There’s no denying that Astro Bot owes a lot to its predecessors, but it still manages to find ways to innovate and make its own mark, from the excellent integration of PlayStation’s history, to the unbelievable Hero Worlds, to the creative new mechanics and power-ups. Add in gorgeous visuals, joyful vibes, near-perfect controls, a terrific soundtrack, and excellent rewards for curiosity and exploration, and you have the makings of something truly special.

In multiple ways, Dawntrail is all about setting up events that will play out across future chapters. The narrative is certainly the most divisive element at the moment, so there’s a lot riding on where the writers go after the revelations and developments in the final act. The battle content is certainly heading in the right direction, but there’s still a question of whether or not the devs can sustain this momentum. There’s reason to be hopeful with what’s been established in Dawntrail, but what comes next will be crucial to Final Fantasy XIV’s outlook for the future.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a worthy but familiar follow-up to the groundbreaking original. Incredible visuals and a legendary performance from Melina Jurgens do much of the heavy lifting, but in some ways it feels safe and plodding, with a surprisingly slow pace despite its fairly short runtime. Facing Senua’s insecurities and experiencing her growth remains a defining factor, but it feels less potent now, while simplistic exploration and repetitive combat hold it back from greatness. Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Senua, because she deserves much more.

While there’s certainly more to be desired in terms of exploration and discovery, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a solid first take from Surgent Studios. There are enough tools to keep combat from getting stale, and the platforming challenges are sure to keep most players on their toes. (Although they could throw in a couple checkpoints between the instant death spikes.) With full completion taking just ten to twelve hours, it’s worth joining Zau on his journey and experiencing everything Kenzera has to offer. There’s clearly a lot of love put in from the team, and that passion comes through in every aspect of its presentation.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a hardcore action RPG that demands patience and perseverance. It doesn’t hold your hand, and figuring out how to progress can be cryptic. Combat is spectacular with a variety of classes that all feel distinct and viable, while exploration feels particularly rewarding. In a crowded genre, Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels special, with old school sensibilities that reward you for paying attention.

As big of an impact as Remake made upon its release, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth eclipses it in nearly every way. It improves upon just about every facet of its predecessor by introducing incredible new mechanics, an unbelievable world to explore, countless charming mini-games, another out-of-this-world soundtrack, some of the most memorable characters, and a fascinating storyline that will leave you on the edge of your seat. This is truly a must-play game for anyone who loves RPGs.

Revisiting a classic is an exciting proposition, yet there are always concerns about respecting the original. Persona 3 Reload doesn’t quite address all the shortcomings of its previous renditions, nor does it include all the extras added over the years. However, it’s another incredible take that stands proudly alongside the other stellar versions of the game. With all of its new additions and features, especially the updated visuals, rewind function, and new battle mechanics, Reload is the best way to experience Persona 3.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a successful reinvention of the dormant franchise that carves out a marvelous new identity, one that clearly has a bright future. While it doesn’t revolutionize the Metroidvania genre, it certainly elevates it to new heights by refining it and blending in the best aspects of previous Prince of Persia entries. Combined with a terrific soundtrack, a stylish aesthetic, and an intriguing narrative that avoids the pitfall of becoming too overbearing, The Lost Crown marks an excellent start to 2024.

Alan Wake 2 is both a survival horror and psychological horror masterpiece. It represents the best of the genre with extraordinary atmosphere, characters you root for, and a high stakes narrative with horrifying and emotional weight. Exploration is rewarding, its presentation is pioneering, and it continually makes you question just how much you think you know about what’s going on. Remedy has delivered a special game that will be adored forever.

Nintendo chose the perfect word to affix to this latest Super Mario Bros. title. It’s the word that best sums up everything about this game. After so many iterations of the 2D Mario formula, it’s a wonder that the developers could still come up with something this innovative, with crazy new levels and cunning secrets that reward your curiosity. The sense of wonder is palpable any time you encounter one of the game’s signature blue flowers, with no idea what will happen next. And the Wonder Effect concept is one of the best new additions to the franchise since Mario first hopped on Yoshi’s back. Most of all, it’s wonder that you’ll feel as you play through one of the best Mario games of all time.

Though it has its issues, Lords of the Fallen is still solid overall. Its dark and brutal world is a compelling backdrop, filled with enticing exploration and deadly foes. Meanwhile, combat is engaging and offers a fair amount of flexibility. It may not be the next big breakthrough for the genre, but it's a good time and worth fighting through until the end.

Spider-Man 2 is an excellent sequel that smartly builds on the solid foundation set in the previous installments. The web wings are a fun addition to traversal, while combat and stealth have been improved and refined with easier access to gadgets and the new web lines. Swapping between Peter and Miles is not only fun for gameplay variety, but creates a convincing sense of individuality as they go off and do their own things. After a three year wait, Insomniac has delivered a definitive Spider-Man, yet again.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a strong return to the original identity of the series. The increased emphasis on stealth encourages you to get more invested in your surroundings, while the streamlined equipment options and shortened length ensure Basim doesn’t wear out his welcome. Open combat and the story aren’t anything particularly special, but learning about Baghdad continues the series tradition of celebrating different time periods. With multiple Assassin’s Creed projects in the works, hopefully Ubisoft embraces the intimate focus of Mirage.

In all, Cocoon lasts about four to five hours, and it twists your brain up in knots the further you go. Despite its heady concepts, puzzle solutions never feel too frustrating or obscure, and interacting with different objects feels tangible and tactile. It’s mesmerizing from beginning to end, tightly crafted and wonderfully creative. If anything, the succinct length just means that there’s no excuse to let this one pass you by.

Mortal Kombat 1 is another strong entry in the franchise, with a polished presentation, high production values, and good core mechanics. The Kameo system, enhance meter, and air combat add tons of creative possibilities to combat. The story has an incredible presentation, but loses steam when the scope gets too big and messy. Meanwhile, Invasions are a promising new addition that will hopefully get meaningful support in future seasons, but the full package feels like it’s missing just another piece of the puzzle. Time will tell how it will evolve with future additions and balance tweaks, but for now Mortal Kombat 1 has everything you need for a skull-cracking good time.

Put it all together and Sea of Stars is a work of incredible craftsmanship that captures the essence of the classics that inspired it without feeling like a mere copycat. It’s easy to feel the love that went into every inch of making it, and it simply gets better as it goes. Not only that, but in a year with so many massive games with complex systems and inventories to manage, Sea of Stars feels genuinely refreshing, like a splash of cool water on your face.

With so many great games available right now, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle but Lies of P is worth making time for. Although it doesn't do anything revolutionary, it's an all-around great game with satisfying and engaging combat, entertaining and challenging bosses, and strong atmosphere. On paper, it may seem like a bizarre concept, but once you hop in, Lies of P makes a strong case for itself with no strings attached.

Starfield is a very ambitious game, and while it brings much of what veterans of past Bethesda games love to the table, it under delivers on the promises of captivating space exploration. It could also use a bit more polish, especially when it comes to some notable quality of life omissions and visual hiccups. Despite these shortcomings, Starfield affords you the freedom to play how you want and provides worthwhile storylines that are rich and complex, regardless of which paths you go down. Sometimes it truly is all about the journey.

The Armored Core series has a long history dating back decades, and Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon feels like the start of an exciting new era for the series. There’s a strong sense that the team has learned a lot over the years, and they’ve expertly weaved those lessons throughout this game. Combat is smooth and satisfying with good controls, fun, diverse weapons, and a wide variety of missions. And customizing your AC is addictive with a ton of options at your disposal. It may take some time for newcomers to get acclimated, but once you sink your teeth into it, it becomes apparent that Armored Core VI is something special.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a solid follow up. It doesn’t leave as big of an impact as the original, but the natural and seamless conversations do a wonderful job of immersing you in the supernatural tale. There isn’t much to do outside of walking and talking, but the relatable characters and engaging mystery are reason enough to book a trip to Camena Coast.

A stronger story may have elevated Viewfinder more, but that does little to detract from the mind-bending mechanics of its puzzles and the smooth construction of its design. Viewfinder strikes an excellent balance between providing puzzles with intentional, satisfying solutions while also giving players freedom to experiment and come up with their own ideas. Plus, once you’ve finished, it’s a joy to then watch someone else discover its wild and inventive mechanics.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a difficult case where strong individual aspects don’t fully come together as a strong whole. There are precious characters here that are worth getting to know, but it feels like they get lost in the macro-events of later chapters. And while there are numerous variations and endings to replay this 10-hour story, the systems governing which choices you make feel more limiting than liberating.

Final Fantasy XVI is a phenomenal game, through and through. A marvelous battle system, incredible story and characters, a wondrous world full of exploration and intrigue, plenty of RPG tropes, and an outstanding soundtrack all highlight why Final Fantasy XVI is truly something special. The last few entries stumbled out of the gates, sowing some doubt about the future of the franchise. In stark contrast, Final Fantasy XVI rises to the occasion, restoring the lofty status the series once enjoyed and taking the franchise in a new direction while still honoring its legacy. In a year full of amazing games, Final Fantasy XVI emerges as a frontrunner.

Building off the foundation of Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way. It's filled with wonder and discovery throughout, constantly rewarding your curiosity. New mechanics like Fuse, Ascend, and Ultrahand transform how you interact with the world and give you even more opportunities to think differently about traversal and problem solving. Temples are a good upgrade and feel more clever and fleshed out, and the new sky and underground areas are excellent and serve as stark contrasts to the surface. Some technical aspects can get in the way at times, but not nearly enough to diminish the experience. It's been a long time coming for Tears of the Kingdom, but Nintendo has once again delivered a fantastic adventure that shouldn't be missed.

Some mechanical nitpicks aside, the 4 to 5 hours it takes to travel through Planet of Lana are punctuated by striking moments of remarkable beauty and a strengthening bond with your cuddly companion. With so many massive games releasing this spring and summer, it’s worth taking a night off to embark on an adventure that still feels like you’re visiting a rich, full world, but in a more succinct package.

Redfall is an epic miss from Arkane. The combat is mind-numbing, the quests are uninspired, co-op is a bummer, and the story doesn’t reach its potential. The only saving grace is its setting, but it’s pulled down by everything else. While co-op is the focus of the marketing, it doesn’t feel like a priority in Redfall’s design. There is some basic enjoyment in the solo campaign if you just want to turn your brain off, explore the town, and blast some goons, but there are easily better alternatives out there.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an excellent sequel that expands upon the strengths of its predecessor and introduces great new ideas. Exploration is engaging, and visiting each of its vast and detailed locations is a pleasure. Combat is satisfying with some solid new additions, and its story keeps you invested until the end. It's a fantastic sequel and one of the best Star Wars games around.

On the surface, Dead Island 2 is certainly all about slicing up zombies without a lot of emotional stakes, but there’s a notable attention to depth and detail that’s evident throughout. The sense of impact as weapons crack bone and send bodies flying entices you to keep tinkering with abilities, to go back for side quests after the story’s done, and to consider giving it another run with friends. Zombies have splashed down in LA: grab a hammer and get to work.