Artificial difficulty spikes and needlessly obtuse level design can lead to a lot of unnecessary frustration, and that frustration can quickly overshadow the game's greatest strengths. Blades of Fire had all the right materials in front of it, but it forged an uneven blade that keeps accidentally wounding its wielder.

Out of Sight's extremely short runtime keeps it from reaching its full potential. The second-person gimmick is used to great effect, but there isn't enough time to fully explore its possibilities. There are certainly great moments in Out of Sight, and it would be a perfect entry point for someone that has typically shied away from the horror genre, but it desperately needs more meat on its bones to be elevated to something that genre fans must go out of their way to play.

The history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one that's inextricably tied to the rebirth of the gaming industry in North America, and the best games to utilize the license have always understood the core appeal of what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles such an iconic IP. The Turtles' combat prowess and place as martial arts experts always made them seem better suited to beat 'em ups than any other kind of game, but Tactical Takedown proves that the team is a perfect fit for the turn-based tactics genre thanks to a creative dash of board game-style movement and combat that blends the "tactics" in Tactical Takedown with the gameplay of classics like Turtles in Time or the more recent Shredder's Revenge. As a result, it feels like it's destined to be talked about in the same breath as one of the best games to feature the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

When a company remasters a beloved title in its back catalog, it's always faced with the dilemma of needing to strike a balance between two very different audiences. That balancing act becomes especially precarious the more beloved a title is, and honoring the legacy of a game's original vision to appease longtime fans can sometimes have the unintended effect of pushing away a contemporary audience. As a remaster, Onimusha 2 is a success because it lands at a comfortable middle ground between staying true to the original while also serving as perhaps the best jumping-on point for the franchise ahead of its revival.

Overall, Deliver At All Costs is what it says on the box, but also something deeper. Gamers wanting nothing more than an escape where they can raze a city to the ground in an old pickup truck can get just that. But the game also offers a tight, well-told mystery-thriller for a fun, pulpy story experience. On both fronts, it's a joy to play.

While Spiritfall may be a bit short, its story might not be anything to write home about, and not all of its boss fights live up to their full potential, the game's enthralling combat and consistently gratifying sense of progression make it an absolute must-play for roguelike fans, especially if they have a penchant for platform fighters.

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.

At its core, Captain Blood feels like a game that was meant to come out two decades ago. The gameplay harkens back to hack and slash titles of the past, and if it had come out then, it may have fit right in. However, in 2025, the title is extremely lacking. The core gameplay is repetitive, the audio mixing needs a lot of work, and the lack of polish holds this game back considerably. That being said, those looking for that old-school hack-and-slash experience may want to take Captain Blood for a spin as it delivers just that. Yet, for most players, this title does not offer much. It is still nice to see a game get out of development hell after all of these years, but it could have been so much stronger than it is.

Creature Keeper is in desperate need of an X-factor: something especially unique and hard-hitting that makes it intriguing and memorable. The game's story isn't offensive, it's just bland and unoriginal; its art style isn't terrible, but it's indistinguishable from so many other retro-influenced indies; its music is good, but nothing special; and its action-RPG combat works just fine, but doesn't leave you itching for more. If something about Creature Keeper's premise strongly appeals to you, then perhaps it's worth a few hours of your time—but don't expect any surprises.

Doom: The Dark Ages is action-packed and has really high highs, though the last quarter of the game doesn't quite maintain its momentum. Still, Dark Ages is a no-brainer for fans of the 2016 Doom game and Doom Eternal, as well as anyone who is in the mood for a high-quality and exciting first-person shooter experience.

At many points, La Quimera feels like playing a PS2-era shooter in an Unreal Engine 5 skin. But the lack of content, combined with a story that feels like an unofficial knock-off or direct-to-video sequel of a better FPS, make the game hard to recommend in its current state. As it stands, La Quimera is the equivalent of video game junk food — it might taste good and provide a bit of momentary satisfaction, but you'll ultimately be left feeling empty and hungry for more.

The word that immediately came to mind when first jumping into Return of the Savage Planet is ‘joyful.’ It's an out-of-pocket word to pick for a goofy indie space exploration title, but immediately after booting it up, everything from the voice acting and setting to gameplay and humor made me smile. There’s an undercurrent of love found on every screen, with the small team behind the game weaving their passion and playfulness into each pixel. A bigger team doesn’t necessarily mean a better product, and sometimes, all players need is a little chaos, an electric whip, a few fart jokes, and the promise of (hopefully) more adventures on the horizon.

As it stands, Days Gone Remastered is easily the best way to experience Bend Studio's open world zombie game. The new content, upgraded performance, and PS5 DualSense support make the game worth $10 upgrade, and those that have never played it before can rest assured that Days Gone Remastered is worth checking out.

Oblivion Remastered delivers a breathtaking open world full of engaging quests and characters and makes smart gameplay improvements to bring the 2006 classic to modern standards.

What makes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 worthy of recognition isn't just how well everything works, but the fact that it all sticks with you. The characters, the music, the world design, the emotional throughline that runs underneath all the strategy and spectacle — none of it ever fades into the background. Clair Obscur is the kind of game that lingers after the credits roll, not because of how much it offers, but because of how much it gets right. It’s rare to see a game so mechanically confident and emotionally grounded, but that's exactly what Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is.

Overall, Once Upon a Puppet is a fine game. Its presentation is a standout feature, with its graphics, character animations, environments, and audio design all going to great lengths to make the most of the game's unique premise. But those elements aren't enough to elevate the overarching experience. The fine platforming, fine puzzles, and fine story are the strings that hold Once Upon a Puppet back from greatness, and some unfortunate technical issues can inject a layer of unnecessary frustration into an otherwise very satisfactory performance from a promising new indie studio.

For fans of soulsvania combat, Mandragora is a must-play for its astounding build variety alone, but that's thankfully not its only good quality. Addicting combat, a thoughtful narrative, and premium visuals make for a memorable game that uplifts the genre and sets an example to follow. Mandragora achieved what it set out to do—deliver a fun and engaging metroidvania—while landing just shy of its full potential in a few areas.

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.

When Steel Seed is at its best, it's a blast. Unfortunately, its best moments mostly end up emphasizing what could've been, making the weaker points that much more disappointing. It's not a bad game by any stretch; it's easy to get sucked into and, for the most part, is enjoyable to play. However, it doesn't do enough to stand out from the similar titles that came before it. As much fun as it can be at times, it falls short of being something truly memorable.

As someone who has always admired visual novels from the outskirts but has always been hesitant to dive into the genre, it's a testament to the greatness of The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy that I now find myself eager to go back and play through its creators' previous works. But that won't be possible until I invest dozens more hours into Hundred Line's story in an attempt to unlock and see all 100 endings the game has to offer, which feels practically essential given how much enjoyment there is to be found in both its narrative and its TRPG gameplay.

Gorn 2's story only takes a few hours to get through. After that, players are free to check out the Custom and Endless game modes, but that's more of the same shallow violence that the base game offers. VR enthusiasts are likely looking for something with more substance, but that's not to say there is no value to Gorn 2. The game can be fun in short bursts, and it works great as an easy way to show off virtual reality to someone who has never played a VR game before. Ultimately, those wanting more Gorn will get their money's worth with Gorn 2, while those who are looking for a deeper virtual reality experience will have to look elsewhere.

The more one plays Blue Prince, the more enthralling it becomes. The thrill of finding an item that opens the door to new possibilities in previously-searched rooms is hard to match, and unraveling the game's mysteries is an experience that all gamers should seek out. Blue Prince is the new king of puzzle games and is quite simply can't-miss.

There's nothing about INAYAH that is objectively bad, but the few very frustrating design decisions the game features are systemically baked into the title's gameplay to where even the good parts are undercut by them. At 15–20 hours to complete the game, INAYAH asks a lot of the player in terms of a time commitment, and while there are glimpses of brilliance in its execution, it's ultimately undone by the parts of the experience that work against it. Considering the sheer number of options players have for quality Metroidvanias, INAYAH's few annoyances hold it back from being worthy of players' time when there are so many similar titles to choose from that execute the formula better.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a great port that successfully brings the PlayStation classic to PC. It's a stellar-looking game with engaging gameplay and a brilliant story that will keep players engrossed from start to finish. PC gamers that enjoyed the original and can't wait to see what happens next shouldn't hesitate to pick it up.

South of Midnight excels in key areas, but its gameplay is so underwhelming that it's hard to truly appreciate everything it does well.

There are no redeeming qualities to be found in Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror. The game is a complete disaster in all categories. It's broken, ugly, not scary, and worst of all, not fun to play. The story is laughably bad, and the gameplay is a poor imitation of the Resident Evil games. Horror fans should avoid Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror at all costs.

Mother Machine has a lot of personality and some genuinely good ideas that just aren't implemented well. It would be great to see what Maschinen-Mensch can do with more time and resources, but as it stands, Mother Machine feels more like a demo or proof of concept than a fully fledged game.

Despite a bit of clunky translation and its rather brief runtime, Your House feels like it could be the beginning of something great. Whereas many puzzle-heavy games are quick to give extra clues when it’s clear that the player is struggling, this title asks more. It makes you slow down, and each time something finally clicks, the dopamine rush is more than worth the effort. If the team at Patrones & Escondites end up creating more incredibly satisfying mystery games in this same style, it would be hard not to buy them on launch day.