While its narrative is far from perfect in terms of engagement, Where Winds Meet is an impressive and ambitious game that, for the most part, succeeds in fulfilling its promises.

If you’re looking for a cute animal-themed game in which to decorate, you could do worse, but expect a harsh survival experience.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is an action-packed adventure that manages to overcome a disappointing story by providing exhilarating combat.

Possessor(s) is like any solid pact with a demon—a good time, but with its own drawbacks.

Combining great gameplay that is easy to learn but challenging to master, with visuals that look great and music that always nails the tone, Lumines Arise suffers from only a few minor hiccups.

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a remarkably expansive game that I can sit and play for hours, even with its little notifications telling me to take a break. This is one of the best games I've played all year. There is a great deal of depth and customization that really showcases player choice and creativity, with an unbeatable replayability.

Surviving Mars: Relaunched is a must-play for any city-builder fan. There is plenty of depth and creativity from collecting resources to building and managing your colony to full-on terraforming a planet.

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.

Europa Universalis 5 is a fantastic addition to the franchise that will likely only improve over time as bugs and UI issues are addressed. There are so many different possibilities for replayability, not only from the selection of nations, but even playing the same nation over again will result in a different game.

Football Manager 26 is a revolutionary change to a longstanding franchise that has more than enough great updates to overcome a few small warts. If Sports Interactive can iron those out over time, Football Manager 26 could easily go down as one of the best in the history of the franchise.

Dragon Quest I+II HD-2D Remake is way more than just a fresh coat of paint, creating a truly memorable experience for newcomers and returning adventurers alike.

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]

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.

The Outer Worlds 2 comes together to deliver a fantastic journey. Despite some narrative hiccups, the worlds, organizations and individual players encounter, and sometimes kill, are always engaging and frequently fun.

Once Upon a Katamari is a fantastic new entry in the series and provides an incredibly entertaining experience in all the right ways, despite its tedious parts.

Powerwash Simulator 2 really has hit at the perfect time once again. Its stress-free gameplay feels so much better to use, especially in ways where you wouldn’t expect improvement.

It’s hard to be both a great introductory game into management sims and also offer the die-hards a level of depth that doesn’t leave them wanting, but Jurassic World Evolution 3 does it perfectly.

Ninja Gaiden 4, while not perfect, is a solid new entry in the series. It offers an amazing and satisfying combat experience, great boss fights, and a memorable visual experience.

NASCAR 25 is a much-needed shot in the arm for NASCAR video games, bringing an authentic and fun experience to a new generation. Players will learn to appreciate the skill it takes to be the best on track, and it should draw eyes to the real-life sport as well, thanks to the incredible presentation.

Keeper is pure Double Fine brilliance. They don’t just convince you to care about a lighthouse, but their bird companion, too. While questions aren’t really answered, that ultimately doesn’t matter.

As a purely single-player experience, it feels like a solid introduction to the extraction shooter genre, but even the cute ducks can’t save Escape from Duckov from feeling like a chore.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds is everything a kart racer should be. It has plenty of unique tracks, with the Transformation Rings adding another layer of chaotic fun on top of tight controls and map design. There’s so much to customize and engage with, keeping players locked in as they build their own karts and raise friendship with characters. While the lack of DLC voice-overs is disappointing, the rest of the package is stellar. It’s the best kart racer this year; each race is a white-knuckled sprint across worlds.

Battlefield 6 is a giant leap forward for the franchise, returning it to the peak of online first-person shooters.

Absolum delivers a truly special roguelite experience. By reining in some of the random elements, it’s able to create a smooth-running story that allows those with less than infinite time an experience they can enjoy.

Little Nightmares 3 improves, in many ways, what makes Little Nightmares so beloved. But the game quickly feels formulaic.

Ghost of Yōtei is an incredible sequel that builds upon its predecessor while still finding ways to stand out on its own.

Overall, while Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian doesn’t provide a shockingly different or awe-inspiring experience, it is still a respectable and enjoyable entry in the Atelier series.

Hades 2 is a standout experience in a year full of highlights, keeping the player coming back run after run for just one more go. The art style and graphics are as impressive as ever, a visual feast at every turn.