Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals is a beautifully told story that improves on the original. The structure is exciting and fosters intrigue in the multilayered narrative. Although Night School Studios does improve the gameplay, it fails to take advantage of these segments. Despite that, the wonderful art direction, intelligent narrative and relatable characters make this a memorable adventure.

Even coming short of perfection, you nerds are going to love Xenonauts 2. It lacks the bombast and superpowers of reboot-era XCOM, but it more than compensates with logistical complexity. It may not be sexy, but Xenonauts 2 is a well-designed strategy game, thoughtfully made by a team who knows the genre. And if you are a youngster who missed the 90s? Here’s an approachable piece of video game history given form. Figuring out how to run an old DOS game is a headache. Xenonauts 2 in out and ready for your orders commander.

Generally, The Valliant on consoles is a success. Controls make sense and don’t inhibit the flow. Whatever issues there are lie in the core of the game. A lack of mechanical originality and some repetitive or frustrating missions are offset by a decent story and acting. It’s also refreshing to play a unit-based RTS game that isn’t set in WW2 or a sci-fi world.

While it looks like a modern storybook tale, Gylt deals with some pretty intense subject matter that many can relate to. It would be easy to complain that Gylt doesn’t go deep enough in any direction or layer enough complexity on its basic systems. That would be true if the game was longer than its five-hour running time. Its mechanics might not be remarkable, but Gylt’s themes are impactful and its presentation is memorable and engaging.

This is the definitive version of the game and it brings all the previous Layers of Fear content together in a cohesive whole. Fans of the original game will enjoy revisiting these games in this tightened and polished version. New players who are horror fans should also find this a worthy experience.

My only real disappointment was that more effort wasn’t put into sprucing up the visuals and tweaking the gameplay to iron out some of the minor frustrations from the original releases. Once you’ve experienced Pikmin 1 + 2, I highly recommend giving Pikmin 3 Deluxe a playthrough, which is also available on the Nintendo Switch. And thankfully, we’re not far off from Pikmin 4, which judging by the demo will exceed all expectations.

I was ecstatic to see Enclave HD coming back. I have such fond memories of playing it twenty years ago, and I knew I was going into it with rose-tinted glasses; the characters, the levels, the gear, everything. We didn’t need Enclave HD to be a full-blown remaster, but with a little more love it could be something truly great. An homage to classic fantasy and adventure games. I enjoyed my time playing Enclave only because I already knew the game. I don’t feel like enough improvements have been made to hold a modern audience, regardless of how fun it used to be.

Synapse is an intense shooter that imbues you with heroic powers. Each run in this addictive rogue-lite is exhilarating. The gunplay and telekinesis perfectly combine and allows you to experiment with the mechanics. Due to the upgrade system, you progressively get stronger which gives further incentive for another round. Even with the small number of enemy types and slightly repetitive gameplay, Synapse is an essential PSVR 2 title and a promising glimpse at what the future of the medium holds.

I was expecting to like The Signifier VR more than I did. On paper, it’s got a really cool premise that seemed to offer similarities to Heavy Rain or even the best aspects of Cyberpunk 2077. But the move to VR doesn’t seem to have added much other than slightly downgraded visuals. If you enjoy walking simulators and point and click adventures, then this might be your jam. But otherwise, wait for The Signifier VR to go on sale.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Reverie is not a good place to start the Trails series. This is not a short game, it starts very slowly, and it’s effectively a sequel to every previous game. If you’re a fan, however, you can’t miss this. Especially since it has enough replay value to keep you busy until the Calvard games are localized.

Crime O’Clock’s lovely art direction and charming premise can’t save the game from its repetitive gameplay loop. While at first, it delivers a wave of nostalgia, it soon drowns in its concept. Even though it’s extremely accessible and fun to play with others, it quickly loses momentum as it struggles to innovate on the idea.

If you’ve already got the base game, I can’t imagine you’ll get much out of Origins Plus. If you grew up playing the Game Gear, great news! These are twelve colorful trips down memory lane. Otherwise, I don’t recommend it. Turns out Sega’s first portable gaming experiment aged rather poorly. Sonic Origins is a fun and accessible way to play Sonic’s greatest hits. But Origins Plus spends too much time on bland, awful games.

AEW: Fight Forever is the best wrestling game since WWF No Mercy. There’s a visceral nature to every punch and slam which makes every physical match-up an absolute thrill. While the mechanics are deep and allows fans to master techniques, there’s also a pick-up-and-play ethos that is amplified through silly mini-games and over-the-top gimmick matches. The odd hit detection issue, basic creation suite and lack of community uploads are disappointing, however, they don’t take away from what is the greatest wrestling game in the past 20 years.

A good mystery should hook you right from the beginning. Solving your own murder is a juicy hook, to say the least. Better still, there’s a fascinating narrative beyond that elevator pitch. The mechanics are unique and engaging, the graphics are slick, and the writing keeps you plugged in until the very end. While I wasn’t a perfect fit for the puzzle design, that’s alright. Players more interested in a tense experience will find a lot to love here. I still appreciated the mix of frustration and elation, even as it burrowed into my brain. If you’re looking for a unique, puzzling mystery, definitely give Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a shot.

Theme park and coaster sims have come a long, long way since Rollercoaster Tycoon hijacked my free time. Park Beyond is a generally approachable and inviting sim that’s definitely not for the realism-minded. Its campaign is held back by an unpredictable and not well-explained economic model, but it’s pretty easy to get lost in the sandbox, enjoying the intentional impossibility of your creations.

We Love Katamari is a better game than Katamari Damacy. It has more level variety, and had multiplayer options before it was remastered. The core gameplay of both games is exactly the same. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie is a fantastic remaster of that already great game. The HD visuals and gameplay tweaks look and feel perfect. The only fault is in the bonus content. It’s always lovely to have more features, but none of them are so compelling that they extend the time you’ll spend with the game. We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie won’t be for everyone, but it will also be a “must play experience” for many.

C-Smash VRS is an incredible multiplayer with the potential to become a staple of any PSVR 2 owner’s collection. The simple premise and excellent execution leads to intense matches that will keep you hooked. Whether you’re up against a friend or a complete stranger, the thrill never subsides. With a focus on multiplayer, the game needs to add more incentives and regular updates to build a community. However. the addictive online loop and replayable single-player options help to make C-Smash VRS an absolute hit!

As with each generous and engaging new expansion, there is an abundance of excellent content to experience. Appealing new companions, distinctive new zones, and fantastical monsters are paired with a useful and fun-to-play Arcanist class. Necrom’s main quest is more mystical than political this time around, and there are some extra-challenging encounters out in the wild. As always I come away from The Elder Scrolls Online both impressed and disheartened that I don’t have more time to play.

Overall, the game is too easy and you can complete it in around 4 hours. Still, there’s a lot of fun to be had. Especially if you grew up in the Atari era or are a big fan of the Atari 2600 era of gaming.

Crash Team Rumble is a surprisingly great multiplayer. The simple premise is compelling and fosters a more-ish cycle. Each of the characters is well-designed and gives gameplay options that allow you to strategize during bouts. The lack of single-player content, multiplayer modes, and the inclusion of a battle pass is disappointing, however, the core gameplay is a ton of fun and is definitely worth a spin.

Aliens: Dark Descent nails the tone and tension of the movie franchise. Its genre-fluid mechanics are clever, too, and provide some unexpected challenges and opportunities. A very slow, creaky start and some consistent technical issues hold it back from the top spot, but Aliens: Dark Descent is still appealing for fans of the films and tactical action games in general.

In many ways, XVI hardly resembles the usual FF experience. There's no massive party of adventurers, no MP-based magic system, and no open world map traversal, among other things. And yet, I got the quintessential Final Fantasy experience. There's a sweeping, epic story. The stakes are incredibly high. Clive is beset by tragedy and hardship. He experiences character growth, moments of joy, companionship, and love. The battles go from mundane to impossibly epic. Clive is given all the power, special moves, and responsibilities of a capital 'P' Protagonist. The game is gorgeous, the music is incredible, and the story got its hooks deep into my flesh. Despite my initial misgivings, I've come to love this game completely. Long-time fans, series newcomers, RPG enthusiasts, hear me now: Final Fantasy XVI is the platonic ideal of FF games. They don't get better than this.

Being my favourite entry in the STORY OF SEASONS series, A Wonderful Life is a wonderful game. If you are new to the STORY OF SEASONS series, A Wonderful Life is an excellent place to start. Having previous knowledge of how the game works can be an advantage but there isn’t anything you can’t learn. All you need to do is work hard and make the most out of every day – but most importantly, have fun while doing so. And if you’re like me, you’ll fall in love with everything the game has to offer and find the Forgotten Valley is truly an unforgettable place.

Trepang2 has a pretty narrow focus, but it does the bloody first-person combat genre proud. Kudos to developer Trepang for doing a few things really well and not trying to make the next Call of Duty clone. Trepang2 borrows a few ideas from F.E.A.R. and snags some mechanics from classic shooters, and the result is both fresh and familiar fun.

For every infrequent good idea, Crime Boss: Rockay City seems determined to undermine it. First-person roguelike mechanics in a narrative-focused game is an intriguing concept, but between bugs, bland performances, and rote action, the killer concept is dead on arrival.

F1 23 covers a lot of bases. The 2023 version offers a variety of ways to play the game depending on your skill level and preferences. It is a good iteration for newcomers to jump into and the greater depth of options will satisfy the needs of veterans.

Dordogne is a gentle and comfortable adventure that manages to capture an authentic quality. The intriguing narrative threads are thoughtfully implemented to allow you to tie strands together. Gameplay aspects are rudimentary and at times feel unnecessary, however, they do help make the jaw-dropping environments feel alive. While at times you may wish that Mimi could run, that thought seems to dissipate as you take in the beautiful surroundings. Although this is not for everyone, those who enjoy narrative-driven games will fall in love with Dordogne.

Overall, Super Mega Baseball 4 is the best arcade-inspired baseball game on the market. It also does a great job with its simulation aspects while keeping the Super Mega Baseball form. My favorite part of the game, aside from its strong gameplay, is the amount of customization there is. Whether you want to customize players, teams, leagues, or difficulty levels, there is something you can change. Overall, Super Mega Baseball 4 is a great baseball videogame experience, especially if you want a departure from the MLB.