Darkest Dungeon 2 is a worthy sequel to the 2015 original. It’s a fearless alteration of a well-known formula, while also building a game that you really don’t need any context for. Despite issues with some of the best aspects of the game being thinned by its new formula, Darkest Dungeon 2 remains one of the most exciting strategy games in a while.

Football Manager 26 marks the iconic management sim’s return after two years off, but longtime FM players are going to struggle as it is a bit of a confusing mess.

Stalker 2 is brutal, unforgiving, and not for the faint-hearted. While its storyline is poised for new players, its gameplay feels the opposite, providing a hardcore experience for anyone looking to dive into the Zone. Nevertheless, Stalker 2 is the kind of game that ages like a fine wine, getting better, richer, and slightly bolder as you push through its 35-hour campaign. That being said, the performance issues and missing features do leave a somewhat bitter taste.

While Lienzo's spectacular universe is a triumph in Aztech: Forgotten Gods, the game lacks the polish it needs to propel it from being average to something truly unique. The mariachi skeleton of an amazing game lies trampled under a series of visual and mechanical bugs that just leave the whole thing feeling unfinished. I walked away feeling satisfied that I had played a pretty cool game, but not rushing around telling my friends about it in the way I had expected to. As titans rise around it and seek to conquer the gaming sphere, Aztech: Forgotten Gods will likely be banished back into the annals of the history books it came from, but trust us when we say we're sad to see it go.

Open Roads’ gameplay may not stun and its visuals are not exactly the most groundbreaking. However, it at least dares to bring something new to the canon of video games by telling a humanistic story in the gaming medium, a brief tale historically conveyed through literature. Perhaps Open Roads would’ve worked better if it was part of an anthology of short games with the same theme, but somehow despite its flaws, it still remains a valiant attempt at telling a short story through a game.

Businesses & Hobbies is a conundrum of an Expansion Pack. While it offers some fantastic cross-pack functionality with other DLC, it’s let down in other areas by only featuring two new skills, an underbaked candy creation system, and a small world with interactable set dressing I’ve been speaking about since My Wedding Stories. If you’re someone who loves Rags to Riches playthroughs, familial play, and legacies, this is the pack for you, but the sour aftertaste of something that feels all too familiar to Get To Work in some ways keeps it from being something truly great.

Mafia: The Old Country drastically improves on its predecessor, delivering a gripping mob tale that hits harder than a punch from Tony Montana. It’s just a shame that it’s a much better movie than it is a game.

Sniper Elite: Resistance doesn’t rip up the rule book, it sticks to what it does best and delivers another set of stunning sandboxes to poke around in. The sniping and hilariously detailed X-ray kills are just as satisfying as ever, and the new Propaganda missions are perfect for those looking to test their mettle away from the campaign.

We loved the soundtrack and the ability to play as Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Trip. It’s also worth pointing out that 2D Sonic has never looked so good. The level design is also superb, and we look forward to exploring new routes in our next playthrough, but we feel like a lot of what makes Sonic so amazing has been sacrificed on the altar of flawed multiplayer...This makes us worry about the future direction of the Sonic games, and if the questionable gimmicks from the 3D entries will slowly start to pollute the usually stellar 2D games. While Sonic Superstars isn’t on Sonic Mania or Generation’s level, it’s still a fun and enjoyable Sonic outing where some ideas work and others don’t.

Pokemon Legends Z-A delivers fast, polished battles in Lumiose City, but limited exploration and shallow side content hold it back from being truly great.

Madden 22 takes some leaps in certain modes such as Franchise, but takes some gigantic steps backward or maintains inconsistent levels of gameplay in others. While Face of the Franchise loses much of its “underdog story” vibe, Franchise has taken steps forward, while for every MUT improvement, there’s a new on-the-field annoyance. Another year stuck in place, then, but there’s still fun to be had for those looking to score plenty of in-game touchdowns – just don’t expect any huge yardage gains for the franchise as a whole here.

If you’re looking for a cool and fairly unique experience and you’ve got Game Pass, then Hellblade 2 could be worth your time. Its visual splendor and highlight moments are worth experiencing. But, if you haven’t played the original Hellblade yet? Do yourself a favor and go play that instead. In all ways except visual, it’s a better game.

Sifu offers plenty of unique promise, but it's no kung-fu master yet. The difficulty spikes will be off-putting for some, but others may enjoy the challenge, but the way it stacks the odds against a player is more frustrating than fun…And yet, players looking for a new challenge might want to pick up Sifu. Even though not every design choice feels like a good one, the foundation and potential for something truly amazing are there.

Digimon Story Time Stranger should be the strongest RPG the series has produced. The evolution system is endlessly replayable, the story delivers big twists, and the presentation shows real care. Unfortunately, it narrowly misses the top spot thanks to its small maps, tedious training, and mechanics that never live up to their promise...It’s a fantastic monster-catching game at its core, but the world around it feels too restricted and the side content too shallow to match that depth.

Ultimately, Wild Hearts feels like it was made for a group of hunters. Playing solo isn’t beginner friendly, and is relatively time-consuming. While the gameplay and battles are enjoyable as a whole, combining building with tactical fighting, we couldn’t help but feel like the stutters and slow pace held us back from the fast-paced experience we looked for. Nevertheless, for any Monster Fan, new or experienced, this is a fantastic addition to the genre — although it doesn’t seem to have quite garnered a podium position just yet.

In Destiny 2: Lightfall, the great does eventually shine through the experience even if it makes a catastrophic first impression. Lightfall will likely be remembered as one of the franchise’s great disappointments for some time, which is unfortunate as there’s so much that’s worthy of your time here. Destiny 2: Lightfall is largely excellent – it’s just heartbreaking so much of that is tarnished by one of the biggest fumbles in the franchise’s history.

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is a charming platformer with plenty of fun content for kids and families to discover and enjoy together. But with a very low difficulty level and a real lack of innovation, it’s unlikely to captivate older audiences in the way that the best Nintendo games can.

Amnesia: The Bunker has all these little pieces that work well, but doesn’t fully deliver on its main hook. Fans of the series may be set up for a No Man’s Land of disappointment, where just a few tweaks here and there might make it a much more enjoyable experience. With it also launching on Xbox Game Pass, that might be the best place for it to gain an audience.

Returnal on the Steam Deck is going to look a little ugly. All three supersampling options aren’t the best in the world, as AMD’s FSR and Nvidia’s NIS options muddied the screen and VSR turned the game into a gloopy mess. There are also options to turn down the rendered resolution, as well as turn on Dynamic Resolution, but nothing ever managed to run or look ‘right’.

Strayed Lights is so dragged down by the almost non-existent story it almost becomes quite tedious to go from area to area during its gameplay that it’s hard to find a purpose to reach the finish line after a while.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a classic cozy farming game with few repercussions and plenty to experience. It introduces brand-new elements to the genre in the form of longer-running storylines and tons of events to enjoy. However, for me, it just fails to add anything particularly exciting to the already successful genre and left me wanting much more.

Only Up! is an experience for gamers that tests their patience and keyboard and mouse skills to the absolute limit. In the genre of 3D platformers, this game is a decent entry and will likely inspire future imitations. Considerable progress still needs to be made in order for the genre to provide a near-flawless gameplay experience. In order to achieve the status of a perfect platformer, the game must address a number of bugs and significantly improve its movement mechanics. These necessary changes are crucial, considering the immense dedication players will invest as they embark on this demanding and arduous adventure.

Black Ops 7 has the worst Call of Duty campaign of all time, but another solid multiplayer with great maps and an addictive Zombies mode means there's still plenty of fun to be had.

Pokemon Champions has a fantastic onboarding process for players unfamiliar with the ins and outs of competitive battling, but it still feels like it needs work. It would massively benefit from smoother performance, a review of its puzzling monetization, and a toning down of its grind, which, while more straightforward than the mainline games, requires sizable time investment just to unlock everything.

Even with all the frustration built up by the game’s technical problems, I found myself unable to truly dislike Frontiers. I found its pacing to be extremely solid, the Cyberspace levels (and their godlike soundtracks) to be fun, and the combat always enjoyable...Sonic fans will adore this game for the risks it takes and the story bits that can be picked up through its side missions. There’s clearly a lot of love and care put into this game, and although some of that should’ve been spent to fix its glaring performance issues, it still holds up as a fun adventure.

Tales of the Shire offers a cute cozy adventure that perfects its fishing and cooking, but fails to succeed in any other area synonymous with the genre.

Borderlands 4 could have been great. Its storyline and gameplay are the strongest they’ve ever been, but it's plagued by performance issues, missing features, and outdated UI's that almost drag it down to the murky depths of its predecessor.

Dragon Quest Treasures is a pleasant adventure despite its insistence on being a game for a younger audience. Unfortunately, its core gameplay loop isn’t satisfying enough to sink a huge amount of hours into it. In the flurry of games released this holiday season, picking up this game will largely depend on how much you love the Dragon Quest franchise.

Enchanted by Nature kicks The Sims 4’s wackiness up a notch in all aspects while not feeling too overbearing, and even though Fairies and the new world are perfectly fine additions to the game, they might not blow Simmers away. Where the pack really shines is in its new Natural Living skill, enchanted Gnomes, and new items like the Living Houseplants. They’re all standouts of the pack, and while it’s not going to be worth getting this DLC for one of those alone, there’s a big chunk of content on offer here that has something for every Simmer.

Dying Light: The Beast has great parkour and melee combat, but a bland story and an uninteresting Beast Mode mechanic leave it fun, but ultimately forgettable.

Payday 3’s high-octane action and extravagant heists make it another iconic entry into the heist shooter franchise, but it is ultimately held back by a lackluster user interface, matchmaking issues, and online DRM. While these problems can be addressed in later patches — as Starbreeze proved with its post-launch support for Payday 2, the game ends up feeling a little half-baked in its current state.

As a huge fan of the original, I went into New Tales From The Borderlands wanting to have my mind blown and regaled with a story for the ages. Gearbox delivered this in some parts as they harnessed the crazy energy of the Borderlands universe to offer up exciting new characters and a coherent story. But the overeagerness to deliver a laugh a minute and the ludonarrative dissonance of its mini-games and QTEs take away from the game in droves. If we do get a third game, then I’d love to see Gearbox move away from all this and focus on delivering a heavy, gut-punching narrative sprinkled with that insane Borderlands energy we love so much.

If you’re completely new to EA’s NHL series, then by all means, this is a must-play and would be a 9/10 otherwise. For myself, however, I’ve been there and I’ve done this. In some cases many years ago. It’s time for something new.

If you’re new to the EA SPORTS NHL series, then you’ll have fun with this, there is no denying that. There is a lot of joy to be had if you haven’t touched the series in years, but veteran players will feel significantly shortchanged by this year’s title.

A lackluster campaign, a soulless Zombies mode, and a fun but diminished multiplayer offering round out a rather weak launch for the iconic FPS series.

While the adventure borrows heavily from Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Stellar Blade, it never quite manages to match them. This is because it feels like more of a tribute act rather than a game that drives the genre forward. As fun as AI Limit is, we’ve seen it all before. However, if you’re craving more of that classic Soulslike gameplay in a slick anime art style that’s always rewarding to play, then there’s still lots of fun to be had in AI Limit.

After waiting six years for another crack at The Outer Worlds, it feels disappointing to be met with a sequel that is so promising but marred by a poor first half and frustrating Flaws. But the game isn’t a total flop, saved by its whimsical charm, vivid dystopian subject matter, and the classic, slower, and more explorative design that Obsidian games have perfected.

I’m rooting for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League though. There is enough here to suggest that Rocksteady has a grasp of what could make this game great. It will take effort and some big releases, but despite having an uneven experience overall, I’ve left relatively favorable. It has a rebellious spirit that makes it endearing...For all the noise around the game, from those fighting loudly in its corner and those trying to tear it apart, I’ve left with an unceremonious “Yeah, it’s pretty good” with a tinge of hope to boot. There is a world where the game has a future, and it’s a multiverse I’d like to live in.

While we felt like we had less agency and influence as a player than in earlier chapters of The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Devil in Me is still a worthy addition to the Curator's library – and our own. While we appreciate the experimental nature of the chapter, the direction of creative travel did worry us at times. However, there's no denying that Supermassive is still the best at what they do, and we look forward to season 2 of The Dark Pictures Anthology, and beyond.

While it features some interesting new ideas and a stunning new setting, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty fails to live up to the brilliance of Nioh and Nioh 2. A lot of effort has gone into developing the game’s spirit and deflection systems, but it leaves a feeling that Team Ninja has lost what makes titles in this genre fun – even difficult and punishing ones...While Elden Ring expanded the appeal of this style of game, it feels like Wo Long does the opposite and is only for the most committed. If you enjoy the Soulslike formula, especially the Nioh series, then there’s a lot to like in Wo Long if you’re willing to put in the time, but this really is a game for hardcore fans of the genre only.

Although Alien: Rogue Incursion does little to push the Virtual Reality space beyond what we’ve already grown familiar with, it’s another well-rounded experience that all owners should strongly consider, especially if you’re a lifelong fan of the IP.

Playing through Before Your Eyes in virtual reality never truly feels like the optimal way to consume this creation. Given its innate hindrances and oftentimes frustrating gameplay gripes, PSVR2 can come across as quite the opposite, perhaps the least enjoyable platform in which to digest the story. With its brevity in mind, along with a general lack of engagement and replayability, you’re better off grabbing this one-and-done experience elsewhere if you’re intrigued by the premise.

Marathon is a wildy inconsistent game that reaches blood-pumping highs, in between rounds of pure frustration. There's a great shooter hiding in there, but players will jump off before they find it.

Bloodlines 2 isn’t your typical RPG. It tells a great and complex story while taking you on an adventure where every choice you make affects the narrative, inside a city that feels alive with lovable and hateable characters. However, it could have done so much more to live up to it's predecessor and TTRPG inspiration.

If you want to have a great time with a friend while playing an action RPG, Atlas Fallen’s co-op mode is an ideal choice. However, if you intend to embark on a solitary adventure out in the dunes, you may find it becoming too monotonous at times when you’re just sliding across the desert in circles.

Kao the Kangaroo offers a pretty solid platforming experience and its graphics and soundtrack offer a pleasant nostalgic experience. Its environmental design is so charming, and the characters are loveable despite their poor voice acting. However, this experience is stopped short by bugs, repetitive gameplay, and poor storytelling. With a number of fantastic 3D platformers released in recent history, it's hard to recommend Kao the Kangaroo. If Tate Interactive would have kept this game in its developmental pouch a little longer, a lot of its big issues could have easily been resolved. Heck, we already waited almost 20 years for this game, we could have waited a few more months.

Modern Warfare 2 can be exciting when it works. Whilst the campaign’s narrative flaws can’t be fixed, major patchwork is needed to get the multiplayer (the most important aspect) to a good place, and co-op is in desperate need of extra content. Big games just shouldn’t be in this state at launch.

For all its stunning vistas and fun-filled stories, Chocobo GP just doesn’t have the sparkle that it needs to propel it to the top. Plagued by poor handling, dull tracks, and a microtransaction system that will have players arguing until the cows (or chocobos) come home, the game lacks the finesse of competitors and doesn’t really give players much reason to dive back in. Unfortunately, Chocobo GP will likely gather dust in my Switch library while I return to the likes of Mario Kart – and it’s a shame, because I really, really wanted to love it.

I truly wanted to love this game, and beneath the muddled surface lies the bare bones of an awesome detective RPG just begging to be let loose. Unfortunately, it looks like that skeleton will remain in the closet. Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is plagued by more than just the undead: its systems aren’t fun, puzzles are irritating, and the lack of depth seals the deal. I want to learn more about our protagonists, I want the story to be Criminal Minds but with vampires, however, it simply isn’t. Having waited so long for VTM to return triumphantly, Swansong is quite the letdown. For avid fans it’s a must, but if you’ve been brought here by Bloodhunt we’d suggest just sticking to that.

Even with the introduction of the new FieldSENSE technology, and updates to Franchise mode, Madden 23 is a disappointing entry into a franchise that seriously needs to reevaluate everything from the ground up. As a diehard Madden fan since my youth, I desperately wish that EA would straddle down and say enough mediocrity is enough. Sadly, it’s hard to say that day will ever come.

Trust me when I say I really want to love Diablo Immortal more than this, but morally I struggle to recommend this game. Suffocated by microtransactions that bleed players dry, the latest chapter in the Diablo saga feels like a pay-to-win gacha game that’s meant to tide us over until Diablo 4. While longtime fans of the franchise will be lured in by the story and spectacular universe, the cost of saving Sanctuary is simply too much to pay (as we’re sure your accountant will confirm). I walk away from Immortal disappointed and angry, hoping and praying to the High Heavens that Blizzard do something to bring it back from the brink.

Shredders is admirable for its ambiguous concept within the confines of an indie budget, but its gameplay doesn’t warrant any repeated trips to the slopes. Foampunch tries to salvage the game with an attempt to charm players with its wacky humor and splashes of energy, butting heads with the game’s juxtaposition of a dull open-world in the process. Curiosity may pique your interest in Shredders as it launches on Xbox Game Pass, but you’ll likely have forgotten the game within a few minutes of your descent from the summit.

South Park Snow Day feels like a step in the wrong direction for the franchise. With fantastic RPGs that nailed the vibe of the show so well, it’s hard to understand why they would instead move the games in such a misguided direction...With an uninteresting gameplay loop that relies on other players for its fun, the release just simply doesn’t hold up when put against other heavy hitters of a similar genre. And even when the game does feel good, it seldom feels like a South Park project, leaving players wondering what could have been.

Arkane Studios, which is often so great, has whiffed wildly here. Redfall performs awfully (at least on PC), and even when running at its best, it feels like a jumbled, disjointed exercise in compromised ideas.

WWE 2K26 is like a star that is ready for a push. It’s put in the work and has a great foundation. The roster is pretty stellar, the game modes are all there, and so many systems are in place. Now, it’s just about bringing them all together and taking that next step. No more Showcase, no more new match types. Focus on what you have and enhance it significantly.

Now having attained the Platinum, I can say with certainty the game is in no way, shape or form worth the price of a new AAA release. From its technical issues to the confounding game-design choices, it’s a bizarre spinoff that won’t leave Horizon fans overjoyed and won’t do much to turn fresh heads to the mainline entries.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure struggles to deliver the touching narrative and direction of its predecessors, feeling more like a side story than a worthy sequel for Max Caulfield's second outing.

After Us has a vital subject matter that forces the player to take a step back and view the impact humanity has and will have on the world around them. However, with repetitive gameplay, a relatively unstable performance, and lackluster puzzles, the title fails to capture the brilliance its visuals portray.

Over time, there’s certainly room to build from this foundation. But with the asking price and the initial lack of substance, it’s hard to see value in AEW’s first game upon release.

Harold Halibut is a remarkable accomplishment from a visual standpoint, its breathtaking stop-motion presentation a glorious sight to marvel at. Though in its pursuit of innovative design, it all but overlooks everything else it takes to piece together a worthwhile video game. Lacking in interactivity, it certainly isn’t an experience everyone will enjoy.

While Forspoken delivers a solid action-based combat system and an array of challenging bosses, it fails to create an engaging narrative thanks to the surface-level characters and at times, unbearable dialogue. Not only that, the outdated open world feels like more of a checklist rather than an opportunity for exploration, leaving you yearning for landscapes from other games that are more memorable, and less lifeless. Ultimately, Forspoken lives or dies with its combat, so if you fell in love with it in the demo, it may be worth your time. However, if you’re looking for an engaging RPG that immerses you in its world with a strong main narrative and interesting side activities, this is certainly not it.

There’s an enjoyable narrative to unravel here, if you’re willing to put up with outdated systems and monotonous traversal. But given its short run time and lack of replay value, for the price of admission, you may be better off waiting for a steep sale or even just buying the book.

As much as I wanted to enjoy it, Skull and Bones feels like an underdeveloped, unpolished, and unnecessary game that was better left on the cutting room floor. With awkward quests, little incentive to explore, and far too many problematic features, it’s left us wondering how this took 11 years to release and how quickly it’ll drown in its own seas.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force presents us with a game that may have once been a stellar JRPG title 20 years ago, but those standards just don't hold up in 2022. When compared to its contemporaries, it's just not on the same level, in any way. It's always been a B-Tier Square Enix franchise, but once upon a time, Star Ocean was an essential title. It's a shame that more effort has not gone into modernizing and revitalizing a beloved franchise.

Those looking for more Gungrave or even that nostalgic wave of something similar to it will be most delighted – as I was. It pains me to criticize something that is clearly made with love and adoration, and I hope that Iggymob gets another chance in the future.

Adventuring through the land is so limp and lifeless, with features pulled from Genshin or Breath of the Wild, or whatever other game it decided to do slightly worse, that it becomes a homogenous, grotesque blob. Tower of Fantasy is a complete failure in almost every aspect.