Xenotilt is a fantastic sequel that improves on its predecessor, and a game that begs to be played over and over again.

Death of the Reprobate offers both artistic complexity and simple humor. It’s a journey full of laughs, jeers, and disgust — and at the end of the day, isn’t that all someone could want from a trip to an art museum?

Fear the Spotlight is a brilliant take on survival and psychological horror, instilling a real sense of vulnerability and dread in me — the developers took good lessons from classic titles and made something unique and fascinating. Players who love classic and retro-style survival horror absolutely must check this one out.

Bloodless is a great game for players who enjoy high intensity, well-timed, precision-based combat, but it is definitely not for everyone. As much as I like a good challenge in games — including soulslikes — I have little patience for tedium. The world was engaging and the graphics stunning, but the dearth of ways to try different ideas in combat dampened my resolve to see Tomoe’s redemption arc through to the end.

While Void Sols is not as ‘deep’ as Dark Souls, it successfully does something that the influential original did as well — it finds an identity of its own. Anybody in love with soulslikes should check it out, and anybody who’s fallen out of love with them should check it out double quick. Great stuff.

As someone who predominantly plays games antithetical to this experience, the fact it blew me away should speak volumes on how confidently it presents itself. It’s by far one of the best things I’ve played this year, and it just works in a way that is almost magical when considering how many bigger titles have fumbled the fundamentals Technotopia handles with ease. Whether one loves or hates card-based games, this is one worth playing, hands down.

As it stands, Frostpunk 2 is a good second step that fans of the franchise and the genre will enjoy, but there’s plenty of room for improvement here.

The nicest thing I can say about this product is that Shadows of the Damned still kicks ass, and it’s an inherently good thing that people can play it on modern hardware thirteen years after its original release. This is a functional port that is certainly an improvement over the original iteration, but it’s also one of the more bare bones ports in recent memory, and calling it a “remaster” is a significant stretch in logic. Part of me is disappointed that more hasn’t been done to make this title shine, but the other part of me says Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is still a win merely because it exists.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure does a generally fantastic job of following up on Max’s story despite the plotholes and an ending that left me wanting. However, it still pulls off a (mostly) satisfying narrative while exploring trauma and interpersonal relationships via sci-fi elements. It’s a great continuation for existing fans, but I’ll say again that newcomers should definitely start with the original Life is Strange — still an excellent play!

Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports won’t replace my daily Madden NFL or NBA2K sessions, but they were a nice distraction and offered enjoyable arcade vibes throwing it back to an era that focused on simpler gameplay and colorful aesthetics. While I appreciate the final product, it’s ultimately hampered by a lack of variety, so if the developers follow this up, I’d love to see an expanded version.

There’s an apparent tension in what Parcel Corps wants to be and what it actually is. The moments where it shines – the early, flexible stages and the later, hyper focused boss battles – are tactile, engaging and nearly worth the price of entry alone. Unfortunately, the current version hosting repetitive and frustrating design, never lives up to that potential. While it’s clear that Billy Goat Entertainment weren’t able to fully execute their vision of Parcel Corps, based on the parts that do work, I sincerely hope that someday they get to.

Adding insult to all of this injury, it just lacks any flair that could set it apart from the competition. The combat is fine if somewhat uninspired, the writing and presentation frequently fall flat, and when it comes to chewing through hordes of enemies, there are plenty of competing titles on the market that offer a more compelling experience — the obvious comparisons are Earth Defense Force and Helldivers 2, and even something bug-adjacent like Exoprimal stands out more. Sadly, as things stand I can’t recommend this to anyone except the most hardcore fans of the IP.

With a script that’s so off, it really says something that not only was I invested enough to play Caravan SandWitch to completion, but that it ended up being one of my favorite experiences of the year in spite of the poor dialogue. Exploring this extremely chill, open world while digging around amongst the ruins of corporate greed held my attention from start to finish, and even by the time I had solved all the mysteries and had done all the things, I was still quite ready to spend more time in this world. It’s not without its flaws, but Caravan SandWitch remains one of my favorite experiences of 2024, and I would strongly encourage the developers to continue their work — I look forward to being delighted with something new.

As readers have probably guessed by now, NHL 25 isn’t a “must-purchase” title, except for users that have taken several years away. That doesn’t make it less enjoyable — just less necessary. Updates to game modes could have been more notable and microtransactions continue to be a drawback, but there’s still plenty here to make this a worthwhile return to the rink. Ultimately, we may never experience another “NHL Faceoff moment,” but EA’s focus on more adaptive AI and improved player control raises the bar (slightly) in the right direction.

Sonic X Shadow Generations would’ve been an incredible package if it was simply remastering the 2011 classic, but the fact that it throws in a whole second game makes it one of the finest platforming experiences of the year, and arguably the most jam-packed release of 2024. Serving as love letters to Sonic’s past and present while perfecting two distinct forms of gameplay make it one the Blue Blur’s finest outings. It’s not just a stroll down memory lane — it’s a high-flying rollercoaster reminding us how great Sega’s mascot was, and still is.

As an arcade racing fan, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is an exciting jumping-off point and I can’t wait to see what it looks like down the road. Its driving physics and attention to detail are top-notch, and the unlock system gives me the incentive to work towards something. Unfortunately, I think I’m better off playing other racers at the moment while I wait for post-launch improvements that will likely come. I’m hopeful it’ll turn into something special, but right now it needs a little more work under the hood.

Wild Bastards sounds like it shouldn’t work. Its foundation is a patchwork of different genres frankensteined into a single title and the frenetic FPS portions are broken up by long stretches of slow-paced tactical movement and galactic navigation. Despite all this (and the damned RNG) I can’t deny that it all works. The story is filled with fascinating and funny (if not likable) characters I wanted to see succeed. The tactical portions present interesting choices, and the FPS sections are fast and furious. if there was ever a game where the whole was more than the sum of its parts, it’s this one — and it comes highly recommended!

On the face of it, The Dark Horizon is Remnant II’s largest DLC yet, bringing a new leveling system and boss rush mode on top of the usual new equipment and remixed areas. In story and mechanics, though, it’s about as inspiring as a trip through the alien wasteland of N’Erud. Like the previous two DLC, it’s nice to have — and well worth the paltry $10 USD price tag — but I’m still hoping Gunfire Games has something juicier on the horizon.

Though it’s not a revolution as much as an evolution, NBA 2K25 easily justifies its price tag. There’s still grinding, leveling, and more side quests than Skyrim. but it all seems more accessible and approachable than in years past, while also being more realistic and beautiful than ever before.

I want to like Keylocker more. The world is beautiful, the atmosphere of cyber-Saturn is great, and I have found parts of the story to be genuinely moving. However, those things just aren’t enough to make up for its grindy, repetitive and punishing combat, and ultimately, this is a hard one to recommend to anyone besides the most hardcore RPG players.

At its best, The Casting of Frank Stone works as an exploration of inevitability. Before the player ever takes control of the teens making a movie in the ’80s, they already have some inkling of how that part of the story will end. What makes the game special, though, is how much latitude it gives the player within that structure, allowing them to play out their version of the story to a truly impressive degree by using Dead By Daylight‘s dimension-hopping Entity as a justification for the wilder swings that can be taken. In this world the bad guys always win, but that doesn’t mean the conflict can’t lead to some amazing drama.

I wish All Possible Futures luck in their future ventures, but here, in today’s hyper-crowded indie scene, there are dozens and dozens of games that deserve to be plucked up ahead of this Squire.

The standard of quality for the modern era of stealth strategy games is very, very high. Sumerian Six is not at the front of the class, but it’s still a great entry, and a highlight of 2024. I spent more than 30 hours dispatching fascists with the Enigma Squad, still have two levels to go, will absolutely finish them and someday return for another run. Stealth strategy, when done right, is just that good, and Sumerian Six is absolutely done right. Bravo, Artificer. Sequel please.

All of these things (and I haven’t even mentioned the performance issues!) all add up to the fact that Mars 2120 just doesn’t have anything to make it stand out, let alone stand above the rest of the competition in this already-saturated genre.

Metaphor feels like an evolution of both the Persona and SMT series in the best ways. It builds on what’s come before in both, and synergizes everything together in a cohesive package. It also boasts some of the best gameplay found in any turn-based JRPG, with style to spare. While its world is beautiful and the cast lovable, it sadly never feels like it gets past the surface of anything, and pulls its punches in the final act. Despite this it remains a fantastic experience, and offers a worthy new frontier for Atlus to explore.

Despite some small issues, the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection will be a wonderful experience for any Ace Attorney fan. It shines a much-needed light on the prosecutorial side of the courtroom, and leads players through the questions that have to be answered before a case can be brought to trial. Miles Edgeworth is also strong, holding his own as both a protagonist and Phoenix Wright’s rival, and I’d love to see him get a starring role more often!

I thought that Grapple Dog was one of the best 2D platformers I’d played in ages, and this sequel absolutely lives up to its pedigree. Whatever the developers want to do next with these characters, it’s going to be worth tagging along.

Despite its simplicity, Europa establishes itself as a whimsical, wondrous experience floating through the wilds of a fallen utopia. I won’t forget it anytime soon.