Life is Strange: Reunion feels like something I wasn’t sure we’d ever actually get—a sincere, tender, and heartfelt goodbye to Max and Chloe that understands why people fell in love with them in the first place. It’s far from perfect, with its technical hiccups, underdeveloped side cast, and that lingering illusion of choice holding it back from true greatness. But where it truly matters, it delivers. The mystery narrative holds its ground with a slew of twists and red herrings thrown at you. Most importantly, the emotional depth (finally) lands with a kind of honesty the series has been chasing for a few years. This isn’t about surpassing the original; it’s about making peace with its past. And somehow, against all the stacked odds, Deck Nine manages to pull that off in a redeeming fashion. If you’ve been on this journey since the beginning, it feels like closure, the kind that quietly sticks with you long after the credits roll as you're waving goodbye.

For all the good World of Warcraft: Midnight does, there are decisions being made that hold it back from being an all-time great expansion. I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it: the add-on changes feel like they were done with no real plan in place. Preys are a great feature, but I want to see a long-term vision here, especially because Delves are now delivering that vision. I'm excited to play through Midnight's seasons and experience everything the game offers heading into The Last Titan, but I also hope that Blizzard lets the dev team fully cook. It feels like they didn't with Midnight, and it's a shame.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection brings three of the iconic Capcom mascot's most niche titles. Star Force continues the tradition that started with 2001's Battle Network, combining card-based combat with light RPG elements and exploration. The games themselves have aged rather poorly, with somewhat basic combat and a game world that is determined to tell you what to do at every turn. So long as you don't mind dealing with some oddball design choices and long-winded stories, you could get a lot of enjoyment out of this unique, albeit flawed, Mega Man card game.

Marathon is hands down the best extraction shooter on the market. From the gunplay to the way the game handles the distribution of story, there's a lot to love in Marathon. While the quality of life could be improved in some respects and some of the UI elements could be adjusted, the overall game stands as a testament that Bungie knows how to make a good game. The biggest issue the game will face is appealing to the less hardcore players and getting them to stick around, but with Bungie continuing to iterate on the game, things will likely work out just fine for this unbelievably fun extraction shooter.

MLB The Show 26 is still one of the best sports games in town, but it's starting to show its flaws. Despite all the advancements and positive additions, it's getting harder to ignore some of its issues. For the first time in recent years, I'm not sure if MLB The Show is worth the money. For all the good the game does, I can't keep ignoring all of the mounting issues.

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.

Screamer ends up being exactly the kind of surprise that reminds you why you fell in love with racing games in the first place as a kid. It’s bold, a little chaotic, and completely committed to putting gameplay front and center, even when a few rough edges manage to show through. Between the unique twin-stick handling, the risk-reward chaos of the Echo System, and a story that leans hard into its over-the-top anime inspirations, it manages to carve out an identity that feels both fresh and nostalgic. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be because when everything clicks during racing, Screamer is an absolute thrill to play. For anyone craving an arcade racer with personality and depth with a riveting storyline, this is one worth taking for a spin at full throttle.

Crimson Desert combines all the phenomenal aspects of some of the most notable titles of the past decades. It has the sense of discovery like Elden Ring, a deeply engaging and dense world like Skyrim, unpredictable moment-to-moment gameplay like Red Dead Redemption 2, and the exciting exploration and overall feel of the latest Zelda games.

Like most of the Sherman tanks exposed to the elements in underfunded museums, Sherman Commander is a work of art that could really use another finishing pass. The game accurately captures the role of a tank commander in World War 2, and the individual units are exciting to lead, but the amount of micromanagement required means you spend more time staring at the map than inside your tank. Still, there are moments where it all comes together, and you get to see why this is a game like no other.

There are good ideas in 1348 Ex Voto, but they're undercut by the shoddy implementation of its systems. The voice cast carries the game, with several amazing performances woven throughout. Unfortunately, the whole experience is letdown by a variety of glitches, fundamental design flaws with the combat, confusing levels, and several jarring story transitions that make it seem as if 1348 Ex Voto was shoved out the door before it was ready.

Pokémon Pokopia is a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime game that changes the entire landscape of the genre. There may be nothing new or revolutionary here, but that's not the point. We were sold a cute, fun, and charming Pokémon spin-off that could hold our cozy gaming hearts over until something like Tomodachi Life or the next Animal Crossing releases. What we got was a game that questions whether or not we'd be willing to put Pokémon Pokopia down when those games come out.

In its best moments, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is an unbelievably good time. Even in its worst moments, it's still a pretty solid zombie shooter with some great set pieces. That being said, any problems with the game can and probably will be fixed in time. The janky bots and frustrating solo player experience definitely make things a little rough around the edges, but underneath that is a fantastic game that will absolutely exceed your expectations if you give it a chance.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake. While it may not necessarily be as scary as the original released in 2003, it does have its moments of greatness when it comes to scares, and there will be times that even the biggest survival horror fans have to take a breather. The stars of the show here are the atmosphere and story, both of which are so incredibly well-made, do the original justice, and validate the need for this remake to see the light of day. However, the combat is a major let down and definitely won't be for everyone. The controls feel outdated, the movement speed is excruciatingly slow, and those two mixed together can make for a rather frustrating experience at times. Still, if you were a die-hard fan of the original Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, you'll enjoy what Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have created here.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a huge step in the right direction for the franchise. The story is easily the best in the franchise, and while the gameplay still has problems (like the insistence on using AI-controlled party members), it's much better than its predecessor, and made me far more engaged with the combat and Monstie growth mechanics. ​​​​​​​Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is way better than Monster Hunter Wilds, and hopefully reflects a brighter future for the series.​​​

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition may be irresponsibly contributing to poor naming conventions in video games, but it's still an absolutely wonderful experience. Unfortunately, it's difficult to recommend it to series veterans, as there's nothing here beyond the performance upgrades as far as new content goes. The performance upgrades are pretty good, and come in at a fair price of five bucks, but unless you've got another 50 hours to kill, you'll be doing just as well replaying it on the original Switch.

WWE 2K26 isn't a perfect game. It suffers from too many technical issues, and I'm not sold on the tweaks to its core gameplay being a net positive, even though they make sense. That said, WWE 2K26 does so many good things that it's still worth it. This year's version of The Island is a massive improvement, and I cannot stop playing it, especially progressing through Tower runs. CM Punk's Showcase is an excellent presentation, and MyRISE is another successful story. Overall, WWE 2K26 is still another solid entry in the WWE 2K franchise, but I can't help but wonder where it could have landed. It reminds me of the recent LA Knight spot from this year's Men's Elimination Chamber match. He's got the crowd in the palm of his hand, he's ready for a big move off the rope...and he slips. He's still over with the crowd, and I think that's how things will ultimately land with WWE 2K26, but I have more reservations this year than I did last year.

I expected a little more from iRacing Arcade. What's here is a very simple and easy to understand racer with a very approachable learning curve, which makes it a decent entry point for genre newcomers. It is pretty consistently fun, but it also makes some confusing decisions between available game modes, totally omits some base level racing game features you'd expect, and has a lack of gameplay depth even compared to other arcade-style titles. It's still a good time and worth checking out (especially at the price point), but I don't think it'll become a staple of my racing game lineup.

Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen have their fair share of annoyances, especially for people who have only played the modern games, but once you get adjusted to them, there's a solid and fun Pokémon experience to be had. Anyone with a nostalgia for Kanto will be right at home here, but the slower pace might make it trickier for newbies to get on board. Just be ready to take off the rose-tinted glasses.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is the latest in Crystal Dynamics' efforts to bring the franchise back from the dead. It is packed to the brim with content, including deleted levels and a playable demo of one of the franchise's most compelling canceled entries. If you've been exploring the series for the first time thanks to the remasters, you're getting one of the most outstanding mainline titles in the franchise, and a deep dive into what made this game so special to begin with.

In Scott Pilgrim EX, you can truly feel the care that the developers at Tribute Games poured into every character, scenario, enemy, and boss. It is a sequel that respects its roots while remaining unafraid to evolve, representing a massive leap forward compared to the first title. It perfectly blends everything a high-quality beat ‘em up needs with the franchise’s signature nerdy humor. It is an unexpected and extremely fun way to expand Bryan Lee O’Malley’s universe, being literally impossible not to laugh throughout the journey or to have a blast with its nonsensical plots and over-the-top bosses. Ultimately, it is the perfect kind of beat ‘em up for a pizza night with friends – and this one even comes with a bit of extra spice to make things even more interesting. The only major downside is that its main story is too short, and I finished it wanting even more.

Esoteric Ebb is a weird game in the best way possible. It's a bit of a slow start, but once it gets you hooked, you'll want to see it through to the end. While it doesn't offer up information on completing quests, it does give you the freedom to explore the world and characters. If you're a fan of DnD looking for something unique with some solid writing and good humor, then you won't find a better game to play than Esoteric Ebb.

Reigns: The Witcher does pretty much exactly what it sets out to do. It's a fun and humorous time that represents aspects of the world of The Witcher well. While it could do better in some respects, there's a lot to enjoy here. If you're a fan of The Witcher, it's a great way to have a new experience in the world, and if you aren't a fan, then it's still a good time with some very dark and silly moments mixed in. Reigns: The Witcher is a great take on the world of The Witcher and is an enjoyable, new way to experience it.

Resident Evil Requiem is everything that RE fans could want out of the next entry in the series and more. It walks a tightrope of horror and action, but has perfected this balance in a way that delivers a heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping good time, regardless of what kind of RE fan you are.

I enjoyed Poppy Playtime Chapter 5. It's a strong episode, but it's also a slower-paced chapter that has a heavy focus on exploration and information. While I love that part of horror games, players who want more action might not like that. However, there are still a few intense chase sequences that are packed with action, so the balance doesn't feel entirely tipped in one direction.

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition brings together five different versions of the classic Ubisoft platformer. The presentation and design of the package is stellar, acting almost like a living museum to celebrate the game's impeccable legacy. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of variety here between each game variation, and it feels like there could have been more time spent on polishing up Rayman 2 and 3 for inclusion. As it stands, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is a great celebration of the first game, but leaves out his most entertaining adventures.

Love Eternal delivers on the promise of a psychological-horror platformer in most ways. Its setting and presentation create a world where you're never quite sure what reality you're in, and a big mechanical switch-up halfway through is a wonderful, creative surprise that I'll be thinking about for a long time. The game gets more meta in ways than I could've predicted, and left my own brain scrambled entirely by the end of the short four-hour experience. As a platformer, it's easy to understand, though the unpredictable momentum of movement unfortunately keeps it from feeling as precise as genre enthusiasts will surely prefer. Still, it's one of those "play in one sitting" type of games that you won't want to miss if anything about the premise speaks to you.

Mario Tennis Fever is one of the best Mario sports games in years. Does it solve all the issues we've seen in the genre over the past decade? No, and sadly, it suffers a lot of the same problems when it comes to depth. Thankfully, the one thing it gets right is its incredible gameplay, which keeps you coming back for more. It's not perfect, but Mario Tennis Fever is a much-needed step in the right direction.

The first 30 minutes of Calamity Angels hooked me. The tension system seemed like a great novelty for turn-based combat, and the contrasting character archetypes brought fun personalities. Unfortunately, the game spent the next 10 hours spinning its wheels, forgoing any gameplay development and turning its entire runtime into a mind-numbing loop. If Compile Heart had fully fleshed out its own innovations, Calamity Angels: Special Delivery could have been a compelling game, but as it stands, it is just a shallow and forgettable experience.