Team Ninja has created a challenging and engaging action game in a fantasy version of Three Kingdoms China. The combat mechanics are intuitive and all work together, making strategy and consideration of each next big boss fight vital. However, those same systems can be overly complex with a flurry of gauges, ranks, and stats to consider all at once. Even with a few difficulty spikes and balancing issues, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is still a fun adventure with creative bosses and exciting battles.

If you loved Octopath Traveler or are just a fan of expansive JRPGs, Octopath Traveler II is for you. Its cast is appealing and varied, even if the accompanying shifts in tone and stakes between each character’s storyline can feel jarring at times. The combat is also a joy, rewarding experimentation and customisation, despite the amount of level grinding required later in the game. If you want a fun, if familiar-feeling, JRPG that will last you a while, Octopath Traveler II will absolutely do the trick.

Scars Above sets out as a standard sci-fi action game and experiments to great success. The story intelligently weaves in some horror elements to keep you hooked with a level of narrative consistency and cohesion that keeps things simple yet enjoyable. Combat is fun and forces you to think on your feet, leaving you properly immersed in the gameplay. With only one save file and a lack of voice and mouth synchronization, the game certainly isn’t beyond criticism. Although despite the shortcomings, Scars Above is a great example of a game that isn’t afraid to push boundaries, and succeeds in delivering a fun experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

I can tell that there was a lot of love put into Clive ‘N’ Wrench, and this is impossible to ignore. It’s an amazing feat to make a game, especially one as complex as this one, but even still, there are many areas where Clive ‘N’ Wrench falls flat. There are moments of greatness, such as in the well-crafted platforming sections, but overall it’s an underwhelming experience with lacklustre animation and a soundtrack that fails to impress.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe only improves on the original. It's great to be able to play as Magolor in the new epilogue, which changes up the platforming gameplay simply but effectively. There's even more fun to be had playing subgames in Merry Magoland with your friends. If you're playing solo, there might not be as much to keep your attention, but it will still be a short and sweet adventure.

Atomic Heart is a compelling and exciting sci-fi action RPG, with a unique and well-developed setting. Although it has its imperfections, from its slow pace to occasionally annoying combat, the exciting mysteries at the heart of, well, Atomic Heart, made it worth powering through. For action-RPG fans with a taste for alternate history settings, Atomic Heart is definitely worth diving into, and I am excited to see what developer Mundfish has to offer in the future.

Metroid Prime Remastered is an already amazing game made almost a masterpiece by its shiny new upgrades. FPS combat is thrilling as you work arenas and rooms to your advantage with your diverse arsenal and suit upgrades. Traversing all of the many environments throughout is just as enriching. That remains true whether that’s hunting through the environment, rolling in morph ball mode through small spaces in puzzle fashion, or taking in gorgeous views. All of the detailing and fidelity is improved exponentially, proving to be one of the most gargantuan efforts of a remaster. All that could still use additional touching up are tiny, relatively insignificant functions. A thoroughly enjoyable time is ahead of you, uncovering more and more secrets and oh-so-sweet lore. Metroid Prime Remastered is one for the books and how remasters should be moving forward.

Like A Dragon: Ishin! has a bit of ironing out to do before it becomes the amazing game it deserves to be. Players may notice it is the least polished game in the series in some time, and be tested by a slow start to the narrative and rolling out of mechanics to engage in chaotic fun. It’s worth sticking it out though. It’s one of the better stories to come from the franchise, with gripping inner and political conflict, where steel collides and wounds (both physical and emotional) cut deep. Kyoto too is home to some of the better instances of minigames and sub-stories, getting good mileage out of its feudal Japan setting. Living out your samurai life is palpable and thoroughly enjoyable as you cut down anyone who stands in your way in engaging combat. Like A Dragon: Ishin! may not be an all-timer for the series, but it’s definitely the title with the best vibes.

Wild Hearts takes the hunting action to the next level with vicious beasts, a vast world to explore, and an array of powerful weapons. But that's not all—the magical Karakuri crafting system seamlessly blends with combat and exploration to offer an awe-inspiring experience. It's so fluently integrated into the game that you'll be amazed at how much it advances combat, exploration, and the engaging gameplay loop. Still, the adventure suffers from visual issues and a waning grind. Even so, Wild Hearts is my new monster-hunting addiction.

If you’re a longtime Final Fantasy fan who greatly appreciates the franchise’s musical legacy, Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line is a game that celebrates that. It holds up as a rhythm game, with complex and engaging gameplay and decent integration of obligatory Final Fantasy RPG mechanics. With its expansive track list, adorable visuals, and large roster of characters to collect, it is a joy to play through the musical history of this classic RPG series, either alone or against others. While it doesn’t really aspire to be much more than that, if you are fine with that, then Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line is certainly worth checking out.

Blanc is a great game to play if you’re looking for another co-op game to share with someone close to you. There are some noticeable issues including a lack of visual cues and a camera that’s just not as effective as it should be. Though the journey the game takes you on is fun, and the beautiful art style is clearly evident. It’s a short enough game and there’s definitely room for improvement. But it’s also clear that the passion is there. Another good and wholesome game for anyone to play.

Red Tape offers a comedic look at a fallen angel’s trip through a corporate version of Hell. It’s filled with silly characters and outside-the-box solutions that will have you chuckling as you navigate the game. Unfortunately, the story is weak and it ends hastily, filling in the remaining questions once you’re done. Other than fetch quest puzzles, there is little variety in the gameplay. Any attempts at variation through jumping activities feel out of place. If you are looking for a psychological horror experience that gets you thinking, you’re better served looking elsewhere. But if you want a funny game that lasts about an hour, Red Tape will do the job well.

Even with its quirkiness and challenging katana action, Wanted: Dead is a mess. It offers an odd nostalgic charm of the incomplete and unpolished games of the mid-2000s and never takes itself too seriously. Still, without the enjoyable mini-games, imaginative slice and dice finishing moves, and “so bad it’s funny” voice acting, there’s not much more to love. This might be one of the most disappointing games of this year.

Ten Dates highlights the unspoken “rules” of dating and discusses what is needed in order for a date to go well. Though it does tend to follow a stereotypical heteronormative rom-com storyline, it gives the player enough autonomy to choose exactly what their character wants and doesn’t want from their love life through each selection of dialogue. It’s disappointing that the devs weren’t forward thinking enough to allow players to decide on their character’s sexuality and therefore force your Misha or Ryan to play as heterosexual. The way the game includes a chance flirty encounter with the same sex isn’t realistic and makes same sex relationships seem lesser than heterosexual relationships, or an afterthought. Overall, Ten Dates is a good adventure to embark on if you like your choices to matter, your dialogue to be witty and your romance to be somewhat predictable.

It’s a shame that the early pacing issues with Forspoken and the slow-burn drip-feeding of abilities will likely put off a lot of players and prevent them from seeing how fun the game can actually be when it’s firing on all cylinders. Bland and boring environments with some awkward visual choices and lifeless character models give an unfortunate first impression that is saved by its enjoyable parkour and versatile combat during the later stages of the game, along with a surprisingly heartfelt story. Forspoken might not be the savior we were all hoping for, but it’s a decent adventure with enough soul that it shouldn’t be cast aside entirely.

Hi-Fi RUSH is a surprise hit for many, but frankly, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Tango Gameworks once more has proven itself to be an immensely talented studio, with showstopping animation and stylish artwork. It’s one of the strongest entries in the character action genre yet, only further bolstered by an accessible focus on music to have you nailing that combo to the catchy beats. It is a joy to see protagonist Chai and his ragtag crew fighting the higher power and see that world grow for what is hopefully not the only time. Every needle-drop moment and thrilling boss fight and encounter all but emphasise one thing: Hi-FI RUSH is magic and already a serious game-of-the-year contender. Rock on.

Perish offers a great world to explore and a surprising amount of graphical prowess for an indie roguelike. The setting is intriguing and the combat varied and engaging enough. The game stumbles with framerate drops and a gameplay loop that may not have been finetuned to perfection, though if you have a crew to play with, Perish still offers a good amount of fun that’s worth your time.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a fun title that harkens back to older console generations whilst taking advantage of today’s technology. It makes for a visually appealing experience but one that may be a tad too shallow for anyone besides the younger side of the sponge’s fanbase. Amusing lines and colourful costumes can only do so much to shore up an ultimately “okay” game, one which does everything it sets out to do surprisingly well, but isn’t really doing enough to be as great as it could be. With all that being said, your kids may end up loving this game to bits, and if that’s who the game is for, then who’s to say they’re wrong?

ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a game with lots of love put into it. The story is emotional, the art is beautiful and original, and the soundtrack is outstanding. It’s just unfortunate that the rhythm game portion doesn’t work quite right on Nintendo Switch. I think it would only take a few small changes for it to be greatly improved, and I hope the team at Wildboy Studios may have the time to implement these in future. The game is already good, but it could be even better.

It feels excellent to be back in the world of Dead Space. Advancements in technology have allowed for further immersion into what remains one of the most engaging and terrifying horror video game worlds. The visual enhancements don’t stop there, also translating to clever planning of scares and moments of tension as you wander the Ishimura Station halls. It’s in some of this revisiting of those beloved halls that you’ll notice some dated gameplay design points not quite ironed over. However, it’s hardly a blip in the radar when you consider the other mountain of quality of life improvements to make this Isaac Clarke’s bloodiest and most delightful foray yet, with new tidbits to uncover and stellar survival horror to engage in. Dead Space has some life in it yet.

SEASON’s intended time for a single playthrough is around six hours, which I found a slightly awkward length. Its subtler environmental stories would lose their impact if not experienced in a single play session, but the deliberately slow and self-driven nature of its exploration makes this an arduous ask. It almost feels as though part of the experience was cut, or that it was originally intended to be broken into chapters more rigorously. Despite this, SEASON is an emotional and well-written narrative adventure. Immersive and reflective, it takes the grandeur of an epic journey like The Artful Escape and condenses it into something more like Firewatch: a series of personal, microcosmic stories that feel incredibly real.

You probably already know if you are the target audience for Dread Templar. The game skillfully captures the spirit of classic FPS’, for better and for worse. The challenging gameplay with a large arsenal of crazy weapons is there, along with deep, secret-filled levels. However, it has all been done before, and while Dread Templar is a very competent and enjoyable shooter, it doesn’t do a whole lot to carve out an identity of its own outside of being a homage. Still, if you’re into classic FPS games and want a modern title that strongly evokes the era, you could do a lot worse than Dread Templar.

Mahokenshi is a fun deck-building tactics game that prioritises smart gameplay. Coming up with winning strategies and experimenting on the battlefield is enjoyable, and finding card synergies gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. Great care was taken with the visuals and audio to deliver an experience that really immerses you in the welfare of the Celestial Islands. Unfortunately, the characters aren’t properly balanced and there’s a clear favourite in terms of strategy, with not enough in-built incentives to explore the other characters. But if you are alright with a short adventure and are willing to complete every objective you see, you will have a good time with Mahokenshi while it lasts.

Truly a standout JRPG experience, Persona 4 Golden is easily a must-play for any self-respecting RPG fan. Great visuals, excellent music and sound production, and one of best narratives in any RPG cement Persona 4 among the greatest experiences on PS2, PS Vita, and now the modern suite of consoles. Recycled elements from previous entries in the series may annoy some players especially when played in sequence, but while it is showing its age in some other respects, this hardly detracts from the impeccable gold standard it sets for its peers.

Whether you are a JRPG veteran or a Persona newcomer, Persona 3 Portable is a high-quality example of one of the best eras of the genre. The game is handicapped by a few shortcomings and could have done with some rebalancing and graphical updates, but still Persona 3 Portable reminds us where the series kicked things into high gear, while also showing how far JRPGs have come. An engaging, moody, and confronting experience that has plenty to offer to even the pickiest of players, Persona 3 Portable is a standout roleplaying adventure.

A Space for the Unbound is a mesmerising adventure. Dive into people’s minds and experience so much of Indonesian youth and culture through the eyes of Atma and Raya’s clash with the end of the world. Uninspiring minigames and simple gameplay aren’t its best features. Regardless, the stunning pixel-art visuals, animations, music, likeable characters and storytelling make this a game that will have you in tears.

Fire Emblem Engage is an okay addition to the Fire Emblem series, with fun and varied maps and enough changes to the tactical mechanics to make it probably worth playing for any FE fan, though not all of its changes are winners. Its spectacular graphics are something to behold; it’s just a shame that it is accompanied by a story that falls completely flat and emblem heroes that are shadows of their former selves. It’s just sadly underwhelming in the face of what its predecessor, Three Houses, achieved better. 

LONE RUIN is a game that’s simply too short for its own good. A lack of content means the experience is over long before it ever should be, and any additional difficulty modes and a survival mode don’t do enough to justify the small scope. The experience is saved somewhat by good gameplay and a great spells/upgrades system, though not enough to call this one a real must-play.