This new edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022) not only brings technical improvements but also adds fresh and creative content through the Star-Crossed World story. From new transformations and stages to challenges and collectibles, this revision expands on the base game. While it could have included more powers for Kirby, it still stands as the most complete version you can play.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is not only probably the best LEGO game to date, but also a great game overall, regardless of whether you are specifically looking for a LEGO experience or not. And, most importantly, it is without a doubt the best Batman game since the release of Arkham Knight.

Animal Crossing: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition doesn’t reinvent anything, but it does something more interesting: it smooths out the experience enough to make you want to come back. And once it clicks, it’ll steal hours and hours of your life. With the 3.0 update, Mouse Mode takes center stage, the expanded online features are a real plus for community players, and the technical upgrades are there… just not the kind that make you lose your mind.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 doesn’t try to reinvent anything—because it didn’t need to. Its goal is to capture the mood and nostalgia, and bring it into the present with better visuals and tighter gameplay. In that sense, it carries all the strengths of modern games and all the nostalgia of the past: it is what it is, and it doesn’t need to be anything more.

NBA 2K26 remains the champion of basketball simulators in both content and quality. With no real competition in the market, it sometimes feels stuck in a comfort zone that keeps it from fully innovating. Still, the small changes introduced for 2026 make the experience noticeably better in many areas. Its only true rival remains the microtransactions, which limit a fair sense of progression for all players.

As the next step in the franchise, it successfully fills the shoes of its decades-old successes and far surpasses its most recent entries. This long-awaited shooter delivers exactly what fans of the genre were hoping for: movement, adrenaline, chaos, destruction, and particles flying everywhere across massive maps.

Ninja Gaiden 4 marks an exhilarating return to one of the most iconic hack & slash sagas—one that has inspired countless successors. Despite retaining some of its old habits and featuring an explicitly linear level design, this new installment delivers a decisive katana strike straight onto the list of the best action games of 2025.

Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars represents the best way to experience the first two entries in the series. It maintains their classic retro atmosphere while incorporating quality-of-life improvements, offering an enhanced gameplay experience for veterans and modern players alike. These two installments are essential titles for any fan of the JRPG genre, especially for those who cherish the golden era of the original PlayStation.

There’s no doubt that this is the best way to play Oblivion, and it surpasses the original version in every aspect. However, if you’re not driven by nostalgia, you might find a game that feels more abstract than what Bethesda delivers nowadays—awkward to play, with systems that are perhaps more convoluted than they should be, and packed with numerous, many, quite a lot of bugs. Fortunately, it’s far better written than any of Bethesda’s later titles, and its world remains as iconic as it is unforgettable.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a game that brings a fresh perspective to the series. With a strong gameplay, it fulfills its goals, and you can enjoy this adventure for more than 30 hours. It's a plus that you can play this title more than once, and there are lots of exploration and items to discover. Shadows tells a story with a good dose of drama and a remarkable portrayal of this particular period in Japan.

Obsidian Entertainment—famous for Avowed, Pentiment, and the widely acclaimed Fallout: New Vegas—does it again, delivering an RPG as formidable as it is replayable. An instant classic for genre fans that will satisfy even the most demanding players. A chapter no choose-your-own-adventure enthusiast should miss under any circumstances.

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is the classic you already loved, now dressed in a fresh suit with a localization that’s genuinely appreciated. It feels like the definitive version because it runs like a dream and remains as brilliant as ever—even if the new scenes sometimes feel like they belong in a different game. But when you’re playing, the magic is absolutely real.

While the realistic racing genre often comes with a steep learning curve, EA Sports F1 25 makes a solid effort by offering high-quality driving assists and alternative content to deliver a positive experience for newcomers, while also polishing in-game details that seasoned gamers will appreciate. Combined with all official circuits, real driver names, and the return of Braking Point mode, it stands out as a highly recommended title for anyone who loves Formula 1.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ port on Nintendo Switch 2 is, overall, a surprisingly impressive technical achievement, although it comes with the expected trade-offs of adapting a next-gen open world to hybrid hardware. If you prefer a better frame rate or more graphical “muscle” in terms of detail—and you have the option to play on PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC—those remain, without question, the best choices. But if portability is your priority and you want the full Shadows experience in the palm of your hand, Switch 2 delivers a more than solid version.

Reanimal delivers an unsettling co-op adventure built around survival and teamwork. It stands out thanks to its oppressive atmosphere, strong audiovisual presentation, and a symbolism-heavy narrative. Its linear structure blends exploration, puzzles, and intense chase sequences in a well-balanced way, while local co-op and Friend Pass support strengthen its identity as a shared experience. Even if it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it reinforces a solid formula that lands with real emotional impact.

Persona 3 Reload arrives on the Nintendo Switch 2 with a visually optimized—but technically limited—edition. This revisit of the acclaimed 2024 JRPG successfully adapts its interfaces and resolutions for both handheld and docked modes, offering a polished visual experience overall. However, it struggles to maintain consistent performance during exploration and combat sequences. As expected for a port arriving nearly two years after its original release, this version does not include any of the previously released DLC.

While the series continues to improve year after year, 2K still fails to elevate the character models or deliver the kind of story the island setting could truly offer. This entry introduces a welcome twist with its faction system and the addition of AAA to the mix, but it still falls short of becoming a truly great wrestling game. In the absence of a strong story mode, MyGM and MyFaction help make up for it, both feeling more refined this time around.

Tales of Arise was the game that proved the series could evolve without losing its identity. The Beyond the Dawn Edition on Switch 2 arrives four years after the original release, but it comes complete, and on a platform that especially benefits from this kind of lengthy RPG—one you can enjoy wherever you want.

It offers a refresh for the Dynasty Warriors series by adding several technical and gameplay layers, such as parrying, counterattacks, and RPG elements, all without sacrificing the core Musou feel of frenetic and tactical arcade action. It's a modern take on the classic Musou formula; while its graphics aren't top-tier or aiming to be a benchmark, that's clearly not the focus. Its greatest strength lies in its gameplay: battling hundreds of enemies on fields where the slightest decision can make the difference between victory and defeat.

The return of Crane with the new gameplay mechanic that lends its name to the game is exactly what the franchise needed. In a post-apocalyptic world full of blood and gore, the beast can finally be unleashed to do as it pleases. Techland understood its audience and delivered directly to them, with clever nods, an improved RPG system, more entertaining animations to execute, and a story that may be simple but ties the package together—making this the best Dying Light entry to date.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the least pretentious game you'll play this year. The gameplay is extremely varied as you alternate between sea-based activities and land exploration; it features the series' signature humor, and the exploration is highly enjoyable. However, its most noteworthy feature is its complete genuineness; it perfectly expresses the series' legacy and underlying message of honor, blending it with bizarre humor to create a unique tone.

Whether it’s your style or not, there’s no doubt that Kirby Air Riders is both bold and innovative, making it a unique experience that already feels like a cult classic in 2025. It perfectly blends casual, welcoming gameplay for those who just want to have fun with a surprising amount of depth and challenge for players looking to master all of its mechanics and objectives.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, besides being the definitive musou game based on The Legend of Zelda series, is an installment that fits perfectly within the narrative arc established by Tears of the Kingdom. It boasts a satisfying technical presentation, an art style that respects the original game, and, above all, a solid gameplay loop thanks to a considerable number of missions and battles filled with drama and action. While the experience can become repetitive after several hours, the option to play in cooperative mode on the Switch 2 helps maintain interest and provides a compelling conclusion to the Zelda story told thus far.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is ambitious within the core of the saga. It aims to expand the combat experience with multiple gameplay layers, supported by a story that pushes mystery and exploration to the forefront, all while encouraging players to collect nearly 450 Digital Monsters. Highly appealing for longtime fans, and though not flawless, it proves just how much the series has matured over the years.

EA Sports FC 26 sets itself apart in gameplay compared to its predecessors in the saga. The third installment under the EA FC banner is a solid option for those who prefer competing against AI thanks to its authentic gameplay. On the online side, passionate Ultimate Team players will once again embark on their yearly adventure, this time with the return of tournaments and meaningful updates to the already established modes.

The atmosphere, music, landscapes, and an excellent job preserving the original texts alongside the board games are the standout strengths of this MMO. With a simple gameplay system that checks all the boxes for current-generation titles, it offers a more than acceptable experience when it comes to enjoying a space-time adventure that deviates from the original storyline.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond does not seek to innovate. It is a remarkable entry on a technical, visual, and audio level, but it has some rough edges in terms of difficulty, puzzles, and the very backtracking that defines the Metroidvania genre. At times it holds the player’s hand and tries to connect its world through a somewhat sparse and linear desert, even if it delivers solid technical performance. It may not be a complete package within the genre, but it will still manage to move and excite fans of the saga.

Days Gone Remastered arrives as the most complete version available to experience the emotional journey of Deacon St. John and his search for his wife. This open-world zombie game delivers on the expectations of the word “Remastered”—without standing out too much, but still highly enjoyable as one of Sony’s classic and misunderstood titles.