Graphical caveats aside, Sniper Elite: Resistance is fun to play not only because of the various game modes but how you can approach missions. The developers also devoted significant effort to ballistics and weapons handling. Veteran players will feel right at home. New players will be delighted with the variety of missions. Both will be delighted with the options of how they can play them.

Folks who like tower defense and twin-stick shooters should enjoy X-Morph: Defense on the Nintendo Switch. The experience offers up a ton of variety and the replayability factor is high. Not to mention the level of planning and strategy required only adds to the enjoyment. And well playing as the bad guy’s rock.

All in all, Homura: The Crimson Warriors is an interesting historical fantasy with a dash of romance. I recommend it to fans of Japanese history and bittersweet plotty romance.

Aragami is a well designed, fun and challenging stealth game that, minus a few bugs here and there, is a solid entry into the stealth genre.

If you’re a 30 year fan of Super Robot Wars, the latest entry into the saga is something pretty special. No expense was spared bringing crunchy strategy rules and every mecha IP under the sun into one full throttle extravaganza. And even if you are a complete noob like me, this feels like a great entry to the wider world of giant robot anime. I suppose if you are only looking for the most finely honed strategy game and style is meaningless to you, you’re not going to find what you are looking for in Super Robot Wars 30. But give it a chance, it might grab you with a 10 foot long mechanized fist and not let go.

Pylon: Rogue excels because it knows what it is; a rogue-like RPG about skill, precision, and stacking a crazy number of skills. Its presentation is nice if a bit simple and some enemies sadly tend to blend into the environment due to lighting which can lead to unfortunate hits, but it’s still a solid experience.

Some weird technical mishaps aside, Afterparty is a helluva ride. Night School Studio’s depiction of Hell is wonderfully inventive, quirky, and surprisingly enticing. While it’s certainly up for debate whether it dethrones Oxenfree, Afterparty is a quality followup that will bring a smile to your face. The story is solid with great relatable characters but the constantly hilarious script and dialogue make Afterparty worth sticking with until the very end, even after everybody’s gone home.

Offworld Trading Company is a good game, with some solid gameplay mechanics, polished visuals and intuitive controls.

Apopia: Sugar Coated Tale is a bit short, and some of its side characters feel underdeveloped. Even so, Quillo Entertainment Limited has crafted a game filled with heart. That passion shines through in every frame, showcasing an impressive level of artistry that’s only slightly held back by budgetary constraints. In the end, Apopia: Sugar Coated Tale is a gentle, gorgeous experience that will warm your heart while lingering in your thoughts thanks to its surprising emotional depth.

A pretty good game. From large game levels and lots of extra tasks to that non-linear approach to how you can complete said tasks and the ability to play the whole campaign cooperatively, there really is a lot to like.

In Other Waters is a slow-paced and oddly satisfying game that asks for your patience and imagination. It is like reading a book where you are transported into a completely different world, and with each discovery Ellery makes the environment becomes more detailed and beautiful. With full control of the expedition that engages the player from the moment the game starts, In Other Waters is highly interactive and unapologetically detailed, a little slower and a lot more reading than I would have preferred, but an overall impressive experience.

Treasures of the Aegean is an intriguing and audacious game. Giving you complete freedom, you can decide how you want to tackle the enormous environment. Due to the protagonist’s free-flowing approach to traversal, you can gracefully cruise through areas to discover the plethora of secrets that are buried within. Whilst some may be deterred by that lack of a clear objective, those who crave an adventure that gives you control should definitely check out this liberating trip to a lost, ancient world.

With an overwhelming amount of content available, and a variety of game modes to play through, Vector Unit Inc. should be proud of this arcade racing game.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker’s Memory is a worthy successor. It is not a jaw-dropping, life-changing piece, but it is an enjoyable experience especially for a Digimon fan. The story is engaging from the first minute of gameplay and I personally found it difficult to turn the game off to go to bed. Overall, Hacker’s Memory is addicting and extremely satisfying, and here’s to hoping for a similar title in the near future.

Though I really enjoyed the spooky, 80’s horror music, what I loved was that you can hear very ominous things happening in the background; echoed gunshots, whimpering, and the occasional zombie moan. The thunder and lightning, the pitter-patter of rain, and the screams of your enemies as you progress further through the level really struck that classic horror movie tone.

Overall, Total War: Attila ends up being a pretty enjoyable game.

If you’ve never played a musou game before, then One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is a fantastic one to start with. If you’re not a One Piece fan, however, your enjoyment of the game’s story may be limited. But if you like One Piece, and/ or like Dynasty Warriors, then you need this game in your life.

PowerWash Simulator is a game for people who love a clean space. It’s a meditation for those who need a stress-free break. The gameplay is easy and straightforward, the controls handle beautifully, and the colors jump out with vibrance and life. I do feel like the game is hurt with such a soft delivery on its story and lack of soundtrack. The dirt highlighter could also benefit from multiple color options. I feel that the requirements on smaller objects and crevices could use some tweaking. I love booting this up for some relaxing gameplay. It’s easily one of my favorite games to play on Xbox.

A tip of the hat to Codemasters for trying something new with the Story Mode. While it doesn’t enhance the game in the way intended, it does make for a useful tour of the game’s offerings. Grid Legends is a lot of fun and that’s what really matters at the finish line.

I liked playing Knights and Bikes, but more for the look, the feel and the charming story than for the actual gameplay. It was hard not to like and begin to really care for Nessa and Demelza, who seemed to have all the many-faceted qualities of real kids. It had a nice soundtrack too. Knights and Bikes may not be an epic AAA game but it has some originality and fun to offer nonetheless. Strap on your helmet and take a relaxing ride with two quirky kids whose touching friendship will take you back to your own youthful innocence.

Cairn accurately captures the thrill and intensity of scaling a mountain. Each tentative step communicates the danger of the climb, forcing you to constantly readjust and take calculated risks to succeed. Aava’s flexibility benefits the gameplay, though it can look awkward in execution. While the game’s visuals and overall design are wonderful, performance issues, such as regular framerate drops and odd bugs, occasionally hinder the experience. Even though there are a few kinks in the equipment, this is a great ascent for those seeking a truly unique adventure.

Despite a few shortcomings, Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is an engrossing journey. Fans and newcomers to the franchise can enjoy the gifts this game offers. Feeling small and powerless is an experience that makes one appreciate life in the adult world. It also gives a new appreciation of how children feel about the world. This game’s VR heightens all these feelings found in the Little Nightmares universe. If you like games of suspense and mystery with a tinge of scary, check this one out.

NASCAR 25 is impressive in its scope. From Quick Race, Championship, Multiplayer, or Career, the combinations of tracks, cars, and experiences will keep oval racing fans busy for quite a while. While not perfect, NASCAR 25 is an impressive debut entry in the series.

Game play trumps presentation here. Excellent swing mechanics make the actual act of playing golf in The Golf Club quite enjoyable and the social and online features are abundant and fun. These things outweigh the technical hiccups.

In a market saturated with shooters, it takes something special to rise above the pack. Crysis 3 was on the cusp of doing so, but in the end it didn’t quite knock one out of the park.

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.

There is a deep sense of melancholy in Last Day of June, created through narrative tension and player resignation to seeing the same cutscene for the fifth time. Its solid story and dreamy visuals are the game’s saving graces in the end, through the repetition kept me from being completely drawn into its magic — a tragedy unto itself.

With colourful visuals, a neat little story, and some great voice acting, the game is only hampered by its simplicity, a few minor camera issues, and some long load times. Sure, it doesn’t bring anything radically new to the genre, but it is a good game nonetheless.