Despite those deviations from the series that inspired Raptor Claw to develop this game, Fur Squadron Phoenix is an excellent spiritual successor for those who remember that Fox and Falco exist outside of the Super Smash Bros. games. Nintendo may not know what to do with the Star Fox franchise, but Fur Squadron Phoenix makes a great case that the genre can still flourish in 2026.

Because the breeding happens in between the game's fantastic runs, it's hard for me to come to a firm consensus on how I feel about Mewgenics. Its combat mechanics truly stand out, and in isolation, might make it one of my favorite games of the year. But even though those hours and hours of combat comprise almost all of my playtime, the odd, upsetting creative decisions stick with me. Despite Mewgenics' best attempts to kill my appetite, dozens and dozens of hours in, I'm still hungry for another run.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse is a brilliant modern adventure game, filled with mysteries, delightful characters, and gorgeous art. Truly, I never thought we'd see a second Paranormasight; its predecessor felt like a one-off flight-of-fancy for Square Enix, destined to be a fond oddity for genre aficionados. Now, I can only hope there's more in store.

Nioh 3 is a fantastic leap forward for Team Ninja’s generally great but increasingly stagnant take on Soulslikes. I had to stop myself from seeking out the next awesome hidden boss or from learning a cool new weapon to see credits to write this review, and the experience largely manages to maintain its excitement throughout its lengthy runtime. Nioh 3’s hardships are many, and failure is plentiful, but its thrills are bigger and more impressive than ever before.

High On Life 2 sets out to make you laugh, and it does a good job of it. It also sets out to bring you stylish, fast-paced combat with cool movement, and it does a good job of that, too. This is the kind of game that you can put on, laugh at for a while, and forget what's troubling you, even though reminders might slip in through the pointed social commentary. High On Life 2, despite being a battle against Big Pharma, is just what the doctor ordered.

Reanimal is a simple game with a challenging subject matter. Those looking for a fun co-op experience should look elsewhere, as it is neither great as a shared experience nor fun. But it is thought-provoking and stimulating, and if you can stomach combat suicide, animal harm, and more – all proxies for the effects of war on the people who wage it and the victims of that destruction – Tarsier has created something worth wrestling with.

Mario Tennis Fever is hardly a revolutionary entry, but it nails the series' most important element by offering a well-rounded experience with myriad ways for players of all skill levels to enjoy the game of tennis.

I was left wanting more from the love story incidentally promised by the protagonist’s names, but I was eager to keep playing to make Romeo stronger, see where I was going next, and learn more about the colorful cast of characters.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 continues the solid streak for Ryu Ga Gotoku and the series. The gripping narrative and fun combat deliver on what players enjoy. It doesn’t raise the bar in any way, but newcomers and returning fans will find it a thrill ride from start to epic finish.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined has just as much heart as its previous iterations, but is now also much more welcoming and modernized. The presentation is endearing, and the new gameplay mechanics, as well as the plethora of modifiers, will help new players navigate uncharted territory. Even if the challenge isn’t always there, those who’ve set sail on this adventure before will find plenty to love in this latest expedition.

Even with some minor missteps, Cairn is a stunning and surprising masterpiece. I’ve rarely encountered a game with such a slow overall pace that nonetheless kept me on the edge of my seat. Gameplay is buoyed by a subtle, emotionally powerful musical score and a uniquely textured art style that enhances both the game’s beauty and one’s ability to read its many pockmarked walls. When all its merits were added together, I was constantly drawn back to the climb to see the next vista. Cairn is challenging as a game and as a story; because, and not despite its many differences from other games you’ll play this year, it deserves your time and attention.

I want to say there’s something enjoyable, interesting even, buried beneath the flawed execution of Code Vein II, but that something is the corpse of other games in the genre this vampiric creation is feeding on for inspiration.

With many great games, I am eager to shout from the rooftops to get as many people as possible to play. I sincerely enjoy Mio, but I’d also be extremely hesitant to recommend its rigors to all but very experienced players, eager for platforming, bosses, and exploration that are often more chore than satisfaction. However, if that kind of thing sets your heart aflutter, Mio should be very high on your list of must-plays.

Death Howl is cohesive and well-crafted. The game's dour tone complements its surreal art style and soundtrack. Its myriad genres coalesce into consistently engaging combat and tactics. But most of all, across story and gameplay, Ro's journey taught me to embrace obstacles to overcome them. Having reached its end, it's a journey I'm glad to have taken.

Total Chaos is disgusting, bloody, and taxing, but it’s also sympathetic and cathartic. And despite its misgivings and missteps, it is fun, twisting together horrific perversions with tension-filled gameplay in the way every great survival horror game should. Poor voice acting and repetitive gameplay/monster design dampen what makes Total Chaos great. However, its inventive crafting-focused combat and stirring story cement Trigger Happy Interactive’s sophomore release as one that will surely haunt my thoughts long after this playthrough.

Terminator 2D: No Fate nails the feeling of a game that should have existed in the early ‘90s to coincide with the release of the film. It’s the kind of game that, had it released at that time, would have likely been revered as a great adaptation to this day. In 2025, it is still a strong retro adaptation of a beloved film, but it is not without some design annoyances that we’ve moved beyond.

I’m not totally sold on the melding of universes that Renegades aims for, but I think the expansion as a whole offers many hours of satisfying exploration, build-crafting, and new rewards to discover. This isn’t the fundamental reinvention of Destiny that many fans seem eager for, but as a creative twist on expectation, it offers plenty of good times.

Routine is a survival-horror game in the lightest of senses. There are robots and creatures to run/hide from occasionally, and you have little in your arsenal to fight back, but that genre tag is a misnomer – this is a puzzle experience drenched in tension and terror. With your CAT tool and the wits you’d hope appear if you, yourself, were placed in this terrible situation, a seductive Pandora’s box of escape rooms awaits you.

As Skate Story’s credits rolled, I wasn’t totally sure what to make of it. Despite its imperfections, I knew I liked it, but I struggled to articulate why. I won’t pretend that every metaphor or symbol resonated with me or even made sense. It’s a deeply poetic journey, and the way to enjoy any good poem is to focus more on how it made me feel rather than any literal interpretation. In that sense, I’ll fondly remember the awe I felt admiring this imaginatively conceived underworld, the adrenaline rush of barreling through courses as a shining beacon of defiance and perseverance, and the thrill of hitting stunts so sick that entire celestial bodies shatter at my awesomeness.

Demonschool is infectious. The tactical clicks as I fired off a masterful turn that wipes out swathes of demonic creatures kept me coming back, day after day, week after week. Each new character pushed me in new directions, opening new horizons, while also luring me into new bonds and relationships. Though it takes a while to get going and falls a bit short in its side activities, Demonschool still manages to be a haunted PS1 disc of tactical joy.

Octopath Traveler 0 is a slightly different approach to the series, especially since it’s made up of readjusted elements from the Champions of the Continent mobile game. Despite the inflated cast, the main characters are likable, and smart changes to the core battle system and the town-building aspect differentiate Octopath Traveler 0 from its predecessors. It's got a solid story and combat that puts a captivating twist on the classic turn-based formula. With a staggering amount of content, Octopath Traveler 0 will keep you entertained for dozens of hours.

My annoyances with Beyond are vastly overshadowed by a pristine, rock-solid science-fiction exploration experience. Discovering all Viewros has to offer is incredibly rewarding and delivers an unmatched sense of alien ambiance. The wait for a new Metroid Prime has been long, but it only takes a few minutes in Beyond to remember why we have been so eager to re-enter this universe for the past 18 years.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion follows in the footsteps of Shredder’s Revenge by offering a smartly modernized take on the arcade games of yesteryear. It’s not the deepest package, nor does it completely shatter this genre’s reliable mold, but anyone bearing a nostalgia for the Marvel arcade brawlers of old will have a great time smacking around villains as Earth’s – and the galaxy’s – mightiest heroes.

Kirby Air Riders is an inflexible experience, forcing the player to learn its mechanics and engage with all its modes to get the most out of it, and it's a better game for it. Its gameplay is simple to learn but hard to master, and with such a variety of machines and modes, there are a lot of different definitions of what that mastery looks like. It's a game with a strong, unique identity that likely won't unseat your favorite racing game, but it isn't trying to. Kirby Air Riders is a star shining for no one but itself, and I can't help but respect it for that.

Despite its shortcomings and the campaign’s lack of variety, Black Ops 7 is a solid entry solely for establishing new ways to play while making Call of Duty the social space it used to be. Treyarch and Activision’s commitment to additional modes continues to cannibalize their storyboards, and while it remains to be seen if their open stance on skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) is merely a PR tactic, they’re still capable of producing absorbing multiplayer and Zombies experiences that improve with every round. Black Ops 7 may not be the sequel some wanted this year, but in the most BO4 way possible, it emulates individualism to set a new bar that’s worth surpassing.

Both the dialogue and gameplay of Marvel's Deadpool VR sometimes grated on me, but there are a number of impressive moments and the occasional strong joke that surprised me and made me laugh.

Perhaps Age of Imprisonment’s best trick, however, is how it makes me feel like I’m back in the world of Tears of the Kingdom. The art direction, menu elements, music, sound effects, and more all make me feel like I am back in 2023 getting lost in one of my favorite games of the last decade. Imprisonment’s gameplay is very different, and not nearly as engaging or consistently novel, but I eagerly pulled the warm blanket around me while executing Zelda’s ultimate attack for the hundredth time.

Dispatch isn’t a triumph of mechanical innovation. It doesn’t reinvent the narrative adventure game, but it doesn’t pretend to. On the other hand, it delivers one of the most compelling interactive dramas in years, an adult animated superhero story with the emotional punch of prestige television and a script that truly shines. I didn’t want to stop playing just because I needed to know what happened next; I kept playing because I cared who it was happening to.