched out of the ring almost immediately. There’s potential here for a killer game here, but it needed to spend more time in gym before making it’s debut.

Lies of P is a fun game with solid combat mechanics and a really pleasing aesthetic. A creepy factor is aided by unique twists. But it falls short when compared to the finesse and balance of other games in this genre.

If you want a simple and clean action RPG that loves immature humor and the zombie apocalypse then you should give Eternights a try. It won’t make you delete Resident Evil, Breath of the Wild, Persona, or Darksiders, but there is enough meat on the bone to get this game on sale. Play it for the dark sci-fi story and the fun of playing anime Tinder, but also thank your lucky stars that this game is 1000% less complicated than Kingdom Hearts.

Madden 24 features some excellent on-field improvements and the gameplay is fun but the rest of the game is the same tired experience we’ve been playing for years.

Even though the game is fun in its own way, at launch there just isn’t enough about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to make it anything but mid. Hopefully given time, it will get new content but all we can do is wait and see.

Arcadian Atlas is a serviceable return to the older Square tactics titles of years past; but, sometimes it feels as if they went too far back, missing many of the modern features that make the newer entries more exciting.

As far as games for kids go, Disney’s Illusion Island provides a quality and challenge rarely seen in modern games for younger players. But if you’re an older gamer looking to play an interesting and unique Metroidvania, you’re more than likely going to find yourself disappointed by the bland stage design and the swarms of copy and pasted enemies.

An intriguing and exciting concept that is completely removed due to its monotonous and repetitive execution. Fans of the narrative genre will appreciate the game and its new approach, but quickly realize where it falls short. As a result, we go from a revolutionary concept for the genre to an average title overall that can only be improved upon with future titles.

Behind a terrific and exciting wrestling system in AEW Fight Forever is some odd choices, unfortunate hiccups, annoying quirks, and dumb limitations. Yukes fulfilled their promise to make an arcade game that felt like No Mercy. The problem is that we should have been more careful about what we wished for because a game made in the 90s is lacking a lot of important stuff. A wrestling fan who is looking for a good AEW time is going to be serviced by this offering. Anyone who is looking for proper competition to WWE should hold out (or wait for much-needed updates). If you absolutely need to have this game be portable than you can rest knowing the Switch has your back. Everyone else should just get it on Steam.

With so many scary games to choose from in recent years, Amnesia: The Bunker wouldn’t be my first or fifth go-to for horror. Even though the game starts strong, it’ predecessors are fierce competitors in terms of mechanics and scares. Amnesia: The Bunker is a good game but not a great one.

Death or Treat has a few good qualities but is held back by a design that’s intrinsic setup is outshined by poor execution.

The lack of gear and infuriating combat mechanics leave much to be desired from what could have been a gorgeous and fun game about monster slaying.

While a really fun experience, its lacking environments and incredibly short playtime make this a hard game to recommend at full price. But it most definitely is a game worth playing on sale or if you have it already and want to check out the PS5 or Xbox Series X upgrades. The frustrating combat scenes, simple environments and plain environments make it hard for even Lo Wang to quip into greatness.

Wanted: Dead is a game made to entertain, and while it does have some inconsistencies and imperfections, it does just that.

The Cosmic Shake’s biggest advantage is unfortunately its biggest flaw as it does too much for the kind of game it is. As a result, it suffers as a slightly above average game that only kids and a few nostalgia soaked adults will enjoy.

Fire Emblem: Engage feels like a massive step backward from both Awakening and Three Houses. Losing many of the features that made modern Fire Emblem games, ironically, engaging, we’re left with a barebones game that barely feels like a Fire Emblem title. Stories are poorly written, characters are barely fleshed out anime tropes, graphics are muddled, and the series’ signature bold and clear tactical battlefields have been replaced with PS2 era maps with indistinguishable tiny 3D models on them that look near identical until the camera swoops in.

Amazing graphics and talented voice acting isn’t enough to save The Callisto Protocol from the beast that is bad game mechanics. The game is its own worst enemy.

For a game made by the same studio responsible for the previous two Bayonetta games, it’s strange how often Bayonetta 3 feels like a poorly made fan project. The story that has been built up has been thrown to the wayside to introduce a tired “multiverse” concept. All the confidence and character development has been completely scraped in favor of turning her into a loving motherly type character in constant need of saving. Wonky camera angles and visuals make it look like this game should have gone back into the over for another year. It’s playable and, at times, fun, but as part of a series, it’s quite possibly the weakest chapter.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed had the potential to be a rockin’ asymmetrical game with references to the movies we love. However, redundancy, cross-play issues and lack of content make it a mediocre installment.

S.W.A.N.: Chernobyl Unexplored had so much potential to be one of the creepier games to play this spooky season, but it just bites off more than it can chew and takes the player out of the environment too much, ruining the effect.

Bugs, lackluster graphics and questionable design choices prevent Temtem from becoming the Pokemon alternative many had hoped it would be.

Ooblets has the potential to be a fantastic and calming game to fill the void lack of Animal Crossing updates. But long load times and numerous bugs turn what should be an adorable and relaxing game into a frustrating experience.

Kirby’s Dream Buffet is cute and is undeniably Kirby, but so is a still picture of Kirby. A stunning lack of variety mixed with surprising lag issues for a game with so few players equates to a massive swing-and-a-miss that is likely to kill people’s interest long before Nintendo ever gets around to fixing its network issues.

If 3D platforming, action-adventure, and puzzle games are your thing, XEL is going to fulfill your needs and then some. It comes with a compelling story, solid gameplay mechanics, and a beautiful world that is yours to explore freely. But until the bugs are solved, this incredible title is going to continue to be held back not by its design flaws, but by its mechanical ones.

Neon White introduces many interesting ideas but arranges them in front of you like items at a garage sale. The stage design is simplistic, the gameplay gets old quickly, and the characters and dialogue feel like they’re about a decade or more misplaced with references to pop culture icons that are no longer en vogue. Neon White is an interesting play but, ultimately, it feels like you’re playing a tech demo for something that is supposed to be much bigger.

While there isn’t anything to make Evil Dead: The Game stand out among the other asymmetrical survival horror games, what the game does, it does really well. However, that sameness will get old fairly fast.

If you are looking for a game with a lot of substance, then Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus isn’t the game for you. But, if you want to kill a few hours trying to solve a mystery, then you can do a lot worse than trying to save your favorite uncle.

If you like the indie feeling of a dark and dreary walking simulator with no actual need for a camera, then 35MM may be the game for you. However, it seems maybe PC is the better home for it.

It may be a few years too late, but WWE 2K22 improves on the series in almost every way. The combat system being changed and made more reminiscent of a fighting game makes the matches faster and more exciting.

The Company Man is a serviceable platformer that shows a lot of promise with innovative ideas and clever premises. But it fails to live up to expectations and feels like a missed opportunity to be something more. If you’re looking for a Mega Man clone with some solid workplace puns then this has you covered for about three hours.

Arcadia Fallen is a solid visual novel with branching baths based on character interactions, romance options and how you ultimately choose to educate your character. Some of the voice acting is a little rough and the art style is devoid of things we’ve come to expect from visual novels, like splash pages that actually show what your character is doing. Despite its flaws, Arcadia Fallen is a fantastic visual novel game, and a solid first step for Galdra Studios.

The environments are gorgeous and the game runs smoothly across all platforms, but uninspiring gameplay and a lackluster story leave much to be desired in this entirely mediocre action-adventure platformer.

If you are a fan of traversal-based games, or you just want a quick indie game to play through, I do not think you can go wrong with Solar Ash. The repetitive gameplay, poor PS5 optimization, and lack of replayability are definite downsides, but it is still a fun and intense game to play.

Date Night Bowling is a fun arcade-style bowling game with many silly mini-games. In that it understands the assignment and makes it really fun. The pixel art also shines in many of the scenes providing a ton of charm. But the dating part is a bit of a letdown with recycled dialogue and a lack of depth to the characters’ stories. Ultimately you have a fun, lightly dating-themed bowling game that’s good for a fun co-op experience with someone but not great for a single player actually looking for a dating sim.

Everything genuinely good about this game exists mostly because the original Diamond and Pearl games had a good story and interesting characters. This game takes all those and rehashes it only through the veil of basic 3D characters that have the mobility of Funko Pops. Boring textures and an almost purposeful lack of detail takes something that was originally served as a masterful dish and converts it into a repackaged microwaved TV dinner.

Everything genuinely good about this game exists mostly because the original Diamond and Pearl games had a good story and interesting characters. This game takes all those and rehashes it only through the veil of basic 3D characters that have the mobility of Funko Pops. Boring textures and an almost purposeful lack of detail takes something that was originally served as a masterful dish and converts it into a repackaged microwaved TV dinner.

If you had high expectations for GTA: The Trilogy Definitive Edition, that’s going to be your downfall with these games. The Trilogy is just alright and the upgraded graphics don’t cancel out the missing content and the infuriating bugs. Either play the originals or wait until the remastered games are on sale.

With all of the potential of an awesome futuristic FPS game at their fingertips, DICE and EA drop the ball on Battlefield 2042 with mediocre multiplayer, server issues and no solo campaign. Great ideas and great graphics can only go so far without a great execution.

A middling exploration game with subpar fighting mechanics, it’ll be harder to enjoy Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles if you’re not already a fan.

While a terrific game in it’s own right, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut just doesn’t cut it on Nintendo Switch. Lengthy loading times between small rooms and different floors of buildings makes the game drag enough to completely lose the narrative flow, which is a big problem considering narrative is its primary focus. If load times get fixed alongside the poor A.I. that tends to get your character lost while trying to look at something two feet in front of them, you got a great portable game. Until then, it’s all some what of a bummer.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits takes us on a whimsical tale that’s both predictable and familiar, but also something brand new with the way that it’s presented. Between the the back and forth moments of polish and unpolished gameplay lays an absolute gem of a game.

With a story that’s just okay and controls that make you want to pull your hair out, the great audio and voice acting are overshadowed. Watching someone else play it would be the more satisfying route to experience The Medium.

While fans of the series will enjoy seeing the final No More Heroes story that ends SUDA51’s incredible run with Travis Touchdown, it’s impossible to ignore the game’s faults. It’s fun, but suffers from many issues that make this game seem like a work in progress. Poor movement and driving controls, a clunky camera, and dated graphics plague what could have been a much better game if SUDA51 was more willing to adapt to the capabilities of modern systems.

Even if you forgive the nightmarish art style and the dated quest methods, as it is a remake of a decade-old game, it doesn’t forgive The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for having awful controls and a complete lack of quality of life features.

Despite some fun new weapons, a new playable character, and some challenging post-game content, Pulse of the Ancients, the first DLC offering for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity’s Expansion Pass doesn’t add much in terms of new stages, storylines, or campaigns. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Pulse of the Ancients likely won’t entice back players who have already completed the main campaign with its lack of strong post-game content, but for players looking to get a few more hours of gameplay, it will more than provide an adequate experience.

While the gameplay had its fun moments and it didn’t make me rage quit even once, the saving system (or lack thereof) really put a wrench in the overall experience. Green Hell is the best survival game I’ve played, but let’s be honest, the bar isn’t all that high and it’s like the best house on a bad block.

Mario Golf: Super Rush is a solid hit for the Mario Golf franchise. It’s probably as fluid as it has ever been. It plays very well and is really easy to pick up, even for people who have never touched a golfing video game. Unfortunately, it falls short in terms of content, which only really allows it to be enjoyed in bursts.

Wonder Boy returns except it’s actually Monster World and you’re a girl. This is the least confusing part of this mess of a remake featuring Dreamcast era graphics, poor translations, and lazy settings and textures that create a situation that is less of a history lesson on Wonder Boy and more an essay on why some things should just be left to history.

Great ideas, good connections, some decent customization, and large battles only get you so far. Every place Chivalry 2 seems to succeed, you quickly find a shortcoming. While not terrible, it’s a tough game to recommend to just any player.

I’ve played many difficult platformers in my time but this isn’t the way to go about. Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection does everything you’d expect out of a game from this famous franchise but painful controls and lifeless graphics make me question why something as advanced as the RE2 Engine needed to be busted out when this game looks like it was done completely in Flash.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends has a great premise, both in terms of thematic setting and core gameplay mechanics, but underdelivers on both fronts.

Subnautica: Below Zero feels like more of Subnautica, and that is only a good thing to a certain extent. Where it falls short by copying its predecessor is in the story and thematic department, making it feel like an uneventful and unimportant step in the series.

Evil Genius 2 is a beautiful game that is created by a team that had an obvious love for spy comics/cartoons. However, after the first few hours, the game lacks a diversity of content for players to explore.

Although the fun in traversing through Belles’ Hells and beating a variety of Kleshas will keep you engrossed in the game, it will start feeling a bit repetitive after a while. It lacks engagement in some areas where I expected a bit more. This unique storyline of various girls and your precious bond with your soulmate Ms. Poisonette put this game ahead of certain RPGs.

While Pac-Man 99 brings that fun, fast-paced nature of Tetris 99 to yet another beloved franchise, it doesn’t translate as well here. Many of the rules never get explained and poor visual choices make for an occasionally scream-summoning experience, even for a veteran Pac-Man player like myself.

Relicta has a lot of clever ideas that are marred by a heavy lack of polish. Unnecessarily large hub worlds littered with an oversaturation of clone items, like benches and beanbag chairs, broken and muddy textures, and a wealth of characters that all feel written in the same voice, create a world that felt less like an escape and more like a chore. This is a game that seems so confused by the capability of magnets, I’m surprised Insane Clown Posse wasn’t given a special thanks in the end credits.

As far as Picross games go, this game is middle of the road. It offers nothing new and devolves into basic pictures of birds and animals once it goes through a few Hatsune Miku puzzles. As far as a Hatsune Miku game though, it’s a huge disappointment. None of the iconic songs are present nor the animation quality. It’s just a Picross game with pictures of Hatsune Miku taped over it.

Bravely Default II ticks off all boxes for people looking for an old school, turn-based RPG experience but at the same time makes it very difficult for the casual gamer to enjoy it. Even if you get a hang of the gameplay, the story is such a remarkable slog, and the dialogue delivered at such a slow pace that it could easily replace melatonin as my go-to sleep aid. If you’re here for this sort of game, they do wonderfully with their dedication to the job system and the enemy design, and even if it’s not necessarily my jam, I can absolutely respect the work and effort put into this.

Although there are some surprisingly strong stealth elements in the gameplay, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood’s mediocre combat, dull characters, and boring plot makes this experience an average one at best.

While Natsuki Chronicles doesn’t add anything new to the genre, it definitely has a lot to offer those who are fans of bullet hell games. Despite a very distracting story mixed with equally distracting visuals, the game is a real fun time with plenty of unlocks to keep the replay value high.

If you go into The Medium with very high hopes, you will be disappointed, but if you walk in just looking for some eerie atmospheres, some award-winning voice acting and some nostalgic horror feels, then you will have some fun.

While it’s an interesting piece of history for die-hard Nintendo fans, going back before the hundreds of quality of life features Nintendo gradually added to the series feels punishing to anyone but the purest of purists.

Solid controls and fun exploration mechanics are somewhat marred by graphical slowdown and constant darkness — both in lighting and in depressing visuals and themes.

Super Meat Boy Forever would be a great iOS or mobile game; but, unfortunately, that is not what Team Meat delivered. It feels cheap in its gameplay and bits of its presentation. Although, it was nice to see Edmund McMillen have fun with his animations.

While there are redeeming qualities in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the multiplayer offering just can’t hold up to its predecessor and the cross-platform bundle doesn’t offer enough to make up for the price boost on PS5.

While I haven’t seen a game use this many of another game’s components since Super Mario Brothers 2, it definitely has it’s moments. Unfortunately, these moments are repeated till even the exciting parts are redundant and boring. Also, a beat’em up without multiplayer is just a cardinal sin.

Horace is an enjoyable game filled with interesting platforming mechanics. Unfortunately, its fun platforming and brilliant pixel art are buried beneath a pile of constant pop culture references, an obsessive need for close-ups and a plethora of free domain music.

While The Suicide of Rachel Foster has the environmental and graphical potential to be an incredibly spooky and mysterious horror game, it becomes a frustrating and uncomfortable story that never really gives a cathartic ending and therefore squanders its narrative and horror potential.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning on the PS4 is a fun and well-written game that, unfortunately, is nearly ruined by the remastered version’s ridiculously long load times. If load times don’t concern you, then you may enjoy this underrated action-RPG that was originally developed by a fantasy “dream-team” that included author R.A. Salvatore, comic artist Todd McFarlane, and game designer Ken Rolston.

There’s no denying that Super Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy are all masterpieces of their time. But without modern trimmings, this is a series that will only fully be appreciated by incredibly hardcore fans. Newcomers to these games may find themselves quickly turned off by the limitations of older software and controls. So while fun, the lack of effort put into Super Mario 3D All-Stars is very disappointing.

NBA 2K21 remains a top-tier basketball simulation game, although one that has seemingly maxed out its potential on current-gen systems. Things like the shooting difficulty can and will be adjusted with patches over time. If you put in the time and work, you’ll probably learn to love the new skill gap it provides, but it’s definitely not for everyone. And that’s where NBA 2K21 misses its mark; it feels geared more towards the hardcore competitive community, leaving casual players and fans feeling lost and overwhelmed.

While definitely not for the online competitive community due to the game’s lag issues, manga/anime fans looking for a fun time are going to really enjoy how well all of these characters translate into the game, even if they're sometimes a bit nightmarish.

As is the case with Paper Mario: The Origami King, Nintendo’s ability to make consistently beautiful games will almost always manage to keep their scores above average; but, their recent refusal to make a game that does not insist on dragging the player through extremely easy gameplay, holding the player’s hand the entire time, will continue to keep their score low. This is not even mentioning the abysmal battle system.

Star Horizon is a solid action shooter. It’s great if you’re just looking to fly around and shoot ships but if you’re looking for the promised story, Star Horizon is about as good as a Jill Sandwich.

Before We Leave puts creativity to the test and while it has potential, it fails to reach beyond the stars and truly embrace the vastness of exploration and city-building.

Resident Evil 3 has swapped out the horror genre for action-adventure, which makes for a short, yet highly-enjoyable campaign. Resident Evil: Resistance will leave you wishing the story was much longer than six hours and the cut sequences from the original game had made it to the final product.

The Bayonetta Remaster is an interesting time capsule that didn’t get a whole lot cleaned up for its 10th Anniversary. Stellar controls and excellent enemy design constantly combat a terrible camera and painful cutscenes.

The Vanquish Remaster brings a ton of much-needed, fast-paced, arcade fun back into the third-person shooter world. Excellent design, goofy characters and vibrant environments make this a pleasant playthrough even 10 years later.

Journey to the Savage Planet is a game about exploration and looking for a change of pace in progression. It’s rewarding to those who take things slower or have a knack for adventure. It’s definitely on the easier side but has a gameplay loop that offers a bit of everything with sharp responsiveness. The parts that Journey to the Savage Planet really excel in don’t last for too long.

Earth’s greatest defender, our boy Goku, deserves the best; instead, we only get a title that is competent, not exceptional. Die-hard fans — and even casual ones looking for a bit of nostalgia fuel — will have a blast at points, but it’s hard to recommend Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for anyone else.

Ancestors is a beautiful game that pits you against all odds in the simulated perspectives of our forebears. Go about through millions of years of evolution, but don’t expect your hand to be held throughout. It’s about exploration, survival, and learning. Curiosity and patience have to be your biggest drivers to get by. Aside from questionable AI choices and oftentimes monotonous tasking, it’s an interesting experience.

New Super Lucky’s Tale does boast a couple of significant improvements over the original version but it’s still a fairly forgettable 3D platformer on a console loaded with great ones.

Indivisible is a solid enough game to dive into, even if it is seriously flawed. The visuals are stellar, characters are likable as hell, and experimenting with a plethora of different characters in combat can certainly be entertaining. But the inner-core of the experience doesn’t shine quite as bright as its exterior shell, and in failing to do so makes more of a game that seems like it was a bit too ambitious for its own good.

Cat Quest II is pretty much more of the same you experienced in the first game. It’s a winning formula though, so that’s not a bad thing just yet, but could be in future entries to the series.

Knights and Bikes is a great and a beautiful way to kill a handful of hours with a friend. You can play solo but as a game with such a heavy focus on friendship, it only seems right to have a friend by your side, either physically or virtually, to go on a colorful adventure and deal with some real life heavy subjects.

If video games were cars, NHL 20 would be a modest update to last year’s model that looks shinier while functioning and operating better as a whole. Video games are not cars, however, and the lack of new gameplay modes, as well as core functions remaining sadly untouched, hold it back from greatness.

Ripe for narrative potential, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a brilliant concept overwrought with unnecessarily padded questing, turning a winning linear FPS formula into an ARPG grind fest.

What you get with Team Sonic Racing is what you honestly better than you might expect from any modern game bearing the Sonic moniker. It’s a flawed but mostly competent kart racer that is budget priced and might be fine for kids who like the blue hedgehog and his furry friends.

Though it introduces new ideas and perspectives to players, the final episode of The Walking Dead drags on a bit too long in order to bring Clementine’s seven-year journey to a close.

One Piece: World Seeker can certainly offer serious fans of the franchise something with its resplendent visuals and a solid story, but the lack of polish and often unpleasant gameplay make it a poor attempt at capturing the magic of the popular anime.