While a standalone game that also offered “Extinction” (the short-lived alien variant) would be even better, Zombies Chronicles gets the job done and hits most of the high-notes the subseries has given us over the years. It’s going to be a little awkward if you sold your copy of Black Ops III, but otherwise, it’s worth booting up with some friends.

Anna’s Quest is a charming, whimsical and beautiful adventure, that is sure to please fans as well as entice newcomers to the world of adventure games.

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.

Though Tinytopia didn’t strive to keep me motivated, it manages to offer up something special for most kinds of players through challenges, builds and disasters.

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.

God Eater 3’s main draw is its flashy action, but only occasionally brings real challenge along with it.

New gameplay additions and intuitive controls make PGA TOUR 2K23 an easy to pick up and fun to play addition to the series.

Forts is a fun 2-D RTS with some interesting new mechanics thrown in. It suffers from a few bugs and an unnecessary story, but is generally an entertaining experience.

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.

If you want a game that feels wholly original and recreates what it used to feel like to get a new SNES game, then Wild Guns Reloaded is the game for you. It's stupid, it's fun, and it makes me yearn for the days when video games weren't so serious all the time.

Farming Simulator 25 offers an immersive farming experience with a vast array of machinery to operate and numerous tasks to complete, providing something for everyone at a whole new level of gameplay.

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.

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.

From the outset, it’s clear that SMITE is a perfect fit for consoles.

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

Episode Gladiolus is worth checking out for its rugged action and blood-pumping music, though its plot points really should've been part of Final Fantasy XV in the first place.

Marvel’s Avengers at launch is a solid-foundation for Crystal Dynamics to build upon and develop into a fantastic live-service title that joins the ranks of Warframe and Destiny 2.

Slave Zero X is a solid hack-and-slash and is an easy recommendation to fans of the genre.

For the first time on PlayStation 4, the celebrated member of the Patapon franchise, Patapon 2 Remastered is available to introduce a new generation of players to the earworm of a game that plagued PSP owners.

Its structured nature and digestible missions make it perfect for playing for short periods on the go, but its deep alchemy mechanics will keep players engrossed for hours when playing at home.

If you’ve been searching for a story-driven, narratively engaging vampire game with plenty of atmosphere, Vampyr is right up your alley. If you’re looking for a snappy, tightly controlled ARPG, you might want to look elsewhere.

Madden 25 is a triumphant return to form for the Madden franchise and is easily the best entry in years.

Wayfinder is a fun, fast-paced action RPG with some great world-building and excellent progression systems. While there are still some rough areas to sand down, Wayfinder manages to offer an incredibly engaging experience that can be shared with a friend.

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.

My Lovely Daughter is a game that shouldn't be missed by fans of point-and-click games and especially those who are into horror or macabre themes.

If you can adapt to its ruthless approach, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a retro JRPG that’s worth revisiting. However, the remastering doesn’t go far enough, leaving PS2 quirks intact.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain brings a unique solo experience while still remaining fun for the whole family. I found some controls frustrating, but it's a great game to wind down with.

The Royal Pack is a well-realized bundle of miscellany that refines the core Final Fantasy XV experience while reminding us that it's still an incomplete game sixteen months after launch.