Blasphemous 2 has an excellent world shaping, combat system and level design that come together to create this impressive and unique experience. It does take the lessons learnt from the previous game and delivers an excellent result.

Control is Remedy's most ambitious game in recent years. The storytelling is as attractive as usual, and other parts of the game such as combat, exploring, collecting, and skills are much improved compared with Quantum Break.

Accessible yet full of mystery, Isles of Sea and Sky is undoubtedly a retro gem that puzzle fans shouldn't miss. The game's puzzles allow you to fully enjoy the thrill of experimentation, while the constant introduction of new mechanics keeps the experience varied. The open-world design is full of incentives, motivating you to keep trying new puzzles. One potential drawback, however, is that the pacing of the game can be somewhat compromised when certain Metroidvania-style abilities are combined with weaker guidance elements.

In terms of creativity, story and integration of narrative and gameplay, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is truly unique. Even after more than a decade, there's still no game that can be considered a replacement.

Dark Devotion is a well-crafted 2D souls-like action game. The combat system is solid, and the 2D open world is impressive as well.

Pokemon Scarle and Violett for the series blew a wind of change. It broke the Pokemon series used for more than 20 years of linear design. But it still reflects the low technical ability of the GameFreak. It's far from a good game, but it's still the most fun Pokemon game on Switch today, enough to make me look forward to the next generation.

Pokemon Scarle and Violett for the series blew a wind of change. It broke the Pokemon series used for more than 20 years of linear design. But it still reflects the low technical ability of the GameFreak. It's far from a good game, but it's still the most fun Pokemon game on Switch today, enough to make me look forward to the next generation.

Samurai Showdown is a unique FTG which has few combos. But only using fists and swords is not boring at all. On the contrary, it is fast-paced and fun to play. I am glad that SNK brought this old-school FTG to the current-gen platforms.

As a 4X game, Age of Wonders: planetfall may not as perfect as Civ series, but it stands out in terms of the combat system and fantastic sci-fi settings.

Mario Tennis Aces is a thrillingly magic tennis game which feels like a combat game because of the energy gauge management and K.O. rule. Its features are easy to learn but hard to master, and it's friendly to both newcomers and experienced players. What's more, it's extremely fun when you play with friends. The biggest issue of the game is that it's lacking in the variety of multiplayer gameplay while the Online Tournament is the only valuable multiplayer mode. What's more, the competition might be too intense for newcomers.

For the first time, there is a game that focus on a special time before the three kingdoms, it's another forgettable yet crucial history. This DLC reveals the falling of Han dynasty for whoever interested in digging deep in the history.

Compared with the elite Spartan, although the adventures written by ODST in mortal bodies are a bit less legendary, there are more human emotions that players can resonate in the game.

A Plague Tale: Requiem tells a thrilling and bizarre tale of a plague through bold performances and stunning scenes. But its lack of important gameplay such as combat and puzzle solving, the work has not reached a higher level in my mind.

Avowed is a solid title, though its appearance leans towards the conventional. It doesn't introduce particularly innovative mechanics or standout concepts, but it consistently delivers quality gameplay across all aspects-story, combat, and exploration-ranging from decent to excellent, without any major flaws. If you're a fan of traditional sword-and-magic (with a hint of firearms) settings, immersive storytelling, and the freedom to shape your own destiny, particularly in the style of Obsidian's atmospheric narratives, Avowed is definitely worth a look.

INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road benefits enormously from its abundance of modes and sheer volume of content, and the unfinished pieces still in progress even add a sense of future promise. But each mode shows its cracks once you spend enough time with it, and the core mechanics may not have the depth needed to keep players engaged after dozens of hours.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a fantastic remastered game that's greatly enhanced in terms of graphics, UI, and gameplay.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II takes another step forward on its unique path. It can be seen as an enhanced version of the original, with many of its life-simulation designs still providing a strong sense of immersion. The game offers plenty of freedom, allowing you to approach tasks in different ways. The swordplay system remains the main source of enjoyment throughout the game. However, the lack of clear direction in many quests, combined with some frustrating design choices, can be a challenge for players trying to get into the game and truly appreciate it.

In a despairing atmosphere, the story of The Banner Saga finally meets its end. Your choice matters, and every move of the battle matters, so choose carefully. It has some issues in some ways, but overall, The Banner Saga has become an important part of the SLG family, with its very unique art style and strategy design.

The beautiful sightseeing, intense samurai combat, and fascinating side-missions of Ghost of Tsushima are appealing for me. But the dull and repetitive open-world makes the exploration experience boring.

With rich content, exquisite details and a unique detective theme, Fate seeker 2 creates a back-to-basics experience. In the game, you can experience the high degree of freedom of old martial arts games, feel the immersive experience through the large amount of quests and interactive elements in CRPGs, and become a detective in the investigation and questioning sessions.

Once you've played Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake, it becomes clear why the original is still regarded as the series' finest entry. After receiving modern updates, this already classic story reaches new heights in atmosphere and immersion, while the multiple playthrough and multiple ending structure, combined with the chapter select feature, allows players to gain a deeper understanding of the narrative with as little repetition as possible.

For fans of Japanese RPGs, the changes and trade offs in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection are largely welcome. Its combat and progression systems offer impressive depth and strategy, making the moment you finally overcome a powerful enemy feel especially rewarding. At the same time, its fairly straightforward story and solid world exploration keep the experience relaxed and enjoyable as you go about stealing eggs and completing quests.

Moncage tells an unforgettable story with creative "optical illusion" splicing and artistic narrative. In the exquisitely designed world of cubes, the change of color tone and angle adds a lot of fancy to the splicing. Instead of using words, the game lets the narrative do its work with the layout of the scene, the interaction of objects and the photos scattered in the corners. When players are getting closer to the truth, they will find that the gameplay has been further expanded, and the final true ending is even more impressive.

Whether you like it or not, Ace Combat 7 is the only choice you have if you want to play an air-battle game these years. And frankly speaking, it does a good job, although some shortcomings should have been avoided.

While Fate Seeker stayed on a steady course within the traditional wuxia open-world genre, Fate Seeker 2 undoubtedly takes a more unconventional approach. The smooth 4K graphics on PS5 and a more immersive gameplay atmosphere provide an opportunity to rediscover Fate Seeker 2. After all, in recent years, it might be considered one of the best wuxia games out there.

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is the pinnacle of the series and possibly one of the best Atelier games ever made. Its revolutionary open-world changes not only greatly improve the core gameplay experience, but also fill in the previously empty spaces of the game. The alchemy system in this game has also gained greater freedom due to the open world and key system. If you are a veteran of the series, you can easily skip the early game tutorial. New players can also gradually experience the joy of progressing and becoming stronger through the alchemy process.

The Medium is one of the best quality horror games in recent years. This game learns many essences of "Silent Hill", and tells a suspenseful story with its own pace.

Lords of the Fallen is probably the closest game to the Dark Souls series. Its unique world-switching mechanic, resurrection upon death, and bonfire-building features show the development team's deep understanding of Souls game design.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma might just mark a fresh new beginning for the series. While it doesn't break much new ground, it approaches farming, building, management, and romance with genuine care and delivers each of them as well as it possibly can.

For JRPG fans, Persona 3 Reload is a great way to start the year. It has more independent episodes in the story than the original and uses more cinematic scenes with lots of CGs. The new daily activities on the artificial island and other improvements make the 70-80 hours of school life more enjoyable and well thought out. Although the Tartarus dungeon is much better than before, it is still too close to the original game, which means that its repetitive nature remains.

Sultan's Game is an irreplaceable gaming experience defined by its rich content, high degree of freedom, and remarkably nuanced storytelling that can fully immerse the right player.

Diablo II: Resurrected is as awesome as ever, and that's enough.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is remarkably hard to fault, to the point where it feels like a blueprint for what a modern Dragon Quest should be. The story has been significantly streamlined, with many narrative beats rewritten more coherently, allowing an already solid tale to feel refreshed. Meanwhile, its combat and world exploration benefit from extensive quality-of-life improvements, adding a wealth of convenient features that make the overall experience notably comfortable to play.

Excellent pixel art, profound plot and deep story background, as well as the complementation of puzzle solving and combat, make Eastward an excellent work worth experiencing.

Valorant doesn't stand out in terms of heroes, maps, or gameplay details but perfectly melds the best part of CS: GO and other tactical shooters together.

Yuppie Psycho tells a thrilling career adventure story with a strong sense of mystery and it keeps me engaged all the time.

There is no doubt that Kingdom Hearts III will make long term fans moved or even cry. As for those new to the franchise, I believe they also can be satisfied because of tons of classic Disney elements and solid combat system, even though they could barely understand the main story.

Tales of Arise achieved steady progress under the traditional JRPG framework. With a solid plot and refreshing battle, a very good JRPG experience has been created for players. Although the overall quality is very high, the game still has some problems in character creation and story logic, which prevents it from reaching the peak of the JRPG category.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian follows the series’ established path while refining systems that were already well-received in past entries. Its combat and alchemy are among the stronger aspects of the series, and though exploration feels fairly standard, details like the tracking function noticeably improve the experience. For longtime fans, the chance to reunite with many familiar faces may be its greatest strength.

Hitman 3 is slow and intriguing. Its real interesting point is the enchanting sense of substitution, and the stealth gameplay method is amazing.

There is no doubt that Sid Meier's Civilization: Rise and Fall is much more complete than the original version, and you can map out a lot of new strategies that could be interesting or crazy. I already can't stand playing Civ 6 without the DLC now.

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion builds on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge with a more modernized approach, ultimately delivering strong combat feel and smooth, responsive action. But relying so heavily on well-worn, proven design also caps its ceiling, keeping it from ever reaching a truly impressive high.

Football Manager 2021 fully retains the soul of this franchise with a history of more than 20 years, which only develops gradually in some details. It is not suitable for all players, and even many players who love football will be dismissed. Only those who really want to become hardcore football fans are willing to patiently study and fall in love with this game.

Before you buy Dirt Rally 2.0, ask yourself: do you have the faith to conquer this tough game? If not, this game might not suit you. It's only prepared for those who love challenges.

Hunt: Showdown has a level of complexity that surpasses many other titles, allowing it to excel in areas such as tactics and gunplay.

The Blancpain Championship helps build more professional feelings to this race simulator. The overall physics, driving experience and AI are way more better than its predecessor.

If you don't have a PS4 or just want to enjoy the game on PC with better graphics, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition would be perfect for you.

If you enjoyed Lies of P, then you'll likely be glad to return to Krat in Overture —to wield new weapons, and face tougher enemies and bosses. The many refinements to the game's details also help make this return journey a much smoother ride.

Watch Dogs: Legion is the most ambitious and innovative installment in the franchise. You can play as anyone and finish your job in any way. The open-world of future London is so beautiful and so well-crafted that I always can find something interesting to do.

The reboot of Forza Motorsport has been a success. Its extensive support options and accessibility settings make it perhaps the most suitable racing game for beginners. The changes to the gameplay and rules also make for a more realistic racing experience. Unfortunately, this long-awaited six-year wait has failed to fully showcase its highlights.

As a multi-player co-op game, Rescue Party: Live! is outstanding in many ways. However, the obstacles in optimization and communication will still trouble some players. If one or several players will play it with you, this game is still an excellent option for you.

Overall Doom Eternal looks gorgeous, shoots sweetly and contains tremendous fun when played against other bloodthirsty players. But it still lacks some polish on its multiplayer gameplay content.

Luigi's Mansion 3 is a solid sequel with tons of well-crafted puzzles. It's fun to explore and fighting with bosses is both exciting and tricky.

Marvel's Spider-Man has some issues in some ways, but overall, it might be the greatest superhero game since Infamous: Second Son and Batman: Arkham Knight.

When Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is now available on Steam in its final form, this work is still fun after ten years and has a unique charm that can make you forget the heat outside your window.

Tetris Effect is a well-designed new generation Tetris game with gorgeous visuals. It would be even greater if it were to include any multiplayer features.

Al tough I found some surprise when I played with Labo VR, it still didn't make VR more interesting, and VR still can't make Labo's mini games more playable. Just like the previous Labos, building those toys is the only time that I felt happy. But for the kids, I think it's enough.

Dave the Diver is a game with a distinctive style that demonstrates the potential of the medium with its comprehensive and varied gameplay. While the late-game mechanics may feel repetitive in the full version, the enjoyable fishing experience for the first ten hours makes it worth the price of admission.

Dragon's Dogma 2 might divide opinions, but its originality and dedication are captivating for those who get into it. Its open world, where you walk with talking pawns guiding you, offers a unique sense of being there. These features and the detailed map encourage you to make your own fantasy tale. Combat is key to the adventure, with many job options making fights diverse from beginning to end.

Rise of the Ronin is undoubtedly Team Ninja's most ambitious, detailed and mature work to date. With its rich maps, compelling storyline and exhilarating combat, it creates an unforgettable tale of the Bakumatsu period. As Team Ninja explores new design concepts, this is definitely a title not to be missed by Team Ninja fans.

Hollow Knight: Silksong may well become a landmark, but its uncompromising design has led to polarized reactions among players. Rather than undermining its significance, this contrast only makes it feel more authentic, more complete, and ultimately more memorable.

SIFU has quite a few highlights in scene style and action design, and its hardcore combat lets you know the true meaning of talented pupils are trained by strict masters. The "easy-to-die" gameplay is extremely merciless to the player, and only through blood and sweat can you transcend. All this, of course, comes at the cost of deterring many players from the game.

It is pretty obvious that AoE II definitive edition shows more respect to players than the HD edition. Even though new AI still has some logical problem, the new contents and multiplayer lobby are interesting, and the upgraded graphic textures look impressive with 4K resolution. You will find both memories and future here.

No doubt, comparing to the prequel, Trials Rising has a huge leap on both map design and gameplay. In the Trials Rising, you will have plenty of new stuff to try, such as the tandem mode. But still, we found some technique issues and network lags in it too.

Football Manager 2024 may look a little like its predecessor, but it's only when you get hands-on with it that you realise how the changes it has made to various aspects of the game have completely changed the world of football.

Observation tells a thrilling sci-fi story that keeps me engaged all the time. I strongly recommend this game to everyone who loves science fictions.

Kotaro Uchikoshi continues his style in AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative, which is also one of the best AVG games of the year. It uses a dual narrative thread to create two worlds that are six years apart, yet closely connected, and gives the players enough surprises with a super plot twist at the end. The renovation of the investigation mechanism and the increase in pseudoscience content make this game seem more "detective style". Excellent characterizations, as well as a large number of interesting memes, all give the players a different type of emotional experience. The addition of more mini-games also brings a lot of different kinds of fun to the game. Unfortunately, the connection between the two protagonists in this game is too weak. In addition, the new protagonist Ryuki seems to be difficult to attract the attention of the players. Moreover, this game ends too hastily, failing to push the player's experience to a climax at last. This makes this game a little short of a masterpiece, unable to stand out among the many excellent works of Kotaro Uchikoshi.

The first look of Gorogoa might remind you the gameplay of Framed and Monument Valley, but once you get into this game, you will find Gorogoa provides a special experience, using a mass of creative interacting logic that is different from any other games. Even the most hardcore puzzle gamers can be moved by this great work.

With a focus on extreme sports, Ubisoft has created a huge open, free paradise that allows players of all levels to enjoy the fun of extreme sports itself - it's safe to say that Riders Republic has indeed created a "utopia" for the fans of extreme sports.

Deathloop offers well-designed stealth levels under the core gameplay of Roguelike. At the same time, the variety of weapons and special powers also support the exciting combat. Julianna's "invasion" adds the uncertainty of the game, but may also spoil the player's experience.

Assassin's Creed Shadows carries the weight of both immense expectations and deep skepticism, yet it ultimately takes the safest route. It neither embraces true innovation nor fully sheds the shadow of its predecessors. Its flat open-world formula, recycled mission structure, and reluctance to break free of its established framework make it difficult to see this as a meaningful step forward for the franchise. Still, while Ubisoft's recent track record has been mixed, Assassin's Creed Shadows proves that they still have what it takes to deliver large-scale, high-quality titles. Evolution takes time, and perhaps laying a stable foundation before making bold leaps is the more pragmatic approach.

Two Point Museum proves that Two Point Studios has found a formula that is both replicable and refreshingly unique. By selecting a new theme for each installment while retaining the core gameplay, they manage to bring just enough new twists to keep things interesting, offering a steady but limited stream of delightful surprises.

Gears Tactics delivers a very deep dimension of strategy while maintaining the wild style of the Gears series. It keeps me engaged for multiple hours. But at the end of the day, repetitive missions make me feel bored.

The Xbox version of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition retains all of the game's content while making huge changes to the operating system and user interface. These changes have greatly reduced the startup threshold and improved the game experience. It is not only a very successful version, but also an excellent answer to the "can console play RTS" question.

OPUS: Prism Peak is a work that offers strength to those at a low point. It shows a strong understanding of a Ghibli-like visual style, with a carefully polished structure, and its photography mechanics blend seamlessly with the narrative to create a smooth, film-like and comforting experience.

Despite the story of Darksider Genesis is pretty mediocre, the combat system and puzzle-solving design are impressive. With a beautiful Diablo-like aesthetic, it also presents us a fascinating world.

Whether you're chasing pure sensory gratification or curious about the cutting edge of Balatro-likes, RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike is a solid pick. Its core mechanics are finely tuned, making it an excellent choice for players seeking a relaxing, satisfying sense of numerical escalation. That said, once the initial novelty wears off, the repetition between runs becomes difficult to ignore.

As an innovative work, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One still has some problems, but it doesn't have much to criticize in terms of overall gameplay and storyline. In the category of "Detective and Mystery Solving", such a game is rare for the players today.

Stray is a short and sweet game, with a unique and immersive adventure from a cat's point of view under a beautiful cyberpunk vision. The story of this lonely city and stray cats will linger on.

If you've been too timid to play horror games but have been looking for a chance to experience it once, Fatal Frame:Maiden of BlackWater might be a good choice. Sexy characters, wonderful plots, unique combat system, and an excellent Japanese-style psychological horror atmosphere make this work unique in the field of horror games.

If you were once hooked on the SHINOBI series or enjoy challenging side-scrolling action games focused on combat and difficult platforming, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance delivers a nostalgic thrill that's enough to overlook its rough design.

Questions like how to reconcile with oneself, how to pursue personal growth, and how to decide the fate of different versions of "you" lie at the heart of The Alters - and they are exactly the kind of existential territory 11 bit studios excels at exploring.

tERRORbane is a creative meta game where bugs are no longer annoying, they are cooked with care and served as a main course. Different from traditional games, the joy brought by tERRORbane comes from the absurd and humorous ideas of the producers.

Acting as a monster and hunting human beings are exciting. Carrion definitely worth trying if you are interested in the reverse-horror games.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was expected to be a grand finale for Kazuma Kiryu, but it didn't deliver a satisfying ending. Even with improved combat, new minigames, and a Hawaiian setting, the story doesn't live up to expectations.

Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a canon installment in the Final Fantasy franchise, but with the shell of Nioh. Its map, process and task modeling have clearly borrowed from Nioh, but it still seamlessly maintains the career and combat systems of the Final Fantasy tradition, which brings us a core gameplay style markedly distinguished from Nioh. The moderate death penalty and abundant skills make the exploring process less "painful". Similar to Nioh, however, the gaming experience after you have cleared the main story is a repetitious process of killing mob and collecting loots and does not feel like a hard-core action game. The game's graphics are unremarkable and its optimization has certain problems, but these do not significantly impact the gaming experience. The game is set in the world background of Final Fantasy 1 and integrates the elements of the previous installments of the Final Fantasy franchise, so its design will feel quite nostalgic to the die-hard fans of the franchise.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an enjoyable adventure game, but it has some flaws in the combat system. The gameplay and system design are based on mature industry standards, with platforming, exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving all present and tightly interconnected. However, the game's performance issues result in a significant gap between what players expect and what they experience during the game.

After the predecessor set up a huge sale with the beauty of Rysa, this sequel did not intend to make quick money or be perfunctory. The more interesting gameplay design has brought me a lot of different experiences. The process of collecting clues in the maze and piecing together the grand story behind the ruins made me addicted to it.

South of the Circle uses a unique narrative style and a very artistic way to tell a story about the Cold War that is good for us to savor.

Two Point Campus keeps the playful style of Two Point Hospital while making enough new changes to the gameplay. It is not the best simulation game, but certainly the one with a unique vibe.

Final battle makes one small but solid step from AOT 2. The performance on PS4 is poor, nonetheless, it is still worth spending some time for AOT and anime game lovers.

From many perspectives, Ashen reminds me of Dark Souls series, such as the combat systems, game settings and the story design. It does have some unique thoughts, like the AI teammate, but overall it doesn't make its own characteristics.

After nearly two years of updates, V Rising has evolved into a content-rich survival builder. It not only faithfully recreates the various characteristics of vampires in its gameplay, but also creates a unique combat experience, making it a remarkably solid survival building game.

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves almost perfectly distills the essence of classic SNK fighting philosophy into a modern framework. REV moves, SPG health bars, the Heat system, feints, cancels, multi-line combat - these hallmarks have been faithfully carried forward. However, its high skill ceiling and a streamlined design that paradoxically makes it harder to grasp the core mechanics mean this isn't a game that just anyone can pick up and enjoy effortlessly.

Whether you're a seasoned gamer who enjoys fast-paced shooting games like Doom, or a newcomer drawn to the Warhammer 40K IP, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is sure to deliver an exhilarating shoot 'em up experience.

As an open-world game, Starlink lacks of creation, which probably reminds you some former Ubisoft games. But still, it has great combat experience, and allows you to explore different planets with your starship. So if you are a fan of space theme, Starlink is obviously a good choice for you.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II remains a maverick in the gaming world. While its gameplay has not evolved from the first game, it has expanded on the aspects that set it apart from mainstream games: more realistic graphics, more moving performances, and an even more immersive depiction of psychosis that resonates deeply with players. This interactive film style game is very niche and I don't think everyone will appreciate it. However, there must be creators who make such games, and these games must exist. They allow those who live in a different reality every day to be seen and understood by more people.

As a Warhammer 40K game featuring the Space Marines as protagonists, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 excels in both detail and visual impact, catering perfectly to the tastes of 40K fans. Additionally, it inherits the refined gameplay mechanics from World War Z, making this game impressive not only in its quality but also in its faithful representation of the Warhammer 40K universe.