In the end, Outcast doesn’t want to get in the way of the player having a good time. From the moment I first climbed to the top of a ridiculously enormous tree with my starting double-jump before plummeting to the bottom only to discover that there’s no fall damage, it was clear that Outcast is an experience designed to enjoyed, first and foremost.

In short, WWE 2K24 is a crowning achievement for a series that nearly buried itself just four years ago, and I’ll be playing it long after the referee counts 1-2-3.

As this is my first foray into videogame taxi driving apart from Crazy Taxi, I can only guess how it might stack up against others in the same vein. However, what I can say is that I suspect it will scratch the itch of most simulation gaming enthusiasts, and I found it worth the time and effort needed to build my taxi empire — just be prepared for something clearly on the simulation side of things, with no arcade-style action here.

I believe UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is a strong entry in the series and I’m happy to see it get a sequel, even if it feels more like a small step forward instead of a substantial shift. However, something that’s broken shouldn’t be fixed, so this level of refinement clearly has a lot to offer to fans and newcomers alike.

When all’s said and done, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an outstanding refinement and expansion of every good thing the original — now an undisputed cult classic — brought us, and this sequel is more than welcome, especially since its formula still manages to stand alone when it comes to RPGs.

As a nine-year-long passion project of its developers, Granblue Fantasy: Relink oozes promise and style boosted by addictive action gameplay, a large cast and engaging mechanics. However, without more to offer endgame players and perhaps a bit of buffing in the narrative side, it’s likely to fizzle out and be eclipsed by larger titles. I can only hope the developer shows the same labor of love in supporting it, as they have in crafting it.

The combat may be janky and the puzzles are nothing special, but anyone looking for a truly satisfying horror story need look no further. If nothing else, it knows how to end in a great way, and that in itself is worth a lot.

Scope is a critical part of any project, and Chop Goblins understands this perfectly. By setting their sights modestly and emphasizing speed and tone, the developer manages an almost perfect execution of their vision – there is no waste, and every element keeps me engaged in its mad rush.

The physics feels smooth and responsive in a way that works for me, and it’s satisfying to launch off a ramp in ball form, transform to shoot an enemy mid-air, transform back to dash into another enemy and then send them off the level in one smooth motion. Because of moments like this, Go Mecha Ball has rolled its way to being one of my favorite games of the year in just a few short hours.

While the collection of games on offer here can be a bit underwhelming, for people who care about the history of this artform, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is an absolute must-buy. It was truly wonderful seeing Jeff’s story fleshed out to this degree, and his reputation as a fascinating, cool-ass dude is well earned. With that said, I can’t help but feel that leaving out more than half of his career is a bit like telling the story of The Beatles and stopping at Rubber Soul. There’s a lot more to Jeff’s career after Tempest 2000, and it’s profoundly disappointing to see this exemplary piece of gaming history stop there.

Birth is a short, sweet, and wholly unique game that greatly enjoyed. Its relatable narrative, simple premise and clever puzzles had me simply enjoying its world for a while. I urge everyone to give it a try.

Penny’s Big Breakaway shows promise, but it’s bogged down by long stages, smudgy-looking backgrounds, a lack of camera movement, and finicky controls. The yo-yo antics of our heroine felt great and looked cool when I could pull them off, but more often than not, I found myself back at the checkpoint or having to redo a part of the level. I was really hoping for more magic from the former Sonic Mania team. With a little more polish, this feels like it could be a great addition to the 3D platforming genre.

Despite the lack of prizes for going above and beyond, I found Bzzzt to be a delight. This is a platforming masterpiece crafted by people who know the genre inside and out. Anyone who loves super-intense platforming is all but guaranteed to adore it, as it’s a truly exceptional game that’s as rewarding to play as any of the top titles in the genre.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is the sort of daunting, technical adventure that can be humbling at times, but for those who can pick up on its rhythm and learn its brand of skillful driving, this might just become the best podcast game of all time.

In a medium full of spaceships and crumbling castles, The Thaumaturge is a singular sojourn to a time and place that many players will be unfamiliar with, presenting a dance through the sights and sounds of a turn-of-the-century Warsaw imbued with magic and terrifying creatures. Backed up by a solid combat system, compelling main narrative and diverging decision points, this supernatural adventure is one well worth taking.

Those who’ve read this far probably know better than to expect a fair or balanced gameplay. The philosophy underpinning this entire genre is that the player should share the misery that their avatar is suffering, and since they can’t trap players inside the game, they make things as difficult to engage with as possible. Cannibal Abduction is aimed at a very niche audience, but anyone with a passion for this kind of masochistic experience will find a great example of it here.

The amount of mods that have been made for Lethal Company since its launch is honestly incredible. They range from fixing some of bugs and technical issues, to turning some of the monsters into Goku from Dragonball Z — truly a horrifying sight. With an ever-growing community, evolving gameplay, the freshness of every run and the sheer terror that the experience delivers, I can easily imagine myself laying Lethal Company far into the future. making such a splash and shaking up the horror genre this thoroughly is no small feat, and it’s even more impressive coming from such a small indie studio.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered remains an excellent collection of Lara’s first adventures that allows fans, both new and old, to dive into Lara’s earliest days and see where she got her start. Here’s hoping that The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and Angel of Darkness will be part of a second collection!

When I finish off an enemy ship in Black Flag, time slows and the camera zooms in, allowing me to witness the magnificent brutality of powder stores exploding as masts snap like matchsticks. Skull and Bones can’t offer spectacle, because playing with time and camerawork might risk affecting another player’s experience. The result is something that’s dulled down to the point that everyone sharesthe same mediocrity, and I have to wonder what happened to this poor little project during the many years it was stuck on the seas of development hell.

At the current price, there simply isn’t enough bang for the buck to recommend Custom Mech Wars to anyone but the most ardent giant robot lovers. It’s entertaining for a little while, but getting more out of it demands far more of one’s time than is justified.

Despite everything, I think Hiragana Forbidden Speech makes a valiant effort to blend teaching basic Japanese script and words with an interesting game structure and story, resulting in a genuinely helpful tool for anyone curious about learning Hiragana.

With Modern Warfare 3, Sledgehammer has tried to offer something both for fans of the classics and those who want to see this series evolve, and like Ghosts, Black Ops 3, and Infinite Warfare before it, I suspect this will be an entry that people will be calling underrated five years from now. I’m not waiting that long to show it some love, though. I’ve had a blast playing Modern Warfare 3, both in the campaign and in multiplayer. The Zombies mode may be lacking, but I can live with that. My only real concern is that I hope Sledgehammer and Treyarch aren’t forced to crunch like this again for the sake of annual release deadlines.

Overall, Scene Investigators is a perfect game for CSI and The Mentalist fans. It offers lovers of the genre the challenge of analyzing crime scenes with a realistic approach in a way that remains loyal to its concept while also being fairly educational. A rare trick!

From start to finish, The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is intertwined with memorable characters and thrilling courtroom scenes depicting both the best and worst of humanity, presented triumphantly in a manner I won’t forget anytime soon. Even if the core of the gameplay loop is showing its age a bit, it won’t hinder anyone’s enjoyment by much — a good story is a good story, full stop.

In case it hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now, Tekken 8 is a must-play for fans of the series, fans of the genre, or even for new players wondering what all the hype is about. It’s a standout entry in a phenomenal series, it respects the player’s time, and gives them a ton to do, and it’s a joy to play. Go get it.

Loddlenaut is cute, and sweet, and extremely playable, and a very appropriate game for children. The only thing I suggest is that those kids are guided to the proper understanding that while the game accurately demonstrates just how important ocean rescue is, that it badly misrepresents the ease with which such a thing can be accomplished — and how it’s allowed to happen in the first place.

Tales of Mathasia should prove a good teaching aid for beginning mathWhile the player is free to replay levels, there’s no dedicated endless mode that might allow players to simply drill themselves with math problems without the extra context. It seems like an egregious oversight, especially since the main story only takes about an hour to complete. Hopefully if they make a sequel, the developers will better understand the importance of repetition and memorization in early childhood education. Until then, Tales of Mathasia remains a solid, if unimpressive educational game.

Ultimately, Pinball M is another solid outing from Zen Studios. Their typically-excellent pinball physics complement well-designed, original tables based on icons of film and videogames. For those who aren’t fans of the source material, the excellent new modes alone make it a worthy addition for any pinball fan.