Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake made me a fan of Dragon Quest. This remake is an excellent introduction to Square Enix’s third RPG pillar.

The Rise of the Golden Idol scratches a very specific puzzle-solving itch and provides plenty of “Eureka!” moments.

Planet Coaster 2 has a lot of fun and engaging elements—if you can take the time to figure it all out.

If you are looking for a truly punishing challenge, even if it sometimes feels unfair, Telebbit may provide some enjoyment. For most, however, overstuffed platforming puzzles will bring far too much frustration to enjoy.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is a worthy graphical update to the beloved original. The overhauled graphics are beautiful, breathing new life into a world many care about.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a return to form and gives a great blend of action, intrigue, and beautiful chaos. It is exactly what the franchise has been missing and is a wonderful continuation of the Black Ops storyline all while setting the stage for the story to continue.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a journey I'm thrilled I got to go on... Great characters, a wonderfully crafted world, and a twisting narrative all help elevate the game over what holds it back.

Dragon Age The Veilguard is a massive new world full of thoughtful stories, epic battles, and beautiful visuals to accompany them. This round of companions is among the most interesting, thoughtful, and downright charismatic, and adventuring with them made for an unforgettable journey.

With great enemies to battle, unique elements that shake up the formula, and some of the genre's best-ever gameplay/customization, [REDACTED] is a must-play for enthusiasts and casual players looking for a great time.

Alan Wake 2: The Lake House refines the Remedy-verse by pushing Alan Wake and Control’s story together in one tight DLC package. Its new enemy is terrifying. The latest weapon is impactful and fun. And Janina Gavankar does a fantastic job of showing what it’s like to be a Control agent living in this messed-up world of cleaning up Altered World Events. Even though its mechanics are a simplified version of Alan Wake 2, it uses simplicity in its favor by focusing more on the story and the world-building Remedy does best. After wrapping everything up, The Lake House leaves you wanting more of the story Remedy is connecting across its various properties.

Ys X: Nordics is an incredible entry in the Ys series. While not without faults, the JRPG’s narrative and gameplay provide a great experience that elevates the series to new heights.

Yakuza Kiwami is completely playable on the Switch and by no means looks awful. The port offers a good experience that can be taken on the go, but the console notably holds back the title’s excellence. Regardless, Yakuza Kiwami is still a fantastic game that showcases why the Yakuza series has become such an excellent franchise.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake resurrects an old fan favorite title from the early 2000s. While it has a shiny new coat of paint and an engaging gameplay loop that’s sure to make long-time fans marvel, it’s nonetheless bogged down by incompetent AI-controlled allies, curious design decisions, and oversights when it comes to core mechanics.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a spectacular RPG. Its story is massive and expansive, leaping across time frequently. The combat is tight and satisfying, with plenty of freedom for exploration.. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is one of the best RPGs of 2024 and should not be missed.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is chaotic fun for the whole family and is the best of what Mario Party has to offer. Unique minigames, fun maps, and the opportunity for a new experience every time make this an all-time Switch classic that everyone should check out.

What really stands out in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is how willing it is to experiment and build entire mechanics around its central conceit of managing sound.

New World Aeternum struggles to be worthwhile for many players. The MMO genre is stuffed with excellent dug-in titles that are difficult to pull players away from for long, just as the original release of New World saw. With its unimpactful combat, lackluster story, and its most interesting content only being accessible to the most dedicated of players, this spiritual successor just doesn’t mix it up enough.

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.

Unknown 9: Awakening boasts great combat and an ambitious story, but performance issues are too many to look past.

Until Dawn for PS5 is very much for a specific audience. Despite its technical issues, it is the way to go for those looking for the newest or best-looking way to play the classic horror game. For anyone else, the original holds up just fine.

Metaphor: Refantazio is the culmination of everything that came before it. It's a mixture of Atlus' RPG track record crafted into something bold and new.

It's not to say that Dragon Ball Sparking Zero reinvents the arena fighter wheel. It just reminds players why we loved the genre in the first place... Dragon Ball Sparking Zero feels like a collective celebration for Akira Toriyama and the characters he created.

Starfield: Shattered Space is a solid addition if you’re looking for a deep, story-driven experience or a chance to level up while exploring a new society. But if you expect a major shift in the game’s scope or mechanics, this isn’t it. Still, it’s a satisfying ride for fans of the universe.

Despite some small issues, Vessel of Hatred is an absolute blast to play. Its flagship features, the new campaign in the region of Nahantu and new Spiritborn class, are both great reminders of what makes Diablo 4 such a great entry in the series to begin with even if neither is perfect. But it is the small additions where the expansion really shines. The tweaks to leveling, new party finder system, and plethora of other fine tunings grant a lot of hope for the future of Diablo 4 since it just keeps getting better.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom twists the typical Zelda formula while still staying true to the franchise. It is a truly innovative experience that Nintendo will hopefully continue to explore in future entries.

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.

Ultimately, Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a warm welcome, even if several aspects leave you wanting more improvements. This game deserves to be played by more people and beyond the confines of a multi-generation-old game system with an awful control scheme. Particularly with this game’s historical significance to a massive company like Disney, Epic Mickey Rebrushed does Mickey Mouse justice in a light that we rarely see the famous mouse. But, instead of being a modern classic, it just feels like a fun piece of Disney history.

By the time I reached the end of my journey and my nation stood above all the rest, I was left with one of the most satisfying gaming victories I’ve ever experienced. While Ara: History Untold asks a lot of players, it rewards those willing to put in the hours with a deeply rich gameplay experience that makes them feel like every choice they made shaped their nation and helped their people achieve greatness. From large-scale design innovations to the smallest details, the game delivers an almost flawless experience.