Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2‘s solo quests, hub world, and robust split-screen options make it a significant improvement over its predecessor.

With charm, style, and large worlds to explore, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime offers both a great local co-op and single player shoot em up experience.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series - Episode 1 is a triumphant return for Telltale Games, as it delivers one of the studio's strongest single episodes alongside vastly improved mechanics and an intense introduction to The Expanse universe. The Expanse does an excellent job of engrossing fans new and old in both its source material and Telltale's trademark storytelling. While the impact of players' decisions in The Expanse has yet to be fully revealed, Episode 1 presents players with a greater sense of agency than ever before. By delivering a strong kick-off to Camina Drummer's origin story, and compelling evidence for the studio's return, The Expanse: A Telltale Series is shaping up to be one of Telltale's best experiences yet.

At the same time, however, there is no big reason not to get Metro on Switch. It holds up fine, looks good enough even when being displayed on a TV, and is perfectly playable on a controller. If the Switch is someone's main console, Metro Redux is a phenomenal bundle that suffers negligible drawbacks from its port.

Halo Infinite is inevitably going to see a ton of play thanks to its day one inclusion on Game Pass and the campaign is well-positioned to impress. There are plenty of mechanical, enemy, weapon, and story throwbacks for longtime fans to smirk at and the game is approachable, exciting, and endearing enough to potentially win over a whole new generation of Halo fans.

The game is not perfect, and some may find the odd all-or-nothing decision regarding forces to recruit jarring, or the locations within the world itself a little too devoid of scope to be a truly immersive experience. However, it’s in the large concepts, and in its gentle manipulation of the player’s trained responses, that Tyranny finds its purpose. A must-have for fans of the genre, and a worthwhile title for those after a truly different experience.

It probably won’t appeal to those who have a hunkering for a more action-oriented experience. But for a relaxing evening on the couch, without much thinking required, the adventure title definitely delivers. It’s simply a beautiful game, both in terms of graphics and the story that it tells, and will leave players with a pleasant sense of wonder, curiosity, and vague nostalgia.

The finished product is an absolute gem that only helps to highlight one of the major benefits of the platform by allowing for stop-and-drop multiplayer at a moment’s notice. Indeed, this downloadable game is well worth the paper.

Without a doubt, Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection offers the strongest selection of AC games on the Switch so far. The titles are more engaging, the Switch port works wonderfully, and the overall package has dozens of hours of content, all for just $39.99.

Even in a post-Astro Bot world, Sonic X Shadow Generations serves as an epic reminder of how untouchable both Sonic and Sega can be when they're firing on all cylinders, and its treasure trove of content and top-notch presentation make it an easy recommendation, regardless of it not being a blemish-free experience.

MLB The Show 24 is one of the strongest entries SDS has put out in this console generation. Storylines and Road To The Show's updates rejuvenate the franchise's single-player offerings, giving players a reason to come back each day and get a few swings in. Diamond Dynasty's changes are also a step in the right direction, though it will take time to see if SDS' new format works in the long run. While The Show is well overdue for a more substantial facelift, its rewarding gameplay makes that shortcoming an afterthought. When all's said and done, MLB The Show 24 is undoubtedly one of the series' best, and a great sign for the future.

Pacing is a problem, but the experience can be a memorable one if you buy into Night School Studio’s concept.

Teardown is a wonderful game when it’s utilizing its strengths. Tuxedo Labs created a technical marvel of a game reminiscent of Red Faction: Guerrilla where destruction is its bread and butter and deserves endless praise on that front. Nothing’s quite as refreshing as throwing explosives at a building where it’s weakest and watching it tragically crash to the ground or explode into glorious pieces. All the surrounding elements, however, from the stunted variety and diminishing returns of the heists to the lackluster campaign, work against Teardown to create an uneven seesaw that soars during its highs but underwhelms as it slowly descends from its great heights.

Sharing too much about Wanderstop’s narrative would be doing it a disservice, but it contained more surprises than expected in a game that seemed from the start to be on the more simplistic side. This isn't a title for everyone, but it's impossible not to recommend it to everyone. A dozen hours is a small price to pay for a little sanity and quiet, and even those who prefer more active and demanding titles can take something valuable from spending time in this little tea shop. Sometimes, grinding isn't the answer.

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Sword and Shield excel at introducing new elements like better Pokemon Storage while retaining the series' core. Everything a Pokemon player can need or want is there. Whether it's playing competitively, playing the story, playing with friends, spending time with Pokemon friends, hunting shinies, or playing the raid battles, Sword or Shield offers a core Pokemon experience, not much more and certainly nothing less.

Overall, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is off to a solid start. Fans of the series will definitely have plenty to enjoy here – and emotionally suffer through – and players who found the game to be too clunky and slow previously may appreciate this entry more.

Hypercharge: Unboxed doesn't revolutionize the shooter market or offer anything new, but what it does provide is a highly polished, chaotic, and lovingly crafted experience for players who have an itch for retro games and addictive combat loops. There's certainly an argument to be made that this version is coming a little too late into its life cycle, but if Hypercharge: Unboxed can find a consistent and renewed audience with this long-awaited release on Xbox consoles, then perhaps the future is indeed bright for this zany, old school shooter.

Expeditions: Rome feels more like a mod with Roman themes than a fully fleshed-out game. From the customization to the design, there are many details that feel unfinished or lack the depth expected of games in the strategy genre. Still, there is fun to be had if players are willing to focus exclusively on the tactics and strategy. Those looking for more of the same coming off Expeditions: Viking will be satisfied enough, even if this new title doesn't feature any major innovations.

For those who count Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 and SWAT 4 among some of the best tactical shooters around, playing Ready or Not feels like riding a bike. Even with the adjustment of going from PC to console, Ready or Not still shoots to the top of the list of tactical shooters available on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, because there's simply not much else on the market like it.

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Sword and Shield excel at introducing new elements like better Pokemon Storage while retaining the series' core. Everything a Pokemon player can need or want is there. Whether it's playing competitively, playing the story, playing with friends, spending time with Pokemon friends, hunting shinies, or playing the raid battles, Sword or Shield offers a core Pokemon experience, not much more and certainly nothing less.

Metro Exodus‘s gorgeous visuals are somewhat undermined by the NPC clipping issues and texture pop-in, and one has to wonder if those issues would have been ironed out had the game spent some more time in the oven. But even though its technical issues, lack of genuine horror, and bland cast make it fall short of its predecessors, Metro Exodus is still a decent mix of the franchise’s traditional stealth/shooter gameplay and a semi-open world environment.

Atelier Yumia is a strong entry in the beloved JRPG franchise. Despite a few growing pains, it adopts the cozy and niche franchise into something more digestible for a wider audience thanks to a well-executed open-world format, modern takes on iconic features, and an engaging, untraditional story.

Doom Eternal is an excellent first-person shooter. From the very first fast-paced mission, it never lets up. Developer id Software manages to create a game that feels like a blast from the past while also bringing the genre forward.

Octopath Traveler 0 is a game I'm glad I spent time with, even if it made me sigh as often as it made me lean forward. It delivers some of the series' most memorable moments, both in how it tells its story and in how it lets you build a small corner of its world through Wishvale. At the same time, its constant cutscenes, uneven rewards, and reliance on the illusion of choice keep it from reaching the heights it seems so close to touching. For every moment I was absorbed by its atmosphere or impressed by its combat, there was another where I felt the game tug me back into a pace that wasn't my own. Even so, there is a sincerity to this entry that stuck with me. It might not be the total reinvention some fans hoped for, but it still carries the heart of the series, and that was enough to make the journey worthwhile.

Ultimately, Remnant 2 still hits more than it misses. This mish-mashing of two wildly different styles of games still largely succeeds despite not being an entirely clean fusion, and best of all, Gunfire Games has expanded the foundation laid by the first game into something that is truly unique and interesting. Remnant 2 is still rough around the edges, but its interesting worlds, incredible procedural generation system, and variety of playstyles do enough to hold up a game that might not always feel as refined or intuitive as the inspirations it draws from.

As a baseball simulator, MLB 15: The Show delivers on almost every front, and it would be unfair to penalize the game for being too good, for too long. However, a good review score doesn’t necessarily mean that the latest edition is worth $60, especially to players who bought last year’s version.

Crash Bandicoot‘s original trilogy appears to have stood the test of time better than most, and it’s great to see that Vicarious Visions didn’t fix what already wasn’t broken.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends Heroes of Skyrim is an enjoyable expansion that will sate fans of the game until the next set releases and provide some memorable, lore-infused moments along the way, but it does little to attract a new player who wasn’t already interested to check the game out.

Lingering issues aside, The Jackbox Party Pack 5 provides some great Party Pack games, with Split the Room, Mad Verse City, and Patently Stupid standing out as especially entertaining.

Ultimately, this is one of the most refined entries in the series as a whole, and everything old seems new again.

Despite it never really standing out from the crowd, Inkbound does a decent job of creating a fight, die, and repeat cycle that is equal parts entertaining and challenging. Running the gauntlets of the various books with friends or strangers is an undoubtedly fun experience, and since unlockables can be earned in-game, it will perhaps drive a lot of players to keep at the grind a bit longer than they normally would. Those looking for something familiar but with a new twist should keep their eyes on Inkbound, and be ready to dive into the books and write their own adventures.

NEO: The World Ends With You gives players a tremendous soundtrack and a ton of content, and once the combat clicks, it's a genuinely good time. However, that comes with the caveat that players have to invest roughly 10 hours before the game really starts to be fun, and then they still have to deal with its repetitiveness. So as long as fans can put up with those issues, they will get a lot of game time out of NEO: The World Ends With You.

The presentation is top notch, in that it doesn’t tamper with the visuals one bit, and the new additions offer replayability that isn’t simply taking on Dr. Robotnik for the 20th time.

Much like the game shows it's based off, Fall Guys isn't meant to be taken seriously, and there are few multiplayer experiences out there that so wholeheartedly put approachable, inclusive fun at the forefront.

Gravity Rush 2‘s post-launch support and top notch visual presentation combined with its engaging combat and engrossing story ensure fans of the original or Gravity Rush Remastered will find plenty to love about the sequel. It’s held back by poorly designed stealth missions that serve little purpose other than keeping players away from the better parts of the game and a wonky camera that can be downright disorienting at times, but otherwise Gravity Rush 2 is bigger and better than the first game.

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Sword and Shield excel at introducing new elements like better Pokemon Storage while retaining the series' core. Everything a Pokemon player can need or want is there. Whether it's playing competitively, playing the story, playing with friends, spending time with Pokemon friends, hunting shinies, or playing the raid battles, Sword or Shield offers a core Pokemon experience, not much more and certainly nothing less.

Single-player shortcomings aside, Fatal Fury: The City of the Wolves is a fantastic experience. It may lack the full-motion cutscenes, cosmetics, and flashy game modes of its contemporaries, but it more than makes up for this with its strong fundamentals. SNK has done a great job bringing this long-dormant franchise into the modern age, and one can only hope that subsequent sequels continue to hone City of the Wolves' unambiguous strengths.

Despite the generic plot, Fantasian is a completely serviceable JRPG that checks all the boxes, plays with some interesting new ideas, and has a gorgeous diorama world for players to explore. It doesn't feel like the proper last big hoorah for legendary game developer Hironobu Sakaguchi or composer Nobuo Uematsu (who does a tremendous job with the soundtrack), but it's still a decent, familiar JRPG experience and one of the more interesting games currently available on Apple Arcade.

For fans of the classic series, or newcomers looking for a quality introduction into the older games, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a great way to experience the series. Then, of course, there are the hours and hours of content across all games in the collection to consider. It isn't perfect, but players can easily get lost in the same stories and endless combat that Square Enix first introduced with the original launch on NES.

From the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection, players can expect plenty of content at a fantastic price.

Planet of Lana is a rare game. It's a clean, tight experience, that manages to tell a charming, if simple, story in its short runtime. The hand-drawn illustrations are truly works of great talent, bringing a gorgeous, nearly surreal ambiance to the design. Its puzzles and platforming may not be a lot to write home about, but there are a few diamonds in the rough that make the gameplay worthwhile. If anyone has even a passing interest in the puzzle-platform genre or simply wants to appreciate some art, they should play this game. Plus, since Planet of Lana is available on Game Pass, there's little reason not to check it out.

Dungeons of Hinterberg does a lot of things right. It features a story that shows the protagonist growing within themselves, albeit slowly, and embraces its casual atmosphere with wide-open arms. Players that enjoy that slower side of gaming will find some interesting moments while exploring and playing through the story. The rest will have to find something buried in the game's combat to keep their interest, though that may prove too difficult. Still, those players looking for something easy that never moves too fast and ambles on at a comfortable pace will enjoy Dungeons of Hinterberg for the qualities it fully embraces.

At the end of the day, Diablo 2: Resurrected certainly feels like a game that is designed with veteran and nostalgic players in mind and it truly nails the experience in that sense. Whether it’s going to be able to build a new audience with first-time players is a much tougher question, but the old school experience may have more to offer modern gamers than it appears at first glance. Diablo 2: Resurrected fills a very unique spot in the franchise’s offerings by allowing players to continue returning to D3 (and someday Diablo 4 for a modern experience), but also now having a visually modern option when they want a bit more baseline difficulty and a classic experience.

This is the sort of game that seems destined to go down as a cult classic, but should really be enjoyed by anyone with a 3DS system. It’s a true triumph of gameplay over spectacle, and a hugely engaging experience from start to finish.

Knockout City is a genre-defying take on the team-based multiplayer game, where players are not just teammates, but also tools and assets for one another. And although Knockout City struggles to find an identity, the game's ability to excel in accessibility while holding a high skill-ceiling makes it easy to pick up and even easier to keep playing.

Taking a fairy tale about a witch and turning it into a video game could have easily been a cheesy turn, with a cliché spooky forest that is dark, without a lot of detail, full of owls, and a cackling hag witch. However, The Parasight took this story and added its own elements that give some context to a classic tale and give it a rebirth. The ending was a little bit predictable, but the adventure of young Yaga added something new for fans and those new to the Baba Yaga lore. Dark, entertaining, original, and bewitching - Blacktail is a solid choice that plays on the same level as some of the best RPG games.

Indika hits incredibly high levels of zaniness and suspense and mixes the two so well that it creates a sought-after experience. Players will want to keep playing just to know how it ends, and most storytellers would love to hear that is their listeners' motivation. The game dips its toes in both the surreal and real in equal measure, and winds up being an enjoyable tale even through the most boring walking simulator-like parts. Odd Meter is doing interactive story-telling right, and Indika is a tale that will delight many and have them questioning everything.

The lack of worthwhile unlockable content is one of the biggest downsides in Mario Party Superstars, but those who are only interested in using it as a party game likely won't be all that disappointed. Mario Party Superstars has fun online multiplayer functionality and makes a number of important quality of life improvements when compared to its predecessor, and so it's still a big step in the right direction for the franchise, despite some of its shortcomings.

Despite some noncommittal moments and sustained writing struggles, Life is Strange Episode 3‘s earnest and abundant heart keep it moving forward with plenty of promise.

The Division delivers on its promise to provide an open-world shooter that scales well enough to play like a single-player campaign or a challenging four player co-op MMO.

In many categories, Arise: A Simple Story is a step above many other games, and is one of the best indie games of the year, for sure. The local co-op experience being dull for the second player is an admittedly big flaw, but those that are able to overlook it will find a memorable co-op game that they won't regret experiencing.

Fast Fusion is available at a budget price of $14.99. Compared to some other Switch 2 games, it's super cheap, and it definitely gives players their money's worth, even with the lack of proper online multiplayer and misguided progression. Racing game fans that need something a little different from Mario Kart World should consider giving Fast Fusion a look. As long as they are aware of its shortcomings, they should still walk away satisfied with the overall package. Plus, Fast Fusion has new content on the horizon that should make it even more worthwhile.

What makes The Fall of Avalon worth playing isn't just its reverence for classic RPGs, but how it reinterprets their ideas through a much darker lens. Questline's take on Arthurian myth is an intense and mature narrative, pulling players through a crumbling world where every choice feels like it might be the wrong one. There are lessons here, but more than anything, there's a story that feels like it was made for players who still crave consequence, immersion, and discovery in their RPGs. And while it might stumble in execution at times, it rarely loses sight of what it's trying to be.

Gravity Rush Remastered brings one of the PS Vita’s most significant exclusives to the TV screen, and it is by far the best way to experience the game.

Overall, Essays on Empathy is a great look into the lives of different characters and how they fit into the world around them. It may not be the most graphically or mechanically advanced, but that didn’t seem to be the goal of the games anyways. Essays on Empathy gives players a chance to step into the shoes of people different from them and understand them a bit better than before. While some players may struggle with certain subjects tackled in each game, the topics addressed are part of a bigger conversation worth having.

Darkwood‘s story is twisted and full of weird characters and unnerving moments. The ultra-tough gameplay is likely to turn quite a few people off and it can be tedious, but those that stick with Darkwood will be rewarded with a memorable survival-horror game that will linger with them long after they’ve conquered its nightmares.

First Berserker: Khazan isn't exactly overflowing with originality, but it offers an exciting, rewarding Soulslike experience with weighty combat and challenging bosses. Fans of the genre shouldn't hesitate to pick it up, but those turned off by the high difficulty in Soulslikes hoping that Easy mode would be their way in may want to try the demo first.

With an improved Nazi Zombies mode, the best Call of Duty multiplayer in years, and a passable campaign, Call of Duty: WW2 feels like a return to form for the franchise after some lackluster entries.

While the new traits and aspirations still read like a tutorial for the expansion, it’s clear that a lot of thought and effort went into the conception of Snowy Escape. The Sims needed to come back stronger than ever after its last controversy, and Snowy Escape did just that and more. Players’ enchantment with Mt. Komorebi is sure to stick around like the snow on the mountaintop thanks to the endless possibilities the world provides.

While Keeper's last 45 minutes finally offered the energy and creativity you expect from a modern Double Fine project, the 3 hours preceding it are sorely lacking those distinctive, integral elements. Keeper is a truly beautiful game where almost any and every frame can be a painting, but it's one that's best enjoyed when the controller is in someone else's hands.

With its high production values, impressive on-screen talent, and an engaging story told in a truly spectacular way, Telling Lies is a truly unique and compelling experience. Whether one prefers to absorb their stories through video games or film, Telling Lies is a must-play for fans of storytelling in any form.

The Magic Circle addresses the monster we’ve built as a gaming community, acknowledging that the medium is still in bumpy, rebellious, grumpy adolescence, and while we may come out of it and accept maturity at some point, all of us have some thinking to do before we get there...It’s harsh. It’s heavy-handed. But it might also be necessary.

When the game's story, setting, puzzles, exploration, and combat all come together; they add up to something truly special. This is a must-play Star Wars experience that is likely to become a game of the year contender not just for fans of the franchise, but for anyone who loves a unique and challenging action-adventure title.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is an ideal opportunity for gamers who may have missed the original release, but it’s also worth another playthrough for those who enjoyed the 2013 version. While the game developed by Starbreeze remains a classic and has aged decently well, Avantgarden’s remake improves upon it in nearly every way to bring the delightful, sometimes emotional odyssey to modern platforms.

Minor issues of pacing and controls aside, V Rising on PS5 is a more than worthy port. Its expressive customization options, unfolding combat mechanics, and flexible build crafting have made it a must-own for PC players, and now the same can be said for PlayStation players. If you're a fan of survival games, action-RPGs, and Gothic horror, you can't do much better than V Rising.

Although the game’s influences are clear, this is not a simple homage to earlier games, instead acting as an incredibly well-crafted horror adventure. The Brotherhood has delivered on its promise of a nuanced and terrifying horror title, and one that is bound to give plenty of chills.

A great follow-up to The Stick of Truth, and a game that fans of the TV show are bound to appreciate. It may have been a long time coming, but The Fractured but Whole is certainly worth the wait, particularly for those who want to have a bit of light-hearted fun with their RPG gameplay.

It comes quietly – the new features are nice additions to the gameplay, but this flavor pack doesn’t dramatically change how players will interact with Cities: Skylines.

WWE 2K26 lives in the long shadow cast by the improvements seen in WWE 2K22 throughout WWE 2K25. It even makes its own improvements to the tried-and-true formula, but it ends up disappointing far more than its predecessors. The in-ring action still hits hard, and most modes deliver the experience fans have come to expect, offering just enough variety to keep the hours ticking by. There’s fun here, but it's undermined by a lack of creative ambition. Creativity within its offerings is what elevates a good wrestling game into a memorable one, but WWE 2K26 often feels trapped in a creative plateau.

From start to finish, Yoshi’s Crafted World is a solid platformer, and it’s a worthy addition to anyone’s Switch collection.

The core gameplay of Shovel Knight Dig is solid, and the level design is a lot of fun, but the lack of build options, unfair-feeling deaths, and bothersome bugs hold it back. Perhaps with a few improvements to Shovel Knight Dig it can stand shoulder to shoulder with its predecessors. Ultimately, however, it's not quite there yet.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of a 2006 game so players going into the game with that in mind will likely be happy with what's on offer. But those expecting a truly modernized version of this flagship Xbox game might be disappointed, especially if they're PlayStation newcomers who have been told for two decades that they're missing out on one of gaming's best experiences.

There’s a wonderfulness surrounding all of this that makes dealing with the cracks in the original’s formulaic foundation a lot more bearable. While the jury is still out on whether or not the competitive scene will embrace Pokken this time around, the team at Namco Bandai can rest easy knowing that they’ve grown the game and left fans much better off as a result.

A mostly bland story and a lack of additional playable characters are the major faults with Dynasty Warriors: Origins. It is the most polished, mechanically rewarding, and technically impressive game in the series so far, and an easy pickup for fans of the franchise, provided they're open to new ideas like the parry system and original, single lead. And if you've never been into Dynasty Warriors in the past, it's worth taking the leap with Dynasty Warriors: Origins—you might just learn what all the fuss is about.

Make no mistake, this is more of an interactive movie than a “game,” but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth experiencing.

Many fans have been waiting for a Pokemon Snap sequel since their childhood, and while it may not exactly be what they imagined, it's a solid experience and highlights what has been sorely been missed in the franchise. New Pokemon Snap is a worthwhile sequel, a relaxing journey through the Pokemon world, and fun to play in the comfort of one's home or on the go.

Pokemon Let’s Go botches co-op and may feel like a step backwards in some ways, but in others, it is a surprising leap forward for the franchise. By streamlining many elements that made past Pokemon games frustrating, Pokemon Let’s Go successfully delivers a faster-paced Pokemon adventure, even though it has some missteps here and there.

There's nothing wrong with Routine from a technical standpoint, and its story, visuals, and audio are all top-tier. The problem is that the gameplay is such a slog that it makes it hard to appreciate what it does so well. It can be flat-out boring a lot of the time, and the scares simply aren't there to make up for its lack of engaging gameplay.

While Rift of the NecroDancer misses a few beats, such as hiding some features behind menus, it still innovates and impresses in many ways. On its own, it's an enjoyable experience with a gameplay loop that's addicting even when it frustrates. Rift of the NecroDancer still knows how to stand out as a rhythm game for all the right reasons and is an easy recommendation for anyone wanting to take on its challenges.

For Honor is great fun, but like any fighting game, it’ll only reach its true potential if players stick around for the long haul. It takes time for experts to develop high-level strategies, and for that knowledge to trickle down to the rest of the community, and as such it’ll be a few months before it’s clear whether or not the game can stand among the current titans of the genre.

Even if there are a few rough spots, Afterimage is a magical Metroidvania that shines. Most of the issues require a little patching but the core remains engaging. The combat works because the enemy variety compliments Renee's moves, and overcoming previously difficult bosses is intensely satisfying. Platforming has a few quirks, but using enemies as impromptu platforms to find secrets or barely making a jump is exhilarating. Even the story, which doesn't start out with alot to set it apart, blossoms thanks to a spectacular world and interesting themes. This title is an absolute gem for Metroidvania fans.

Truthfully, Assassin's Creed Shadows does play it a bit safe and formulaic with its open world. But when the formula is as good as it is in this iteration of the Assassin's Creed franchise, it's hardly a knock against it. After spending about 40 hours traveling around Sengoku-era Japan as both a stealthy shinobi and a powerful samurai, there was still had plenty of untouched side content left to tackle and several endgame quests that demanded both of my heroes to be at levels far beyond their current power.

Despite the limited content and somewhat fiddly controls, the game feels great to play. It's endlessly satisfying to turn a neglected garbage heap back into a happy home. The sandbox mode in House Flipper 2 offers lots of creative opportunities and the ability to share with fellow flippers is a big bonus, and will hopefully help the game build an ongoing community. Fingers crossed that more content comes down the road to provide players with even more possibilities.

In the end, Dying Light: The Beast proves that Techland still knows how to craft a memorable zombie apocalypse, with visceral parkour and survival thrills to boot. Its linear revenge story is taken to greater heights by side quests that bring out Crane's humanity, its open world is breathtaking despite some repetitive activities, and Beast Mode adds a ferocity that keeps combat feeling fresh and intense. With stable performance and plenty of memorable moments, it may not reinvent the franchise, but it stands as one of its most polished and engaging Dying Light games yet.

Stoic’s tactical RPG The Banner Saga makes its way to consoles, and still manages to deliver a fantastic, captivating story alongside a fun and challenging battle system.

In the end, the quality of life improvements from the emulation and the enhancements make the collection a brilliant way to play some classic TMNT titles on modern consoles. Nothing has been "ruined" by being overly tweaked for the sake of modernizing, and the emulation only improves the games to make them more manageable. Combine this with the Cowabunga Collection's local and online co-op, and there has never been a better time to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gaming fan.

The more focus a player can give to Metal: Hellsinger, the more it shines. When it all clicks, a flow builds that can only be achieved by this style of rhythmic combat. It takes some powerful music and grafts it onto the iconic Doom formula. The result is that the player feels like they are in the middle of a perfectly choreographed movie or trailer. It's certainly challenging, especially on higher difficulties, but if players can think of it as less a shooter and more a rhythm game, it really opens up. Lack of enemy variety and short gameplay aside, what's on offer here is a hugely fun rip through Hell that feels great to play and sounds like something torn straight out of a nightmare - in a good way.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an easy recommendation to fans of the platforming genre or anyone looking for a co-op game to play on their new PS5 console. While it would be nice to see a proper LittleBigPlanet 4 come to Sony's next-generation system, hopefully, fans can look forward to future Sackboy platforming adventures as well.

Its story may not have as much of an impact as franchise fans are used to, but Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is still an entertaining pirate adventure. I would love to see Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio explore the concept in a larger-scale game because Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii shows that there is a ton of potential for a Like a Dragon game that fully embraces the pirating life.

Call of Duty: Warzone is a top tier battle royale game and its early player numbers are reflective of that. As long as Infinity Ward is able to keep the game updated in terms of bug fixes and new content, it's hard to see why it won't remain one of the top battle royale games for months if not years to come.

Returning to this pivotal Atlus JRPG well over a decade after its original release, Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster has never been more accessible. Nocturne is unabashedly old-school, in both good ways and not-so-great ways. The gameplay adjustments and options allow for decent customization of the experience, but some of the omissions in this re-release are pretty glaring. It's not perfect, but so long as players can adjust to its rustic edges, there is a fantastic old-school JRPG in Nocturne's remaster full of quality of life changes that make it worth playing in 2021.

Nobody Saves the World could have been exceptional, but there are certain aspects that are lacking. The expected Drinkbox Studios humor isn’t pervasive enough to keep people playing to see what’s next, the story is negligible and seems like something tossed in to give players a half-hearted sense of purpose, and the repetitiveness of quests gets tiresome very quickly. The positives of the game – the appealing art style, variety of skills and dungeons, and perhaps multiplayer — might not be enough to keep players interested either. That being said, the gameplay and presentation of Nobody Saves the World will undoubtedly win over many people, and it may capture the attention of others for a solid chunk of time.

Ultros is another surprisingly great 2024 Metroidvania, and an incredibly impressive first outing for developer Hadoque. While its combat may leave a little to be desired, and some of its major gameplay decisions might be a tad off-putting initially, Ultros is a gorgeous game that should keep players well and truly engaged for its entire runtime.

The Quarry is predominantly a successful offering from Supermassive, with a satisfying amount of scares paired with recurring weak points from previous titles that slightly mar the experience. The positives far outweigh the negatives, however, and the game will no doubt please fans of the genre with its fun though not entirely innovative story. The Quarry fully delivers on its promise of a campy horror experience and is one of the best titles from the developer since Until Dawn.

FIFA 20 certainly has a wide variety of changes to it, but much like MLS expansion team FC Cincinnati, these changes are in need of some more development time and polish - though the product on the pitch is still a real joy to watch.

Even with a few minor gripes against it, Elden Ring Nightreign never stops being fun, whether it's your first Expedition or your hundredth. For fans of roguelikes and FromSoftware games, Elden Ring Nightreign's gameplay feels like a match made in heaven, and FromSoftware deserves praise for its skillful pivot of the award-winning Elden Ring formula into a whole new subgenre that is bound to become one of 2025's most-played games.

Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online for PS5 and Xbox Series X are still phenomenal games that one could easily sink hundreds of hours into, but there's no getting around that they are fundamentally the same experiences as before, only with better graphics and performance. Someone that hasn't played GTA 5 or GTA Online in a long time will get more mileage out of this new version, but those that have played both regularly since launch may be better off waiting for the eventual Grand Theft Auto 6.

In the end, players will leave with two things: some great music recommendations and the craving to play Life is Strange: True Colors once again, especially if they wooed Steph while in the shoes of Alex Chen, if nothing else but to see her finally get the wholesome romance she deserves. Overall, it's only a short piece of Steph's life, to connect the dots between Before the Storm and Alex's story in True Colors, but it adds some context to her grounded attitude towards trauma and the decision she eventually makes to leave Haven Springs. Steph feels a bit out of place as a lesbian in a rural town, and she still desires the thrilling life of an indie band. Wavelengths provides the middle to Before the Storm's beginning and True Colors' end of the Steph Gingrich saga.