RIVEN was a back-to-back masterpiece following MYST, and it remains one today. Completely overhauled visually and made even more immersive through its excellent VR adaptation, it's an easy recommendation. If you've already experienced and loved MYST (especially in VR) then RIVEN is an unquestionable purchase.

Amanita Design has done it again. While the brief length of its adventures remains a recurring drawback, the studio once more excels in art direction and storytelling. Filled with sharp satirical commentary on totalitarian regimes, stunning visuals, and a satisfying variety of well-designed puzzles, Phonopolis is an immensely rewarding experience, especially for fans of Amanita Design's previous works.

Utterly tiresome, with puzzles that are either simplistic or needlessly convoluted and often drag on for far too long, WILL: Follow the Light falls short in its gameplay. Worst of all, for a title that positions itself as a narrative-driven experience, its story lacks any real impact due to mediocre voice acting, unnatural dialogue, and paper-thin characterization.

If nothing else, Necrophosis presents a captivating artistic vision, drawing heavily on Cyclopean aesthetics and the grotesque. It is undoubtedly a visual spectacle, both in its depiction of the world and in its creature designs. Nevertheless, the overly simplistic gameplay and lack of narrative coherence limit the impact it could have otherwise achieved.

Vultures: Scavengers of Death offers a refreshingly original take on the survival-horror genre, particularly among games seeking to emulate the Resident Evil formula. Its implementation of an XCOM-inspired turn-based combat system provides a unique twist that works surprisingly well, delivering enjoyable gameplay while preserving the genre's core focus on exploration and light puzzle-solving. However, the overly cautious and simplistic use of these mechanics ultimately makes the game feel more like a promising tech demo than a fully fledged realization of turn-based survival horror.

Myst's status as one of gaming's most influential and enduring classics is beyond question. This adaptation succeeds in bringing players directly into its magical world, offering an unprecedented sense of immersion as they explore its intricate machinery, challenging puzzles, and stunning vistas.

Traveller's Tales' latest LEGO game could well be considered the pinnacle of the studio's LEGO legacy. What it lacks in challenge (being aimed at younger audiences, after all) it more than compensates for with beautiful visuals, imaginative use of the beloved brick aesthetic, and a world packed with charming and entertaining activities. Additionally, the trademark humour that has become synonymous with the developer is consistently effective, while the countless references to Batman films, comics, and video games are both clever and rewarding for fans.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book should be approached as a simple platformer with virtually no challenge, clearly aimed at younger players. It is nevertheless a delightful game, thanks to its charming stop-motion aesthetic and vibrant visuals, but older gamers expecting a true continuation of Yoshi's Island will likely come away disappointed.

IO Interactive proved to be the perfect match for adapting James Bond into a video game. While other titles have done justice to the franchise, this is the first time 007 feels so well-rounded, avoiding the one-dimensional action-hero depiction of the past. His personality is more nuanced, and the sandbox-style level design does justice to the full range of Bond's skills. Whether in stealth, fisticuffs, or gunplay, the experience excels, and the somewhat subpar driving is not enough to detract from an otherwise highly exhilarating adventure.

Industria 2 is an unequivocal improvement over its subpar predecessor. The developers successfully nail the horror aspect, thanks to the deadly robotic enemies and the carefully balanced scarcity of resources, which are sufficient for survival while still forcing players to think twice before using them. Although its short runtime delivers a satisfying experience, it also reveals a project that may have aimed beyond its limits. This is evident in the numerous technical issues, some of them game-breaking, as well as the noticeable lack of variety in several assets, particularly interior environments.

Priest Simulator certainly delivers a few laughs, with its mockumentary-style presentation offering a fresh and amusing twist for the genre. Unfortunately, the humor isn’t enough to mask the obsolete visuals, repetitive gameplay and level design, and an overall subpar FPS experience.

It’s disappointing to see Aphelion stand as Don’t Nod’s weakest outing to date. Feeling more like a side project than a fully fledged production, the game offers only the bare minimum expected from an action-adventure. Even as a story-driven sci-fi experience, its narrative struggles to deliver compelling developments or memorable reveals. While the visually appealing, if somewhat generic, environments and the touching personal story of its protagonists partially salvage the experience, they are far from enough to change the overall mediocre feeling.

Tides of Tomorrow offers a unique take on asymmetrical multiplayer, making players genuinely feel how the actions of others shape the experience, just as their own choices influence the journeys of future players. Its charming visuals also perfectly sell the Waterworld-inspired aesthetic. Unfortunately, the experience is dragged down by an unremarkable overarching objective and gameplay that lacks any real depth.

The Shore delivers a succinct Lovecraftian tale while still managing to provide a satisfying experience. Its haunting, imposing vistas and well-designed monsters do justice to the Cthulhu Mythos. Unfortunately, the gameplay feels overly basic, both in its action and puzzle design.

The End of the Sun is a sincere indie game which shows the love of its developers in delivering an authentic Slavic fable, with a well written and unique story. However, its gameplay falls completely flat and the excessive backtracking becomes quickly tiresome.

Little Nightmares proves to be a great match for VR, translating its dark aesthetic excellently into the format. It’s a very faithful entry that doesn’t try to innovate or offer many surprises compared to the previous games, and its short runtime of around three hours may disappoint some players. Nevertheless, VR immersion greatly enhances the experience and brings its world to life.

Another year, another MotoGP title that refuses to take any significant steps toward improving the experience. The graphics feel more obsolete with each annual release, while the content remains limited. The physics engine is still excellent, but it’s no longer enough to compensate for the lack of meaningful progress.

The second season of The Dark Pictures Anthology begins with a strong premise, sending players into space with clear inspirations from The Thing and Alien. Directive 8020 is yet another example of Supermassive Games reaching the limits of what this anthology format can offer, with the production’s budget constraints becoming increasingly apparent. Despite that, it delivers an effective horror story with well-written characters and impressive lighting effects. However, it stays a little too close to its inspirations and struggles to establish a truly unique identity. The stealth segments also feel overused and would have benefited from being shortened or replaced with interactive cutscenes.

Ground Zero offers a generous amount of content, with large maps and plenty of replay value. However, it often leans toward quantity over quality. While the level design is solid, movement feels clunky and oddly favors tank controls over modern ones. On top of that, its puzzles, enemies, and setting play things too safe, relying heavily on nostalgia.

Invincible VS does justice to the visual identity of the comic and TV show, something fans will definitely appreciate. Its alternate take on the story is also intriguing, even if it’s on the short sied at around two hours. That said, the pacing of the fights feels slower than expected, particularly with its tag-team mechanics, and some unusual changes to established genre mechanics end up feeling unnecessary and offer little benefit.

The Occultist is largely focused on building a series of atmospheric, Lovecraftian-inspired stages, and it succeeds in delivering a visually engaging aesthetic. The experience is supported by simple yet satisfying environmental puzzles. However, its storytelling feels bland, the voice acting is subpar in many cases, and the stalker-type enemies should have been removed entirely.

If nothing else, Replaced is a stunning pixel-art game set in a cyberpunk world. The developers clearly have a talent for crafting vibrant environments and detailed animations through the pixel-art style. Overall, it keeps you hooked with its exciting, if somewhat simplistic, combat and strong forward momentum. If only it didn’t rely so heavily on repetitive actions, like constant box pushing and unnecessary backtracking.

OPUS: Prism Peak tells a deeply personal story with genuinely earned emotional moments. It offers a unique take on the midlife crisis, filtering it through a magical prism that many older players will likely find relatable. However, it’s held back by an unnecessarily complicated notebook system and an overreliance on photography as a gameplay mechanic, which somewhat undermines the idea of the protagonist using an analogue camera.

Xenonauts 2 is a highly competent, albeit unofficial, successor to the original XCOM. Its old-school aesthetic may be an acquired taste, but fans of this niche genre will find a deep and challenging experience, both in base management and in combat, that is highly rewarding and benefits thoughtful tactical thinking.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss certainly nails its Lovecraftian atmosphere, especially in some truly daunting set pieces. Its environmental puzzles are also well implemented, offering a high level of challenge that fans of the genre will appreciate. If only the story lived up to the same standard.

As far as transitions from 2D to 3D go, the new Super Meat Boy proves that this is not inherently an improvement. Although there is a decent variety of levels, its serious lack of depth perception results in gameplay where you struggle more with the controls than with the level design itself. The bland visuals don’t help either.

Saros is a triumphant successor to Returnal, delivering an outstanding sci-fi experience. Its excellent visuals bring the planet Carcosa to life, while its fast, fluid combat remains consistently satisfying. Special praise should be given to the meticulously crafted audio, with an eclectic soundtrack and impactful sound design. Moreover, Housemarque demonstrates a clear evolution over its predecessor, refining an already memorable formula into one of the strongest experiences in the Sony Studios lineup.

There are myriad ways to customize the Miis and shape their lives through a variety of humorous situations. However, the game moves at a very slow pace, which proves to be its biggest drawback, as players are often left simply waiting for something to happen.