Mongil Star Dive misses far more than it hits. Obnoxious characters weigh down a passable story, while decent gameplay is curtailed by an oppressive leveling system that feels too inhibitive to the experience.

Forza Horizon 6 is the exact sequel Horizon fans have been waiting for. A long time coming, the Japan location is definitely worth the wait. It’s stunning on the Series X in ways that are hard to describe, even if you are familiar with the country’s picturesque scenery. That, plus updates to core gameplay mechanics, like progression and even drifting, are making the wait for May even harder. [Hands-On Impressions]

The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign is incredibly ambitious, focusing on the personal lives of the heroes as they work to stop a grand evil plan. Not every choice lands as well as it could have, but overall, the experience is certainly worth playing, especially in co-op. [Campaign Review score = 75]

Cross Blitz delivers a fun and unique card game experience. While there are a few struggles with the difficulty curve, the overall presentation and gameplay are fun and varied, offering lots of replayability. [Early Access Score = 70]

Destiny Rising is a game I wish I could like. I love a great space opera, and the core of that is here. Good controls and meaningful progression lay a promising foundation. Sadly, little else about playing the game does anything to draw you back in.

If you enjoyed the previous game, you’ll love Grounded 2, it’s a big leap ahead for the series. [Early Access Score = 85]

HUNTER x HUNTER NEN x IMPACT struggles to find the fun. While its core gameplay concepts feel like a great framework for intense battles, the lack of balancing sucks the joy out of its 3v3 fights.

Ultimately, I can see what DEADCAM is trying to accomplish with this early access. It lays out a great horror foundation through its setting and presentation, but playing the game falls short of the bar this groundwork initially creates. However, if you are a die-hard horror fan looking for something new, the low price point and potential for improvements and more stories as the game continues its development may be worth it to you. [Early Access Review]

For those hoping several patches could make MindsEye into a possibly well-executed game, there’s no salvaging the mess left behind in Redrock.

The most disappointing part of La Quimera is how it struggles to bring its good ideas together, leaving them buried in lesser ideas and poor execution. In the end, those interesting ideas are buried in a lack of content and poor execution that makes it all unfun to engage with on any level. [Early Access Score = 30]

I wanted to like Captain Blood. A throwback title without the modern faff that comes with so many newer releases was refreshing…Still, Captain Blood’s lacking design and poor tuning make it an absolute chore to play through. It quickly wears through any goodwill or nostalgia it might have benefited from and ultimately has very little going for it.

Steel Hunters nails its PvP fights so well that its lackluster looting and PvE encounters are all the more disappointing, especially as they take up most of each match’s time. There is still some fun to be found here, especially if you can bring a friend along to strategize with, but eschewing stakes in exchange for simplicity leaves little reason to come back after a few play sessions. Why keep trudging through boring piles of loot and boring fights to find kernels of fun when the rewards that don’t offer much in return? [Early Access Review]

The weapons already in the game are solid, although not all of their systems work as well as they could. But thanks to early access, there is potential for the future. Possible updates that can expand what is already there and improve some of the game’s weaker aspects. Hopefully, it can leverage its position and early strengths to ascend to a special place within the genre. [Early Access Review]

Sure, it’s not perfect yet. But with its gorgeous landscapes, detailed systems, and a roadmap full of potential, Manor Lords has all the makings of a future classic. [Early Access Score = 70]

While there is some fun to be had, SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada offers a mostly tedious experience in many ways. The gameplay is ridiculously arduous and painfully repetitive, the performance is barely acceptable, and its monetization model is questionable.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a modern arcade racer, for better or worse. Even with its unique depiction of races with its SP system, and Tokyo highway setting, the monotony quickly sinks in. Regardless, there is the promise of a fun racing game that is reminiscent of PS2-era grunge racing games. That potential can be reached with refinement and by valuing the player’s time. [Early Access Review]

Aloft is an ambitious undertaking of a game. There is a lot here with one to eight-person co-op, an island editor (which I could not use in the current build), a vast world, and a really engrossing building system with over 600 parts to play with. However, with technical issues, a repetitive game loop, and too much empty space, early access feels like missing essential elements that help create longevity. That said, if the team can smooth out the jagged edges, Aloft can reach its potential. [Early Access Review]

Path of Exile 2‘s difficulty, combat, art, and map designs are something that keep pulling you in. No matter how many times you die, or how many times you have to adjust your build, you just keep coming right back. This is a game that is firing on absolutely all cylinders and shows no signs of slowing down. [Early Access Score = 95]

I have no doubt that Throne and Liberty will find a niche in the MMO community that it somehow speaks to. And I’m happy for those people that they will find something to enjoy here. But for most players, I don’t think Throne and Liberty will have anything valuable.

With Stormgate launching in early access, there is always the chance that it will improve with sufficient development time. As it stands at release, however, it is difficult to see why an RTS player would pick Stormgate over more established competition. Its simplistic mechanics make matches grow boring quickly. Its story and world are so poorly developed that they are not even worth mentioning. With its heavily in-progress state, it seems better to wait and see if it improves before investing time in checking it out. [Early Access Review]

From better versions of characters available for a premium to its ammo types and generic clean science-fiction setting, there is little about The First Descendant that feels original. Every element feels like a cheap facsimile of the successes of other loot-based games without understanding what makes those systems work in their original contexts. This leaves The First Descendant feeling like an online shop with the imitation of a game built around it with gameplay and mechanics relegated to second-thoughts at best.

After numerous hours bouncing between fun, if repetitive combat, and annoying characters occupying a forgettable story, Zenless Zone Zero falls well short of what it needs to be.

No Rest for the Wicked is off to a promising start. With great combat, a gorgeous world, and an intriguing story, there’s much to dive into, even in its Early Access form. Ironing out the performance issues and having a good flow of content will be critical to the game’s long-term survival. I’m excited for the adventure to come with future updates. [Early Access Review]

It is hard to discern just who South Park: Snow Day! is for. Diehard South Park fans will not get much out of its lackluster references and lack of new ideas for the franchise. Meanwhile, those who care more about playing a fun game won’t find the mechanical complexity that can be found in previous franchise RPGs.

Nightingale is starting off in an okay place as an early-access title. With time and some polish, Nightingale could capitalize on its unique setting and strong core mechanics to stand out from its peers. In its current state, however, Nightingale is a tough sell. For players who love its aesthetic or the genre overall, Nightingale likely has enough on offer that is worth exploring. For others, though, it is likely better to wait for the developer’s planned updates and improvements to be released. [Early Access Review]

Enshrouded may only be entering early access, but there is already so much to see and do in the wonderful world of Embervale. Keen Games did not cut any corners when creating this excellent sandbox. Players will surely enjoy it as it evolves during the early access period. [Early Access Review]

Pioneers of Pagonia may only be in early access, but it is already showing signs of a truly impressive city-builder. The depth of mechanics and thrill of exploration help make it stand out in a genre full of imitators, and if the gameplay balance can be kept while making further additions, it will quickly become a game to remember. [Early Access Review]

With the source material being so well known for its quality, it’s a shame Bluey: The Videogame is nowhere near as good in writing, gameplay, animation, or anything for that matter. Even with the target audience being young gamers or parents wanting their kids to try something they are familiar with, it’s hard to see many people finding joy here.