At first glance, In Stars and Time seems like a simple turn-based RPG. But through its amazing story, the game becomes so much more.

After a bit of a letdown last year, Football Manager 2024 gives new life to a storied franchise. As far as management simulators go, Football Manager 2024 remains among the absolute best of them.

Super Mario RPG does a great job of mixing charming characters and fun, intuitive gameplay into an easy-to-enjoy package. Despite a few stumbles along the way, this classic journey largely lives up to its reputation, giving fans, new and old, something wonderful to experience.

American Arcadia covers a unique scenario with a great story and beautiful environments. Its mix of 2-D sidescrolling platforming sections and 3-D exploration of the outside world shakes up what could quickly become monotonous.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III recycles old ideas in a stale package that is a downright slog for most of the experience. It commits the ultimate sin of being boring, and it does not bode well for the future of a franchise that, for the last 20 years, has been the pinnacle of popular FPS games.

Persona 5 Tactica is a great example of how to do a spin-off game right by balancing familiar components with a new approach. There is plenty to enjoy for new and old fans alike and everything is tied together in a package that is equal parts approachable and fulfilling.

Remnant II: The Awakened King is a gratifying experience. As a one-shot adventure that players can jump into regardless of whether or not they have completed the main campaign makes it approachable for all players, new or veteran.

Conclusively, Zipp's Cafe is about the desire to start over. Life can be cruel, but you don't have to be, so come to terms with the past and brew the best cup of coffee in all the Wilderness.

Cobalt Core provides a memorable story with fun characters, tense gameplay moments, and a payoff that is nearly unmatched. Despite the characters’ best attempts to escape the loop, it’s a game that you should play over and over.

Whether it’s embedding yourself in Paell or running dungeon after dungeon, you won’t want to put Cuisineer down.

Age of Wonders 4: Empires and Ashes gives players plenty of new content to dive into. This DLC is larger than the previous one and it feels that way while playing…If you love playing Age of Wonders 4 and are looking to try a new way to forge empires then “Empires and Ashes” really showcases that.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 isn’t shabby, but it isn’t shining either.

WarioWare: Move It! is a great entry in the series, making excellent use of the JoyCons’ high-definition motion controls in classic absurd Wario fashion.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name may not be as long as other games in the series, but it still provides a deep sandbox in which to lose yourself for hours, whether it’s in the arena, the arcade, or simply helping out around the neighborhood.

EA Sports UFC 5 successfully grapples with the challenge of enhancing an already dominant franchise in the MMA gaming world.

It’s tough being a kart racer in a world where you will always be compared to the genre’s standard-bearer, but DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is perfectly serviceable.

The developers at AstralShift clearly love anime, and it comes through by virtually creating their own. While there are elements that a well-versed shoujo fan will see, Little Goody Two Shoes is something entirely original.

The Invincible is ultimately a sub-par experience. While it delivers flashes of quality in its cast and its attention to some details, the narrative is ultimately weighed down too much.

Justant is a testament to letting environments speak for themselves instead of relying on dialogue. Don’t Nod trusts its ability as developers to create a game that relies on experience, not words and it trusts its players to understand narrative subtleties. Jusant may be simple, but its layered vision of a world is timeless.

Thirsty Suitors’s main story is deep and really aims right at the heart, even if it feels disjointed at times. Regardless of your relationship with your parents, loved ones, and past friends, you will find ways to connect with Jala’s troubles. Beyond that, the game feels quite simplistic, for better or worse. The combat is stylish and fun but quickly gets repetitive.

RoboCop Rogue City’s level of emersion is impressive, and the mechanics like crouching that it removes from the modern FPS formula don’t feel missed in the one-man-army, high-octane firefights that make up the core of the game.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is a triumph of fun, wonder, and heart-warming storytelling. With gameplay that mostly succeeds in enhancing the adventures of its two main protagonists, the game is a fantastic experience that cannot be recommended enough.

Narratively, visually, and mechanically, Alan Wake 2 is what horror should be.

Return to Moria has a decent core that could have used a little bit more time in the tank to reach its full potential. Hopefully, community feedback will be taken into account and post-launch support will focus on improving some of the basic mechanics. If they do that, it has real potential to be one of the better survival crafting games in recent memory.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder ultimately offers a delightful and innovative refinement of the genre. If you’re looking to explore the stages and find every hidden secret, it may be best to go solo, but even with a friend or three, you’re going to have a good time.

Slay the Princess is a straightforward choice-driven visual novel that slowly breaks at the seams revealing a rabbit hole of possibilities that prey on player anxieties and paranoia.

In many ways, Ghostrunner 2 is a massive step up from its predecessor. Bigger setpieces, new locations, and the introduction of the motorbike led to the creation of an even more epic experience. But the high highs, like the epic bosses, are brought down by odd pacing issues.

Gargoyles Remastered isn’t really worth the time unless you’re a hardcore fan of old platformers or a veteran of the original game desiring to revisit a favorite.

Overall, Cities Skylines 2 is a worthy successor to the long-standing original city builder.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 doesn’t do much different than its predecessor, for better and worse. If you liked the original, this sequel offers basically more of the same with some new cars and environments. Regardless, it’s a well-made arcade racer with endless combinations of tracks to master and excel at.

Wizard With A Gun balances magical gunslinging expeditions with its equally engaging crafting side. It never feels too much or too little of either…an ever-expanding adventure of discovery and mastery that players will want to embark on time and time again.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is definitely one of the best games of 2023 and certainly a top-tier console exclusive for PS5.

This game is made for Star Trek fans through and through. From the well-crafted story elements to the small random easter egg events, there is something for those with various entry points into the fandom.

Lords of the Fallen is a massive improvement over its namesake prequel, and it provides many highs, but there are lows to match. For the masochist action RPG fan, though, there’s plenty to love, and it’s all going to hurt.

EA Sports FC 24 shows the franchise has no intention of slowing down without the FIFA license. New tweaks to popular game modes and a brand new player animation system help bring the franchise into a new era.

Total War: PHARAOH is a smashing success as a grand strategy game and brings the hit franchise to a new historical era. Fascinating leaders and subplots with mechanics to match help make each play session fresh and enjoyable.

When it’s at its best, Detective Pikachu Returns delivers the charm and cuteness that have always been hallmarks of the Pokemon franchise. However, all too frequently it fails to reach those heights thanks to shallow gameplay, a bloated story, and repetitive missions that feel lackluster, no matter what age demographic they are targeting.

There are some kinks in Assassin's Creed Mirage that hold it back from perfection, but without a doubt, it is the sharpest, most succinct entry in the franchise yet. With the best elements brought together throughout the series' many games, Mirage stands out as at once completely classic and fully modern.

Forza Motorsport 8 is masterfully made. The driving feels fantastic. The races at first are exhilarating. Plus, all multiplayer modes are enjoyable, and hours will pass in the blink of an eye.

Thrilling in all the right ways, The Lamplighters League is a love letter to the adventure genre in film. It’s a love letter to rogues and scoundrels that made those stories an essential part of our cultural history.

With a desire to attract more players to a cops and robbers experience, it’s clear Payday 3 is still continuing to improve itself while aiming to add more content over time.

Where Cocoon shines is in its creativity. Bosses, level design, and use of puzzles, all through its use of orbs, are extremely fun. Plus, every section ends without overstaying its welcome.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is an incredibly impressive game with lots to offer both Fate and Musou fans. While it has its drawbacks, it still sports a compelling narrative, incredibly fun gameplay, great lore, and much more.

Paleo Pines is a slow burn, and the game holds itself slightly back with characters that don’t have to keep you engaged…Still, players who enjoy relaxed farming sims and dinosaurs will gradually want to discover and create a harmonious environment alongside these beings.

El Paso, Elsewhere offers a remarkable fusion of narrative depth and engaging gameplay.

Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways elevates an already great game with a substantial new story. Its new gameplay additions are excellent while its story is gripping and full of exciting moments.

So, while Shuyan Saga delivers a fairly fulfilling narrative that allows the player a reasonable amount of control in crafting their version of Shuyan, the active elements of the game hold it back from being a truly enjoyable experience.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a captivating spy story that deftly grapples with the tension between loyalty and betrayal that will please fans of spy films and the world that CD Projeckt Red has already built in the base game.

Mortal Kombat 1 stands out among the best in the franchise, taking some of the best elements from games past and introducing new ways to grab new players.

The Crew Motorfest definitely brings the heat, but in the end, it’s sitting at a distant second until it learns what exactly it wants out of itself.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask is set in a beautiful world rich with culture but suffers from some severe technical problems that hinder the experience. Interesting characters and new Pokémon make it worth checking out, but some minor technical updates would have made it significantly more enjoyable.

While some elements of the puppet aesthetics aren't necessarily original, and those who have played Bloodborne will see similarities, Lies of P is a gorgeously grim experience that offers difficulty and magic through immersive and dynamic gameplay with enough content baked in to make replayability a must.

Ad Infinitum is a little off balance when it comes to how difficult and unfair a few of its challenges are compared to the rest of the game, but with enough patience or guidance to make it through those sections, the rest of the game is set at an intense pace, while an excellently creepy atmosphere and a family whose horrors and the trauma they and the war have imparted onto the protagonist fill the game with character.

NBA 2K24 features revamped gameplay through ProPLAY and small game mode tweaks that make it a worthwhile upgrade. Not everything is perfect, and there is still so much room for growth in future games, but NBA 2K24 is a promising step forward in a franchise that has been complacent in recent years without any real competition.

Eternights ultimately get more things wrong than right. It lacks a general sense of polish, and the writing is legitimately baffling at times. The combat feels great more often than not, but it’s hard to justify spending too much time on this title.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is a mixed bag of a game. While it delivers visuals I wouldn’t have thought possible on a mobile device, the repetitive combat does a lot to bring the experience down.

Cozy, dynamic, and fun, Fae Farm is well worth the many hours you’ll spend in Azoria.

Rune Factory 3 Special is a well-done remaster that gives new life to an older game. While nothing sticks out as entirely revolutionary, that doesn’t stop the experience from being an enjoyable one.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is more of a small get-together than a full-on party.

Starfield is Bethesda firing on all cylinders.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a unique experience all about learning to accept failure in order to find solutions to new challenges. Accepting the fact that some runs need to end in defeat in order to learn more about how to tackle the encounter can take a while, but once you settle into the groove it feels so rewarding.

Under the Waves is a fantastic game that uses the vastness of the ocean to craft wonder and solitude, moving you from avid adventurer to sad man in a way that feels dynamic and intimate no matter the task you’re completing.

With Sea of Stars Sabotage has crafted a unique and engaging game that any fan of the genre will enjoy playing. Its polish and innovation make it not only a Game of the Year contender but also makes it deserving of being added to the pantheon of indie games’ greatest right up there with the likes of Celeste and Hades.

Immortals of Aveum at its core is a fun take on the shooter genre. Yet it quickly bogs itself down with an over-complicated story and an unnecessary gearing system. Set in a new world that’s fun to explore, Aveum has the potential to be a great universe to revisit in the future.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a game that thrives on its dedication to not just replicating the Slaughter Family (which it does excellently) and planting easter eggs but on its goal to expand on it all. By using a unique storyline, the developers at GUN highlight the importance of honoring the source material and the necessity of making something unique from it.

Blasphemous II is a fantastic game that meets expectations as a fan of the first game and leaves the player satisfied and engaged throughout.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood crafts a story that encapsulates the feelings of being restricted while nudging players towards a place that may feel uncomfortable yet relatable. It is a story worth experiencing as choices begin to matter and fate rests in your hands.

Not everything is ideal when it comes to presentation, but on the whole, Moving Out 2 is a fun game to play alone or with friends.

Baldur's Gate 3 deserves the title of Game of the Year, plain and simple. Having sunk around 100 hours into the game since its launch, and with the city of Baldur's Gate still a distant sight, it's a challenge to tear myself away from the captivating narrative I've woven. Both my impressions from the early access phase and my time with the full release have remained consistent: the game is a masterpiece.

Ultimately, while Atlas Fallen‘s narrative is a bit of a hit-and-miss, it still offers players, especially action RPG fans, a highly engaging gameplay experience in a well-crafted world.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical does an excellent job of blending video games and musical theater in a way that should appeal to virtually everyone. Excellent storytelling and a masterfully crafted soundtrack combined with incredible visuals give a new take on Greek mythology.

WrestleQuest is such a wonderful love letter to both wrestling and classic role-playing games. It’s hard to come away from WrestleQuest with anything but a deeper respect for wrestling as a whole and a new love for slamming your enemies into the floor.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is off to a great start with Episode 1. It offers all the important things that a fan of the show would need to feel at home if this is their first time playing a game from Telltale and it offers enough new mechanics to grab the interest of long-time Telltale fans.

F1 Manager 2023 takes a good management simulator and makes it better. The new additions to the race day experience as well as new challenge scenarios, enhance the Formula 1 management experience and bring the high-octane sport to life in a whole new way.

Venba speaks on social issues people can face when placed in a society that feels adverse to acceptance and understanding.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure serves as a minor getaway to a place that is cheery with friends and full of adventure.

Disney Illusion Island is quite possibly one of the best Disney games about Mickey and Friends made to date. The world of Monoth is such a joy to explore and is made fantastically to feel like a modern Metroidvania platformer.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a super solid beat ’em up with a steep learning curve but a lot of options to adjust the difficulty and help incentivize replay.

Pikmin 4 brings back a storied franchise in a way that will appeal to players both old and new. The significant amount of freedom allows players to craft their own journey with so much to be discovered. New modern tools help assist players by making the experience more streamlined without ever feeling like hand-holding.

When it’s at its best, Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes – Definitive Edition delivers an enjoyable fantasy tale that is accompanied by a unique gameplay system. However, overly random elements mar the player’s sense of agency within these battles, greatly diminishing the thrill of victory and leaving them wondering if each defeat was truly deserved.

Remnant II, however, manages to linger in my mind with its glow-up: memorable, impressive, and damningly fun.

Exoprimal has a lot of heart and plenty of exciting moments, but you’ll need to go digging for them.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals’ story is moving, moody, and meticulously crafted in line with your choices. Immersive in every way, the gameplay is deeply tied to the game’s narrative, never feeling disjointed even as you move from chasing frequencies to traversing the land, and all of that succeeds because of how you, as Riley, fit into the story.

GYLT provides a solid entry point into the horror video game genre, especially for those who are not typically drawn to such games. The presence of a child protagonist, simple controls, and relatable themes of bullying and self-worth make it accessible to a wide audience. While there are moments of tension and scares, the horror elements are relatively mild compared to other games in the genre.

Ghost Trick Phantom Detective, even with its quite obtuse puzzles, is a joy to play. Particularly with its interesting story full of twists and turns and unique characters.

Kingdom Eighties is a fun detour in a typically serious series, and it’s definitely worth the trip. If you’re unfamiliar with all references, you’ll still find a short but enjoyable adventure.

Crash Team Rumble feels like a great idea for a game that still had work to be done before it launched. The singular game mode, limited maps and characters, and a small online community kept from growing due to a high price point of entry do not bode well for the future of the game.

APICO is a tightly constructed and well-presented simulator about a topic loads of people are curious about but few people dive into. It’s a good way to quietly spend some time thinking about the majesty of these little animals while having a complicated enough gameplay loop to keep you invested for hours upon hours.

In a world full of games trying to stand out, Final Fantasy XVI has no problem rising above the rest. Wonderfully fun combat and beautiful presentation help make the excellent story even more impactful in an adventure well worth the price of admission. This is one that will surely sit with players for many years to come and will surely be one for the history books.

If you love playing Age of Wonders 4 and are looking to try a new way to forge empires, or you just really like dragons, then the Dragon Dawn content pack is worth it.

If you can take the time to pace yourself and slowly enjoy everything the game has to offer from charming neighbors to home-cooked meals, then there is a whole lot to enjoy about Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.

Aliens: Dark Descent is a fun real-time strategy squad game that manages to feel tense and rewarding at the same time. It isn’t a perfect game, the loop can get a bit repetitive, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying every second of it.

Layers of Fear (2023) has new gameplay elements that breathe life into the older games, but the new story additions just feel tacked on.

Decarnation’s story is thrilling and unsettling, and every point the game gets is because of how well-crafted the winding nightmares are in relation to the overall progression of Gloria’s life.

Diablo IV has set the golden standard for what a modern Blizzard game should be. It is not only a fantastic Diablo game but gives us a glimpse that the once-beloved publisher still has that magic that it was most well-known for in years past.

Despite having some sparse storytelling and a lot of annoying gameplay elements, the System Shock remake still succeeded in providing an enjoyable experience and proved that even after all these years, the game is still worth the time of new and returning fans.

Since this DLC is also priced at $14.99, it makes that all a hard pill to swallow. While Voice of the People is very lacking, it does, however, set up new things for Victoria 3 that hopefully can be taken full advantage of later in the game’s cycle.

While Loop8: Summer of Gods is a JRPG that has an interesting concept and some genuinely good features, the game is unfortunately bogged down with poor optimizations, questionable gameplay decisions, and a very painful combat system.