Despite its design flaws and City Trial misses, Kirby Air Riders offers enough substance and charm to make it a game you’ll keep coming back to—whether for quick bursts of fun or to teach your friends something new when they come over.

Dispatch is one of the most charming, engaging, and well-written games of the year. It might be a comedy, but it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects. You must take on the role of a mentor to a team of misfit heroes, all while navigating your own demons, not to mention the actual demon on your team. The character arcs and the team's overall arc are so satisfying and effective. I knew early on that this was a game I would play multiple times to see where different decisions would lead me. AdHoc Studio has instantly made a name for itself with this debut game.

While it suffers from occasional repetition and blandness, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment stands as the best Hyrule Warriors entry to date—and one of the most enjoyable Zelda spinoffs we’ve gotten so far.

For Anno fans, it's a must-have. For new players, this is a great chance to dive into the series - the fascinating ancient Rome setting and the deep mechanics make it totally worth pushing through the initial learning curve. Anno 117: Pax Romana will be consuming my time for weeks, months, maybe even years to come.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is just a small evolution of ideas from the previous installment. It may not be much, but it still allows you to create the Jurassic Park of your dreams. It's a must-have for dinosaur fans, but not necessarily for fans of tycoons and complex economics.

Obsidian’s brilliant use of their flaws system in The Outer Worlds 2 makes it stand out as one of the best examples of how to encourage roleplaying in video games. Playing through this game really felt like I was breaking out of the shell that most other RPGs put me in. The world, its various factions, and characters all enhance this by encouraging you to make your own choices about who to be and what to do. Ultimately, this makes the game well worth your time, but also flawed in its own way, with occasionally frustrating combat, and a serviceable story to follow.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is another bold experiment from Game Freak. It may not fully succeed in building a cohesive, immersive world, but its innovative battle system and exciting new Pokémon make it a fascinating step forward.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a full-blooded action game that delivers plenty of adrenaline from overcoming tough challenges. Even in light of a few missteps, it cannot be denied that PlatinumGames has created a strong representative of a heavily neglected genre.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the team of veteran beat ‘em up developers made another great beat ‘em up game. Absolum evolves the best parts of classic beat ‘em up action and weaves it with an original story, a compelling world, and roguelike elements. This doesn’t seem like a game that should work as well as it does, but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had with a co-op game this year.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a flawed masterpiece. To the right player, it can be one of the greatest games of all time. But that’s only if they are able to look past or easily overcome the grueling, unforgiving challenges that come up regularly. From the world design to the music, characters, and animations, this is a monumental achievement, but had I not been working on this review, I would have given up on Silksong a long time ago. That certainly says something about me as a player, but it also says something about the game, too.

Battlefield 6 may not be a perfect game, but it is definitely the best game in the series in a long time, and it's hard to describe just how good it feels to play Battlefield again.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the team of veteran beat ‘em up developers made another great beat ‘em up game. Absolum evolves the best parts of classic beat ‘em up action and weaves it with an original story, a compelling world, and roguelike elements. This doesn’t seem like a game that should work as well as it does, but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had with a co-op game this year.

In the end Hades 2 is an extremely successful sequel to the cult game. Both the seasoned pros and those new to Supergiant games are going to have a blast with it. Although it's still a roguelike, with all the advantages and disadvantages of the genre, the excellent dialogues and hypnotic music make it worth the effort. The visuals, refined down to the smallest detail, are stunning, and characters such as Dora and Artemis will stay with you long after the game ends. Hades 2 isn't perfect, but it's still ready to take on Clair Obscur, the new Silent Hill, and Silksong.

At its core, Ghost of Yotei is another tale of revenge, but it’s the way it frames that theme—through Atsu’s humanity, the land of Ezo, and the people within it—that makes the experience truly worthwhile.

After many long years, Silent Hill has received its most exceptional installment, reintroducing the series to the Premier League of horror and regaining its reputation as the pinnacle of virtual terror.

Dying Light: The Beast is neither an expansion nor a sequel. However, it is another good opportunity for an extremely spectacular extermination of zombies in a beautiful, open world of reasonable size.

Crossworlds has a really unique concept, combined with an arcade style, great dynamics, and solid gameplay, making it a strong competitor to Nintendo's Mario Kart.

Although Cronos: The New Dawn doesn't revolutionize the genre, fans of survival horror games set in unique settings will be satisfied. A dense atmosphere, a mysterious plot, and a solid dose of anxiety define this new game from Bloober Team.

Hell Is Us makes bold choices: no hand-holding, no maps, no shortcuts. That design philosophy is both its biggest strength and its biggest frustration.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a stunning, faithful remake that beautifully preserves the 2004 classic, but its reluctance to add anything new makes it feel more like a remaster than a reimagining.

Mafia: The Old Country is a solid return to the series’ roots. Despite a few minor flaws, it delivers an engaging story that’s well worth experiencing. The game also packs in plenty of fan-service moments that longtime Mafia fans will definitely appreciate.

Though not without its faults, Hinokami Chronicles 2 is a visually stunning and faithful follow-up that builds on the original with more characters, polished storytelling, and just enough style to keep Demon Slayer fans hooked.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is very exciting and addictive with its fast-paced action and challenging gameplay. I really missed a fun action game with a cool retro pixel-art style like this.

Donkey Kong Bananza blends new ideas with the series’ core DNA to create something that's not only incredibly fun, but hard to put down. It’s not just a great Donkey Kong game—it’s a must-have title, and a reason all on its own to pick up a Switch 2.

If you’re hoping for something that shatters expectations or tells a deeply personal story, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t quite soar—it just glides comfortably in familiar skies.

While Pro Skater 4’s shift away from its open-world structure may disappoint fans of the original, and the soundtrack misses some iconic tracks, there’s no denying Iron Galaxy put in the work to make both games feel cohesive. In the end, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 offers two more chances for players to relive their skating heyday while offering a new generation a piece of history through a modern lens.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a little gem of indie games. It has amazing visuals, cleverly designed levels with challenging gameplay, and the real star of the game is its main character, Hanna.

My time with Everdeep Aurora is an unforgettable experience. This world is full of memorable characters and stunning set pieces. At some point, after you delved deep underground, you’ll realize you need to get back, look up at the winding, chaotic path you’ve made to get here, and discover how this game uses the player’s curiosity and exploration in such a fun way. While it’s not entirely perfect, Everdeep Aurora is a wonderful, short, cozy experience you won’t want to miss.

Sure, it gets weird—sometimes confusingly so—but Death Stranding 2 also delivers a gripping, thoughtful experience full of memorable moments, clever mechanics, and emotional highs. It's strange, beautiful, messy—and it's one of Kojima's best works yet, a truly worthy successor to the original.

Mario Kart World launches the Switch 2 era with style and ambition. With future updates likely on the horizon, World is already a celebration of everything that makes the series great—and a promising look at where it’s headed next.

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die has a well-crafted world, clever mechanics, and satisfying action. While it has its flaws, it’s a game that’s worth your time, whether you’re a fan of the action roguelite genre or not. Between the inventory management and its fascinating exploration of how to explain a roguelite mechanic through the game world, I hope many future titles in the genre are paying attention.

The Alters delivers a gripping, existential survival experience that explores identity, regret, and self-acceptance in a way few games attempt. It's a little longer than it needs to be, but its story, systems, and emotional weight make it hard to forget.

It’s clear that The Fall of Avalon aims for Bethesda-level ambition without the resources to fully back it up. Still, beneath the rough edges lies a rich RPG experience that—when it works—keeps you engaged for hours.

Elden Ring: Nightreign offers a fast-paced gameplay and a return to the kind of raw challenge I’ve come to love in soulslikes. And that’s exactly what I wanted, the more time I spent with Nightreign, the more I found myself enjoying it.

To a T is one of the strangest, most adorable, most heartwarming games I’ve played in a long time. Through all its absurdities, it has a profound message that will stay with you long after you put the controller down. This is a short, delightful experience that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone. It’s nearly impossible to play this game without smiling.

I never could have seen this coming, but it makes sense that such a talented indie studio would make an awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. Fun and challenging battles combine perfectly with a unique tabletop-like art style and an excellent soundtrack, making this game feel like a new side street off memory lane.

RoadCraft is closer to building sims than to being the successor of transporting goods through difficult terrain. Perhaps thanks to this, I really enjoyed playing.

Doom: The Dark Ages is a great game, a fantastic demon slaughter festival, but not exactly the best Doom, excluding visual aspects - at least in my personal opinion. There's too much plot, dialogue, side characters, cut-scenes, too much trying to make this campaign feel like Halo and Call of Duty. On the other hand, such an approach may appeal more to people who are unfamiliar with the beginnings of the series, not emotionally attached to the franchise since the 90s. I would cut out the plot, flying on the dragon, make firearms more effective instead of using parrying, and boost the sound effects. The rest is a great mix of dark fantasy with science fiction and a piece of good, strictly single-player gameplay, just like in the good old days!

Simply put, Sandfall Interactive’s debut game is a masterclass in presentation, storytelling, and gameplay. It’s a game you need to play to experience.

Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy might be the strangest gaming experience I’ve had in a long time. This is a remake of a 1999 first-person point-and-click adventure, and while it vastly improved the visuals of the entire experience, the controls are still stuck in the past.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a very good representative of the genre, but I feel that after a maximum of a few months, I will put it aside. I want something more from a title of this caliber.

Sunderfolk is the debut game from Secret Door and Dreamhaven. It expertly facilitates a TTRPG experience for a group of four players, using phones as controllers. It perfectly balances accessibility and depth, making it easy for new players to jump in and tactical veterans to find a challenge. The few weeks I’ve had Sunderfolk for review have been some of the most fun multiplayer experiences I’ve had in years. I look forward to playing a lot more.

While Tempest Rising may not reinvent the genre, it provides a strong foundation that helps shape it for future iterations.

South of Midnight is a pure mid-budget game that doesn't even try to challenge the biggest launches of the first half of the year, but has enough character and charm to provide about ten hours of decent fun.

With over 60 hours of gameplay, and much more if you aim to complete every mission and uncover every corner of Mira, there's always something to keep you engaged. Despite its narrative shortcomings, it’s a world that’s easy to lose yourself in—whether it’s your first adventure or a return trip.

Combat, stealth, and even exploration could have been handled better, sure, but Atomfall’s themes, atmosphere, and story make for a solid game that lets you forgive some of these issues if you let it.

Split Fiction is another jewel in Hazelight Studio’s ever-growing crown of co-op adventures. This game constantly introduces new mechanics that keep the gameplay fresh, and each new story feels unique, despite continually returning to the same two genres. There are random difficulty spikes that can easily trip up inexperienced players and lead to frustration, but this was some of the most fast-paced, light-hearted fun I’ve had in a long time.

Monster Hunter Wilds is a good new addition to this long-running series. It takes some bold steps, and although not all of them are moving it in the right direction, the overall experience was still satisfactory. Monster Hunter keeps evolving as a series, and Capcom proves once again that they are the best in this genre they created over 20 years ago.

Because of its size and range of missions from serious to stupid, Pirate Yakuzain Hawaii feels like a “Best of” album from past Like a Dragon games. Its odd marriage of pirates and yakuza works and gives you a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously but knows how to impress a crowd.

Avowed is so much more than Obsidian’s take on Skyrim. This game sets the standard for what future Western RPGs should strive for. Nearly every option in combat is worth exploring, the companions are fully fleshed out with backstories that beg to be uncovered, and the anti-imperialist message at the center of the larger narrative is full of thoughtful nuance and intrigue. Obsidian has created a wonderful adventure that I can’t wait to start playing again.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 really improves almost every aspect of its already very good predecessor. Looking at the whole thing more calmly, we of course see the flaws, but it's hard to ignore the enormous amount of effort, passion, and heart put into this project.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive way to experience the game if you haven’t played it already. Its included 3DS modes, levels, and original gameplay offer the best features from its previous two versions in a shiny package so it’s great for first-time players.

Although this may not be a perfect game, it must be honestly said that no one ever expected this from Stalker. The atmosphere, harshness, and unforgettable adventures in the Zone matter - and Stalker 2 has more than enough of that.

At the end of the day, Mario and Luigi: Brothership has plenty of great elements to it that are also trapped behind a game that just wants to take its time and squeeze as much juice out of itself as it can.

Red Dead Redemption is an amazing experience and is one of those games that defined a generation of open-world titles where movie-level storytelling weaved into the action you got to control. The game is sure showing its age with each port that is released but it also gives players that may not have been around back then another chance to explore its world. If you’ve already played it, you won’t miss anything, but if you were looking for an excuse to see what the hype was all about, wait for a sale first.

Farming Simulator 25 is a bit like the latest iPhones – no extravagance, no revolution, a slightly improved, familiar product for regular customers. If you are one of them, you surely already have a pre-order. And if not - there is something to complain about.

Mario Party Jamboree is one of the strongest titles the series has seen in a long time simply because it brings back everything that has made its best-selling games successful and offers you enough new modes, features, and content to keep it feeling fresh and exciting.

Faithfully recreating some of the most famous moments in the series, Sparking Zero is the one Dragon Ball game that offers you tons of content to really enjoy all the aspects of the series. Battles are faster than ever, the roster is huge, and there are even ways you can reinvent or reimagine your own scenarios for your favorite characters to experience. It’s a fighter at its core, but it also offers fans the tools to make it the Dragon Ball game they have always dreamed of.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is simply delightful and is how every top-down Zelda game should feel like. It’s not huge in the scale of Tears of the Kingdom in size or depth, but it still manages to give you plenty of hours of fun, exploration, and wonder that make it an influential entry in the Legend of Zelda series.

11 bit studios’ game should appeal not only to building and planning enthusiasts but also to people who appreciate a serious narrative and a more profound treatment of the factions and characters present in the game. If the campaign isn't enough for us, we have an extra game mode available with fewer restrictions and less hand-holding. Most people will probably find this sufficient for the premiere.

There are games that remind us why we fell in love with video games in the first place. In my opinion, Astro Bot is one of those games. It’s a phenomenally polished title, featuring great audiovisuals and, above all, brilliant gameplay that never gets boring.

Black Myth: Wukong uses the wonderful canvas of Chinese mythology to draw you into its world that is both beautiful and dangerous. Struggling at times to fully tell its story, its narrative mostly gives the game structure while leaving out a lot of detailed substance hoping for you to somehow make it make sense. Sure, the game’s emphasis is combat, but for a soulslike game that looks this beautiful and has so much lore attached to it, you would hope it also spent more time focusing on its story. Its combat offers you plenty of ways to experiment what works for you, but it also offers you enough difficulty to keep you on your toes and adapting to each new situation. These elements make for a game that rewards you with the thrill of a battle and doesn’t punish you too much for making mistakes. While its world is not the easiest to explore or to comprehend, Wukong’s rewards are worth it and make for a thrilling journey of discovery.

While its combat system leaves much to be desired, Dustborn is filled with a variety of fun elements focused on opening up to the people around you that truly helps the game blossom into a powerful experience. Once your trip is over you will definitely miss those you got to know, but you will be thankful you got on the bus in the first place.

Overall, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess stands out as a game that masterfully combines elements from across the video game spectrum. This game manages to be challenging, without being inaccessible.

Ultimately, Flock is a delight for a short non-violent indie game. What I enjoy the most about Flock is how it has the power to change the players' perspective of an environment. Listening to familiar and unfamiliar sounds, and noticing when something seems out of the ordinary, these are skills that will lead to success in Flock. This game teaches players about the power of simple observation and how it can unlock the secrets of a beautifully vibrant world, whether in a game or not.

While it may not be perfect or add more to what the original came with, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD lets those who never had a chance to play it experience it in a whole new light. Its bones may still scream 3DS handheld game, but you can appreciate how much went into making the game shine on Switch. Its updated visuals simply add to the fun gameplay and enticing levels of the original that were and still are a joy to play.

Shadow of the Erdtree is an expansion that perfectly complements Elden Ring, adding new things, but at the same time sticking to the good old developed recipe. For fans of the genre, there is a great reason to return to the game, just to explore the beautifully created world and face the biggest challenge yet.

Despite some of its shortcomings in pacing and lack of new content, Thousand-Year Door does a lot of things right and showcases how good this 20-year old game still is. From its classic turn-based system, complex yet lighthearted themes, and beautifully recreated worlds that make the most out of its papery aesthetic, there is plenty to love about this remake.

Perhaps a more precise description would be to label Senua's Saga: Hellblade II as a bridge that connects walking sims with action games, incorporating the finest elements of both genres. This is probably the best movie you can play in right now.

Heading Out seems like a great start to a game or a series that could continue to expand and get better. It lays the groundwork for some impressive ideas and concepts that racing games don’t usually tackle and offers you a chance to reflect on your own life in a surprising way.

Despite the flawed gameplay, Indika is still a must-play. Or, since it’s more than just a game, is it a “must-experience”? Anyway, you definitely should buy it… but perhaps not immediately after release. Thankfully, Indika’s issues are of the kind that could be removed with updates. I believe Odd Meter will be able to improve controls and level design or at least introduce options to skip the most frustrating parts of the game that don’t really add anything of importance to the story. And when the game is finally patched out, you’re up for an unforgettable cultural roller-coaster.

Stellar Blade is an above-average title. Well-developed, with a captivating story from the first moment, and most importantly engaging due to thoroughly well-planned and competently executed gameplay. The South Korean studio Shift Up performed exceptionally well, and despite my initial skepticism, I ultimately saw it as one of the top games of 2024.

Princess Peach Showtime! only lasts around six hours and a couple more if you want to collect everything. It’s a breeze to get through and doesn’t offer much difficulty beyond collecting all those pesky gems, but it manages to give us a sampling of Peach’s potential as the star of future games. Featuring a good mix of action and relaxation, the game gives you plenty of variety even though it stays within the realm of pleasing a younger audience. Peach’s transformations are simple but give her a whole new range of skills you would never know she had until now. It’s a shame the game ends when it does as certain levels are quite fun and engaging. Considering Mario Odyssey was accessible to all ages but still offered hours of fun and adventure, there is no reason why Peach’s exploits should only be limited to starring roles in make-believe plays.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 will belong to a fairly specific audience. The game requires a significant amount of time to truly enjoy it. You can't simply play it for a moment because you'll feel like you haven't made any progress. At the same time, it's great that such a title appeared – in times when AAA titles are bland and safe a different approach is needed. We needed a game to demonstrate that things can be done differently.

The new Alone in the Dark is just the right game for fans of games full of suspense, who are tired of annoying jump-scares. So if you value the captivating atmosphere over adrenaline surges in similar titles, you will really enjoy this reboot.

All in all, The Thaumaturge is a game I won’t forget anytime soon. I even intend to play it again from the beginning as soon as Polish VO is added – and that’s something I didn’t declare for any title in a very, very long time.

While may stumble at times with balancing the amount of mini-games it throws your way, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth excels in all other areas and feels magnificent when all its pieces click into place.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong may not revolutionize how the series delivers its puzzles, but it does introduce content that elevates it from the original. Newcomers will appreciate the game’s charming and engrossing levels that keep you wanting to solve them all, but if you’ve already played the original you may question if the extra content justifies picking it up again. It’s still a game that kids can easily gravitate to, but its added levels, co-op mode, and revamped presentation makes it a no-brainer even for older gamers looking for a relaxing, not-too-difficult good time.

I didn't wait for Banishers, and I didn't expect the game to be such a pleasant surprise for me. It's a wonderful and quite long adventure, filled with side stories. Banishers is a game haunted by the ghost of satisfaction – satisfaction from good gameplay and a great story. I want more.

From its music to the new battle enhancements to even how certain characters convey more empathy in their line delivery—Reload is a labor of love that modernizes Persona 3 while still retaining the alluring charm of the original.

There really is a lot to love about Tekken 8, and the great thing is how familiar the game still feels while constantly impressing you with everything that’s new and shiny. This is a new generation of Tekken that is sure to keep you hooked for a very long time.

The Prince of Persia returns after a 14-year hiatus. This is a return in glory and splendor, accompanied by the... crackle of broken gamepads. It's almost hard to believe Ubisoft suddenly pulled off such a good game.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora feels powerful when it lets you connect with nature as it offers you something unique only the world of Avatar can show. Once you leave the warmth of its natural beauty behind, what you are left with is just another open-world game with an overworked story of saving the world.

It may not shake things up too much, but the shining force behind Super Mario RPG is that it showcases all the great aspects of the original and now lets a whole new audience enjoy it for themselves.

WarioWare Move It!’s microgames may not all be winners when unresponsive controls get in the way, but its generous catalog of microgames is sure to tickle your funny bone and keep you and your friends entertained for a long time.

I’m afraid it will take at least several weeks until WRC achieves a state where we can call it fully playable. But even then, will it be worth 50 bucks? If you desperately need a new rally game and don’t require a full-fledged simulator, then the answer can be positive. The game has very rich content and a captivating gameplay loop so you can expect dozens of hours of fun. If you haven’t played all the available rally games, then I suggest trying them first.

The exploration and the excitement we get from The Invincible is second perhaps only to its brilliant storyline. The developers come out on top of an extremely difficult task: interpreting an all-time literary classic, staying faithful to its content, introducing precise changes that make it work as a game, and delivering a gripping “walking sim” set on a stunning planet. This truly is one of the greatest games of this year and beyond.

The Talos Principle 2 is a powerful puzzle game that builds on its predecessor and effortlessly takes your mind for a ride.

Alan Wake 2 proves to be worth the wait. This sequel is an upgrade in nearly every way, and while player influence on the story can feel limited at times, the engaging narrative more than compensates. From the challenging, tense combat to the excellent environmental storytelling, Alan Wake 2 will have no trouble hooking players from start to finish.

Paired with the inventiveness of its level design, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a smorgasbord of fun and whimsy that keeps you happy and entertained no matter how old you are.

Ghostrunner 2 is as exciting, hectic, challenging and satisfying as the original. It occasionally fails with some of the new ideas and for certain players, the degree of similarity between the prequel and sequel might be too great to warrant a purchase. However, it still is an incredibly satisfying and pretty slasher.

Cities Skylines 2 offers a myriad of great, all-round, quality-of-life improvements over the prequel. Whereas the game faces technical challenges at launch, it seems well set to become a worthy successor of the original, being much more sleek and accessible as well as bringing a bunch of fun novelties.

It may not reinvent the superhero video game format, but Spider-Man 2 refines what came before and gives us an adventure that carefully balances gameplay and storytelling while keeping us entertained even after the credits roll.

It was a long road for CD Projekt RED from the botched launch of Cyberpunk 2077 to the game it has become with Phantom Liberty – and although the road was bumpy, the light at the end of the tunnel was real after all. The only expansion this game will receive has a fantastic storyline, plenty of feels, entertainment, joy, and technical bells and whistles.

With hundreds of hours of gameplay, various quests to complete, and thousands of planets to survey and explore, Starfield capitalizes on everything that has worked for Bethesda in the past, giving us an experience that feels like a giant leap in greatness.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a great adventure that's fun to be in. I adore this game despite all the potential pitfalls. Its freedom and possibilities really stand out – I think the only game that could rival this RPG would be Fallout: New Vegas.

The TV set melted and the PS4 is a pile of smoking ash after the encounter with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. This game in every respect reminds me of face-melting red-hot metal.

If you ask me whether RIDE 5 is worth buying or not, I’d say (as usual): it depends. If you played all previous games in the series, and still can’t get enough after the last installment, then the answer must be positive. It’s the RIDE you know and love, just more refined than the last time around.