Trek to Yomi is a gorgeous samurai adventure with satisfying 2D action and some unfortunately frustrating quirks.

On the pitch, FIFA 21 remains the best it's ever been, but it's arguably not changed enough for longtime fans in almost any other way.

Broken Lines, a squad-based tactical strategy game has some interesting elements but lacks the polish to stand out.

The games in the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection still hold up, but the remaster falters on bringing new quality of life features and fixing some of the trilogy's more glaring issues.

Meet Your Maker is a highly addictive first-person shooter/base-building hybrid. Its satisfying gameplay loop is cemented by various progression systems, filling that itch of watching bars and numbers go up at a consistent rate. The tools and systems are in place to allow for creative death traps filled with tons of hair-raising moments and satisfying encounters, further enhanced when playing with a friend. In fact, the community has already made expert use of existing content. Unfortunately, creativity can only take that content so far. Before long, deja vu will become this game’s crutch. Meet Your Maker needs significantly more content across the board to become a sustainable community experience.

I had so much fun with Exoprimal, and I’m looking forward to playing more. That being said, it feels a lot like recommending a show to someone where it doesn’t pick up until around 10 episodes in. I believe it’s worth pushing onward until the game opens up more, especially if you’re playing with friends, but I also wouldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to deal with it. There’s a lot of content planned for Exoprimal, including a new mode and new exosuits for the first season. That should make the full price a lot easier to swallow if you’re interested in buying it, although my recommendation is to play it through Xbox Game Pass if you can. It might stumble a bit and naturally carry the uncertainty of a live-service title, but I wouldn’t count this as a mark against Capcom’s recent record. If they manage to support it right with quality content, life will find a way.

All things considered, developer Creatures has done a bang-up job at solidifying Detective Pikachu‘s niche in just two entries. What’s more, the new installment optimizes the signature real-world atmosphere with a clean image on Switch systems. Those looking to explore the world of Pokemon through a new set of eyes will surely appreciate the clever twists and turns of Detective Pikachu Returns, now available to play.

Nexomon: Extinction adds a healthy, welcome dose of RPG style to its story, but can't, or won't, step out from the shadows of its inspirations.

Overall, I can’t fault EA Sports for its efforts with EA FC 24. The developer has taken the bull by the horns and given longtime players of the franchise hope for the first time in a very long time. However, it’s only a slight improvement.

Even though DBZ: Kakarot retells the same story the franchise has been telling for decades, it manages to do so in creative new ways for hardcore anime fans.

Kingdom Hearts 3: Re:Mind rewards its most loyal players with an unrelenting new endgame, new modes, and a more filled-in story.

Watch Dogs: Legion Bloodlines brings familiar faces to new places, and if you can stand the tonal in-fighting, it's a worthwhile, occasionally daring story-driven adventure.

With extremely well-written characters, great quests that keep you busy for 40+ hours, and some smart adjustments for this platform specifically, The Outer Worlds remains a can't-miss experience. If you can play it elsewhere, you should, but if Switch is all you have or all you want, the pictures aren't as pretty, but everything else still shines.

It’s not the best title in the series, and it could have definitely benefited from less padding, but it is a good one, and it’s nice to finally see it in the West.

Lost Judgment is a good follow-up to 2019's excellent Judgment. It's more of the same, but that doesn't matter too much when the core is already great.

Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia offers deep tactics gameplay but the overall execution falls short of greatness.

Atomic Heart does many things well. It capably takes what games like Bioshock did before and puts a unique spin on it. The guns and powers are fun to use, fighting rampaging robots is a blast, and the setting of an alternate-history 1950’s Russia is fresh and interesting. The protagonist, unfortunately, is a deluge of awful dialogue, and the attitudes for female-presenting characters are concerning. Mix in slogging through open-world segments of infinitely respawning enemies, and you have a good game that is a few better choices away from being great.

A short burst of nostalgic cartoon violence, Final Vendetta is uneven but mostly entertaining.

Echo Games' Rhythm Fighter provides a decent, yet ultimately unremarkable roguelike experience. While it offers a lot of the genre's staple mechanics, it doesn't do much with them — Rhythm Fighter often feels like the "lesser version" of something else.

NBA 2K23 delivers a somewhat complete package that starts to feel more like an expansion rather than a major upgrade the further you get into the season.

If Stronghold: Warlords sees a little post-release love from the developers, it could turn into a great stepping stone for the franchise; there are some kinks that need to be ironed out, but it's got a strong base to build off of. If you're a long-term fan of the series or want something a little different with your next RTS, this might be what you're looking for.

Blasphemous 2 is a challenging Souls-like Metroidvania, with a top-notch atmosphere. Unfortunately, it will also challenge your patience, given its confusing plot, intentional vagueness, and repetitive use of the same puzzle platforming mechanics.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection serves up ample old-school gameplay nostalgia, though it’s appeal it limited.

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir does show its age at times, but that’s part of the game’s history and charm. The updated art style and great voice acting only help to make the experience better. The game, as well as its prequel, is an acquired taste, but fans who come into the game with proper expectations will find themselves a fun adventure.

Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind is an engrossing tale that fans of the visual novel and point-and-click adventure genre will enjoy. The updated art style and voice acting add much-needed layers of modernity to the game. It’s a one-and-done experience, though, so manage your expectations accordingly. Regardless, this is definitely one ghostly adventure you won’t want to miss.

Hellbound is a rip-roaring homage to classic Doom that hits almost all of the right notes.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is a welcome addition to the PS4 and PS5, especially since there hasn’t been a VF game in years. Mostly, this remastered release serves to whet our appetites for the prospect of an actual full-on sequel in Virtua Fighter 6, but it’s well worth playing for its pure, responsive fighting.

Frozenheim is a visually attractive and enjoyable Viking-themed city-builder let down by shallow combat and questionable resource management.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a fun little title for fans of Action-RPGs with not much roleplaying to speak of. It’s far from perfect, but with a runtime of 15 to 20 hours, being a pleasant diversion is enough to earn its keep.

Whether you love Italian folklore, architecture, music, or just want to explore a new souls-like, Enotria: The Last Song, is a title you’ll want to pick up. It features easy to pick up combat mechanics, a spin on parrying, and a fully detailed world filled with foes to defeat.

Alone in the Dark (2024) revisits the original 3D Survival Horror with respect for the 1992 game and the games inspired by it.

Windjammers 2 feels less like a sequel and more like a remaster of the original. Despite the new graphic overhaul and increased roster characters, it’s still fundamentally the same game. That’s not a bad thing if you enjoyed the original, but in the end, we can’t help but feel this sequel could have been bolder and opened the game up to something more expansive.

A unique and well-crafted blend of genres with entertaining characters that barely misses the landing for its endgame.

NBA 2K25 delivers an exceptional experience for seasoned players and franchise newcomers. With its updated engines, animations, graphics, sounds, and presentation, the game offers an incredibly realistic experience. However, I recommend that PC players hold onto their consoles for now due to prevalent cheating and poor optimization, which can lead to frustration. Moreover, the absence of crossplay with other platforms significantly limits the player base. Unfortunately, the microtransactions are more aggressive than last year, potentially providing an unfair advantage to those who spend money on online game modes. Despite these challenges, the game's visuals, gameplay realism, and overall enjoyment are truly impressive if you can overlook the downsides.

My overall impressions of Cities Skylines 2 at launch are that it’s a fun game that makes some head-scratching decisions at times. It doesn’t feel like a whole step forward, leaving a lot by the roadside on its journey to 2.0. Invariably, there will be loads of DLC, and modding is coming sometime after launch. This city will grow, just as our old hometown did over time. Though I’m having a lot of fun with Cities Skylines 2 and learning these new city streets, I can’t help but long for my old stomping grounds while playing it. At least right now.

Maneater: Truth Quest might not completely deliver on its irreverence this time around, but being a mega still delights.

The real issues arise as you get further into High on Life, and the game's humor and shooting both start to grow stale. I wish High on Life evolved more and put more complexity into its second half, which is sadly too focused on back-tracking. If you're a fan of Roiland's previous works, you'll likely find a lot to love here, and even if you're not, this a shooter with a unique aesthetic and sense of humor you won't find anywhere else. Just be aware that your hours of fun might come with a healthy dose of frustration.

Pop-quizzing Sphinx aside, the use of riddles and hints to figure out puzzles and object placement is a fun element, and overall Asha in Monster World is a fun old-school trip. There’s a bit too much doggedly vintage design at work here, but this is a remake of an old game. We hope Asha returns in something decidedly more expansive and modern though. With a bit more refinement, she could give Shantae a real challenge.

Liberated is a striking stealth-action comic book come to life, even if it is a little bit derivative.

With Biomutant, the end result is a game that I enjoyed playing, despite the criticisms and score. I burn out fast with most open-world games, but I wanted to explore every corner of this unconventional world, even when it didn’t always give me a good reason to. I don’t think you can call a game bold enough to mix so many influences together safe, but there’s a distinct sense Experiment 101 came close to playing it safe. Whether from budget restraints, time restrictions, or COVID impacts, I don’t know, but Biomutant needs a sequel or DLC to make the most out of the strong foundation already present.

More than anything, Floodland feels like a game that could really benefit from some updates and content changes. As it stands, there's a unique city-builder that fans of the genre will likely enjoy, but it could be one of those games that really turns into something special with the right support.

Chinatown Detective Agency is an engaging point-and-click adventure with gorgeous art direction that falls just a bit short.

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed enhances the look and gameplay of the 2006 classic, but it does not solve some of the game's underlying issues.

Forgive Me Father mixes the tried and true mechanics of classic FPS's with an atmosphere so thick it couldn't be cut through with a hail of bullets.

Monster Energy Supercross 4 is not a Jack of All Trades. It attempts to do many things, but most of them fall flat. However, what it does do well, namely thrilling and authentic motocross racing, it does with complete mastery. This is an occasionally great game that is often mediocre, and a minor upgrade as a sequel.

While its action and exhilarating set pieces shine, Bayonetta 3 ultimately feels like a subpar port of a great action game.

Grid Legends is certainly not a bad racing game and has a lot of redeeming qualities, yet it doesn’t quite live up to the high quality usually associated with Codemasters. Games like Forza Horizon 5 are more fun to play while the likes of F1 2021 and Dirt offer more realistic and challenging gameplay. The introduction of the unpredictable AI is a welcome step in the right direction, as are the improvements made compared to its predecessor. However, Grid Legends can’t shake a poor story mode that bogs down the action and will disappoint those expecting a cohesive and exciting narrative.

A New God is the first DLC for Immortals Fenyx Rising, and it adds some extremely tough new challenges to its endgame, even if it's not as compelling as what's to come.

Soulstice is a completely serviceable action title that contains plenty of thrills and some stellar combat, even if its story and presentation fail to rise above its inspirations. Nothing about Soulstice will redefine the character-action genre, but if you're hungry for a deep and challenging experience, it should fit that need nicely.

Bugsnax is memorable for its writing, world, and creative premise, but its more gamified elements somewhat spoil a delicious meal. Bugsnax isn't the best version of the game it could have been, but it's still a really fun adventure.

If you aren't as big a mark for zombie horror as I am, there's a lot you can pick apart about Dead Island 2. It's dated, a little shallow, and is effectively over at its halfway point. It's still a good co-op game, and its story kept me interested up to the end; I can't hate a game where I can dropkick a zombie into downed power lines. If you pick up Dead Island 2, bring a couple of horror-nerd friends to Hell-A with you, and you can get a few good evenings out of it. For solo play, though, only true zombie maniacs need apply.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers manages to mix adorable block graphics with surprisingly rigorous and intense shooting action. While there are some areas where it feels a little too dumbed down, the overall game is a fun and frantic arcade shoot fest. The sheer variety of characters, weapons, levels, enemies, and team-building options is impressive. This makes it a solid choice, especially as a shooter to play with the kids.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons proved highly enjoyable overall, bringing some solid Zelda-esque action to a beautiful yet chaotic world. But it’s hard to ignore the game's technical faults, even if the developers are working diligently to fix them.

If you weren’t sold on Tennis World Tour 2 previously, Nacon’s next-gen upgrade won’t change your mind, but there’s an enjoyable simulator here and the Complete Edition is the best way to play. If you’re a serious tennis fan, this one comes recommended.

Chaos Gate Daemonhunters is an intensely challenging XCOM-like that fully embraces the aesthetic and tendencies of the Warhammer 40K universe.

Star Wars Outlaws is enjoyable, comfortable, safe, and familiar game to spend a few hours in that will neither offend nor astound.

For all its faults, though, Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a relentlessly charming game that reminds me of the best PS2 RPGs. It won’t convert anyone; this is very much a JRPG, albeit a modern one. So if you don’t like the genre, this won’t change your mind. But if you’re looking for a fun romp across the stars, you’ll find The Divine Force to be a journey worth taking.

There's an absurd amount of classic Shmup love here, even if these collections are a little too light on extras.

There's an absurd amount of classic Shmup love here, even if these collections are a little too light on extras.

Fueled Up is a fun couch co-op game that delivers challenge and chaos in equal measure. Just bring some friends along for the ride.

Fire Emblem’s original 8-bit adventure is back and for the most part, Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light still holds up well. While I question the rationale of releasing the NES edition over the superior DS remake, there’s still an enjoyable game here, and going back to where everything started is certainly enjoyable, boosted by some new quality-of-life improvements.

No More Heroes III is just more of the same. This game feels a decade old and like it was made for its most hardcore fans. It has all the same charm, humor, and fun gameplay, but also the same issues, mainly the dreadfully boring open world and repetitive structure. Those who played both of the two previous mainline games will know exactly what to expect here in No More Heroes III. There isn’t much evolution between them and this, and maybe there doesn’t need to be. But I still wish that the game would have matured a bit more along with its audience after all these years.

Trials of Mana is a graphically overhauled remake of a SNES classic, but it doesn't quite do enough to reach mythic status.

Dysmantle elevates somewhat shallow mechanics with a satisfying and addictive gameplay loop centered around exploration and character progression.

Rogue-lite and bullet hell fans will both find something to enjoy about HyperParasite, a retro 80's-themed bullet hell roiling over with mean streets and terrible hairdos.

Legend of Mana is vibrant and flexible in all the right ways for my preferences today, and I certainly fancy the game personally. The sheer slowness and obtuse nature of it may be too much for some players. There's a lot to see in Legend of Mana, but the experience never feels fleshed out. Fa'Diel is beautiful and enticing and hard to forget, but not because of the gameplay that binds it together.

Cooking Mama: Cookstar is a solid if predictable entry in the series that provides a decent amount of fun and content for the cost, but not much else.

West of Dead has plenty of great gunplay and a fascinating setting, but be prepared to die over and over and put up with an unrelentingly unfriendly continue system.

The beautiful and atmospheric rail-shooter of olden times returns stronger than ever.

Shadow Warrior 3 is a game that knows exactly what it’s doing. It’s not the best-looking game, nor the most polished. The ambitions are limited, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is the action movie you watch on a weekend afternoon, not Citizen Kane. That confidence results in a game that is extremely enjoyable with a great mix of action and absurdism, but also something that will be easy to forget. The linear design works for a single playthrough, which is more than enough to get what Shadow Warrior 3 has to offer.

In spite of some humor that hasn't aged well, Saints Row 4 on the Switch is still a sandbox well worth playing in.

Under the Waves is one of those games that you have to complain about, but overall you still like it. First of all, the game takes not so much the plot or gameplay as the atmosphere. Lamp retro futurism, stunningly beautiful water depths, excellent simulation of marine life, Stan's beautiful nightmares (no matter how strange it may sound) - and all this is accompanied by well-chosen music. The audio-visual series is on top, and thanks to him you forgive the game a lot. If you like nautical themes or just meditative projects where you don't have to rush and kill someone, take note of Under the Waves.

In Other Waters tells an intriguing tale that will get you thinking, but only if its slow crawl to the finish doesn't turn you away.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time occasionally stumbles, but it often manages to be a strong showcase for the TV series.

Is it Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon: Infinite Combat retells the anime well, but it stumbles in a few other areas.

30XX is a roguelike that presents a great platforming challenge that's occasionally a little too stiff. It gives players plenty of variety in how they approach it, and the legacy mode that plays like a regular platformer is a welcome addition.

Iron Danger is a fascinating game to try and assign a score to. It is really based around one core concept, and however far that concept takes you is how much mileage you'll get out of it. Jumping back and forth through time using mechanics reminiscent of audio or video editing software can be a unique tactical puzzle. That said, Iron Danger lacks the polish or depth to appeal much beyond that interesting concept. A lot of people will have fun with Iron Danger, but I could also see it being a game that many load up and ultimately bounce off of.

The Destiny 2 Lightfall expansion trips at the starting gun and falters almost the whole way through.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction is an enjoyable game alone or with a squad. Good tactical shooting meets satisfying progression, but the end game has limited appeal.

I’ve enjoyed my time with Age of Empires 4 quite a bit, and I’d recommend it to any Age fan. But I wouldn’t do so without a few important caveats. Age of Empires 4 may finally be available after 16 years, but it hasn't arrived just yet. There are still resources to gather and troops to assemble.

Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a great base builder undermined by slow pacing, dense AI, and a little bit too much repetition. This doesn't make Evil Genius 2 a bad game at all — not in the slightest. And Rebellion have definitely stayed true to the original formula while ironing out some of the stickier annoyances.

Weird West doesn’t quite gel on every level, but it still makes for a fascinating and deep action RPG sure to entertain fans of the late-90s CRPGs.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga still has some of the Lego charm, but it's a step back for the series.

In the ever-shifting hero shooter genre, Rocket Arena makes a name for itself as the family-friendliest of the bunch without sacrificing its competitive spirit.

Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet is a lighthearted, decently-written, short and sweet visual novel with strong core values.

A very retro collection of games from an obscure portable system of the past is probably a hard sell for most gamers. For those with an affection for the Neo Geo Pocket, this is a fine bit of nostalgia. The fighting and Metal Slug games included are still remarkably fun and show off the precise controls of the system. Beyond nostalgic charm, though, the original Neo Geo arcade versions are also available in the Switch store and probably a lot more appealing.

Major graphical overhauls and a massive change to the text create the best way to experience this classic post-apocalyptic title, although it's still mired in old-school mechanics.

To my mind, this has "cult classic" written all over it, and players who take the time to master Sifu will make it sing in a way that I can't imagine. It's a big step forward for brawlers in general, which doesn't just ape the '90s beat-'em-up the way that a Mayhem Brawler or Fight'N' Rage does, but actually adds onto it. Sifu has a lot going for it, but its questionably fair difficulty curve and the relative looseness of its controls both make it hard for me to recommend to a general audience.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is a fun and chaotic experience let down by a lack of content and personality.

Visually, The Callisto Protocol is one of the only games for the PS5 and Xbox Series X that feels like a next-generation game. But that ambition has clearly come at a cost. For all its bells and whistles, The Callisto Protocol isn't doing much of anything new with its story or design. It's not just a Dead Space imitator, but it does manage to take a lot of the ideas from earlier action horror games and execute them half as well. Alongside myriad factors and the fact that New Game Plus and Hardcore modes — staple features of the genre — aren't coming until next year is evidence that The Callisto Protocol should have been given more time to have a smoother, fully-featured launch.

This Is The Zodiac Speaking is two games in one, and while neither is stellar, one of them is certainly better than the other. In Serial Killer Mode, the Zodiac's pursuits feel broken and will leave you more frustrated than frightened, but switch the game over to its more investigations-heavy mode, and the true-crime nerds will get a kick out of the many details strewn about the game.

Maid of Sker carries a proper tune in its story and setting, but faulty AI leaves much of this horror story feeling flat.

A game like Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a rarity: it takes some big swings to try and set itself apart from the pack. Unfortunately, it whiffs on a lot of them. There is a skeleton here that could turn into something really impressive, but it's hard to imagine a world where it attracts enough players to sustain itself long enough to evolve that far.

The Lost Gods is the third and final DLC for Immortals Fenyx Rising. While it introduces new perspectives and mechanics, it doesn't exactly come together into a cohesive whole. It's commendable what The New Gods is going for, but this isn't something most people will be interested in unless they're very interested in seeing the story of Immortals Fenyx Rising through to the end.

Far Cry 6 sits at the dead-end of a decade of sandboxes. Existing primarily as a sprawling checklist, its story shows flashes of excellence in a barrage of bad jokes and sometimes fun but familiar tasks.

Lacking fresh ideas, NBA 2K21 feels like it's just going through the motions and is a placeholder for its next-gen counterpart.

Indika is a creative, thoughtful narrative game with puzzle and platforming elements. However, it's not a title for the average gamer.

Madden 22 tries its best to improve with some updates to its gameplay, The Yard, and Franchise Mode that feel like a step in the right direction. However, rehashing of old systems and ideas, a continued push towards microtransaction-laden content, and bugs getting worse and worse means that this iteration will need extra time to really grow as a program.