Super Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent party game, and compares well with previous titles in the franchise. While remaining true to the nostalgic formula, minor tweaks, improvements, and new game modes help it rise above the series' modern releases to shine as a Super Star. Even if you have either of the previous Mario Party games for Switch, Jamboree is worth considering.

Prey often feels like mash-up of some of the best sci-fi survival horror games of yesteryear and Arkane’s previous work. And it is. But it also a title with some wildly unique ideas, an incredibly thick and unnerving atmosphere, and an exemplary soundtrack.

Vampyr is a great experience. Its fun story will keep you intrigued for hours upon hours, and refined and simple gameplay will keep you hooked for even more.

Ubisoft Mainz's good choices started early with Anno 117: Pax Romana. It picked the perfect time period to showcase the prime of Roman city building, and packaged that in a user-friendly way that has more depth than meets the eye. There are some pacing issues with the campaign, and I have questions about the longevity of single-player modes, but that does not take away from the fact that this is an excellent city builder that tells a Roman tale with the grandeur it deserves.

Mothergunship is worth seeing through once but I’m sure you’ll want to tackle the campaign at least one more time.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined introduces new systems and quality-of-life improvements that streamline the original experience and make it more palatable for modern audiences. The game still takes its sweet time to show its cards, though. JRPGs are a genre that demands patience and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined asks for a tad more. Still, if you can embrace the episodic storytelling format and make the most of the Party Chat and Vocation system, you'll find that your journey through time was well worth it.

LEGO games have found a very unique niche in gaming and yet have still managed to continue to get better and better. Even though it likely will not change the minds of those who do not enjoy the LEGO series of games, the stellar presentation, humor, and overall joy found in these recreations of each movie make LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga one well worth picking up.

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avengers iX is a fast-paced but well-designed platformer that keeps up Inti Creates' streak of awesome games.

What I appreciate about Z Chaser is that while it isn’t as much of a novelty as the X Challenge run was, it incentivizes focusing on improving your skill of the games.

Gran Turismo 7 is a welcome return for the series after the lackluster GT Sport, even though there are some flaws that are mostly associated with microtransactions. The visuals and racing physics are top-notch as always and the game’s unique campaign that teaches you about the history of the automotive industry will keep car enthusiasts and newbies alike engaged for hours as they play through Gran Turismo 7.

LEGO Party! stands tall as one of the best games ever in the competitive board game-style genre. Sure, it's derivative of Mario Party, but it also improves on many games in that series in a multitude of ways. Almost all of the 60 mini-games here are truly great, the game boards are creative, and the player customization options feel endless. I do wish it had a couple additional modes and maybe another game board or two, but that's really just because I want more of this awesome title. Regardless, LEGO Party! is such a blast, and a game I sincerely hope catches on so we can keep getting more content and sequels.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition remains one of the best Tales of games to date.

Layers of Fear 2 is one of the best pure horror games I’ve played in some time. Bloober Team has created a title that pushes common horror tropes aside for something more fascinating and exciting. While I ultimately left unsatisfied with my first run, the journey to the end was a hell of a ride that had me uneasy in the best ways the entire time.

Though it is indeed the last time that we will see Clementine, AJ, and the other familiar faces of Telltale’s The Walking Dead in a state like this, Skybound Games certainly made those last moments count.

Sound design, music, and an inspired graphical style makes Return of the Obra Dinn an unsettling but satisfying exercise in deduction.

Trackmania features deep mechanics that put accessibility first in addition to a nice variety of online and solo modes that compliment the title to better enhance both the gameplay and community. There’s plenty of free content that will entertain casual fans for months and paid options tailored to the more devoted veterans. All in all, for being part of such a niche franchise, this is a great entry that has a lot to offer.

Unlike the direction the Zombies mode from Call of Duty has taken in the past few iterations, Zombie Army 4 offers a cohesive and fun experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s engaging from start to finish and with its weekly challenges, the arcade-like setup of the chapters and leaderboards, and with Horde Mode, there’s a bunch of replay value here. Zombie Army 4: Dead War has finally broken free of its Sniper Elite shackles and will hopefully give rise to a lasting franchise of smiting out Nazi zombies.

Immersive Sims are incredibly difficult to create, and Atomfall deserves heaps of praise for going against the grain and presenting an open-world format that bucks almost every established trend. But even more so for doing this with aplomb and crafting an immersive, engaging, and breathtaking world. Gunplay is a stone's throw away from Sniper Elite, but thanks to the survival approach, everything feels much more frantic and frenetic. The only glaring issue is that the core narrative flatters to deceive, and the enemy AI retains some run-on issues from the Sniper Elite series. But, all in all, Atomfall is a triumphant immersive sim that takes big swings and hits plenty of homeruns.

A Plague Tale’s linear story is immediately compelling and gripping.

Mafia: The Old Country is a strong contender for one of 2025's best narrative titles. At one moment, it can feel like a cheesy Italian soap opera where Enzo and Isabella's on-screen forbidden affair is adorable enough to make you kick your feet in the air. But on the other hand, it's a ruthless crime spectacle that excellently portrays the origins of the Mafia with the Torisi Family's rise and fall, with character performances reminiscent of an A24 movie. Throughout its 14-chapter duration, it maintains a tight pacing, particularly in its exposition and gameplay sequences, with the latter feeling like a breath of fresh air thanks to the different weapons, variable firefight sequences, and intense knife duels. Considering the ending and the fan-service elements that cater to long-time fans, this is not only the best Mafia game to date, but also one of the best modern linear action-adventure titles.

Though I’m not necessarily getting a 100+ hour experience in this title, I still enjoyed every moment of my time with the Phantom Thieves.

While it largely follows the same general formula of the Yakuza games that came before it, Judgment's focus on playing as a detective and solving cases around the city of Kamurocho never once got stale.

With its fun story and entertaining characters, Young Horses' Bugsnax is a charming game that shouldn't be missed -- whether you play on PS4 or PS5.

I would absolutely recommend Resident Evil 3 and would not be surprised if a sizable portion of the fandom ends up preferring this remake.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection feels like an upgrade on all fronts and should be an entry point for all Mega Man novices and longtime fans.

Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is without a doubt a brilliant game that nearly singlehandedly revived a genre that has been replaced in the hearts of many by World of Warcraft, The Witcher, or The Elder Scrolls series. And while those series (and their respective genres) are amazing in their own right, Obsidian’s re-imagining of the poorly-aged genre is a must play for any fan of similar games and a great jumping off point for those interested in dabbling in something more complex.

Replaced is a visually stunning 2D platformer that ambitiously strives to give a thrilling and emotional experience in the still relatively exclusive cyberpunk niche. Alongside its numerous incredibly detailed, hand-crafted backdrops, its splendidly fluid combat system feels dynamic and addictingly fun to play from one encounter to the next. That said, the game evidently still needs some polishing in terms of combat balance, along with notably disjointed character movement when traversing through each zone's platform mechanics. However, that doesn't diminish what the game has accomplished from its years of development and clear commitment to detail. It's a truly memorable indie experience that you shouldn't miss out on this year.

Post Void is heavy rock-and-roll, flying pixels, and laser-sharp shmup arcade mechanics distilled into a combination that equally terrifies and unsettles.