A.I.L.A is an ambitious blend of psychological horror and VR-driven storytelling, delivering atmosphere, mystery and tension with impressive confidence. Its narrative pacing, clever twists and oppressive tone keep the experience engaging, while the soundtrack and sound design heighten every moment. Technical issues and rough melee combat hold it back, but its creativity and emotional impact shine through. An unpredictable and memorable journey that establishes Pulsatrix as a studio to watch.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 struggles to deliver a compelling campaign, offering a confusing, disjointed story with little emotional impact. The multiplayer returns fast-paced and chaotic, but lacks real identity or meaningful evolution from last year’s entry. Zombies is the clear highlight, ambitious and packed with content, proving where the game truly shines. Despite its scale and expectations, the overall package feels rushed and uneven. A divided experience that falls short of the legacy it tries to honor.

Constance delivers a heartfelt and visually expressive adventure that blends Hollow Knight inspired movement with a unique brush based mechanic tied to emotion and creativity. Its narrative stands out through playable vignettes that explore burnout, fear and self doubt with sincerity. The art direction is vibrant, the soundtrack is surprisingly powerful and performance is excellent across all modes. Exploration is engaging, boss fights are memorable and the reduced punishment system fits the game’s themes. A smaller but meaningful experience that leaves a strong impression.

Kirby Air Riders is fun, colorful and full of modes, but ultimately too shallow to leave a lasting impression. The game runs smoothly at 60 fps on Switch 2, and its cheerful art style fits the Kirby series, though it never showcases the hardware’s true potential. The soundtrack and the full Portuguese localization, including narrator voices and cutscenes, are definite highlights. With traditional races, top down stages, open arena chaos and a small story mode, the variety is impressive, but none of the modes go deep enough to keep players engaged for long. The controls mix too many actions on a single button, creating confusion, and the visual clutter in the larger arenas hurts readability. Kirby Air Riders succeeds as a casual party experience and works well for quick sessions or for playing with kids, but it lacks the depth and competitive appeal needed to stand beside Nintendo’s stronger racing titles.

Absolum combines the style and impact of a modern beat ’em up with the structure and replayability of a roguelite, delivering a fast, fluid and addictive experience. Its hand-crafted visual style stands out with detailed environments and expressive animations, while the combat is weighty, technical and satisfying in every run. The four playable characters offer distinct pacing and depth, and the progression system strikes a strong balance between permanent upgrades and volatile abilities that reshape each attempt, even if the temporary upgrades could appear more frequently. With branching paths, optional missions and a world that naturally pushes experimentation, Absolum succeeds as one of the most creative and engaging action games of the year. Despite a few small shortcomings, it remains a standout release.

After years of tired formulas and disappointing attempts within the genre, Dispatch arrives as a genuine breath of fresh air. It is captivating, tense, and surprisingly sharp in how it tells a story about heroes. Every character is written with clear motivation and emotional weight, and the narrative shines thanks to a gameplay structure that is simple on the surface yet deeply effective. The balance between watching cinematic moments, making meaningful choices, and remaining actively engaged is the best the genre has offered in a long time. In short, Dispatch is one of the strongest hero-focused experiences I have played in years and one of the most pleasant surprises of 2025.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 abandons the depth, reactivity, and narrative weight that made the original a cult classic. Dialogue choices return, but they rarely matter, offering limited consequences and almost no meaningful divergence from the main path. What should feel like role-playing becomes a guided experience, stripped of the nuance and player agency that defined its predecessor. After a chaotic development cycle marked by delays and studio changes, the final result feels less like a true sequel and more like a soft reboot that never finds its identity. Technical issues, restricted systems, and a noticeable lack of ambition undermine what could have been a long-awaited revival of the franchise. In the end, Bloodlines 2 inherits none of the legacy that made the first game iconic, delivering a shallow and disappointing return after years of anticipation.

Tormented Souls 2 refines the formula of its predecessor while keeping its essence intact. The sequel enhances practicality and flexibility in exploration, featuring more intuitive mechanics and smoother controls without losing the weight and tension of classic survival horror. Its puzzles are cleverly designed, combining logic and atmosphere to sustain a constant sense of unease. While the visuals remain modest, the lighting and sound design effectively build dread and immersion. By balancing tradition with subtle modernization, Tormented Souls 2 stands as a confident continuation that deepens the fear and reinforces the series’ identity.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment revisits a pivotal era in Zelda lore with emotional weight and meaningful narrative intent. By expanding the brief glimpses seen in Tears of the Kingdom, it delivers context and dramatic moments that deepen the saga, supported by expressive performances and strong cinematic direction. Combat is flashy and satisfying, with smooth performance on Switch 2 and large-scale encounters that feel powerful, even as repetition and a gradual loss of challenge set in over time. Visuals follow the modern Zelda style convincingly, though environments are less detailed than in the mainline titles and some cutscenes appear to run at a lower resolution. Despite musou repetition and the lack of Portuguese localization, this is a rewarding, lore-rich extension of Zelda’s universe and one of the most narratively significant Warriors games to date.

Ball X Pit distills the spirit of a great roguelite into something deceptively simple and endlessly addictive. Its minimalist visuals prioritize clarity over spectacle, allowing the chaos of ricocheting shots, enemy swarms, and evolving abilities to shine. The soundtrack, with its lo-fi pulse and electronic tension, adds surprising atmosphere and energy to every run. What truly elevates it is the flow: fast attempts, meaningful upgrades, smart synergies and characters that drastically change the rhythm and style of play. Even the light base-building layer contributes to progression without dragging momentum. It never wastes the player’s time, always rewards experimentation, and consistently fuels the urge for “just one more run”. Proof that sharp design beats big budgets, Ball X Pit is a tight, creative and dangerously replayable descent into chaos.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection is a heartfelt celebration of one of fighting game history’s most iconic eras, preserving classic MK with style, reverence and impressive curation. The arcade authenticity, CRT filters, museum-style Kripta and even a full documentary turn nostalgia into a premium tribute rather than a simple bundle. The classics play beautifully and the attention to detail shows real love for the franchise. Still, missing features hold it back: online launches are incomplete, with no lobbies or invite system, meaning much of the social magic is locked behind a future update. Even so, as a historical preservation effort and a love letter to longtime fans, this Kollection delivers a remarkable archive that deserves to grow into the definitive MK package once the online catches up.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake honors the origins of the JRPG with care and restraint. The HD-2D art style remains enchanting, blending nostalgia and modern flair, while the reorchestrated soundtrack breathes new life into these timeless worlds. Yet, this remake feels content to admire the past rather than reinvent it. The first game is a humble adventure that shows its age, and the second expands beautifully but never surprises. On Switch 2, performance is smooth and the artistic direction shines, though the handheld mode suffers from a noticeably blurred image that hurts the overall clarity. Square Enix plays it safe, but in doing so, delivers a respectful and comforting journey, one that reminds us why Dragon Quest will always be the heart of Japanese RPGs.

Pokémon Legends Z-A is a fascinating mix of progress and stagnation. Its real-time combat is the most exciting evolution the series has seen in years, finally delivering action with impact and rhythm. The trainer ranking system and open battle zones add structure and purpose to the adventure, while the wild zones make exploration more dynamic than ever. Unfortunately, the visuals swing between charming and outdated, the city design feels flat, and the complete lack of voice acting drains emotion from key moments. Technically, it runs better than recent entries, but creatively, it still falls short of what Pokémon could be in 2025.

The Outer Worlds 2 refines everything that made the original special while daring to expand its universe. The writing remains sharp, full of wit, and deeply reactive to player choices, proving once again that Obsidian understands how to build worlds that feel alive. The addition of third-person view, improved gunplay, and a stronger RPG backbone make this sequel richer and more versatile. However, weak companion AI and performance drops on PC hold it back from true greatness. Even with those flaws, The Outer Worlds 2 stands as one of Obsidian’s finest works, blending humor, freedom, and consequence in ways few studios can.

Ninja Gaiden 4 honors the series where it matters most: in the edge of the blade. The combat is fast, fluid, and deeply satisfying, featuring two protagonists that complement each other through distinct playstyles. The visual presentation and performance are solid, with excellent sound design, though the soundtrack and story fall short of greatness. Some level design repetition and minor bugs keep it from reaching classic status, but as a modern hack-and-slash, it’s a sharp and rewarding return for the franchise.

Little Nightmares III is a shadow of what this series once was. Despite the atmospheric visuals and solid technical performance, the signature tension, mystery, and symbolic storytelling that defined the previous entries are gone. Under Supermassive Games, the franchise loses its identity, trading dread for dullness, and ambiguity for predictability. The lack of meaningful horror, uninspired environments, and a forgettable story make this sequel feel lifeless. It’s not terrifying; it’s just hollow.

Double Dragon Revive brings back the iconic beat ’em up with energy but also with limitations. Its combat is fun and responsive, featuring distinct characters and challenging bosses, yet the overall polish feels lacking. The visuals are serviceable but dated, the story is merely functional, and the soundtrack fails to stand out. Occasional input delays and some design options hinder the experience. Still, for long-time fans, there’s enough nostalgia and heart to make it worth. Even if it falls short of true revival.

Keeper is a visually stunning yet hollow experience. Its painterly art direction and symbolic premise show Double Fine’s artistic flair, but the gameplay lacks depth and the pacing drags. Performance issues, repetitive puzzles, and a story that never truly develops make it feel more like an experimental art project than a full-fledged game. Beautiful to look at, but short on substance.

Battlefield 6 delivers what the series does best: tight gunplay, immersive destruction, varied multiplayer modes, and outstanding audio design that raises the bar. The campaign offers variety through its class system but is short, narratively uneven, and ends without the closure it promises. Visual presentation could be sharper, and technical issues such as AI inconsistencies and occasional bugs break immersion. Still, with robust multiplayer and the franchise’s trademark scale, it remains a strong entry that shines most online.

Hades II refines and expands everything that made the first game a phenomenon. Melinoë’s journey against Chronos blends sharp roguelike design, impactful narrative, and layered progression that makes every run rewarding. Deep build variety, stellar voice acting, and an outstanding soundtrack keep the experience fresh, even after countless defeats. Visual improvements are modest, but the atmosphere and combat shine. Supergiant delivers one of the most polished and captivating roguelikes to date.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger brings an interesting time-travel premise and a deep, strategic turn-based combat system. However, its weak storytelling, mute protagonist, bland supporting cast, outdated design, and underwhelming visuals drag the experience down. The Digimon themselves and the combat system are the true highlights, but the overall package feels dated for 2025.

Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 brings both Wii classics together in a sharper, more accessible package. Galaxy 1 benefits from cleaner visuals compared to its 3D All Stars release, while Galaxy 2 finally makes its long-awaited return with native support on Switch and Switch 2. The remaster adds Portuguese subtitles, a helpful assist mode, and stable 1080p/4K performance at 60 fps, though it stops short of a full modern overhaul. The timeless level design and music still shine, and Galaxy 2 remains the highlight with its refined structure and creativity. A strong recommendation for newcomers and a worthwhile upgrade on Switch 2, though returning players may find the price high for the scope of improvements.

Ghost of Yotei delivers a cinematic samurai tale anchored by Atsu’s compelling revenge arc, a stunning world, and a revamped combat system that swaps stances for distinct weapon sets with clear color-cue reads. Smart touches like filmic presentation filters, musical abilities that summon a wolf ally, and a faster, less repetitive open world keep the pace high, while strong audio work elevates both drama and action. NPC faces can look weak, the lack of hard lock-on leads to occasional whiffs, and a couple of minor bugs popped up, but the fluid weapon switching, satisfying duels, and memorable finale make this a standout evolution from Tsushima’s template.

Dying Light: The Beast brings Kyle Crane back with a leaner, well-filled open world, satisfying parkour, and a brutal Beast Mode that injects fresh power into the series. Castor Woods looks great and runs smoothly, vehicles add a clever form of “flash travel,” and the Brazilian Portuguese dub stands out. Still, thin characters, frequent gun-heavy set pieces that clash with the survival horror core, clunky Chimera encounters, and progress bugs undercut the momentum. A spirited return that shines when it leans on parkour, scarcity, and transformation, uneven when it tries to be a shooter.

Silent Hill f relocates the series to 1960s Japan with a harrowing, emotionally charged story that tackles real-world taboos, supported by haunting UE5 art direction, oppressive sound design, and clever, lore-driven puzzles. Exploration rewards observation and note-taking, documents deepen the mystery, and strong localization helps the narrative land. Combat is tense and deliberate, its stamina tuning can frustrate, yet moments of focus-based counters and brutal payoffs keep encounters absorbing. A bold, beautiful return to form, unsettling in all the right ways.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree** softens the roguelite formula with stage-by-stage saves, a village hub for forging and upgrades, and clear reward previews, all wrapped in an anime-inspired presentation. Hitoshi Sakimoto’s score elevates boss fights, and the partner support system adds a smart twist, yet thin character appeal, overlapping Guardian kits, modest visuals, and the absence of Brazilian Portuguese localization hold it back. Accessible for players tired of harsher roguelikes, a solid mid-scale experiment that would benefit from more variety and personality.

Sonic Racing Crossworlds is a fast, stylish kart racer that shines with addictive drift mechanics, a flexible build system, and portal segments that remix tracks mid-lap to keep races unpredictable. Clean visuals, energetic remixes from across Sonic’s history, crossplay, and stable 60 fps support a fun Grand Prix loop with a clear rival-driven goal. Item boxes are too sparse, collisions lack impact, the rival can feel overly aggressive, and online still needs ranked playlists, but the core handling and customization make this an easy recommendation for kart fans.

Metal Eden isn't shy about flaunting its inspiration from the Doom franchise. Its combat and style shine through in limited environments with no rewards for exploring them. Even so, if you're a fan of old-school FPS games, the title will satisfy you with all the frenzy and brutality, even without any innovations within the genre.