Digimon Story Time Stranger is the boldest entry in the franchise to date, delivering a thrilling narrative, stunning environments, and over 450 Digimon to collect. Its deep combat system, expansive quality-of-life improvements, and superb English voice acting elevate it alongside the best RPGs of the year. Minor issues aside, this is the definitive Digimon experience fans have been waiting for.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian brings the beloved series back to its roots. With charming visuals, classic alchemy mechanics, and a cozy yet engaging story, it feels like a love letter to longtime fans—though its safe approach may not surprise everyone.

The first few hours of Slime Rancher 2 are a delightful experience, and it’s super relaxing to traverse the environments, capture slimes, and build your conservatory. It’s a great game to play if you’ve had a stressful day and you’re looking to unwind. However, after a while, you will likely find the slimes that you prefer using, discover the majority of the locations, and unlock the last remaining upgrades. In the end, it requires you to find your own meaning and discover a grand ambition that drives your pursuit. Just like the original, I couldn’t find it. But I definitely enjoyed my experience more than last time.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is one of the best kart racers on the market, and I’m sure I’ll be coming back to it often. It may not be a new Sonic Riders sequel, but it’s the next best thing. For those who are looking for a quality game to share with family and friends, I can’t recommend CrossWorlds enough.

If a game is willing to explore such complex and difficult topics, it needs to be prepared to tackle those topics head-on and say something. Instead, the game just sort of ends without any resolution or final thoughts, and leaves the player wondering what the whole point of this was. I think there are some people out there who will connect with Jenny’s story more than I did and be able to overlook the monotonous gameplay, but in the end, Consume Me just left me feeling numb to the experience as a whole.

Despite what PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC lacks, it’s still a really fun and solid game that’s well worth the $29.99 launch price. There’s a lot of fun content to play through that has the charm that late 90s and early 2000s platformers were known for. I just think PAC-MAN is meant for much more now, and Bandai Namco has the opportunity to strike and create a really memorable platformer with PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC as a foundation or example for the future. That’s after a potential PAC-MAN WORLD 3 remake, of course.

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is a heartfelt and commendable effort that brings forth one of Square Enix's most beloved games to modern platforms. Special attention to recreating the original experience has paid off, with fantastic quality-of-life features added alongside a refreshing UI. While I wish an orchestrated soundtrack were included in this release, this is easily the best way to experience Final Fantasy Tactics.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. It's the perfect introduction to Trails, with an outstanding cast, engaging gameplay, and a world impossible not to get invested in. The slow-burning narrative, while very enjoyable, can lead to monotonous sections of the game, but this is just a minor gripe considering the massive adventure at hand. New and old fans alike will fall in love with what is assuredly one of the best RPGs of the year.

Gloomy Eyes isn’t about innovation; it’s about immersion. Its strength lies in mood, not mechanics. The story of Gloomy and Nena unfolds like a gothic bedtime tale, carried by expressive narration and a striking audiovisual style. Gameplay remains simple, occasionally clunky due to camera issues, unclear level design, and technical blemishes, but it holds together just enough to support the narrative journey. This is a game for a very particular audience. If you love Tim Burton’s blend of macabre and romantic, if you enjoy dark fairy tales where atmosphere outweighs challenge, Gloomy Eyes is worth experiencing. It may not shine as brightly in gameplay, but in the dim light of its eternal night, it casts a charm all its own.

Super Robot Wars Y didn’t blow me away, but it was able to keep me interested. As an entry point into this almost two-decade-old series, I think this game does just enough to pass. If the next game in the series is able to up the quality and try to engage the player more than I think it would go a long way towards increasing my excitement to try it out. But as it is now, I would say that only the most hardcore of mecha fans will get the most enjoyment out of Super Robot Wars Y.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Order of Giants is another Indiana Jones adventure, at a cost. While the new exploration and puzzles are fun to go through, plus the narrative and central mystery of the titular order of giants is deeply compelling, the overall package lacks any meaningful substance. The DLC lasts only four hours, there are no new shake-ups to combat, and once you complete the quest, you get nothing for your efforts. Considering the $20 price point, it's hard to justify purchasing the DLC unless you're truly desperate for more Indiana Jones action.

Maybe if you’re extremely desperate to play more Donkey Kong Bananza and really enjoy the roguelite genre, you may have some fun with DK Island & Emerald Rush. Otherwise, you’d probably be better off just replaying Donkey Kong Bananza or buying a true roguelite game, which costs $20 and features twice the content.

Cladun X3 is an action-adventure RPG that has a lot going for it. The systems are overwhelming at first but are quite fun when you get used to them. You can customize everything in the game from you character, to the weapons, to even the music. There is plenty to do from randomized dungeons to even online elements. But the last couple hours of the game are a chore that show how much the rest of the game needs some serious balance adjustments. I still had fun with the rest of it, but I don't see myself going near the last couple dungeons ever again.

To stand out from the crowd, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree take a few risks. Some pay off immensely, while others fall a bit flat. This is definitely one worth checking out if you're looking for a fast-paced combat system with a Shinto mythology-inspired story. However, if you're keen on experiencing the game in co-op, it's best to err on the side of caution.

No, I'm Not a Human is a psychological horror game that transforms paranoia into gameplay, where deciding who to trust becomes a matter of life and death. Its uncanny visuals, suffocating sound design, and ambiguous interactions are perfect for creating tension that any horror fan will love. While its save system and repetition can frustrate, the game’s paranoia lingers long after you stop playing.

Marisa of Liartop Mountain is an intriguing RPG that combines traditional elements of the genre, such as a leveling system and turn-based combat, with those of tabletop games. The game's intriguing story and premise of Reimu searching for Marisa keeps players engaged from chapter to chapter, and there's a strong sense of risk and freedom due to a dice-rolling mechanic and wealth of decisions to make. Despite the lack of voice acting for fan-favorite Touhou Project characters, the cozy narration and music make up for it.

Henry Halfhead is exactly the kind of indie project that deserves attention. It is imaginative, it is quirky, and it stands apart from the crowded puzzle genre. However, imagination alone cannot carry a full game. The game runs out of steam long before the credits roll. The repetition, the camera issues, and the lack of variety hold it back from being great. It is still worth playing if you enjoy quirky puzzle experiences. You will smile, laugh, and appreciate how creative this experience is. At the same time, though, if you’re like me, you will likely wish it had gone further. Half a head is enough to build a fun foundation, but not enough to deliver a lasting experience.

Lost Soul Aside is an action-adventure RPG that had a troubled development. That becomes obvious when you start playing. It's an upoptimized mess, with a story that actively annoyed me, and gameplay that got boring and repetitive. The game just takes from others in the genre that inspire it, with no idea how to make it work. The end result is a disappointing game I can't recommend to even the most curious of players.

Troleu will make you reconsider any life ambition of becoming a trolleybus conductor, as you deal with passengers in unconventional and comedic ways. But there's not enough replayability to keep your attention long-term.

Team Cherry not only delivers on its much-anticipated follow-up to Hollow Knight but exceeds all expectations by constructing one of the most complete and coherent video games I've played in years. Hollow Knight: Silksong is an absolute triumph.

LEGO Voyagers is a creative co-op adventure that is fun for all ages. The visuals and atmosphere are a real treat, and the gameplay has a lot to offer. A relatively short runtime leaves much to be desired, but this is still a good co-op game that is worth your time.

Giant Squid, make something different next time. I can only hope that the next game from this incredibly talented team will be something no one expects, as I do not think the team can top this formula after Sword of the Sea. This incredibly talented team has proven it can perfect a formula. Now show us what else you can do.

DRAGON BALL GEKISHIN SQUADRA is a fun and addictive free-to-play 4v4 team battle game that combines the rich history of Dragon Ball with MOBA elements. Players can take advantage of a respectable roster of characters from across the Dragon Ball universe to battle it out online, and there are also plenty of features that let friends play each other with a variety of options and features at their disposal. Despite some of the roster omissions at launch, there's a solid foundation for a game that could keep Dragon Ball fans entertained for years to come.

VARLET feels like a hollow, disappointing waste of time. While it has just a few redeeming qualities, such as the charming cast, this is not enough to save it. The narrative is boring, the combat system is dull and uninspired, and as a result, I honestly don’t think it’s worth spending your time on. I greatly appreciate the effort from FuRyu to make this a worldwide release, but I hope the company’s next game is of higher quality.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the definitive way to experience one of the best games in a series known for its excellence. Some technical issues can mar the overall package, but there is no denying how much work has gone into this remake.

Donkey Kong Bananza is an immaculate return to 3D for DK. Bananza offers creativity seen in very few games in our industry have achieved. Each Layer is expertly crafted, Donkey Kong is endlessly fun to control, and the narrative is surprisingly great. While the general lack of difficulty, especially with bosses, leaves a bit to be desired, Donkey Kong Bananza is one of my favorite Nintendo games of the last decade. Let's just hope this marks a new era of consistent Donkey Kong games.

Cronos: The New Dawn is filled to the brim with potential, that ultimately falls short in how it executes all of its concepts. While there is a great story foundation and some interesting mechanics, the lackluster conclusion to the narrative, combined with irritating combat, frequent glitches, poor pacing of traversal, and repetitive gameplay scenarios make for a product that fails to capture the quality of other entries in the genre.

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots offers an addictive gameplay loop with its simple three-button press system, which allows players of all skill levels to pick up and play. However, its lackluster graphics and course designs leave a lot to be desired.