I am sure I have not mentioned everything this huge game offers. But Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a great game that I wholeheartedly recommend. It’s got the many-games-in-one content extravaganza that previous Rune Factory games have had. But unlike Rune Factory 5, this time it really works together and meshes into an addictive and immersive experience. I’m no series expert, but I played dozens of hours of this. And I feel like I barely started. If you’re looking for an action RPG where you can play music, fight monsters, grow turnips, and get married, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is the game for you.

Although they’re archetypes representing a clash of cultures, Jeanne and Maikan also represent a developer willing to dip into more substantive themes. Nature, spirituality, religion, and culture are the engine that drives the narrative that’s equally introspective, smart, and emotional. In its compact run time, Two Falls does a pretty good job of balancing between educational and entertaining, only occasionally becoming self-consciously earnest in its desire to say something important.

Overall, Life is Strange 2 was not only better than I expected, but I believe it would have been a hit even if no one had ever heard of the first game. It was beautiful, with the mechanics all improved on the original and the choices more meaningful than ever.

A variety of fresh mechanics, some excellent music and writing, and a generally entertaining cast of characters and scenarios help remind us why we fell in love with this bizarre little series back in 2005.

GT6 offers a roster of cars that borders on overkill, a wide variety of tracks and tried and solid gameplay. Despite some minor flaws it is simply the best racing experience available on the PS3.

I’m having so much fun with Sparking Zero. It’s essentially everything I want in a Dragon Ball game. There’s more than enough content to keep you busy at launch, but it’s exciting to think about what Spike Chunsoft will add down the road. For coverage on Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s future content, stay tuned to COGconnected.

Sifu is built around the idea of mastering a skill. Whilst this is the mantra of the protagonist, you will also play by this code and refine your skills after each attempt. The combat is sophisticated, containing enough variety and depth to be challenging yet accessible. Without any difficulty options, some may struggle as it requires time and patience, however, learn the mechanics and you’ll find one of the greatest and most rewarding fighters in the genre.

SnowRunner brought out the kid in me when completing contracts. It reminded me of playing with Tonka trucks in the sandbox, but instead of sand, it’s snow and instead of Tonka, it’s real-world branded trucks and heavy machinery. While the realism kept me thinking like an adult, the mud running familiar to the series and newly introduced ice and snow mechanics make building bridges and fixing roads feel more interesting than other games. I enjoyed many aspects of SnowRunner and see the improvements that Saber Interactive has made with the new entry into the series. After tackling mud and snow, it’ll be interesting to see where the next title treads. It feels like they took a big step from MudRunner to SnowRunner and if the next step is just as big or bigger, it may be the perfect vehicular simulation game.

I found Persona Q2 to be very easy to get into as a relative newcomer to the spinoff series. It definitely helps that the Persona charm shines through the solid formula which includes a quality combat system and a nice aesthetic. If this is the swan song for the Nintendo 3DS, then it is for sure a quality one.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a bit of a mixed bag. It probably has the best gameplay in the series, but loses some of the scope and campiness of the mainline games. Also, the timing of its release is weird, coming out only 2 months after Earth Defense Force 6. While I reviewed the PS5 version of World Brothers 2, and found it ran beautifully, at the time of preorder, the Switch version was $46.79 CAD, while the PlayStation version was $66.99. That’s pretty major savings to consider if cost is an issue. If you’ve never played an Earth Defense Force game before, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 would be a great place to start. If you’re already a diehard EDF fan, then this is a quality entry. I just wish the series staggered its releases more.

In the end, Convergence: A League of Legends Story is a game about choosing who you want to be and forging bonds with others. No one can save the world alone. Isolation will only make you lose sight of what you were trying to save. It’s also a game about how awesome time-bending parkour is, and I respect that.

All in all, CrossCode is a love letter to fans of the pixel days without skimping on the gameplay. It plays like a modern third person action game, requiring precision and timing. The plot is breezy enough and there’s a certain zen-like quality to all the quests that can be relaxing. If you’re in need of a solid action RPG with content for days, then this is one you don’t want to miss.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From the Ashes is an excellent return to the world of Pandora, and addresses many of the original game’s minor faults. The new third-person mode makes the game feel brand new. Better pacing, more streamlined progression, and a darker narrative combine with effective combat and exploration. Players who enjoyed the original will want to pick up this DLC, and even if they don’t, the third-person mode carries over to the base game. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From the Ashes made my return to Pandora a pleasure.

Some great character depth as well as an overhaul to both the Final Fantasy formula and battle system makes Final Fantasy XV a delight for existing fans and new players.The title is a huge step in the right direction for a franchise that has staggered in recent years.

At the end of the day, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a satisfying action RPG with reasonable writing, fun scenarios, and the opportunity to hit zombies with barbed wire baseball bats. That it happens competently in VR makes me feel good about the future of such experiences, even if there are some usability troubles. If you’ve already got a headset, giving Saints & Sinners a shot is a no brainer. If you’re still on the fence, well, it might be about time to hop down.

Not perfect, but still a shining example of a stellar RPG and one that fans of the genre should readily seek out.

Mouse: P.I. for Hire’s combination of classic cartoon animation and hardboiled detective noir is original and expertly blended. Paired with familiar first-person shooter mechanics, it sounds high-concept, but the execution makes it feel perfectly natural. The combat mechanics, movement, and narrative are dialed in. The pacing is a little slow, especially in the first few hours, but Mouse: P.I. for Hire doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the overall energy and clever, fun concept carry it along.

Clocking in at such a short length, FORM feels more like a great tech demo than a full title. It’s a shame the story left me with so many questions because there is definitely far more here worth exploring. Nonetheless, FORM’s strong atmosphere and expert combination of gameplay and sound simply demand to be experienced by anyone with a VR headset. Besides, as the old saying goes, it’s better to leave your audience wanting more. With a powerful debut, I look forward to whatever Charm Games comes up with next.

Bravely Second doesn’t change much from Bravely Default. There are small additions that only improve the already near-perfect gameplay, but the story gets off to an awful start, and takes a while to build up steam.

It still does what it does incredibly well, and every new campaign in a Civilization game brings originality and variety on its own. I thought the extra-terrestrial setting was badly wasted, but even without any real innovation it’s still a very solid game, just not one that’s much different from Civilization: V.

Nostalgia is a tricky business. Pixel art and chiptunes are all fine and good, but you need more than that to capture an era. You’ve gotta drill down, deep into the bedrock of bygone eras. Freedom Planet 2 is a perfect time capsule of Sega’s glory days, for better or for worse. The graphics are amazing and the soundtrack is incredible. But the dialogue is corny and the combat feels out of place. Maybe this is for the best. Perhaps you can’t properly emulate a lost era of gaming without preserving the flaws as well. Either way, this game feels like time travel. If you’re hungry for a high-speed platformer crammed with Sonic and Sega vibes, you can’t pass up Freedom Planet 2.

After beating the story in Jagged Alliance 3, I still really wanted to play more. I want to try out every merc on the roster, and learn how to use each of their unique abilities. There are fights that I want to play again, this time with a new approach. Fans of turned based action will find Jagged Alliance 3 to be a genre-best game. But I’m probably going to play those gunfights with the volume turned way down. After all, I’m not in Grand Chien for the atmosphere and the company. I just want to find new ways to blow stuff up.

MBA’s 24 levels are as charming as they are entertaining.

Even without a multiplayer component here it’s hard to dismiss the value of the Crysis Remastered Trilogy. For those who have already played these games there’s nothing new and spectacular that’s going to blow your mind. But if you want to jump into it once again, this time with better and more refined graphics, you won’t regret it. It may not be as good as the new-age titles but it’s certainly no longer living in the past. Now for anyone who hasn’t played this franchise this really feels like a no-brainer. Scoop up the Crysis Remastered Trilogy for just $49.99 and you’re going to have a fantastic time!

For all its highs, Madden NFL 26 still stumbles over familiar hurdles. Bugs and unpolished animations occasionally disrupt an otherwise strong experience. Game logic can break, with random offsides or crashes. Menus remain clunky and prone to glitches, and some Superstar mode choices simply don’t register. Ultimate Team continues to be heavily monetized and feels predatory at times. That said, Madden 26 makes strides in authenticity and strategy. Smarter superstar behavior, improved playbooks, more realistic weather effects, amazing soundtrack, and enhanced presentation all contribute to a solid Madden experience. Unfortunately, persistent bugs, inconsistent commentary, glitchy menus, and occasional game logic flaws keep it from reaching true greatness.

If you’ve been a fan of the series since the very beginning, let your faith in the series be restored, because Assassin’s Creed Origins is definitely the best title to come out of the popular series in a long time, if not ever.

While Halo: Reach on PC is actively undergoing maintenance, it’s achieved an exceptional launch and feels great to play on mouse and keyboard. If MCC maintains a large player base as the rest of the collection trickles out and crossplay with Xbox is enabled, the next golden age of Halo could be on the rise as we approach Infinite. I’m thrilled that the collection is in a phenomenal place on console, and with PC now being my platform of choice, I’m pumped to experience the remainder of it. Halo’s popularity has undeniably dwindled over the last decade, but it’s not dead yet. After all, Spartans never die. They’re just missing in action.

A bit more polish in some areas for the PS4 would have really helped sell this version, but for those of us who don’t have a last-gen console anymore it’s great to see the series arriving on the new platforms. Keep ‘em coming Telltale.