Death Howl comes from small indie developer The Outer Zone and publisher 11-bit studios. It uses a unique color palette to bring its dark spirit world to life in stunning pixel art form. With a combination of deck-building and tactical grid-based combat, Death Howl will challenge your strategic skills as you explore 4 different realms of the spirit world on Ro’s quest to save her son. Though the grind can admittedly get a bit frustrating, Death Howl is an engaging blend of strategic gameplay and emotional storytelling. It feels right at home on Nintendo Switch.

If you’re a PS5 gamer like I am, you might be wondering whether Avowed is worth grabbing now that it’s finally an option. At $50 on PS5, it’s relatively affordable compared to many bigger games coming out today. And Avowed does offer a pretty decent RPG experience overall, with a hefty amount of playtime. Between side quests, bounties, and a relatively robust main story, Avowed will give you plenty to do. But despite ticking all of the boxes in theory, there’s still something about Avowed that doesn’t quite hit the spot like I wanted.

The game’s run-time is in the range of 8 to 12 hours, depending on how much you want to explore the world and complete side quests, and it will leave players wanting more. It’s almost disappointing when the narrative all wraps up, as the infectious charm at the heart of the experience will leave players wanting more. That’s better than over-stretching, but it also means the game doesn’t have the larger scope that it could probably benefit from. Still, there’s a lot to love about Under the Island. Even beyond the throwback vibes and solid gameplay, the visual and music presentation make for a sweet experience that’s perfect for younger gamers and older players alike. Under the Island is a great modern take on a classic archetype.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 isn’t a perfect remake by any means and comes with some more notable drawbacks than the Kiwami games before it. Still, I can’t deny that I thoroughly loved my time with Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties, even in spite of some hiccups along the way. If you’re like me and still haven’t gotten around to playing Yakuza 3, I think this is a fantastic way to experience the game.

Much like the many peculiar pigs scattered across its levels, Reanimal is a beautifully rendered yet grotesque beast that may seem tame at first glance but is more than it lets on and truly something special.

Overall, if you like Mario Tennis games, this one is going to deliver for you. It’s a worthy successor to Mario Tennis Aces, delivering a decent amount of content for single-player and co-op play. But for more casual players, it may not offer quite enough gameplay to justify the $70 price.

Too much of Nioh 3 is too similar to past Nioh games, so while that means it has a few glorious boss fights and fluid controls, it lets down the innovative spirit the series was founded on.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is something special, and one of Square Enix’s boldest remakes. It acknowledges the game’s classic roots while embracing modern game design through nearly every system. It is visually stunning, emotionally resonant, mechanically deep, and overflowing with charm. More importantly, it captures the joy of discovery that made classic JRPGs magical in the first place. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is a masterpiece that deserves to be in the hands of every RPG fan out there, and I hope that it is the foundation on which Square Enix builds future remakes.

While combat is the driving reason for Code Vein 2, it isn’t the only aspect. The game aims to deliver scale, freedom, and flexibility, but these come with tradeoffs. While the world is visually striking and filled with potential, it does not always feel as lively or narratively driven as it could be. The result is an experience that excels mechanically but sometimes struggles to give those mechanics the emotional weight they deserve. Still, soulslike fans do not want to miss this difficult RPG.

Overall, the game offers a solid JRPG experience with a lot of choice for players, both in gameplay and character build options. You can select your difficulty settings and whether you want a more classic turn-based combat style or the modernized version offered by Remake. Whether this is your introduction to the story of Final Fantasy 7 or the opportunity to catch up with old friends from the original, the game does its characters and story justice on Switch 2 just as it did on PS5 and PC.

For Pokemon fans who miss the steeper difficulty and the lack of XP share, EvoCreo is one to check out, if you can look past some of the issues with its PC port.

DRINK HUMAN BEANS owes its tense, satirical environmental horror to a strong narrative backbone and unsettling presentation, but its heavy reliance on repetition drains away a chunk of the fun. I found myself intrigued by the story and what it was building toward, yet frequently frustrated by how much time I spent doing the same slow, mundane tasks just to see the next piece of the narrative puzzle.

The lush environments speak to the tragedy of lost life and forgotten civilizations, a natural aspect of the storytelling that adds to the experience and makes it feel like a genuine adventure instead of just a straightforward narrative. Alongside the “Legendary Souls” DLC, which expands on the story and introduces new adventures to the game, Lost Ember: Rekindled is a great update of the game that highlights what made it so compelling when it launched over six years ago. A gorgeously rendered experience, Lost Ember: Rekindled may be a fairly basic game, but it is also a wonderful work of art that will grip you with its natural worldbuilding and quiet storytelling.

It’s a decent slice of a game with potential glimmering just beneath its surface that deserves to be fleshed out into something more ambitious. Thief was built on innovation, as the original was one of the games that helped popularize the stealth genre. And this VR entry, with its primitive mechanics and level design, doesn’t live up to that storied legacy.

Even with its faults, Metroid Prime 4 still has a lot to like. Many of the game’s newer elements fall flat and don’t help push this series forward in the way that I’d prefer, but the most vital aspects that have allowed this franchise to become one of the most acclaimed in video game history are still very much present here in this long-awaited sequel. Metroid Prime 4 may not have warranted all of the hype and attention that has been placed on it for the better part of the past decade, but at the end of the day, it’s still good to have Samus back in another new adventure.

Octopath Traveler 0 is a fine JRPG that has a weird mix of capitalizing on the series’ strengths while also deviating from them. It finds reasons to pull you out of the narrative, even if it drops a hooking moment, and combat rarely feels challenging. But when the story and combat grip you, you become completely invested. Square Enix and DokiDoki have certainly created an expansive game, but dialing in on what made the series so beloved could have delivered the perfect conclusion to one of the best JRPG series in recent years.

Short and sweet, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is about as good as beat ’em up games get, and works best as a retro throwback and a modern inheritor to the genre. If you’re a Marvel fan, a gamer with an appreciation for retro approaches, or just someone who enjoys action games, then Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a must-play.

I had a lot of fun with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. This is a great Switch 2 port, and it may well be one of the best action games the console has to offer so far. The graphics are sharp for a 10-year-old game, the frame rate is solid, and the gameplay is classic Lara Croft goodness with some extra motion control bells and whistles if you want them. And for just $20, it’s hard not to say that everyone who enjoys a good action-adventure game with a side of puzzles should play this on Switch or Switch 2 ASAP.

Despite these minor drawbacks, Demeo x D&D: Battlemarked is just plain fun. It’s a solid virtual tabletop experience that streamlines the TTRPG experience while still bringing the best elements of IRL play to life. Provided the UI gets worked out and the glitches smoothed over, I could see this being my group’s go-to alternative when an in-person D&D night just isn’t an option.

Even with a ton of collectibles to unlock and challenges to take on, I can’t see myself returning to Kirby Air Riders much in the future. This is a racer that tries to buck many of the genre’s most traditional conventions, which, at the very least, makes it quite memorable. Ultimately, though, the content on hand in Air Riders wears thin in no time, which leads to it being a game that you’ll put down sooner than you might anticipate.

I hope Call of Duty 2026 is like a defibrillator and not only gives the series a second wind, but also revitalizes my love and enthusiasm for this franchise that I have been playing since I was 5 years old.

While Deadpool himself may be a bit of a mixed bag in the game (and players who dislike the character entirely should probably avoid this title), Marvel’s Deadpool VR is a very entertaining way to recreate the character for a VR audience. Not necessarily a killer app on its own, Marvel’s Deadpool VR has enough fun showcasing the action, platforming, and worldbuilding of the VR space to be well worth checking out for gamers who already have the available tech. If you like Deadpool just as much as you like hacking enemies to pieces in video games, then Marvel’s Deadpool VR is the perfect title for you. For everyone else, it’s still a pretty fun experience that can be annoying at times, but is overall a bloody good time.

Speaking of patience, the game may test players in an unintended way. Patrick and SpongeBob both have a few lines of dialogue that repeat when you do certain actions. Sometimes, the repetition of these lines can get a bit irritating, such as Patrick screaming “Underpants underpants!” every time you get a new life. There’s always the mute button if this gets on your nerves, but it is one way the game felt more targeted towards kids than adults. Turn that off, however, and you’ve got a solid SpongeBob SquarePants platformer the whole family will enjoy.

It’s ultimately a very sweet game, a short little novel of an experience that is rewarding in its execution and appealing in its presentation. Winter Burrow might not be the most challenging experience, but it’s not really supposed to be. Finding the right balance between exploration, atmosphere, and challenge, Winter Burrow is a bittersweet tale that only grows sweeter as time goes on.

Arc Raiders is the rare live-service shooter that actually feels alive, one that balances action, tension, and artistry. It’s not perfect, but it is close. The few issues I have with the game don’t detract from the overall gameplay loop, leaving an incredible experience. Embark Studios has released one of the finest shooters of this year, one that feels like it can contend for Game of the Year against stacked competition.

Even with persistent record scratches, Lumines Arise remains a beautiful album. Stages, while lacking a greater purpose, have more detailed and impressive effects and are often set to fitting tracks that cover a whole variety of genres from hip hop to house. Everything coalesces around its signature block-matching gameplay that’s infinitely replayable like the greats it was inspired by. Arise is a familiar beat in many respects, but one that has retained its hypnotic rhythm and hasn’t lost an ounce of its soul.

Anno 117: Pax Romana feels like an attempt by Ubisoft to find a happy medium, with a streamlined approach to the game that tells a compelling story and opens up the gameplay for more casual players. It’s overall a compelling move, helping keep the game pace strong while delivering on a polished and compelling game world. It’s easy to get lost in the story and worldbuilding, expanding into Celtic lands and debating the right balanced approach to assimilation and growth. While hardcore strategy games might balk at some of the simplification, it all makes Anno 117: Pax Romana a more entertaining title than many others in the genre.

If you like fast-paced, hack-and-slash combat, you’re going to have fun with this game. There’s a nice sense of progression as you unlock new characters and power up their moves and weapons. But a few missions have some unique map mechanics, and I couldn’t help but wish the game leaned more into that. Capturing base after base gets repetitive, whereas those rare times you do something different felt fresh and exciting. Adding a few more unique maps and mission goals would have gone a long way to make the overall gameplay loop feel more satisfying.