Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered isn’t going to set the world on fire. However, it’s important to remember the dumpster fire that this franchise has been languishing in for the last decade. If a boringly good remaster is what it takes to get us back to the series I grew up with, I’ll more than take it. Hopefully, Criterion uses this momentum to deliver something that finally puts Need for Speed back on the map.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn't soar all the way to FromSoftware heights, but it comes darn close. What's presented here is likely the best traditional Soulslikes I've ever played from a competitor, and well worth checking out for any fan of the genre. At its core, it's a brutal game with lots of build variety, but can eventually be trivialized if you know how to exploit some of your options. Still, it never stops being fun and interesting, and melee players will have great challenges in spades. Occasional "frustrations" will arise during your experience, but it's typically nothing we don't let FromSoftware get away with time and time again. Bottom line, if you want a brilliantly interconnected Soulslike map with plenty of great bosses and overall design, this is another fresh genre option that shows the field is truly beginning to close the gap.

Once you get down into the dilapidated yet impressive levels of the Hive and start swinging, Darktide is as great a swarm shooter experience as any, but it needs to improve much of the surrounding infrastructure to make that core combat experience feel rewarding and meaningful. Who knows? I may even come back in a year to re-review the game (which is something that should generally happen with more game reviews), but in the meantime it’s a simmering cauldron of potential that still feels a little raw.

While some parts of Luigi’s Mansion may be beginning to show their wear, by and large the game is still just as much of a quirky, experimental romp as it was 17 years ago.

Not only is Romeo is a Dead Man the most delightfully Suda-flavored experience I’ve had in a long time, but it’s presented in its optimal form. No meddling from other companies or directors, no hardware limitations, just unfettered, bloody action and unrelenting, delightful weirdness. It’s consistently fun to play and fascinating to experience, from the sudden, wild shifts in tone, level, and story setpieces to the surprisingly tense boss fights and emotional monologues. No matter how dense it all gets, there’s always a method to the madness, a consistent, player-friendly path forward that ensures you can keep making progress at a steady clip, even when the game gets notably difficult. Any complaints I could make are nitpicks at best; if you also love Suda’s works, you owe it to yourself to play this one, and if you’ve never played any of his games before, this is an excellent one to start with.

Ruffy And The Riverside has a lot of cool and new ideas, but doesn't always execute on the necessary basics. The hand-drawn levels and characters are awesome, the semi-open world is fun to traverse and works well as a collect-a-thon, and several gameplay switch-ups and surprises along the way feel refreshing. Unfortunately, the few bosses and enemies present here are quite bland, and though the environmental puzzle-solving is initially unique and rewarding, it eventually stalls out in creativity and challenge. Overall, Ruffy ends up feeling a bit inconsistent, but it's still a cute, enjoyable indie that has me looking forward to future efforts from Zockrates Laboratories.

Coffee Talk is an absolute joy to play.

Discounty is the right type of cozy game that you can get completely lost inside for a few days. It thrives in the "Just one more day" zone and has an addictive loop that feels good as a distraction from the real world. At the end of the day, I wish it went a bit deeper with some of its systems to make the grocery store sim aspects a little more fleshed out, and some optimization hiccups are genuine bummers and frustrations at times. Still, I've enjoyed my time in the small town of Blomkest and feel ready to run my own store someday.

I admire Gust for delivering a product outside of their comfort zone. However, even though the open world is the most exciting new addition, it also tends to bring the most problems with it. Atelier Firis will surly impress fans of the franchise, but could feel dated to modern RPG fans.

Fire Emblem Warriors delivers with enjoyable gameplay that blends mechanics from both Fire Emblem and Warriors games into something unique and unlike anything else on the Nintendo Switch.

John Wick Hex is a nice, fun, and stylistic bite-sized adventure that's absolutely worth your time.

For Sonic purists there’s undoubtedly a great time to be had with Sonic Colors: Ultimate. For those who are more fairweather Sonic fans or are looking for a new adventure to dive into, the game might be a little more of a challenge to enjoy.

Metro Awakening is a VR outing that does the Metro series proud. With a story and setting that adds further depth to Dmitry Glukhovsky's magnum opus, incredible visual and sound design, and a wealth of mechanics that represent the Metro staples, this title is a tense, gripping and action-packed blast for VR fanatics. It is a title that focuses a little too much on the survival aspects, meaning the horror is less affecting, and the core gunplay is far from the best the medium has ever produced. But all in all, Metro Awakening is a seminal VR hit that proves that VR is far from a dying fad, and still has a wealth of intriguing experiences to offer.

Despite the technical imperfections (which Paradox has acknowledged), Cities Skylines 2 is still a masterfully crafted jewel in the crown of the city-building genre. There isn't anything else that can match it for breadth or depth right now. This is still the best way to build the city of your dreams.

Ariana and the Elder Codex is a game that gives you exactly what you see on the tin. It's a straightforward 2D action RPG platformer that won't take up much of your time, but it won't break the mold either. If you are an enthusiast of this style, it is worth giving it a go for the gameplay, since the narrative is unremarkable. However, if you don't care much for action platformers or still have others in the genre to cross off your backlog, then Ariana and the Elder Codex might stay on the sidelines for a while.

If you’re looking for your next couch co-op game or something that’s easy to jump into for an hour or two, give The Swords of Ditto a try.

Culdcept Revolt is a niche game that is directed at those willing to take a chance on a series that disappeared for quite awhile.

Ultimately, Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is a very unique experience that will only improve with time if Chromatic listens to their players and updates regularly. The early game can be boring, especially when played alone. However, co-op is exciting at any time, and the late game is an absolute blast. In nightmare mode, stages begin to reach the perfect level of balance between challenge and fun. It isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve been craving some tower-defense, or loved previous Dungeon Defenders games, you’re sure to enjoy Awakened.

Wildgate is a space-age ship-fighting FPS that captures the beauty and danger of space quite well. The game's complexity lends itself nicely to making combat as interesting as possible. Although the beginning of each game might be a bit slow, it sets itself up for some truly amazing ship-to-ship combat later on in the game. Even with all the creativity built into this game, there are still several problems that will hopefully be fixed later on. Progression is a bit slow, and the game doesn't offer new players much help in the way of understanding. That all being said, Wildgate is a game that is truly unique in a time when many games would prefer to play it safe.

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.

In its current state, Marvel Rivals is an absolute blast, no matter what role you play. Yes, it's hard to deny the similarities to Overwatch, but enough is going on here that helps it stand out on its own.

Its low skill barrier should not be confused with a lack of quality. Minecraft Dungeons does a tremendous job translating the world of Minecraft into a dungeon crawler.

My favorite mode in Mirage: Arcane Warfare is the 3v3 Arena. In this mode, players are pitted against each other on a small map, keeping the action fast-paced and entertaining.

The game acts like a quick Super Mario campaign with an accompanying endless collection of levels — and endless Super Mario levels is never a bad thing. Despite a fantastic new delivery system found in Super Mario Challenge, too may of the downgrades strip the components of Super Mario Maker that made it a breakaway success on Wii U.

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.

In the end, any progress made, whether it’s leveling up my player or regaining control of my court, just feels aimless. If I’m simply being rewarded with cosmetic options, I don’t see the point of furthering my character’s career.

There are a few issues like the disconnect between the player and the characters or the omission of any challenge, but the story and the way it is told is done exceptionally well. Quarantine Circular is worth every minute of your time.

As it stands now, STALKER 2 is fun and has a lot of potential, but it would be unfair to call it good. You can easily sink 100 hours into it without noticing, especially if you have a deep love for previous iterations. However, the performance issues, overall inconsistency in many areas, and clumsy presentation will hold this game back until a major overhaul comes.