When taken as a whole, Fire Emblem: Engage often succeeds, though where it falls, it falls a bit hard. With a largely less-than-stellar cast keeping you company for the 40+ hours you may find yourself playing this game, there are many times when the game’s solid narrative and excellent gameplay aren’t able to carry it through to the finish it feels like it deserves.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon brings with it a mixed bag of elements. While I enjoyed my time with the game overall, it does have some sizable shortcomings. Any player more interested in gameplay than the story should probably think twice about picking it up. At the same time, those who wish to experience a well-executed tale about friendship and overcoming one’s fear set in a unique, dark fairytale world may want to pick it up, as long as they can accept a few bumps in the road.

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions shows how games can go beyond escapism or entertainment. They possess significant potential to enhance mental health and improve quality of life but are underutilized within this medium.

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.

Card Shark is a truly unique experience that shouldn’t be slept on. This is the game for those who don’t like card games. The developers have made a very fun experience that builds on itself fluidly in a way that many other games don’t seem to get right.

PGA Tour 2K25 is not a perfect game, but it does a solid job of bringing golf to life for new and experienced fans. Some new game modes and more improved visuals and performance would make the next installment a true classic, but PGA Tour 2K25 is a good step forward.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fun, albeit mixed experience. The Sonic side of the game remains as fun and creative as its original release. Shadow’s story has some fantastic level design, and any opportunity to play as the angsty antihero is a welcome one. Let down by dated bosses and a messy hub world, it’s still entirely worth a run through.

MLB The Show 24 is another excellent update in one of the best sports game franchises. The Storylines mode continues to shine a light on forgotten Negro League legends, and the addition of women to Road to the Show is a welcomed one. Combine that with a refreshed look and you have the complete baseball package.

Ivy Road has made a game that has impact and one that doesn’t change its protagonist, but you, the player, too. Wanderstop is monumental because it provides comfort by simply giving us all permission to slow down.

FATAL FRAME II: REMAKE has the potential to be something great. The most important elements of a great horror story are there, but they get lost far too quickly.

Skate Story is a memorable, fun, and engaging game that, even with its odd details, offers an incredibly refreshing experience not seen in the genre.

Avowed marks another triumph for the folks at Obisidan. Through its gorgeous world, memorable characters, frenzied combat, and intuitive yet deep customization system, it highlights player agency. Everywhere in its gameplay and narrative, ensuring that each playthrough offers something new. More importantly, it does so while never compromising the strength of its core story.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is your new favorite cozy exploration game. While it looks similar to others in the genre, once you start playing, the truth is that there is nothing like Hello Kitty Island Adventure when it comes to exploration.

Last Train Home does a great job of meshing a challenging strategic experience with an immersive setting and story. The difficulty curve can get overwhelming for less experienced RTS players, but the attention to detail and the wonderful character interactions make it worth taking the time to learn the ropes.

Octopath Traveler 0 is another stellar entry in Square Enix’s HD-2D series that rivals not only the wonders of 2, but some of the best 2D turn-based RPGs out there.

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

Inkbound has a ton of potential as an early access game with a solid gameplay loop and beautiful animation. It will need a strong player base if the online focus is going to pay off, but what I have seen makes me really excited for players to see the wonderful world Shiny Shoe has created. [Early Access Review]

Dynasty Warriors: Origins Visions of Four Heroes is a great DLC that is worth its asking price, offering engaging, enhanced, and expanded combat. The narrative alone makes the DLC worth it.

Life Is Strange Reunion isn’t perfect, but it hits the most important notes. Getting to see Max and Chloe together again is a phenomenally emotional experience.

All in all, despite its flaws, Tales of Xillia Remastered is still a wonderful JRPG, even over a decade later. The remaster provides many reasons why fans of the genre will enjoy and appreciate the game.

Despite some hiccups on the presentation side, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves delivers in all the ways that matter most.

Out of the Blue has delivered another feast for the eyes and ears in a fun, chill puzzle game that still finds ways to balance the horrors of the beyond with the horrors of our own existence.

Koira lacks in-game substance as it offers little encouraged progression like collectibles or various ways to experience the journey more than once, which could otherwise make it one to remember… Still, the way the game embraces music as the language evokes emotion that players can build upon is introspective. This is where Koira succeeds.

REANIMAL, while not perfect, does an excellent job of building on what Tarsier does best—portraying childhood fears as their most intense expressions.

INDIKA grounds intrigue with its arthouse cinematic flair and satire. It engages curiosity and entertainment. Its world is shrouded in emptiness and questions that mirror Indika’s internal struggles.

If you’re a longtime Mario Party fan, you will love Mario Party Super Stars. If you’ve never played a Mario Party, there’s no better time than now to get into it. By yourself, on the couch, or online with friends or strangers, every way to play is a blast and then some. Some menu things are a bit annoying and I wish there was were a couple more characters or stages or mini-games to unlock. But in all, Mario Party is back, baby.

Them’s Fightin’ Herds delivers a unique and varied cast of characters that promise a high-caliber fighting game experience. If all you are looking for is that, I cannot find any reason not to recommend this game. However, if you, like me, struggle with playing online and need an enjoyable and robust single-player offering to get into the genre, this game will likely fall short for you.

Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is a very ambitious project from a young indie studio. It has traveled a long road in early access to reach this point, but it was well worth it.