DALOAR's The Occultist feels like a typical debut project: filled to the brim with a lot of ideas of which a fair amount unfortunately fail to hit the mark. While checking boxes of stereotypical creepy locations and ghoulish encounters, The Occultist rarely impresses in storytelling and character development. The pendulum also feels like it could have done so much more for the gameplay. But hey, at least we got Doug Cockle to grunt you through this 6-hour long experience.

What should’ve been a triumphant return for a long-dormant franchise ends up as a disappointing misfire. Legacy of Kain Ascendance shows flashes of promise—strong voice acting, a killer soundtrack, and some fun levels here and there, but they’re buried under clunky controls, odd design choices, and annoying difficulty spikes. Fans deserved better, and the series deserves another shot.

Life is Strange: Reunion isn’t groundbreaking, but it delivers a respectful and complete send-off for fans of Max and Chloe. Choices still matter, even if their impact is limited, while the familiar gameplay plays it safe. A worthy farewell for longtime fans, but not an entry point for newcomers.

A top-down soulslike was still relatively new territory for me, but Tombwater proves the perspective is well worth exploring. It offers a compelling narrative, varied combat, and an engaging gameplay loop, with meaningful upgrades and tools introduced at a steady pace to keep momentum strong, while its distinct environments reinforce the game’s grim tone. Navigation can be a bit unclear and the controls take some getting used to, but thanks to its stability and many strengths, those flaws are easy to overlook.

The core question is whether Super Meat Boy works in 3D, and the short answer is: more often not than it does. While Edmund McMillen’s cult classic spirit isn’t entirely lost, much of what made the original shine fades away, from its blistering pace and tight controls to its compact level design, with 3D proving a poor fit for the formula. In the end, Super Meat Boy 3D isn’t a bad game but an inferior one.

I appreciate Konami for taking risks on diverse indie projects, but Darwin's Paradox still needs significant work before it becomes truly worthwhile. Its charm and expressive animation can’t mask a shallow, low-impact story, and while flashes of creative mechanics shine through, they’re dragged down by tedious, dull, and occasionally frustrating sections. Ironically, despite its clear potential, Darwin's Paradox ends up feeling like a contradiction of what makes a puzzle platformer genuinely engaging.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin has all the ingredients for a strong anime game, with an engaging story, familiar characters, and an inviting world to explore, especially for fans of the franchise. However, its potential is currently held back by technical issues, clunky mobile-style controls, an unclear UI, and frequent glitches. The gacha system may also not appeal to everyone. As it stands, it’s a promising but rough experience that could grow into something great with updates, making it mainly worth it for dedicated fans for now.

Aether & Iron delivers a compelling story wrapped in gorgeous visuals and smart, tactical combat with its own CRPG twist. Despite some bugs and pacing dips due to heavy dialogue, the strong characters and presentation carry it through. Bottom line: an excellent game you shouldn’t miss.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a solid bundle for fans, with enough extras to dive into. Newcomers get a decent introduction, but the repetitive battles and limited variety make it feel monotonous fairly quickly. Enjoyable, but it doesn’t reach the heights of the classic Mega Man(-X) titles.

Etrange Overlord is a weird one: light on depth, heavy on chaotic fun. Its quirky humor, colorful style, and absurd Japanese flavor carry the experience. Not for everyone, but if you

Screamer doesn’t fully become the narrative spectacle it sometimes seems to want to be, but when rubber meets the road, it fully delivers. The racing is slick, stylish, and deeply satisfying, backed by impressive visuals and smart progression. If you’re into arcade racers, Screamer might just be your next obsession.

If Project Songbird sets out to do one thing, it's pointing out how hard it can be for a developer to please everybody and ultimately end up with a passion project bogged down by undercooked concepts. Conner Rush's love child often teeters between artistically brilliant and genuinely creepy, and mildly disappointing due to frustrating combat/stealth sequences. In the end, going with less could have resulted in so much more.

Pearl Abyss delivers a dynamic and visually stunning open world that feels alive and full of discovery. There’s plenty to do, and the game expects you to explore on your own, with challenging puzzles, memorable bosses and little handholding. The many systems and mechanics can take time to master, but are very rewarding. While the story takes a backseat and is told through lore, it is still a tale you don't want to miss. Strong performance and a great soundtrack round out this must-play experience.

MLB The Show 26 only improves on a few fronts, while most of the experience remains largely unchanged from last year. The aging visuals are starting to show, though the gameplay still feels great and the soundtrack once again hits the right notes. Veterans may find little reason to return, but newcomers will still discover a solid baseball sim.

Homura Hime delivers where it matters most: tight combat, challenging boss fights and a satisfying gameplay loop for action fans. Sadly, everything around it feels underwhelming, with flat characters and uninspired level design. If gameplay is your main draw, there’s still plenty here to enjoy.

Greedfall 2: The Dying World offers an interesting story and meaningful player choices that encourage multiple playthroughs, though visually it doesn’t quite feel like a true PS5 title. The RPG systems are solid, but the dull and repetitive combat takes away much of the shine. Despite that flaw, there’s still plenty here that will appeal to fans of the first game.

Timberborn is a standout survival city-builder that combines creativity and strategy with the unique power of beavers. The game offers extensive freedom with vertical building, dam systems, and a focus on managing future challenges like droughts and badtide events. With diverse maps, two factions, and strong mod support, it promises hundreds of hours of engaging gameplay without feeling repetitive.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake brings the beloved horror classic back to modern platforms, sending players into the cursed Minakami Village where restless spirits lurk around every corner. The eerie atmosphere and stellar audio design shine, even if ghost fights drag on a bit too long. Miserable trip? Absolutely - and that’s exactly why it works.

While John Carpenter's Toxic Commando makes some interesting choices, it never quite stands out as a strong entry in the zombie shooter genre. Drawing on systems familiar from Saber Interactive, the varied arsenal, skill trees, and co-op gameplay can be enjoyable with a full squad, but a dull story, awkward characters, repetitive mission design, and an uninspired semi-open-world structure drag the experience down. There is still some fun to be found, though the genre offers better alternatives with more venom.

Tribute Games delivers another solid brawler with Scott Pilgrim EX, boasting great music, slick visuals, and satisfying combat. Unfortunately, a weak mission structure and a very short runtime keep it from reaching the heights of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. The open-world idea is fun but underused, making the €30 price tag feel a bit steep.

Tales of Berseria Remastered remains a fantastic JRPG, driven by its gripping revenge story and rock-solid real-time combat. The remaster adds smoother performance and visual upgrades, but little in the way of actual new content. If you’ve never played it, this is the best version to jump in. Veterans, however, may notice that there’s little reason to return.

Pokémon Pokopia is a surprisingly amazing spin-off that blends the Pokémon formula with building, habitat restoration, and a relaxing sandbox gameplay loop. Its charming story and adorable presentation add more depth than you’d expect from a sim. Despite some clunky building controls, it remains a cozy and addictive experience that can easily keep you busy for dozens of hours.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is by far the strongest entry in the spin-off series thanks to its gorgeous presentation, full voice acting, and plenty of welcome additions. The classic rock-paper-scissors combat still works, though it starts to become repetitive over time. That said; JRPG- and Monster Hunter lovers will find a colorful, content-packed adventure with the potential to sink dozens of hours into.

Given that RoadCaft left me in the dirt, I honestly believed that Saber's simulation ship had sailed on me for good. Fortunately, Docked has managed to reel me back in, providing a seriously entertaining casual simulation with tons of tasks to keep the enthusiast (un)loading for hours. The only things ruining the immersion are graphical issues, QTE-minigames that just don't land the way they should, and Port Wake that isn't as hustling and bustling as you'd expect from a major transport harbor.

WWE 2K26 delivers rock-solid gameplay, stacked with moves and enough content to keep you busy for a long time. Not every mode is a main-event hit and the DLC strategy raises some eyebrows, but the overall package is impressively complete. For WWE fans, this is the best entry in years.

Planet of Lana II delivers another contemplative, emotionally resonant, and visually stunning journey, choosing careful refinement over daring reinvention. While that restraint preserves the spirit of the original, it also carries over its sluggish pacing, occasionally convoluted puzzles, and moments of frustration, resulting in a gorgeous but overly safe sequel that echoes rather than elevates its predecessor.

Planet of Lana II delivers another contemplative, emotionally resonant, and visually stunning journey, choosing careful refinement over daring reinvention. While that restraint preserves the spirit of the original, it also carries over its sluggish pacing, occasionally convoluted puzzles, and moments of frustration, resulting in a gorgeous but overly safe sequel that echoes rather than elevates its predecessor.

Gear.Club Unlimited 3 leans almost entirely on its Story Mode, yet even that fails to truly pull you in. Beyond that, frustrations stack up – clunky handling, technical hiccups and rubber banding – though the hub, duels and traffic-filled circuits offer brief flashes of promise. In the end, it falls short of must-have status, and you’re better off firing up GRID Legends instead.