The Medium has grand ambitions, but stumbles under the weight of them all. The story is emotionally engaging, but the environments fail to leave a memorable impact. Puzzles are repetitive and typically solve themselves, while slowly moving through the hotel loses its threatening aura. The Medium is a great story to watch and listen to, just not to play.

Cyber Shadow is a great modern take on the retro games that inspired it. Jumping and slashing your way through each of its areas is a lot of fun, and its checkpoint system smartly eliminates potential frustration and repetition. Even though some aspects could be better, Cyber Shadow is still a very enjoyable adventure and a strong debut for Mechanical Head Games.

Hitman 3 is an excellent end to the World of Assassination trilogy. Each mission feels dramatically different with exceptional level design that provides countless mysteries to uncover and options to play with. The story comes to a gratifying conclusion, but even if you’re new to 47’s world of slick kills and dark comedy, there has never been a more appropriate time to take aim.

The impulse to fall into one extreme opinion of Cyberpunk or the other is strong. There are moments when you can get so swept up with the world and characters that the very valid complaints seem small. Yet there are also moments when something will break yet again, and you'd give anything for the man behind the curtain to just hide himself better. The game's ambition is standing on very wobbly legs that feel like they could suddenly collapse at any time. There is greatness, but you really have to fight to see all of it, more than anyone should have to.

Finishing Twin Mirror takes about 6 to 8 hours. With a completed save, you can go back to specific chapters to try new choices, but there are only a few moments that feel worth such experimentation. Even though cracking the case is pretty straightforward, the more traditional aspects of investigating Basswood and talking to the people that live there end up being more interesting than traits like Sam’s mind palace and alter-ego. There’s still enough to appreciate here, but it feels underdeveloped. Like two voices in one head, Twin Mirror has a tendency to get in its own way.

Koei Tecmo and Nintendo have laid the groundwork for something really special in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Whether intentional or not, their ambition crafts a new subgenre of Musou that’s mostly held back by the limitations of the Switch hardware. The post-game and extra modes fall short of what the original Hyrule Warriors offers, yet its solid storytelling and diverse set of characters are captivating until the journey's end. With a bit more refinement and polish, Hyrule Warriors could become something truly legendary.

This is an incredibly ambitious game that really feels like it is trying to push things forward in a meaningful way, and when it all is clicking, it is truly magical. But, it is on shaky legs. You definitely get the sense that the tech quite can't handle everything it is trying to do. You start to see the seams in a disappointing way. [30 Hour Impressions]

Despite its technical hangups, Haven has passion and charisma to spare thanks to some clever writing and an honest portrayal of a devoted relationship. There are rough patches when you get stuck on confusing terrain or come up against a temperamental adversary, but the journey is mostly as difficult as you want to make it. Keeping these wanderers together is a pleasant challenge, and re-assembling the puzzle pieces of their past has a satisfying payoff.

Call of Duty has been an annual franchise for 15 years, but this year feels particularly unnecessary because Warzone and Modern Warfare continue to thrive. It’s a solid game, but with limited maps and a campaign that fizzles out, it’s a hard sell for players already committed to where they are. As the seasons continue, Cold War could certainly improve, but for now, it isn’t an essential purchase.

Immortals Fenyx Rising lays a solid foundation for a new open world game by drawing inspiration from other successful contemporaries. It boasts an impressive combat system, but the limited enemy roster fails to showcase its true potential. Yet there’s so much to do and see, with numerous opportunities that highlight the amazing puzzle designs and the enormous scale of the world to explore, all set to a wonderful soundtrack composed by Gareth Coker. For those looking for a more stylized open world experience that doesn’t strive for realism, but rather revels in its mythology, Immortals is your type of odyssey.

Although its lack of online multiplayer at launch is disappointing, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is still a charming platformer. Going through each of its stages is a pleasure. Collecting things and dressing up is delightful, and multiplayer is a lot of fun if you have friends around. It may not be the most ambitious title to feature Sackboy, but what's here is nothing short of jolly.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla further refines the RPG style of Origins and Odyssey and their enormous worlds. Addictive progression and an engaging story tie everything together in meaningful ways, but the bloated length almost ruins the impact of the story, while lackluster AI causes combat to wear thin. Still, England and Norway are breathtakingly beautiful with an outrageous amount of things to discover and unique tales to tell.

The Pathless is beautiful but repetitive. There is a somber emptiness to its world that tries to convey a sense of loss and impending doom, but it can also make the proceedings tiring if you don’t regularly redirect yourself toward the things you need to find and fix. It makes bold strides in exploration and world-building, but movement can feel awkward or overly simplistic, and the ruins you seek out house little more than a puzzle and some foggy memories. On a positive note, load times are wonderfully brief on PlayStation 5, and the controller pulses differently for each type of target you fire at. Navigating this world can be both a calming and thrilling experience, there’s just not enough to find to make the journey more than a pleasant trip through the trees.

The name "Demon's Souls” comes with a lot of expectations, and Bluepoint has proven once again that they’re more than capable of carefully modernizing these beloved games without losing what made them special in the process. Demon's Souls on the PS5 is one of the finest examples of a remake out there thanks to its stunning visuals, great music, and numerous quality of life improvements. Most importantly, all the aspects that made the original such a classic like it's mysterious world, tight combat, and vicious bosses are painstakingly preserved. Whether you're a newcomer or a veteran, Demon's Souls is a journey worth taking and it’s an outstanding title to have out alongside the PlayStation 5’s launch.

If you want to catch them all and check off the full list of side quests, Bugsnax takes about 10 hours or so to complete. The gameplay can feel a little clumsy here and there, but it makes up for it with the silliness and creativity of it all. There’s a lot of joy to be had with these bizarre critters, and there’s more to the story than you might guess. So if you’re curious about where this adventure ends up, pack your bags for Snaktooth Island, and be sure to bring a healthy appetite.

With that being said, Like a Dragon is easily more than the sum of its parts. Although it can be drawn out, the story has some incredibly emotional moments that really resonate and will likely end up being some of the most memorable of the entire year, and it's propped up by a cast that's equally relatable and charming. Whether you've stormed the streets of Kamurocho before or are completely new to the dealings of the Tojo Clan, there is so much to appreciate in this game if you're willing to be patient.

Whether you’re taking in the details up close, or soaring over the freezing skyline, Spider-Man: Miles Morales looks and performs better than the first game in every way. It’s clearly setting the stage for a massive sequel, but this is more than just a stop-gap between generations. The struggles that Miles faces and the fears that he conquers to become a hero on his own terms make this short but sweet side-story memorable and meaningful. It’s an unmissable adventure for any Spider-fan that can’t wait for a second chance to suit up.

The tools Watch Dogs provides give you power over your environment, and now you have dominion over who fights and who dies in a desperate and sometimes uncomfortably relevant struggle to save a troubled London. This freedom may make you feel more attached to your crew than the drama unfolding in the main story, but any investment you make to grow Dedsec is justly rewarded. There aren’t enough mission types and voice actors involved to make the whole thing as impactful and realistic as intended, but you can easily find a few recruits, or a few dozen, that are worth putting on the front lines of this bloody cyber war.

Ghostrunner is a challenging, yet fair adrenaline-fueled escapade of violence and speed. Running through the streets, jumping off walls, and cutting through enemies is a lot of fun, and there’s a rush of satisfaction when you finally overcome a challenge. Some parts like its story could be better, but what it offers in terms of gameplay is nothing short of greatness. It may take a bit to settle in, but when everything clicks, you'll feel like a badass in no time.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a triumphant return to form for the franchise. A few puzzles might stump you and the story can be a little hard to follow, but carefully managing resources is a fun balancing act with meaningful stakes for failure, while the environmental variety keeps you feeling vulnerable. Arriving just in time for Halloween, Amnesia: Rebirth is here to remind you of the true meaning of fear.

Mafia Definitive Edition is a loving and faithful remake of an underappreciated gem. The story, atmosphere, and sense of place have aged particularly well. The cover-based shootouts feature memorable scenarios, but the controls and Free Ride mode have room for improvement. After 18 years, Tommy Angelo’s violent tale of organized crime is still as memorable as ever.

While Squadrons may not be the most ambitious in scope, it does a great job of making you feel like a pilot in the Star Wars universe. Soaring through space and blasting ships is a lot of fun, and its implementation of VR is so good it feels mandatory now for future Star Wars flight games. More variety would go a long way, but at least it comes in a little cheaper at $40. Squadrons is easily one of the best Star Wars games to support VR, and it’s a solid choice all around.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time lives up to its namesake. It’s been a long wait, but Crash returns to form in this sequel with wonderful new additions. It doesn’t redefine the genre or really strive for innovation, but rather embraces some brilliant ideas first seen in its contemporaries while remaining meticulously true to the classic style of the series. The difficulty can be frustrating, but even if you don’t see and do everything, this is still a highly enjoyable platformer that marks a new high point for the series.

Hades is one of the best roguelikes you can play. An interesting cast of characters, anchored by the lovable Zagreus, is worth learning about, while the seemingly never-ending upgrades always provide something to work towards. A few more bosses and environments would have helped the long road towards the true ending, but with so much weapon and build variety, each run offers a unique and rewarding trip through the Underworld.

13 Sentinels is not the first gorgeous game Vanillaware has made. The reason it’s exceptional is because of how exciting the journey is. Sure, there’s the mystery box pull as you peel away layer after layer, but a giant reason you’ll want to hungrily jump to the next chapter is because the characters are just so charming. It is relatively rare that a video game story is this captivating and it’s absolutely worth making time for.

Marvel’s Avengers is launching with a few cuts and bruises. It has a charming story and a surprising amount of depth and detail in the massive Initiative missions, but trying to experience it all inevitably leads to running through the same types of areas over and over, multiplied by however many Avengers you choose to make time to level up. It might not be as easy to love this crew compared to the cast we’ve been laughing and crying with for the last 10 years, but the groundwork is here to create a potentially epic-sized superhero fantasy. It just has more work to do to get there.

The biggest point of praise for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 is that you just end up wanting more of it. For the first time in forever, the series not only feels back on track, but is being executed with the proficiency that it absolutely deserves. There are things to quibble about, but these are small when placed next to the overwhelming amount that soars like Superman. Vicarious Visions is no pretender. They have raised the dead.

Peril on Gorgon lasts around 12 to 15 hours, depending on how much you want to read and scavenge, and there’s more than enough here to warrant the $15 price tag. It’s a solid journey, particularly if you want to reconnect to your crew and learn more about Halcyon. Digging through the ruins can get a bit lonesome after a while, but once you start meeting new characters and picking up the scent of where all this is going, it can hook you in through to the end.