A noticeable upgrade from its predecessor, King of Fighters 15 provides another classic SNK experience with some added changes that make the game feel new without making it feel drastically different. It’s a safe move, sure, but it preserves what makes the game such a classic arcade experience and still manages to provide newcomers something to help them ease into the technicality the series is known for.

Total War: Warhammer 3 is the crowning achievement of the trilogy, and a game that will likely stay with us for years to come. It’s certainly not the end of the franchise, and even if it is the last entry in the sub-series, the conclusion couldn’t have been better.

Horizon Forbidden West is a treasure trove of exploration and has everything the first one had but further expands and improves on it to give fans a more robust experience. Slight tweaks to combat make it more varied, dungeons feature even more puzzles to solve, and its riveting story keeps you hooked until the end. Its somewhat of a cliffhanger ending will leave fans wanting more, but suffice it to say, this is a must-play for any PS5 owner.

Lost Ark is a beautiful and engaging MMORPG, which is surprising considering the game has been on the market for over three years already. Fans of the genre will enjoy all the staples that the genre has become known for, but for others, the repetitive combat and linear quests can bog down the experience somewhat. But overall, while it may not exceed any expectations, Lost Ark does set a standard for what modern MMORPGs should strive for.

Know by heart feels personal, that’s for sure. Ice-Pick Lodge told us an interesting story, set in an even more interesting place and time. I just wish they built an interesting game around it as well.

FFXIV is currently the best MMORPG available. The main reason is because it’s RPG first, MMO second. The story isn’t just an afterthought, but an integral part of the experience, and everything else revolves around the tale of the Warrior of Light. It’s logical, well-planned, and presented with great, voiced (or not) cut-scenes.

Replaying the same level over and over again to grind out XP you need to advance isn’t a challenge, it’s poor design. Randomly making your enemies invincible to spice up the difficulty isn’t a challenge, it’s poor design. I could go on, but I think this review is becoming like one of Sifu’s levels – endlessly repeating itself.

Pokemon Legends Arceus outshines the open-world concept of Sword and Shield and revisits the natural elements of the series and their environment first introduced in Pokemon Snap. Not everyone will appreciate the departure from the main series, however, and the lack of battles, missing multiplayer, and small number of Pokemon make for a very different experience that leaves you wanting more. The ideas and potential are definitely there, and if this is just a small sampling of what Game Freak can do with the series — we can’t wait for more.

Dying Light 2 takes the same survival horror route as the original but improves everything that made the first game so much fun in the first place by breathing life into its world, characters, and narrative. Its RPG elements and dialogue options are a noticeable upgrade and give weight to your decisions, even though they may not always be that impactful. Its greatest strength lies in how it reinvents the idea of survival in a zombie apocalypse. And that makes for a frighteningly good time.

Monster Hunter Rise remains a stellar title on the PC, hardly losing any ground from the greatness it already achieved earlier this year on the Nintendo Switch. The game looks better than ever now that powerful hardware improves the graphics, giving everything from the monsters to the environments a nice polish. Unfortunately, however, the new format doesn’t always take the various kinds of players into account. Veteran players will likely grow tired of skipping through the tutorials again, and any player not set up with the right controls will be missing out somewhat. Anyone who has been patient enough to wait, or doesn’t own a Nintendo Switch, will be happy to have an overall superior version.

A step backwards from what was an enjoyable experience with Outbreak. At least then your operators fitted into the rough categories of soldier, medic, or heavy. Extraction is a mess by comparison, with operator abilities, gadgets, and guns never coalescing into something that makes any real sense gameplay-wise. The whole thing is a missed opportunity.

A great game, and a really good port. Rejoice, PC gamers, because you can now play one of the best games of previous generation (and according to some, ever) on your fancy, high-speed drives. 2022 couldn't have started better for you.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC is the same great game known from consoles, reviving the spirit of the original from 1997... But which, at the same time, suffers from bad decisions of the developers who chose to ignore the specifics of the PC platform, while charging quite a prohibitive sum for it. This simply shouldn't be happening.

It has some shaky moments, but Halo Infinite ditches the numbered installments and offers us a familiar, yet fresh take on the series. Its open-world setting serves as a foundation for what’s to come, and its story plants the seeds of future conflicts that will need resolution. It has elements in its campaign and online modes that for sure could be refined, but its emotional evolution, combat fluidity, and ever-addictive multiplayer are sure to please veterans and newcomers alike.

Chorus is a very fun and satisfying space combat adventure. The controls are smooth and forgiving while the combat is fast-paced and engaging. Where Chorus unfortunately falters is an over-centralization on the dark and dramatic main story that can often leave little room for the player to insert themselves into the place of the main character or make choices that feel impactful to the surrounding world.

When your squad is working together, Battlefield 2042 feels amazing. If you go at it alone or if your team ditches you along the way, the game feels too big to make you feel like you’re making an impact. As impressive as it looks, this shooter needs some love to polish off its rough edges and it needs a dedicated community of players to help its Portal mode achieve its true potential.

Hammerting has grown a lot since its time on Early Access and recently got some updates prior to its release. Yet while it has all the makings of an engaging sim, a handful of glitches and odd gameplay choices mar its potential. Right now, the game is sure to give you hours of colony-building fun, but it needs more fine-tuning for it to feel truly fulfilling.

There are a lot of great qualities of Shin Megami Tensei V that make it one of the best RPGs on the Switch by far. Its intricate battle system, fun demon fusion mechanics, and enhanced presentation will lure fans and newcomers alike but its pacing, difficulty, and lack of a gripping story may make you put down the game for a bit before picking it back up. It’s a game that needs to be savored slowly to fully taste its potential. Otherwise it may leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

The second entry in the Blue Reflection series, Blue Reflection: Second Light, is great for anyone looking for a casual RPG. The combat can be slow and repetitive, and the fanservice certainly leaves a uncomfortable feeling hanging over much of the game, but underneath all that is a solid RPG with a captivating mystery at its center.

So, is there any reason to play Bright Memory: Infinite? Unless you’re curious about what can a single person achieve in the video games industry (at least in terms of development alone; Zeng Xiancheng had help from the publisher, composer, etc.) – there isn’t. Otherwise, you should pick any other shooter, especially Shadow Warrior, if mixing guns and swords sounds good to you.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is built like a rollercoaster so you have your highs, your lows, and moments that flatline. There’s no question its three modes are fun to play and offer fans enough content to keep them busy for some time, but this is Call of Duty, after all. Until Activision does something completely different with the series, don’t expect it to feel too different each year.

While Forza Horizon 5 launches with a score of "only" 9.0, it has potential for even more. All Playground Games have to do is to eliminate bugs and bring back some missing cars, which could be done in a few months, with several updates. What about a perfect 10/10? It would require a multitude of further improvements to AI and physics. But perhaps Forza Horizon 6 will achieve that. I surely hope so, as this would give us the perfect racing game.

With a solid script, robust soundtrack, and plethora of expertly delivered lines, it’s obvious a lot of care was put into making Guardians of the Galaxy feel like you were playing through an interactive movie. Its gameplay choices won’t win any awards, but the magic it makes with its witty lines and casual banter succeed in inviting you into its strange, goofy, and striking world.

Almost every element of the new Age of Empires made me remember how much fun RTS games used to be back in the day. I've played the remastered trilogy in recent years, but Relic's fresh approach has kept me up several nights trying to win potentially impossible battles against three enemies at once. And it's probably that enjoyment and the ability to lose myself in my favorite game that matters most to me.

Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water arrives just in time to celebrate Halloween as well as the series’ 20th anniversary. Unfortunately, a combination of clunky gameplay, impractical character decisions, and overused text exposition hold this game back from where it could be. Using the camera obscura to excorcise ghosts is tense and exciting, and the exploration isn’t half bad, but it’s not enough to tip the scales in the right direction.

At its best, War Mongrels is a smart and challenging RTT game that really exercises your logic skills and makes you take a minute to gather your thoughts before acting on them – otherwise you die. And you will die often as you explore all of its fun features exploit your surroundings and character abilities. Sadly, this RTT game also tends to take advantage of your patience with its messy controls, irksome voice acting, and bugs that can lead to frustrating moments that make you want to stop playing. It’s rewarding when it works in your favor, but its rough edges will surely turn the fun into a struggle.

B4B has so much potential and if it does end up getting the classic versus mode so many L4D fans want so badly then it will end up being a near-perfect game. For the time being, it’s a solid bit of zombie slaying fun that’s a cut above some of the other undead shooting gallery games out there. I just hope Turtle Rock gets the message and brings classic versus mode back from the grave, because the current incarnation of PvP is dead on arrival.

Playing it safe, NHL 22 features a plethora of fun yet all-too familiar online and offline modes that play well and look great. The engine upgrades it received this year and enhanced animations make it one of the best hockey sims out there even though it has the potential to be so much more. Fans of the series will feel some slight improvements, and newcomers will receive a robust package that will keep them busy all throughout the season.