Look Outside is genuinely one of the scariest games I’ve played since P.T., and that’s an incredibly high bar to clear.

Kaiserpunk brings the creativity and consideration for construction of a Sim Game to the deep strategy and nuance of the 4X genre.

As it stands, big caveats aside, inZOI is an interesting experiment but not one that I would readily recommend, at least not at the launch of Early Access. What is here is, again, intriguing, yes, but far from feature-complete and optimized for performance. [Pre-Early Access Impressions]

With Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has finally delivered on the feudal Japan setting fans have always wanted. However, some elements have been left behind in the wake of the modernization of Assassin's Creed.

There is a certain sense of feeling like a wandering soul in 33 Immortals that the title captures in a way that I haven’t experienced in a game before, making the experience truly feel unique yet familiar within the roguelike genre. [Early Access Impressions]

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition graces the Nintendo Switch with one final gift from its underappreciated older sibling, the Nintendo Wii U, bringing with it the best version of the already stellar JRPG experience.

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

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.

Age of Mythology: Retold - Immortal Pillars is an excellent expansion that further enriches the Age of Mythology experience.

MainFrames is a solid little platformer that takes players inside the world of a computer that just so happens to be a paradise for platformer fanatics.

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.

Morkull Ragast’s Rage wants desperately to be Hollow Knight but is ultimately unfun and unfinished.

Slime Heroes is a decent enough “Babies First Dark Souls” but fails to do anything interesting with the core concept of being a Slime.

Split Fiction is a masterpiece. Between engaging emotional storytelling and wildly experimental gameplay mechanics that manage to stay fun start to finish, everyone should play Split Fiction.

Knights in Tight Spaces takes all the good ideas of its predecessor and not only adapts them to a fantasy setting but builds on them in interesting ways.

Carmen Sandiego tries to revive the gameplay of its classic PC predecessors, however it fails to innovate in any meaningful way.

Whether you are a fan of their previous games or you just want a light tycoon-style sim, it’s hard to go wrong with Two Point Museum.

Monster Hunter Wilds may very well set the standard for not just how Monster Hunter plays but also how it tells its story.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is an incredibly robust collection that is sure to please long-time fans, but may be a bit too archaic for some newcomers.

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.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape 1 tells a beautiful coming-of-age story, but takes far too long building up something that never pays off.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a history trip to a dark, odd time in Lara's history, covered in the same thin base coat of modern paint.

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.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an okay spin-off of the Yakuza series. The story is fine, but my biggest issue is that it doesn’t really feel inventive, which is usually what Yakuza and Like a Dragon games have in spades.

Warriors: Abyss can provide a fun experience for the Warriors die-hards, but could be skipped by everyone else.

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.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII manages to give players enough freedom to create their own version of gameplay over and over again. Pairing that with some truly stunning art, and a system that welcomes players new and old, Civ VII is the strategy game to own this year.

TMNT: Splintered Fate - Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam is a welcome addition to Splintered Fates, more for its playable hero than its new level.