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.

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.

If you can get past the childish and highly repetitive English dialogue, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a great option for players looking to mindlessly blast giant insects, aliens and Kaiju to bits with their friends, either online or with a local buddy.

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.

Beautifully trim, transcendently polished, and unexpectedly inclusive, Timespinner is among the most capable endeavours to spring from Castlevania’s picked-over carcass.

The Roll7 team have achieved an original greatness with Rollerdrome across the board: original concept, 80s nostalgia music and art—augmented with super fluid mechanics and gameplay.

Final Fantasy XV is a challenge to modern game design and traditional masculine gaming narratives, on top of being a truly phenomenal, enriching experience. Square Enix has reclaimed its throne.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a faithful VR adaptation that creatively knows what it’s like to fight walkers and stay alive.

Even if every new idea presented doesn’t always work or make sense, there is still so much originality and adventure at its heart that I’m inclined to overlook those moments of frustration. As open world games continue to cross-pollinate into one breed of the same, Dragon’s Dogma is endearingly quirky, flawed, and, above all else, fun.

BAKERU blends smooth platforming with incredible combat (and a plethora of gameplay variety) to create one of the most fun games I’ve played in a while.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a beautiful, wonderful, joyful game with loads of content that any Switch owner should pick up immediately. One of the very best puzzle games ever made.

I am largely happy with this. I will continue to keep an eye on this—MMORPGS are difficult to gauge early on, but ArenaNet has a good track record, and this remains, in my opinion, the strongest online game on the market.

The Planet Crafter is a cool survival crafting game with lots of possibilities. It just would have had more of an impact with a good end-game goal or a story peppered in.

Bravely Second takes concepts from it’s predecessor and improves on them completely, making this the best game on the 3DS.

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure made sliding-block puzzles fun and interesting. That in and of itself is the highest praise I could give it.

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.

Assassin’s Creed Origins brings Ancient Egypt back to life with the best sandbox world Ubisoft has made to date. However, a half-baked combat system and poor RPG mechanics sour parts of the experience.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a both a refreshing, lighthearted take on Firaxis Games’ XCOM formula as well as a shining example of how to faithfully adapt Marvel properties to new game genres that sit outside of the typical action-adventure wheelhouse, propped up by great writing, dialogue, and stellar voice-acting befitting the source material.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred delivers a fresh yet familiar experience that will keep fans hooked for months.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is a great combination of tactics, lore and design that will test your skills in hours of turn-based carnage that fans of the franchise should not miss.

Though it may be one of the weaker Zelda games, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a good adventure in its own right.

Anno 1800 is a great, deep city builder that doesn’t care if you know how to play it or not.

For people [who] love the world of Borderlands, and people that appreciate snappy writing and surreal comedy, episode 2 is a definite winner.

Avowed on PlayStation 5, along with the Anniversary Update, strengthens its systems, smooths its edges, and gives players more control over how they experience Eora. It’s not fundamentally different, but it’s undeniably better.

Chivalry 2 is a great game if you know what you’re getting into. It's not the next big hit, but boy is it fun when you need to get out some frustration and have a good laugh.

Despite a few things holding it back, I fell in love with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, and it’s all I want to play now.

Keeper takes a straightforward puzzle-based walking sim and elevates it tenfold with an unbelievable level of interactive storytelling.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy returns in improved resolution, with smoother animations and a consistent 16:9 aspect ratio across the collection.

Far Cry 5 was a blast from start to finish, pulling me into the experience instantly with an Americana rich world full of memorable characters and built with a strong core of addictive first-person gameplay.

I absolutely loved Slime Rancher, from the colourful start to the bittersweet ending that literally had me sobbing—something that is quite hard for video games to achieve.

While not as pretty as it’s PS4 older brother, Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom Prince’s Edition is a delightful experience all around. All the additional DLC is just a welcome bonus.

Dawntrail goes exactly where Final Fantasy XIV needed to go, experimenting with the player character's role in this world as its borders expand.

It sounds like blasphemy, but if F-Zero is truly dead and buried by Nintendo, I hope they consider just giving Shin'en Multimedia the reigns. No interference, just some minor IP oversight, and let them do their own thing. They clearly know what they're doing, and have jammed a fully-fledged racer into a tiny eShop pricepoint.

You might pull your hair out trying to complete the story mode, but you'll have a blast doing it.

Age of Empires 4 is a bold and ambitious evolution of the series, and quite likely one of the best RTS games ever made.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is an interesting take on the Monster Hunter series. Honing in on the RPG mechanics, it changes the series in a way that makes it way more approachable than the main series.

A game that doesn’t do any more than it has to but just manages to get by due to each game being so individually solid.

SteamWorld Heist II innovates on what made SteamWorld Heist 1 great, with some stumbling around its open-world design.

Zero Time Dilemma is a satisfying conclusion to the Zero Escape series, but I feel it’s missing a final challenge room to test my wits.

The fact that Phantom Brave holds up over 12 years later on PC is a testament to NIS' conventions sticking and working.

All of the tedium, none of the excitement: Motorsport Manager is the perfect sim to relax to.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is a little bumpy and not particularly well-built for the Switch, but ultimately this classic ride is still a lot of fun.

Despite the bad press at the start, I have a lot of faith in Dice as a developer and they have delivered a fantastic shooter this year with Battlefield V after listening to their community and taking their feedback seriously.

If you like atmospheric puzzle games, there’s no reason you shouldn’t pick this up if you missed out on the PC release last year.

Still one of the best games in the genre, Cities: Skylines - Xbox One Edition, is the best city sim on consoles.

Coming back after over a ten-year hiatus, Company of Heroes 3 revitalized the World War II strategy genre with an enormous arsenal of playstyle focuses and choices.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden masterfully weaves a narrative that not only captivates but also challenges players to reflect on their own moral compass.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! despite being set in the distant past, is unmistakenly bore of the same DNA of the Yakuza series proper and will be a treat for fans of the long-running series.

Stellar Blade presents a novel new vision of post-apocalyptic Earth, utilizing some familiar conventions as it strives for new heights.

Steins;Gate 0 is one of the best stories the visual novel genre has to offer, and stands as a worthy sequel to its critically-acclaimed predecessor.

For a free MMO, it’s technically proficient, looks great, and will provide a fun experience. Even though I couldn’t find myself getting into it, I definitely understand why it has the following it has.

I was legitimately surprised with how much I enjoyed Black Ops 3 as a whole. For a series that has felt so stagnant for so long, it’s nice to see a big step forward in the franchise. It reminded me why Call of Duty is one of the most influential series’ on the planet, even if it didn’t reflect that for a while.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall excels thanks to an emphasis on customization that makes it stand out from the competition.

With the series ending its run on the 3DS, Etrian Odyssey Nexus proves itself to be the strongest entry in the franchise yet.

A charming board game-esque strategy game that doesn't go quite as far as it should have.

Those very small complaints notwithstanding, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster should still be considered a must-buy for anyone who considers themselves a classic JRPG fan and has even the tiniest amount of interest in the franchise, as this will be the first time that these two games will be available in HD and English for every modern platform (excluding mobile). According to Konami there will also be physical editions for PS5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch, so would-be collectors should take note.

With some small setbacks like pay-to-progress features and awkward movements, Lost Ark manages to stand out with its overall style, story, and game mechanics. Free-to-play is going to push this game to the top now that it's in the West.

The Champion’s Ballad acts as a perfect tribute to both Breath of the Wild and to the Zelda series.

There’s no denying that God of War III is one of the great titles in the hack n’ slash genre, and it looks better than ever before.

Black Myth: Wukong masterfully takes what makes a good Soulslike tick without selling its own soul, delivering what is the best action game of the year.

Battle Chef Brigade is a fantastic addition to the Nintendo Switch’s lineup of indie titles that everyone should give a try. The game ran beautifully in both portable and docked modes at a crisp 60 FPS and I never encountered a glitch or bug to ruin my experience, showing the studios talent to provide a properly polished game. I fell in love with this game during my time at E3 and now that the final product is finally here, I can safely say the game not only met my expectations, but surpassed them as my new favourite Indie currently offered on the Nintendo Switch.

A charmingly old-school and endlessly engrossing title that boasts over a hundred hours’ worth of content, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past earns a slot in any JRPG lovers’ library.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 starts incredibly strong in the first half, but after certain revelations, the story speeds up to a point where the conclusion feels rushed and half-baked.

Darksiders: Warmastered Edition only works if you look at it as a time capsule of a bygone era.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a solid game that hearkens back to titles of the sixth generation of games, with a coat of paint indicative of modern gaming that should appease younger players while offering enough gameplay variety for anyone to enjoy.

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a Soulslike fan’s must-play, and could be a good option for fans to cut their teeth on if other titles seem too difficult.

Gears Tactics combines the frenetic action of the Gears series with tactical gameplay that, barring a few stumbles, is refreshing.

While Trails of Cold Steel II doesn’t always lend itself to on the go gaming, it deserves a spot in your Vita library regardless.

Though the opening hours feel rushed and the graphics in need of a complete makeover, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a much improved sequel to Fire Emblem Warriors that combines the franchise’s strategic depth with fast and exciting musou gameplay.

At its best, Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is charming. At its worst, it’s very tedious. Unfortunately, its lack of flow and terrible voice acting really hurt any momentum the game picks up from the fun and rewarding parts of the game.

It’s refreshing to play a Fire Emblem that places such an emphasis on tactical depth as Fire Emblem Engage. Not because the series wasn’t known for it, but because recent entries have placed a stronger focus on the social aspects. Engage is, in that sense, a return to form for the series.

Dungeons of Dreadrock is a paint-by-numbers puzzle game that has little going for it outside of a genuinely nice visual style.

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

Endless Space 2 is one of the strongest 4X games in recent memory, even if it's not the deepest.

Tyranny is an exercise in depicting humanity’s worst facets, and it does so in a nuanced, interesting way while being an engaging and accessible CRPG.

Like most racing games, F1 25 suffers from a lack of repeatable things to do. An exceptional handling model, new Braking Point chapters, and a robust My Team section are enough to level out the apparent lack of additional content.

One of the most engaging and fun stealth games in years.

Promenade is a wholesome, well-crafted and consistently surprising platformer that puts fun and creativity front and center.

Amnesia: Rebirth offers a thrilling addition to fans of the original, but non-fans will likely face an uphill climb to enjoyment.

Snipperclips feels right home in Nintendo's colorful and loveable library. The characters are cute, the music is memorable, the gameplay is easy to pick up with the right amount of challenge, and the amount of content is perfect for the budget price of admission. If you've got a Nintendo Switch and a friend or three, you'd be a fool to pass on this gem up.

In the end, this scratches my Necromancer itch pretty nicely. You feel like you’re raising the people of a nation to serve you as undead, and becoming an immortal god-mage in the process.

An enjoyable indie game which doesn’t take itself seriously and leverages its enjoyment on a frantic and frenetic local multiplayer party mode. Single player level making is a lot of fun if you’re into that kind of gameplay.

Arizona Sunshine 2 brings much welcomed changes and evolutions to the formula of the first one. With the inclusion of its adorable Buddy, Arizona Sunshine 2 is a great VR zombie game. [Meta Quest]

Disney Infinity 3.0 definitely managed to improve on last year’s model. With the fluid combat, even more Toy Box Hub options, and gameplay to cater to every play style, there are endless hours of fun here and I could write pages and pages for this review, but no one wants to read a novel.

Yakuza Kiwami is the best way to experience Yakuza. With Yakuza 6 on the way, those looking to jump into the series would benefit greatly from picking up Yakuza Kiwami. If you’re a fan of Japanese films or gangster movies in general, the plot of Yakuza is a good enough reason to play this game. I can only hope that Yakuza 2 receives the same treatment in the near future.

The team at HB Studios and 2K has found the mark with PGA Tour 2K25. The game is a significant improvement on everything that made the previous title good and, when it comes to sports titles, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.

Priced at a more reasonable, $50, Blood & Truth comfortably finds a middle ground between a full retail release and something more indicative of a smaller, VR experience. Owners of PSVR, especially those yearning for more, after their time with PlayStation Worlds, are wholly encouraged to check out Blood & Truth.

Sonic X Shadow Generations delivers two fantastic games for the price of one, capturing the best elements of the Dreamcast era.

With just enough added to keep things fresh, MLB The Show 24 is a fine entry to the yearly sports franchise.

A new hobby and a new love all in one.

Disgaea 7 Complete takes an excellent game and polishes it up for the Nintendo Switch 2 admirably.

As a piece of art, I quite appreciate Virginia. but I certainly won't be revisiting Virginia in the future.

Oxenfree takes the best parts of supernatural 1980's teenage horror films and combines it with believable characters, beautiful set pieces, and a haunting VHS synth-pop soundtrack to create a masterpiece.

A painfully bland story and dull characters don’t stop Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE from being a novel and fun role-playing experience for fans of the genre.

Ninja Gaiden II Black takes an already solid entry into the series and gives it a modern and bloody coat of paint that signals the return of the legendary franchise.

Whereas it is a worthy experiment and a cozy game deserving of a recommendation, Wanderstop ultimately struggles to live up to its creators’ illustrious reputations.

Despite a few minor flaws, and an avalanche of controversy, Pokémon Sword and Shield prove themselves to be excellent games, and stellar new Pokémon adventures.

If you’ve played the game on the Wii U to completion, then I’d recommend passing on this one as there is little new here outside of a stable framerate, Toadette, and the highly overrated HD rumble. But if you skipped the Wii U and loved Super Mario Bros. 3, then this is a must play. It’s challenging (there’s even a challenge mode for the True Gamers(tm)), it controls great, and it pays homage while still managing to expand on the series gameplay with a few clever new gimmicks, like baby Yoshi abilities.