Stray Gods felt like it was made for me. If you love musicals in the rock opera genre, then dive in immediately as there is a story full of emotion and fantastic music waiting for you.

WrestleQuest is an easy recommendation to any professional wrestling fan, or RPG fan, and may be the champion of bridges between the two.

When it comes to retro-gaming on the Xbox platform, Antstream Arcade has just usurped Xbox Game Pass as “the best deal in gaming.” It offers access to a monstrously huge and ever-evolving suite of classic titles for less than the cost of a single Starbucks latte per month, as well as new ways to rediscover those games alone or with friends through exciting, integrated challenges.

The excellent Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart gets a very strong port. It has a few blemishes but this is still the absolute best way to play a game that’s an adventurous blast from start to finish.

More than an Animal Crossing clone or South Park joke, Hello Kitty Island Adventure offers one of the more fulfilling exclusives for Apple Arcade.

Disney Illusion Island is practically a unicorn, offering fulfilling, customizable co-op for the whole family in an endearingly charming cartoon coating.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons revives a fundamental beat-em-up dynasty, with variable paths and multipliers making it a worthy multiplayer investment.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a decent, albeit very basic platformer that does enough to be mildly entertaining, but not enough to have a lasting presence.

Let's School does a fine job giving players a management sim they can enjoy, even if it doesn't come close to the classic titles from Bullfrog or the more recent Two Point Campus.

While it is hampered a bit by a lacking tutorial on Dual archetypes and some balancing issues, Remnant 2, none the less presents an engaging story, solid combat and great progression systems wrapped in a very well-built world.

Exoprimal has a lot of fun dino-blasting to be had, but you’ll need to get past some truly questionable barriers to get to that point.

Pikmin 4 brilliantly shows how to take the same set of mechanics and throw them into a new mode or challenge in order to keep things fresh, even if it can come off as repetitive at times.

If you're a fan of the Dragon Quest series and haven't picked up Dragon Quest Treasures on the Switch, its release on Steam is easily the better option and is worth checking out if you're a fan of the series or DQXI.

Viewfinder is an incredible mind-bending puzzle game that never stops innovating and never stops being fun.

Lisa: Definitive Edition is an amazing RPG, that melds the cute and oddness of Earthbound but interjects incredible mature themes. It may even be too dark for some.

If you're a fan of old-school survival horror, My Friendly Neighborhood is an essential playthrough that feels fresh yet familiar to fans of the genre.

Short but packing a hell of a wallop, Gravity Circuit delivers on most of what fans of Mega Man X and Zero would want out of a fast, challenging 2D platformer.

For the hardcore turn-based tactics fans, Jagged Alliance 3 takes the series in a great direction. Unfortunately, there is really no onboarding before the difficulty takes a steep leap.

Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg brings the series’ original entry out of the shadows with a charming, thorough aesthetic glow-up, yet retains some of its more archaic touches.

Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom adds enough to the ESO formula to make another compelling expansion, easy to recommend to veterans and new players alike.

Master Detective Archives: RAINCODE has some interesting ideas in isolation, but they never fully come together in a way that’s fun or fluid.

Crime O'Clock is best served for those looking to play a fancier rendition of Where's Waldo? as the gameplay loop doesn't do well outside of those mechanics and it really shines in its point-and-click, hidden object approach.

AEW: Fight Forever is a triumphant return to the wrestling ring for THQ Nordic and Yuke’s, recapturing the magic of their original, simple gameplay and amazing customization with yet a third wrestling organization.

Crash Team Rumble is an easy-to-recommend multiplayer title for fans of Crash Bandicoot and platforming.

Not being able to turn the ever-present bright flashes off is a shame, but Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a ridiculously unique, captivating game that is very much worth puzzling through.

Escape From The Past is a great addition to an already great game. Muddled down by some difficulty curves, but the grand finale is a spectacle to behold.

Despite being barebone ports of the originals, Pikmin 1 + 2 are still great on the Nintendo Switch, bringing all-numbered entries of the franchise onto the platform for fans to enjoy.

Dave The Diver will end up being one of those fundamental titles that people talk about in the same breath as Stardew Valley, where it achieves on nearly every front.

Rogue Legacy 2 is finally on PlayStation, the uninitiated MUST play this title.

Brotato makes up for its lacking depth, enemy variety, arena variety, and mash-up of mechanics seen elsewhere, by making the best of the combination to create an addictive title that fans of pure, arcade-like gameplay will love.

Longtime Sonic fans should scoop up the physical edition of Sonic Origins Plus if they missed out last year, but the new content may not be worth a paid upgrade for existing owners.

Final Fantasy XVI melds the best of the series’ themes with a modern, malleable take on combat—creating a heartrending, generation-defining tale of revenge, fate, and freedom.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life remains both an oddity and a gem, and is a must play for fans of the farming sim.

Aliens: Dark Descent is a great strategy game with a lot of replayability and is set in the perfect horror franchise, even if long-time fans of the genre may have some minor complaints.

Layers of Fear (2023) is Bloober Team’s magnum opus and a must-play for atmospheric horror fans who have yet to play the originals in the series.

F1 23 is a fantastic entry to the perennial Formula 1 experience. Driving is polished on both wheel and controller, and the visual experience is second to none.

With moments that genuinely capture the eerie otherworldliness often associated with UFO and Alien culture, The Greyhill Incident, at times, feels truly out of this world. However, as far as the overall game is concerned, players should let these ETs return home.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie comes through as a mixed bag for several reasons, but the art style isn’t enough to make up for the way choices work.

We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is another joyous re-release of a beloved game filled with the best kind of nonsense.

While the classic Amnesia gameplay is available here in a lot of ways, it’s mixed with some underwhelming, poorly balanced monster gameplay that doesn’t work as well as it should.

Convergence: A League of Legends Story is an all-around good game that huge League of Legends fans will adore. For those jumping in for the genre, you’ll enjoy yourself, but it ends up settling in the middle of the pack in terms of platforming, exploration, and mechanics, while the art style gets an extra bump up.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter offers an intricately woven and nuanced story of bravery, compassion and what it takes to be kind in a hostile environment.

Repetitive gameplay and no sense of progression hamper an otherwise fine entry to the series. Super Mega Baseball 4 could be better if there was more to do than the same thing over and over again.

Planet of Lana is a must-play for platforming fans, boasting vibrant visuals and a unique, family-friendly take on the classic action-adventure genre.

Even though I'm not the biggest Star Trek fan, Resurgence did a great job of getting me interested in the world and lore.

Diablo IV's dark allure combines ingenious design choices to create an extraordinary Diablo that we couldn't have dreamed possible back in 1997.

Street Fighter 6 packs a punch and should not be missed by fans of Capcom's legendary fighting franchise, while new accessibility controls make the game more welcoming than ever.

Evil Wizard makes a bold narrative choice but feels safe everywhere else. Constant and redundant backtracking to get the right spell and inconsistent difficulty spikes make the combat loops feel like ‘just another action title’, and while that may be the case, Rubber Duck Games has fine-tuned the combat and exploration to give Evil Wizard its own identity – a challenging title with fun laughs for those who see it through to the end.

Farworld Pioneers has a long way to go to set itself apart from its predecessors. So many moving systems make the cracks from pretty early on in this Starbound, Terraria-like.

Company of Heroes 3 on PS5 is not an ideal way to play this fantastic series. While it manages to keep the gusto of the series alive, fighting with the controls just makes the overall experience a pain.

System Shock is an upgraded classic with dated elements that needs quality of life improvements, yet despite everything is still a fun treat for immersive sim fans.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum shines brightest in the moments where Gollum has a dialogue with secondary characters.

Darkest Dungeon II keeps everything good from the original and elevates it to create something different but equally brutal.

Glitch Busters is visually charming but it lacks too many basic characteristics that are expected from team-based shooters.

Boltgun unleashes a torrent of satisfying carnage with a lot of sharp levels over a good-sized campaign, but repetition and the lack of a sense of progression hold it back some.

Miasma Chronicles brings some solid evolution to the turn-based strategy genre. While making itself approachable to newcomers and fans alike. The gameplay is really good, but the story is, for the most part, forgettable.

Inkbound fuses unique concepts together to create a good story and a better video game, a must-play for those looking for a new adventure. [Early Access Score = 80]

Tin Hearts successfully gives players a 3D Lemmings experience they can enjoy, while the story and art style take things a step further. The controls and movement need some work, however.

Expertly tuned controls mixed with exploring a thought-provoking, tear-jerking and hilarious story of family and loss make Another Fisherman's Tale a must-play title.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is easily the greatest open world game ever made, and may well be Nintendo’s finest achievement.

Redfall is an entertaining, albeit shallow, romp in the FPS genre solo or with a team. Though PC seems to be performing less than favourably and next-gen consoles aren’t being pushed to their true capabilities, the game remains functional, fun and occasionally frightening.

Ravenlok isn't deep or lengthy, but it's a brief, dreamy foray into the wonders of voxels. It may not last long, but it's a looking glass worth going through.

Minabo - A walk through life takes some basic systems and fails to make them fun in any meaningful way. While the thought experiment is interesting, it’s just not much of a game.

Stranded: Alien Dawn is a great experience for those looking to get into the Survival/Strategy genre, even if a hardcore fanbase won’t like the lack of options in crafting, character generation, and random events.

Featuring a literally jaw dropping, procedural zombie damage system, a diverse and entertaining cast and high production values from start to finish, Dead Island 2 not only manages to live up to the expectations set by its two mainline prequels over a decade ago--it blows them right out of the water.

Expertly expanding upon its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is not only one of the best Star Wars games to date, but a masterclass in blending genres, pacing, and emotional gut-punches.

Strayed Lights is a solid debut title from Embers that delivers atmosphere in droves.

Burning Shores excels with stunning visuals, engaging story, and Aloy & Seykas' growth—raising the bar for DLC and delighting Horizon series fans.

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series triumphantly arrives on consoles as the ideal way to revisit a 35-year old franchise's origins—carefully balancing legacy with modern convenience.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is an incredible strategy title for the Nintendo Switch. While the gameplay can be monotonous at times, changing up how you play can easily absolve those issues.

With amazing visuals and a steeper-than-expected learning curve, EA Sports PGA Tour is a welcome return to the market.

In its current state, The Last of Us on PC should only be played by those who do not have access to a PlayStation 5 or can brute force the game with capable hardware.

Minecraft Legends is a perfectly serviceable strategy title, especially for those who love the setting, but the lack of pacing and unit management like you'd find elsewhere in the genre brings it down a peg or two.

Though its roster isn’t as cohesive as past Warhammer factions, Total War: Warhammer III - Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs is a welcome addition to the franchise, thanks to its excellent campaign mechanics.

The Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection drags some of the best Game Boy Advance titles available and repackages them for the Nintendo Switch in a must-own fashion. An easy recommendation for almost anyone.

Ravenbound mixes some great ideas and beautiful scenery to intrigue the player, but fails to come through on many of the promises made.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a solid entry to the franchise by Ukrainian developer Frogwares, and I hope to see some DLC in the future to keep the adventure going.

TRON: Identity is a short, sweet, and incredibly engaging interactive novel that perfectly captures the essence of the franchise.

EVERSPACE 2 shakes things up in the aerial/space combat genre, resulting in a unique shooter with solid RPG mechanics that feel fresh for the genre.

The Dark Pictures: Switchback is a confident rail shooter that celebrates Supermassive Games’ unrelenting knack of horror, but not even the PSVR 2’s impressive use of eye-tracking can save this ride from a nonexistent story and cheap thrills.

It knows what it does well and does that extremely well. There are games that I play when I just want to decompress and enjoy myself, and this is one of them. Fans of baseball and sports game enthusiasts alike will find something to enjoy with this title, and I will be playing it as much as I can.

GrimGrimoire OnceMore is a visually gorgeous title with tight real time strategy gameplay, come for the strategy and a stay for the clever story.

Guardians Frontline might drown in a sea of generic sci-fi games and desperately needs more development, but cleverly uses VR to blend real time strategy with fun boots-on-the-ground action.

Have a Nice Death mixes fast-paced combat with roguelike elements for an experience you’ll be DYING to keep playing.

Don’t let What the Bat’s absurd premise stop your baseball bat for hands move through hours of hilarious puzzles - and recapturing simple childhood fun - that hits a home run over the new PSVR 2 console.

Atelier Ryza 3 doesn’t fix what’s most broken but compensates by presenting a vast world to explore. Newcomers and veterans alike will find a mountain of content to enjoy.

WWE 2K23 is a solid improvement on its predecessor, is an easy entry to start with for new players, and adds just enough to make players return for a polished round two.

Storyteller is a mediocre game that can GENEROUSLY be called a puzzle-solver, but isn’t nearly as creative as it thinks it is.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is a fantastic reexamination of one of the best horror games ever made and is an awesome adventure for newcomers and series veterans alike.

Bayonetta Origins is a sub-par experience marred by sloppy combat and only somewhat redeemed by an incredible visual style.

Mato Anomalies loses itself with too many systems, mechanics, and story-telling styles. While ambitious, it never gets good at any of the things it tries to do, which makes the overall experience lackluster at best.

Resident Evil Village VR practically becomes a new game on the PSVR 2, thanks to Capcom taking every advantage of the hardware and wrapping its gothic horror goodness around players to maximum effect.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo had an immersive mystery story, along with utilizing 2D visual novel features that amplified its overall quality.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a finely polished, absolutely worthwhile remaster of the fourth game, held back from a higher score only by its outdated controls and sluggish character movement.

Destiny 2: Lightfall stumbles momentarily as a self-contained campaign but simultaneously sets a thrilling stage for the current story’s conclusion.

Pronty strives for Metroid’s depth but ends up a shallow dip in contaminated waters.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is a fun and challenging action-platformer that will stimulate the part of the older gamers’ brains that loves nostalgia, while teaching a new generation that a 2D game can still be great, even in 2023.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty doesn't reinvent the wheel, but what it does, it does right and continues Team Ninja's trend of delivering well-polished action games that reward their player base for sticking with it when things get tough.