The Pathless is an indie title that aims to be more of an experience than a standard video game. It is a carefully curated journey that requires players to play in a certain way while enjoying its unique and idyllic world. While The Pathless does not have the excitement or action of titan indie tiles like Hades, its tranquil experience is a rewarding way to slow down, breathe, and think along the way.

While Anno 1800 Console Edition struggles to shine under its clunky controls and poor optimization, it manages to preserve the deep and addictive systems that define its identity. Serious Anno fans are better off sticking to the PC version of the game, especially since it won’t be receiving any of its post-launch content. However, strategy fans that don’t have that option should be more than satisfied with the new console port.

Bahnsen Knights is a short ride with fun highs brought on by its timely features and mini-games that move the story along and keep players in the driver’s seat.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden continues Don’t Nod’s recent success with a gripping new experience. While its combat isn’t anything groundbreaking, the world that it transports players to and the story that it tells within it are well worth checking out.

Big Hops is an enjoyable platformer that nails level design, creativity, and a sense of momentum.

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

Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader delivers a solid option for players who are looking to lose themselves in the darkness of the franchise’s universe.

Eastward is a great game. It’s beautiful, it’s a story well-told, and it’s very fun to play. But for me, the entire experience was tainted by what I quickly and inescapably perceived as racist and sexually exploitative depictions, which is just such a monumental shame of a thing to tarnish an otherwise incredible experience. I mean, this game has an entire virtual RPG video game built into it that you can play. But I simply can’t rate this experience highly with how tarnished my view of it all is. I love playing it, I recommend playing it, but I also insist you judge for yourself these character depictions and whether they meet the standards we should expect from games.

While Inkulinati is releasing in early access it is already in a great place. A few bugs with menus not accepting inputs until restarting the game popped up during my time with it, but they were infrequent enough to not detract much from the experience. It will be great to see how the game shapes up as the developers get closer to fully launching the game. The current state of the game is a great foundation for the developers to build upon moving forward. [Early Access Review]

While the narrative has its share of tedious moments and some repetitive missions, The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is still a great sequel. It delivers a compelling, immersive story and exhilarating combat, improving upon its predecessor in many ways while upholding the series’ JRPG excellence.

No maps. No markers. No mercy. Hell is Us trusts you to listen, to feel, and to get lost. And in doing so, it offers something truly rare: a soul.

Pepper Grinder is a treasure trove of excitement and charm, beckoning players to sail into its captivating world and embark on a thrilling adventure unlike any other.

Compared to its predecessor, with a well-defined motif, Everhood 2 will give you whiplash from how often the story changes directions. That indecisiveness is ultimately its downfall, leaving you scratching your head and wondering, “Is that really how it ends?”

Despite some gripes, Chernobylite brings players an excellent sci-fi horror experience with great ambiance, quirky characters, and survival mechanics that are challenging and satisfying.

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.

Pokémon Legends Z-A is a welcome change of pace in a series that’s been running for almost 30 years. Here’s hoping the Legends games continue to serve as testing grounds for new ideas, and that the core mainline games can bring some learned lessons in exciting ways.

Despite its somewhat underwhelming story and lackluster open world, Borderlands 4 is a fantastic new entry in the series that offers hours of entertainment through its new, refreshing, and engaging gameplay elements.

Date Everything! thrives on its sharp writing and stellar voice acting, which breathe hilarious, heartfelt life into a world where your most intimate connections might just be with your coffee table.

If you’re one of the many gamers who hasn’t played The Outer Worlds before, then now is the time. Given that I’ve scored the base game and its DLCs highly in the past, coupled with the gameplay improvements and a reasonable 60-dollar price point makes, this is the best way to experience all this game has to offer.

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.

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.

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.

Back 4 Blood is a wonderful call-back to the games that have come before it. And even though it’s not a direct sequel to Left 4 Dead 2, it brings back the most important elements of the series. But it shouldn’t be seen as only a spiritual successor because it adds so many new features that make it an extremely satisfying modern-day FPS. While a few elements impede the gameplay, they can be easily overlooked when you have a great team to play with.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an exciting, albeit imperfect adventure that brings the Mario Bros. to a whole new world. There is plenty to see and do and it is well worth taking the time to slow down and immerse yourself in this brand new adventure.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a bit of a hard sell at full price, especially if you still have a Wii with a copy of the original lying around. Its visual improvements are welcome but are marred by enough inconsistencies and technical setbacks that fans may find themselves dreaming of what could have been.

Its combat is as brutal as one would hope while bringing the mechanical density and numerous options to engage any type of player. Its narrative is gripping with veins of humanity throughout that make it nearly impossible not to get invested in it. While sometimes feeling a bit sluggish or as though they just need a tiny bit more tuning, its new mechanics have brought new life to the series in a monumental way.

Despite a couple of minor annoyances, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank delivers a fun, charming action adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you are looking for a light-hearted experience to occupy a day, this is one that is easily recommended.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a decent upgrade that needs some tweaking.