During the 20+ hours that can be plugged into Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle campaign, fans will be exposed to a funny and visually engaging world worth exploring that features some genuinely challenging portions of combat. Reoccurring enemies may weigh down an otherwise varied universe, but the end result of this partnership between Ubisoft and Nintendo is a wonderful, tactics-heavy venture that Switch owners won’t want to let pass them by.

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.

The updated graphics may not feel truly current-gen to Xbox One and PS4 players, but the quality and originality of the game’s mechanics and setting are still a step above the competition.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an easily lovable game, and fans of the DBZ franchise would do well to check it out to experience the epic saga once again, just this time in all new light.

Drinkbox Studios’ Severed is a touch-based, action RPG with an interesting premise, incredible visuals, and fun gameplay that simply overstays its welcome a little.

Weaving a grand narrative clearly wasn't the developer's goal, but crafting a fun, pleasing, and hugely explorable world was. And in that regard, Splashteam nailed it. Minor complaints aside, Tinykin is a bright and accessible game with some slick mechanics that allow the player to focus on what they came for: getting a tiny spaceman lost in a big, beautiful world.

The Talos Principle is a fun puzzle game that also makes some strong philosophical points. The puzzles can sometimes be frustrating and the heavy amount of text to read in the files can bog down the pace, but it’s still a memorable adventure that players will undoubtedly want to discuss and dissect with their friends.

No More Heroes 3 may be repetitive at times and doesn't have quite the best bosses in the series history, but players new and old will have an enjoyable time with the game. It's a wonderfully vivid and colorful game that only shows how wild Suda51 really is.

Yooka-Laylee is built on a foundation of tried-and-tested gameplay, and it’s packed with content, considering it’s priced at $40 rather than $60. Anyone that’s eager to revisit the 3D platformer genre will be well served by this game. However, those that don’t enjoy a sense of nostalgia for jump-and-runs of days gone by might not find much to enjoy among its rough edges and throwback atmosphere.

Developer Bureau 81’s ability to file The Operator down to its best components and focus solely on what works is its biggest asset. It’s not a bloated campaign with an equal balance of tacky and tactful puzzles. Instead, it’s a taut collection of cases that work in tandem to create a gripping adventure that encourages savvy problem-solving. It’s all cushy desk work, but The Operator makes examining phone records and enhancing grainy security camera footage just as exciting as tiptoeing through an enemy base with a silenced pistol.

Despite not having any similarities with Armature's previous games, such as ReCore and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, Where the Heart Leads checks all the boxes for a great narrative-based game. Its story is deep and interesting, and players should expect an uplifting yet gut-wrenching experience.

Fortified may not be a sprawling, epic experience — but it’s a well-made game with mechanics that stand up to extended play. With great art design to boot, it’s a solid purchase for anyone looking for a mix of action and strategy, or their next co-op staple.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a welcome addition to co-op looter-shooters, and while its live-service aspects may turn some away, it’s friendly enough, and promising enough, to newcomers to the genre. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League doesn’t have the triumphant flair of the Batman: Arkham series, but the game deserves a fair chance for those who enjoy the worlds of DC Comics and exhilarating gameplay loops because Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League shows what fun a co-op game should be.

While those who have grown accustomed to - or only experienced - the graphical capabilities of the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S generations will need to keep an open mind and may take some time to adjust, the Yakuza Remastered Collection ultimately offers a polished and enjoyable experience that series fans shouldn't skip out on.

There is simply nothing else like Hellblade 2 on the market and that alone kept me enthralled the whole way through. Its pared-down elements might not be mechanically complex, but they give the story a momentum that makes it hard to put down. Ninja Theory tackles themes that are challenging and not often seen in games, with a backdrop that vacillates between the epic and the intimate. It's approach doesn't have widespread appeal, but Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is as close to an interactive movie as we’ve seen yet.

While the long, immersion-breaking load times and repetitive nightmare sections are disappointing, horror fans will still find a game worth sinking their teeth into with Observer. Observer‘s story is reason enough to play the game to completion, but even those that aren’t driven by the disturbing cyberpunk tale may still enjoy its puzzles and compelling crime scene investigations.

It’s a rewarding experience for anyone who can get into the groove, but the combat and the franchise are the game’s two biggest selling points. If neither appeals, there won’t be all that much to enjoy here.

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.

Chronicles of the Wolf is not for everybody. It's not even for all Metroidvania fans. But for those that it clicks with, it very well may be the best game in the genre you've played this year. It's not without its fair share of frustrations as far as its mechanics and gameplay go, but the elegance of its design and the obvious passion that Migami poured into it make those frustrations worth bearing. If you can look past a little bit of jank and forgive Chronicles of the Wolf for its old-school sentimentality, what you'll find is one of the year's best Metroidvanias on par with the best of what the genre has offered in 2025.

Watch Dogs 2 excels at variety and, although there are many repetitive chores that players can choose to do in the open world, the main campaign never feels stale or redundant. Each mission takes players to a new, unique location full of bizarre characters and pop culture references and the lengthy campaign manages to fly by thanks to the immersive environment and the entertaining company that Marcus keeps.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is far from a perfect game, but it is an absolute must-play for fans of science-fiction or BioWare RPGs. The storytelling is at an all-time high once things get underway and players who make it through the adventure will be unlikely to regret their time spent in this new corner of the Mass Effect universe.

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.

After my disappointing experience with the original game, I did not expect to like Death Stranding 2 as much as I did. Its huge world is fun to explore, its graphics are incredible, and its tools give players a great deal of freedom to choose how they want to handle every challenge that comes their way. The dialogue and repetitive mission structure keep it from reaching the heights of some of Kojima's other games, but Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is still a worthwhile adventure.

What ultimately sets Wuchang apart is how it handles progression and customization. The Madness system adds a layer of risk, allowing players to trade safety for higher damage, while the Inner Demon mechanic creates tension without being overly punishing. The skill tree is deep but flexible, letting players reset one point at a time for free, which opens the door for testing different playstyles without starting over. Magic and melee are both viable, though neither is allowed to dominate, thanks to elemental resistances and boss-specific counters. Benedictions and Temperance bring added depth to weapon builds, while the armor system demands regular adjustments based on damage types and status effects. Altogether, these features give Wuchang a sense of depth that's easy to overlook at first glance, but becomes more impressive the longer you play.

Youngblood offers a great gameplay loop that will likely keep FPS fans busy for a few dozen hours, even if it doesn't quite deliver in terms of character and world-building.

Though Ender Lilies doesn’t necessarily surpass the icons of the genre that came before it, the game’s developers took a tried and true formula and replicated it well.

Layers of Fear 2 has its flaws but stands out as an improvement over the original, which was still one of the scariest games on PS4 and Xbox One.

It's a wild ride that deserves to be experienced unspoiled.