WWE 2K25 is the best WWE 2K game since the franchise made its return with WWE 2K22. The in-ring action is top-notch, MyGM is more fun than ever, and there is enough content here to keep WWE diehards busy for months on end. And that's not even taking into account the inevitable community creations that will supply players with an endless supply of new characters and content. The community creations will no doubt make WWE 2K25 an even stronger game, but even without them, it's a blast to play and has quickly become one of my favorite wrestling games ever.

Fans of classic survival horror games don't need to think twice about picking up Crow Country. The game is a love letter to old-school horror titles from the 90s, and is one of the better attempts at recreating the feel of PS1 horror on modern platforms. It's a short, but sweet adventure with solid replay value and fun puzzles that perfectly captures the feeling of playing an old horror game on a PS1. The optional Exploration mode, which does away with combat to let players focus entirely on puzzle-solving, means that even horror fans who don't like 90s-era survival horror combat and ammo management can safely pick up Crow Country and have a great time.

Control is a short game and has occasional technical hiccups, but it's still a fantastic experience all-around and quite possibly Remedy's best game yet. The combat is exciting and satisfying, the game is gorgeous, and horror fans will enjoy the creepier elements.

But a few oddities and some missing content don't hurt too much compared to what the remaster does offer. The reworked art is sharp and beautiful without losing sight of its roots, and the new soundtracks are subtly triumphant. The challenge is lessened, but that's largely in the hands of players. That control is a big part of what makes this collection great - the flexibility easing the aches and pains of aging design. Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a solid compilation and a recommendation for both long-time fans looking to relive the good old days and hesitant first-timers alike.

The Resident Evil 3 remake will appeal to hardcore fans of the franchise and those needing their survival-horror fix, but its especially short length and lack of replay value, even compared to the PS1 original, definitely makes it harder to recommend than Resident Evil 2.

The remaster is a great reminder of the potential that the series had and hopefully any future iterations of Ni no Kuni return to this winning formula and bring back the story, cinematics, and combat system that all come together to help make Wrath of the White Witch a modern classic.

Obviously, it's not a perfect game, but Genshin Impact deserves a try from RPG fans. There's plenty of in-game content to explore, and while many assumed this was just Breath of the Wild with microtransactions, Genshin Impact has a surprising amount of depth and content for players to enjoy.

After a decade of work, Square Enix has succeeded in delivering a Final Fantasy experience that can please long-time fans, while simultaneously luring in a new generation of adventurers. The game isn’t quite perfect, but it is close enough that it will very likely be a game of the year contender on many lists.

The game may not be an evolution of the genre but it is one of the best versions of it. By mixing a beautiful setting with visceral combat, Ghost of Tsushima hopes that its lesser elements won’t be as bothersome and its story will be able to propel players forward. Personally, the compulsion to uncover every question mark, complete every Tale, and master the combat was very strong. If the idea of controlling a deadly Samurai in an Assassin’s Creed-style open world sounds enticing, the game more than delivers.

On its own, Astro’s Playroom would be a fun platforming distraction fit for younger gamers or families. Its world is vibrant and wonderfully detailed, and it looks exceptional on the PS5. But in all honesty, this isn’t so much a game as it is a showpiece for what the DualSense controller can do. And as a result, this isn’t so much a review, as it is an opportunity to highlight how well the features on the PS5 controller work.

Guacamelee! 2 does basically everything else right, and arguably better than a lot of other Metroidvania games on the market. Its core gameplay is tremendous, building off the original and feeling like a true step forward.

Overcooked 2 is better than the first game, but yet again, there is room for improvement. Ghost Town Games is still trying to nail the recipe for the perfect local co-op party game, and perhaps it will succeed if it delivers a third title with more levels that drops some of the more frustrating elements and irons out the lingering technical issues.

The lore may make the game seem too intimidating to jump into, but Kingdom Hearts 3 offers an exciting and over-the-top adventure that any light-hearted gamer could enjoy. You may find yourself googling character names and plot details from 15 years ago, but all of that confusion fades away when you get lost in the moment summoning tea cups or a giant rollercoaster to help attack a big boss with your best friends.

Octopath Traveler got a mobile spinoff and a sequel for a reason. It was a successful bridge between SNES-era turn-based RPGs and modern gaming expectations, and it offered engaging gameplay that could suck away hours of free time. Octopath Traveler 2 is more of the same with side quests, interesting characters, and a large world to explore. It essentially gives fans of the first game an additional 60 hours of what they already enjoyed, and newcomers can jump right into the sequel without worrying about what they might have missed.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way and delivers an incredibly tense and entertaining action role-playing game.

As mentioned, this remaster is geared for newcomers and so it's the best way to experience the game, even if it isn't a must-play for those who already experienced it on last-gen.

Battlefield 6 is the most fun you will have with a Battlefield game in nearly a decade, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

The opportunity to revisit Call of Duty 4‘s multiplayer without the annoyance of hackers ruining the fun is one that will be hard to pass up for those that loved the original. Even so, the multiplayer also feels somewhat dated compared to most modern shooters on the market. While there’s something to be said for the impeccable map design and polish of Modern Warfare Remastered‘s multiplayer, it’s still the same experience as before, and may come across as rather simplistic and plain to those that have been playing this year’s new shooters.

Ring Fit Adventure is the most fun players can have doing these exercises, and it's the rare game that is great as both a video game and an exercise tool.

NieR Replicant overall is a successful remaster, with a bit of spit and polish improving many facets of the original game, but with some of the negatives unfortunately carrying over as well. The end result is an action RPG that will keep most players entertained for many hours, as the story, combat, and characters outweigh the boredom of Replicant’s sometimes repetitive gameplay.

The Zombies, multiplayer, and campaign are all presented with impressive graphics that ensure Call of Duty remains one of the best-looking games on the market. Breathtaking lighting, highly-detailed maps, smooth as butter frame rate, and next-level audio design come together expertly, solidifying Black Ops 6 as the best Call of Duty game in years. Black Ops 6's post-launch support should mean that the game only gets better with time, but what's available at launch is already fantastic and will keep franchise fans entertained for months on end.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is one of the more impressive entries in Capcom's growing series of compilation titles precisely because it unearths and preserves an eclectic selection of titles that often get overshadowed by larger series like Street Fighter or Darkstalkers​​​​​​. Each of the included titles' arcade modes is still incredibly fun while they last, and bringing underrated classics like Power Stone to a modern audience brings hope that Capcom might revive the series someday. Casual fans will quickly run out of reasons to regularly return to each of the included games unless they decide to dabble in online multiplayer, but as another entry in the Capcom Fighting Collection series, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is just as essential as its two predecessors and a must-have for fans of Dreamcast-era fighting games.

Dragon Quest Builders demonstrates that a JRPG can think outside of the box and successfully incorporate elements out of games like Minecraft, although the experience needs a little refinement before it becomes perfect.

Splatoon 2 builds on what its successor did so well, with a much larger base of assets that has allowed Nintendo to provide more to consumers right off the bat.

It's true that some may be underwhelmed by how Stray handles its platforming and by how short it is, but these issues are easily overlooked because of the high quality found throughout the rest of the game. Stray is a genuinely unique gaming experience and is worth checking out for the cat alone. Stray looks great, plays great, and accomplishes exactly what it set out to do. It's a must-play, especially since it's available at a budget price and can be played in its entirety with a PS Plus Extra subscription.

WWE 2K24 is a gorgeous wrestling game with hard-hitting fights that will keep players plugged in for hours on end. The series seems to be settling in to the annual release trap of small steps forward over major improvements, but hopefully next year's entry can provide the big leaps that modes like MyGM need to help the WWE 2K series reach the next level and finish the comeback story that started with WWE 2K22.

Overall, Age of Mythology: Retold feels like a strong remake of the original. Ensemble seems to understand how to craft an engaging RTS that not only feels great for newcomers but also honors the past. However, its graphical style may be a bit too rough around the edges for some, and it may not be modern enough for others. That being said, it still feels well worth the price of admission for anyone looking to sink their teeth into a brand-new RTS. And with all the content on the horizon, the fun may never have to end.

Madden NFL 17 doesn’t move the series forward in any significant ways, but it provides one of the most polished NFL football video game experiences to date.