Square Enix’s love letter to old-school adventure games is a genuine delight to play, especially for players with a soft spot for the older days of the Legend of Zelda franchise. There’s an impressive mix of natural worldbuilding, impressive art design, and tight gameplay that encourages exploration – both with actually checking out the overworld for secrets and playing with the wide array of weapons and magic made available to the player. While the story may not be as impressive as the rest of the product, Adventures of Elliot is a genuine accomplishment by Square Enix that makes for one of the year’s most enjoyable adventures yet.

The limited game modes and the tanky controls put a damper on the experience. Especially as an online sandbox where players can face off with bigger guns and larger explosions, there’s a lot of potential for growth and expansion. Being a live-service game like this will come in handy, and future expansions and updates could help remedy some of the problems that currently create a barrier of entry. While the game is a solid free-to-play title and the premium model means there is plenty of room to grow, World of Tanks: HEAT has some work to do before it can really overtake the competition. Especially if you’re looking for a different kind of shooter, this is the game to play.

While the overall game isn’t the longest in the world — a full playthrough only takes a couple of hours — the surprisingly emotional ending will leave you wanting more. While gamers who find point-and-click games may balk at some of the more traditional aspects of the underlying mechanics, there’s enough fresh blood in the game to keep players engaged. Constantly inventive and consistently hilarious, Crushed in Time may rely heavily on the core gameplay mechanics of the familiar point-and-click genre, but it does enough with the classical mechanics to stand out even from the rest of the games made by Draw Me A Pixel.

In all, Witchspire is off to a promising start in Early Access. It looks good, runs well, and has the bones of a solid cozy survival game. There is certainly room for improvement, but that’s kind of the point of dropping a game in Early Access. Even if I hope to see a few things added over time, I think that gamers who’ve been waiting on Witchspire will be happy with what they find when they jump into the game in Early Access. [Early Access Score = 70]

It would have been expected for IOI to stick to its Silverballers and immediately pump out another Hitman, yet the team swerved by making a Bond game with its own take on the classic British agent. This willingness to take a different path has led to a fresh 007 experience that beautifully marries the liberating sandbox elements of the Hitman series with explosive set pieces typically found in more linear action games.

The resulting product doesn’t just make for one of the best Batman games over the past decade, but is an experience that virtually every Bat-fan will love.

As with many platformers from the era of the original Bubsy games, mechanical issues with the camera and controls can disrupt the smoother moment-to-moment gameplay. The snarky sense of comedy is likewise hit or miss, scratching a nostalgia itch while never fully escaping the drawbacks of this style of game. Bubsy 4D is a flawed but fun retro title that, at its best, makes a good case for 3D platforming’s modern applicability. The stronger moments of the game’s refined platforming deliver some solid fun and make a good case for Bubsy’s modern revival. If you like older platformers, this is a short, sweet, and imperfect example of that genre. Hopefully, the team behind the game gets another opportunity to continue sharpening the gameplay and addressing the drawbacks of the genre so that Bubsy can truly step out of the past and into a brighter future.

There aren’t many games that can go from a thrilling boss battle that floods the screen with an uncountable amount of projectiles to a scene with a giant cat-like, blade-headed character with a thick Irish accent who painfully regales the cruelty of the world, but that’s what makes Luna Abyss such a distinct experience.

For a seasoned platformer player who grew up with Yoshi and Mario, this is a fun but pretty easy game to complete. There are a good number of tasks for completionist runs, but the story itself is quick and straightforward to complete. It feels pretty clearly aimed at a younger audience, with plenty of built-in helpful tips to ensure newer gamers don’t get too frustrated… while still offering a bit of a challenge. The game even saves files based on your Nintendo profiles, so it’s easily shared between a whole family of Yoshi fans using the same console. If you enjoy platformers and want that Yoshi nostalgia or have a young one at home you’d like to introduce to the genre, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book will certainly fit the bill.

A few missed connections don’t rob Constance of its beauty, though. Its outwardly dazzling visual style doesn’t obscure how stunning it is on the inside, too, with its slick controls and admirable, polish-driven modesty. So while it doesn’t paint the most innovative and groundbreaking picture — an extremely tough task in a genre crowded with classics — it still paints a beautiful one, nonetheless.

The final product isn’t just the best that has been so far in the Forza Horizon franchise, but it’s without question one of the best Xbox games of the generation.

Even if I wasn’t as impressed with The Great Circle on Switch 2 compared to other, similar ports, it was still an enjoyable experience. If you can get past minor visual weirdness and a smidge of lag, this version of the game will serve you well. And if you’re a Switch 2 only houseshold, there’s officially no need to miss out on this latest Indiana Jones adventure. But if I had the choice, I’d probably play this one on a platform with a big more processing power.

Call of the Elder Gods is predominantly a puzzle game, so it’s a huge relief they are the best part of the experience. Almost every contraption in the game gives players a decently sized environment to explore in order to gather context clues and notes, many of which also neatly double as bits of lore. Players are forced to explore around and gather evidence in order to piece it all together.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is just plain fun. It’s got good, varied strategy elements and a solid roguelike progression loop. Add in the sci-fi classic goodness that is the Battlestar Galactica universe, and you’re left with a game that is well worth sinking many hours into. And trust me, you’ll want to keep coming back for more.

Even with those issues, it is hard not to admire what Brain Jar Games has already accomplished. Dead as Disco feels creative, stylish, and surprisingly ambitious. The combat feels fantastic, the soundtrack is excellent, and the game’s identity is unlike anything else currently in the genre. With more refinement and additional content, this could easily become one of the standout rhythm action games in recent years. As it is, Dead As Disco is great for some quick sessions, but needs more content for long-term engagement. Thankfully, Brain Jar Games has already published a roadmap, and players can expect an encore soon. [Early Access Score = 70]

The game really does deliver on a beautiful, cozy environment. I found myself pausing at vistas to take screenshots like I might snap a photo while camping in real life. If only that world offered a bit more engagement and a better overall balance of grind and reward, Outbound could deliver on its promise. The good news is, the game itself runs well on PC, and many of the biggest issues here feel fixable in time. As it stands, however, the game left me feeling more frustrated than immersed, and I wanted a bit more from this one.

The actual puzzle design is effective and leans into that sense of natural exploration, giving players more reason to take in the creepy sights and sounds. Composer Christian Björklund does a great job enhancing the narrative through subtle touches and effective musical stings. While the game itself suffers from some control issues, it’s never so distracting that it can fully undo the effective moments of immersion that Altered Echoes delivers. While the purposefully ambiguous and thematically heavy story might be a tad opaque for some players, there’s enough craft and tension in Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes to make it a must-play game for horror fans.

It’s impossible to tell if Invincible Vs as a whole will stick around since quality fighting games don’t always get the attention they deserve, but it has the potential to. Its combo-heavy, tag-centric combat is quite the spectacle that also has enough depth to be more than a glitzy explosion of blood and expletives. Not everything surrounding that crucial core is as robust, but just like Invincible himself, it’s strong enough to overcome its weaknesses and become a great fighter in its own right.

Between the stunning pixel art, compelling story, and satisfying management gameplay loop, The Last Gas Station is a must-play for fans of the genre. It offers a unique twist on the management sim while still delivering the core components you want to see in this kind of game. And of course, there’s a mystery to solve, which adds another layer to keep you clocking in day after day.

Despite my hesitation, Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era feels like a dream come true. It captures what made the series special while leaving space to grow into something even better. If the developers continue refining and expanding it, this could finally be the game that brings the franchise back to the top of the strategy genre. Combat, exploration, army management, and the story are exactly what I wanted from a new Heroes of Might & Magic game, and if the only issues are minor ones, I am beyond happy. Longtime fans will not want to pass on this one. It may never reach the same heights as Heroes of Might & Magic III, but it is well on its way to making that attempt. [Early Access Score = 90]

Saros’ story remains an overall disappointment and is another reason why the game is an unsatisfactory follow-up to Returnal. Not only does Saros fail to build on what that 2021 title started, it takes massive leaps backward by having an unstable and frustrating difficulty curve, a less cohesive story, and shallower roguelike systems. Devoid of the context given by release dates, it would seem as though Saros came well before Returnal with how much less confident and taut it is in comparison. While fiery suns define Saros and play an ever-present role in it, it is Returnal that is the shining star here, one that cleanly eclipses its spiritual successor.

Valorborn feels like it was born into Early Access a little too early, like it got pushed out of the oven while the center was still deciding what temperature it believes in. The potential is not theoretical, it is visible in motion, and anyone who spends real time with this game can see the shape of something much stronger trying to push through the cracks. But right now, even as an Early Access purchase, it feels like a step taken before the ground finished forming beneath it. [Early Access Score = 50]

Those who love a truly challenging game will no doubt enjoy Lucky Tower Ultimate. But don’t expect “Peasant Mode” to make it much easier to survive the Tower, because starting with clothes and a weapon is a small boon in a world that’s determined to kill you. To truly see what this game has to offer, you’ll need the patience to get good and outsmart the Tower without much help. If that sounds like your kind of game, go forth. As for me? The challenge proved a bit more infuriating than fun.

As part of its gameplay loop, Living the Dream incorporates real-time elements, with shops refreshing daily. That does make you want to keep coming back to see what new items you’ll unlock. And checking in on the Miis is pretty entertaining at first, too. But as I mentioned, many of the requests and cutscenes start to repeat, which unfortunately made this game grow a bit stale for me far sooner than I would’ve liked. I enjoyed Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream very much for the first several hours I played it, but after the novelty wore off, I found myself wishing for a bit more.

Segmenting out these little nuggets of cheese harms much more than its story. Mouse’s ability to successfully channel the golden age of American animation in boomer shooter form is fascinating, as the comedic qualities of this embellished animation style are timeless and not exclusive to just one medium. But that slick presentation can’t make up for unremarkable gunplay and lethargic pacing. It’s common for rubber-hose animation to stretch out various limbs and body parts, but Mouse took that inspiration too far by stretching out its levels, gameplay, and story, too.

Such a vision and the stubbornness to stick to that vision is commendable. Purposely pulling back from the excesses of modern game design and carefully curating how much players can take at any one time fits with the game’s meditative themes and overall aesthetic. But given its mechanical strengths, it’s difficult to not envision a better middle ground where the game can hold back while also giving players a bit more to chew on; carving up and blasting little green guys and vibing out to its visuals is too satisfying to be limited to such short, controlled bursts. These qualities mean Tamashika is a high that is ever so sweet but much too fleeting.

Pragmata’s combat encapsulates this fresh take on a familiar concept. It wears the skin of a generic third-person shooter but augments that base with a hacking mechanic. Instead of merely blasting bots until they blow, players have to simultaneously crack into their matrices by moving a cursor through a grid with the face buttons. Hacked bots take significantly more damage and can recover from hacks after a bit of time, making this a crucial and consistent component of combat.

A great pick for younger players that older fans will find plenty to appreciate in its lively tweaks on well-worn but effective styles of gameplay, People of Note is a big and bombastic blast if you let it be.