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.

“Farewell” succinctly captures everything that Life is Strange does well in a beautiful and devastating package.

Bugs and shortcomings aside, the last time I found myself this absorbed and invested in a Telltale game was with Tales from the Borderlands. If A New Frontier continues to build upon its characters and story arc with the same momentum of these first two episodes, this season could well turn out to be some of Telltale’s best work yet.

Out of Sight is a short and sweet adventure that takes players through a pitch black modern fable. The gameplay is simple but engaging, and suitable for horror fans, new and old.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm makes Civilization VI feel complete, thanks mostly to the great new civs and small quality of life improvements.

The overwhelming feeling I had in my time with Expeditions: Rome is that it’s perfectly average. If you have a strong draw to Roman history, there’s a lot to love, as the game goes full-force into its setting. The systems all work together competently, but never do anything to stand out from the pack of other CRPGs out there. Even so, I kept finding myself wanting to play more, wanting to conquer that extra little bit of land. If you’re hankering for a new CRPG with a lot of systems to learn, you can certainly do worse than Expeditions: Rome.

It’s bizarre, thought-provoking, and challenging enough to keep you invested for hours.

System Shock returns in 2024 as a premiere FPS narrative experience that shocks the player with each step. An easy recommendation for First-Person fans.

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.

While none of my issues while playing are game-breaking, College Football 25 has the rare advantage of being what feels like a complete reset of a franchise, which works in its favour. While College Football 25 is a massive step in the right direction for good video game football play, there is still a lot of work to be done.

From its striking wash of chromatic aberration against the glow of the crystaline skater against the forboding hellscape of the skate park, Skate Story is a feast for the eyes and a must-play for skateboarding fans looking for a short but unforgettable indie hit.

Telltale has definitely gotten so comfortable that their latest zombie game lacks any teeth.

I have some issues with Metro: Exodus. The larger story is completely off the wall ludicrous and makes everything that came before feel completely invalid. If I had been forced to live in a hole for 20 years, fight monsters and Nazis, and I was all a lie, I’m certainly not letting the people lying about it on my freedom train, much less call any shots. The smaller, more personal stories, however, often hit a little closer to home, and make life just a bit more interesting.

Even though it took a while for the story to hook me, Avowed managed to bring a truly unique world to life with creative combat and stunning settings.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the perfect cozy time sink. Now that it is on Nintendo Switch and PC, its rich world and consistent updates will make it a part of my regular rotation.

It's really tough to follow-up Super Meat Boy, but Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel did it nonetheless with a dreary challenging platformer.

Atelier Yumia is another solid outing for Gust's long-running series, which learns from its predecessor's successes while carving its own path.

Doom Eternal rips & tears up its quality for worse on Nintendo Switch, but grants an incredible wish by letting players take the highly addictive FPS anywhere.

With its impeccable presentation, its focus on history, and its ability to remix its challenges to make decades-old games feel brand new, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a necessity for Mega Man fans.

Etrian Odyssey V is a digital adventure that leans analogue, with pen-and-paper sensibilities that delight far more than they frustrate.

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.

Ace Combat 7 marks the spectacular return of a franchise that has been gone for far too long.

You might not feel blown away by The Show 15 with anything new, but you’ll be blown away once more by everything that this series has done right for so long.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is not for newcomers, but provides plenty of great action for series veterans.

RiME is the rare game that balances its spectacle and whimsy with a dose of quiet humanity.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a wonderful, and most importantly, innovative puzzle game that is great to play either solo or with others.

I’m sure these games are great for anyone who grew up with them, but I honestly don’t get why.

Odallus gives players a sense of nostalgia while bringing it’s own flavour to the table. This medieval fantasy game is challenging, pretty, and most importantly, fun.

There's some interesting stuff for arcade aficionados, but Circa Infinity isn't quite there for anyone else.

While the platforming aspect of the game doesn’t appear to be as big a selling point as the level creation, the gameplay is still tight and solid enough.

Dauntless is a great entry point to hunting games that is easily accessible to players who have yet to experience the thrill of the hunt.

The Jackbox Party Pack 6 brings with it four new games and the sequel to Trivia Murder Party. It’s more polished than the previous releases on launch, but none of the new games are particularly great.

Jackbox Party Pack Vol. 9 returns the series to form with an overall great selection of new games, and further refinement of the core software settings.

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]

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.

Overall, Thirsty Suitors is a fun experience. If you can overlook the rough skateboarding sections and repetitive encounters, there is a good coming-of-age story and some fantastic music and mini-games.

Sucker for Love: Date to Die For was short, a little broken, but ultimately engaging and relatable. Just like my love life.

Even if you've played the original release, Arizona Sunshine Remake is worth checking out if you have a PSVR2 or a modern gaming PC capable of running newer VR titles.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a par for the course port of a surprisingly deep and well-realized fighter that, despite being a spin-off title, knocks out the competition, even nearly a decade later.

Mega Man Legacy Collection is solid, and Digital Eclipse has done a commendable job of making these NES titles playable on modern hardware, but as a modern collection, it’s woefully incomplete no matter how you slice it.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a platforming masterclass, and it’s a must play for fans of 2D action titles, Dead Cells, and pretty much everyone else.

Despite a majority of the original’s flaws carrying over, Gravity Rush 2 is nevertheless a good game with a winning narrative and a beautiful art direction.

F1 Manager 2024 is a very good Formula 1 simulation in every aspect of the management side of things. The sheer number of things you can adjust and change is staggering and perfect for the F1 connoisseur to tackle.

With every passing year, I’m consistently impressed how EA are able to improve on an already winning formula, making each new release of NHL a must own title, rather than a glorified roster update.

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.

The Artful Escape has a stellar narrative with actual good humour enhanced by the voice acting talent and beautiful landscapes, but the gameplay is stale and those who dislike electric guitar are in for a long haul.

Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is a somewhat short but sweet visual novel experience that captures the heart of the PC-98 era and retro mecha anime of decades past.

Capcom Arcade Stadium is a staggeringly good port of many solid games, breathing new life into them with unique challenges and through a robust suite of difficulty options. It’s a great way to experience these games no matter your skill level, and offers so much variety that I just kept coming back for more.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves might not be the flashiest fighter in the ring, but what it lacks in quantity is made up in spades thanks to its rewarding fighting mechanics and unwavering commitment to hardcore players.

Infinity Nikki is a genuinely enjoyable game about exploring, forging friends and making pretty dresses, let down by an abundance of predatory monetization and unnecessary mobile design choices.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a strategy game like no other, complete with that classic Capcom charm, making it an essential experience for longtime fans of the studio.

The first three Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters deftly walk the line between old and new, but might not convert anyone without the stomach for old JRPGs.

Grim Fandango is back, and, unlike The Longest Journey, it’s gotten a bit of modern spit and polish for its console/PC debut, and it goes without saying that for fans of adventure games, this is a must own title.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is an exceptional, hand-crafted FPS experience worth picking up today.

In terms of narrative, Atelier Ryza 2‘s light tone makes for a refreshing experience but a somewhat bland story. There are a lot of familiar tropes and the dialog often feels padded with pleasantries. It’s nice to have predominately lower stakes and a “everyday life” atmosphere for a change, compared to the genre’s typical “save the world from a would-be god” theatrics. But after a while cutscenes and conversations felt like a drag, especially if you enter an area and set off a couple different scenes at once. At its core, it’s a fairly typical narrative for an anime-styled JRPG, with the usual conventions like standard personality types, stock expressions, and an occasional objectifying camera angle.

While it does nothing wholly original, Koira achieves exactly what it sets out to do: tell an emotional tale and build a strong foundation for Studio Tolima’s future titles.

Reanimal understands horror on a visual and emotional level, but isn’t able to support it with the amount of friction in the game. When it works, it’s great; when it doesn’t, the cracks are impossible to ignore.

Like a toss of the dice, Lost in Random can be truly inspired at times, and a little underwhelming at others.

Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee is the genesis of a new beginning for the Pokémon series, giving players of both the traditional handheld games and newcomers alike, or fans of Niantic’s Pokémon Go, the best of both worlds.

Dungeons of Hinterberg feels like a fresh breath of the Austrian Alps as it recontextualizes familiar action-RPG elements in a charming and modern feeling adventure.

Even without the nostalgia creeping in, one can plainly see that this is a game for the ages. Cross-play would make this the perfect release for me, but even as is, I love this game.

If you liked Nidhogg, Nidhogg 2 is more of the same—which is probably enough for most people. A few new weapons, a shallow character creator, cool stage backgrounds and online play are the biggest changes you’re paying for here. I just wish there were more substantial editions aside from those.

Dragon’s Crown Pro is filled with endlessly captivating art, but those same visuals also trip up its deep, intricate action (and may be a bit too risqué for some players’ tastes).

Mario Party Superstars somehow manages to entertain and impress while bringing almost nothing new to the table aside from some annoying stickers and appreciated save features. Nintendo knows the road to success is nostalgia, and they manage to use it to hit the mark every time.

If it wasn’t for some questionable design choices with the game’s most important element, it could have been a flawless experience.

Heave Ho is a fun multiplayer game that provides plenty of laughter – provided you play with three of your friends.

Ghostrunner II is an incredibly challenging and incredibly fun game that will test your every Ninja reflex and keep you coming back for more.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink might not reinvent the wheel when it comes to storytelling in a JRPG, but as far as fun multiplayer experiences go, Relink soars to new horizons.

Ys SEVEN remains a hard-rockin', wall-crushin' paragon of the action RPG genre.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is the most expansive and accessible version of this remaster/remake, which amplifies the fun within its 2002 RTS roots.

Lies of P may not be Bloodborne 2, nor was it ever trying to be, and to say it’s the game to tide you over until we get a true sequel to Bloodborne feels like a massive disservice to the incredible game that it is. It is a worthy addition to the pantheon of incredible Souls-likes and in the same way I fell in love with Bloodborne only moments after playing it, I’ve fallen in love with Lies of P. It does everything right, minus a few technical hiccups, and carves a name for itself wholly its own. I’d say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this isn’t immigration. This is elevation...Lies of P exceeds its SoulsBorne inspirations and is easily one of the best games of the year.

WRC offers exactly what I wanted from a Codemaster rally game and it doesn’t disappoint thanks to a good offering of content, engaging racing, and lots of tricky routes.

Pac-man Championship Edition 2 Plus keeps all the fun and frenetic gameplay that made the original so appealing, a inconsistent frame rate holds back the otherwise great package that shouldn't be missed.

WWE 2K26 took an already great game and made it better in every way, with no definitive weak spots relative to the genre. They’ve added a lot with very little feeling like filler and brought back things that fans missed. It’s one of the best annual release games that I’ve had the pleasure of playing.

Telltale has definitely gotten so comfortable that their latest zombie game lacks any teeth.

Last Epoch is a must play ARPG for fans of the genre, and can be considered an excellent starting point for newcomers.

Potionomics is a genuinely unique take on the sim genre that blends strategy with fun, and bolsters it with lovable and engaging characters.

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.

Elite: Dangerous isn’t a terrible game, but I don’t think it was made for mass appeal.

UFC 5 is a must-buy for fight fans and an easy entry point for newcomers to get into the action.

Paper Mario: The Origami King came in hot to a system that’s boasted excellent new adaptations of flagship games. It’s impossible to ignore the high bar Nintendo sets with these releases and the quality we come to expect from them. This one absolutely delivers on being fresh and new, living up to the quality we expect and is an exciting addition to the switch roster for those of us looking for the next great game to commit to. We have come to expect only the best from Mario RPG’s and this one still manages to blow through expectations and leave confetti flying.

This game takes many hours to play a campaign, which is a definite plus, but those hours can be quite tedious when cutscene loading and strange hang-ups occur.

As much as I wanted to enjoy Everything, it’s an empty experience trying to be deeper than it really is. It’s even more frustrating when it becomes clear that Everything is nothing more that streamer fodder to get views from an audience that will probably never actually buy the game anyway. Still, as a one time playthrough, Everything can be interesting, even good for a chuckle or two, but once it’s over, there’s no need to ever get back to it.

DNF Duel takes a popular but somewhat dated MMORPG and succsufelly reinvigorates it into a quick to learn but hard to master fighting game.

Described as a "love letter to 8-bit" this classic platformer is just as brief and lovely as it was when it arrived years back.

Call of Duty: WWII is an excellent return to form for the franchise that unfortunately comes with a lot of hang-ups due to being a multiplayer shooter in 2017. However, the campaign is a blast, the shooting and combat mechanics feel tight, and it looks gorgeous on a 4K screen.

The Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is an excellent package of three solid games, filled to the brim with bonus content and QoL features.

It’s a surprisingly faithful and endearing approximation of playing a pen-and-paper RPG like Dungeons and Dragons, taking core pieces of the culture and structure of a D&D game and stripping it down to basic, easy-to-understand mechanics.

A fun procedurally generated rpg adventure with a punishing difficulty that will require multiple playthroughs.

In some regards, Layers of Fears is special despite its sometimes clear faults. However it’s somewhat clear lack of polish in its performance can, and most certainly does take away from the otherwise spooky immersion.

Slime-San mimics what made titles such as Super Meat Boy so different, but despite being beautifully unique, it never reaches the same type of greatness.

Judgment may be linked to Yakuza’s legacy, but it still provides a great reason to explore Kamurocho once again.

Scarlet Nexus is the fresh, new Action JRPG that gamers weary of the “Tales of” series formula have been needing to see from Bandai Namco for a while now, and it shines especially bright on next gen consoles.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide finds interesting ways to utilize the PS5 hardware for an intense experience that is highly enjoyable.

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.

Rogue Flight is a well-made, perfectly-priced arcade-style 3D space action shooter that serves as an open love letter to 80’s and 90’s anime/shmup era fans, offering plenty nostalgia, throwback references and many hours of replay value.

Despite its flaws, the unsettling atmosphere and experimental narrative make Among Ashes a fascinating experience for horror fans.

Beside a few nagging puzzles and backtracking sequences, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an excellent game, both for fans of action-adventure titles and of course, fans of games set in galaxies, far far away.