Tales of Kenzera: Zau is an impressively built Metroidvania game that weaves enjoyable gameplay and deep emotional storytelling.

A sequel done right in the truest sense, improving on everything from epic monster hunting to slaying mechanics while delivering a vast fantasy world.

Serious Sam 4 is a delightfully old-school first-person shooter that doesn't bring a ton of new stuff to the table but still hits all the right notes.

Iron Harvest leverages its unique setting and strong design into an impressive and memorable RTS.

Bravely Default 2 is the best JRPG that never came out of 1998 Japan. It has a deep combat system, a sunny disposition, and a weirdly positive outlook. Don’t pick it up unless you’re willing to make it a lifestyle choice for a month or so, and you have to be at or near the maximum possible biological tolerance for classic-style JRPGs. Bravely Default 2 is the absolute Platonic ideal of the form, with upsides and downsides that are both traditional for the genre and unique to it.

With a variety of entertaining games, some lively stages, and good replayability, it’s a fun experience, especially with friends. We only wish there was more of it on offer. Though some minigames feel a little finicky, it’s otherwise a sweet treat all around.

Capcom’s latest pack of coin-op classics won’t disappoint old arcade hounds looking to re-experience their youth.

Is it actually fun to be a vampire? Let's find out together, in the latest attempt to export Vampire: The Masquerade to video games.

Thymesia is one of the best Souls-likes to enter the genre in years and is worth your time, attention, and occasional rage moment. If you played too much Elden Ring and are looking for something to provide a relatively bite-sized but tightly packed Souls experience, this is the game for you.

NHL 21 provides more of the same, and with the uncertainty of the real world season, even less of what few changes fans come to expect of yearly releases.

The Thaumaturge successfully delivers a weird and surprising RPG that is filled to the brim with narrative. Whether you’re chasing down demons, or manipulating the minds of the socially elite, you’ll feel the power of the Thaumaturge. With its complex turn-based combat and choice consequence system, there are plenty of opportunities for replayability.

Shantae has been weaving her magic for nearly 20 years and still feels distinctive amidst the sea of other platformers. Her latest romp might not feel quite as fresh as Half-Genie Hero, but it’s still a worthwhile, highly entertaining adventure.

Even if you thought you were "done" with Assassin's Creed Valhalla already, Wrath of the Druids has more than enough elements to drag you back in. It may not break a lot of new ground, but raiding monasteries, making terrible decisions, double-crossing friend and foe, and partaking in more drinking contests is good fun and a well-made complement to an already great game.

WarioWare Move It is short but filled with tons of quirky fun to be shared with friends. The Joycons are used in creative ways that'll have you in silly poses as you play through over 200 microgames.

For a game made in three years (most of that time as a completely remote team), the scale and ambition of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is most impressive. The feeling that Respawn is pushing the boundaries of the Unreal Engine past its breaking point is prevalent and demonstrable in the numerous performance issues and bugs, so you might want to wait to pick this up until many of the fixable issues have been addressed.

SteamWorld Build has the right balance of complexity and relaxing simplicity.

Othercide is a modern gothic take on turn-based tactics. It's stylish, difficult and a solid addition to the genre.

Ever thought you could do better fending off an attack from a giant monster? Kaiju Wars lets you put your money where your mouth is in this 50s retro movie-inspired game.

An emotional rollercoaster that doesn't always hit the mark with what it tries to pull off. It does, however, provide enough amazing highs to outweigh its unfortunate lows.

Midnight Suns is a salad with nice dressing and some juicy steak over cheap iceberg lettuce: I'm not here for the lettuce, but I'll certainly eat it as long as it means I get the steak. It's one of the best tactics games of the last five years.

Tavern Talk makes you a side character in a fantasy adventure, and that's surprisingly fun!

Overall, Return to Moria is a solid entry in the survival genre. It has some unique gameplay mechanics that are fun to explore, while the Middle-Earth setting lets a dedicated fanbase venture into the world in a new way. Aside from bugs that will hopefully be resolved in soon-to-come updates, I can see it being a staple among players. I know it holds a solid spot in my survival rotation.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is full of content that series fans will enjoy and offers a few unexpected surprises along the way. Even if its particular themes aren't for you, it's tough to deny the amount of bang for your buck offered with this game.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has its fair share of rough edges, but look closer, and you'll find a world full of possibility and hope wrapped in a gripping narrative and remarkable combat.

Dirt 5 continues Codemaster's tradition of creating some of the finest racing games around that have neither the words "Gran," "Forza," or "Speed" in the title.

At every turn, Avatar Frontiers is a game that boldly blooms. Each time I stepped away from the world, I found myself wishing to return. Whether I was soaring the skies on my Ikran or running through the forest floor, I was entranced by the world of Pandora. There wasn’t a moment of the game where I didn’t feel I was getting a first-hand experience of a living, breathing alien planet. However, much like James Cameron’s films, the planet’s allure outweighs the substance of the plot. So, while I certainly found myself empathizing with the Na’vi mission and my protagonist’s quest, it felt a bit run of the mill. With that in mind, newcomers to the franchise will experience an elevated hands-on version of Avatar’s initial arrival.

Axiom Verge 2 is a proper love letter to Metroid. The vast world is challenging and exciting to explore, the power-ups provide intelligent ways to solve puzzles, and the story is involving. It's not perfect though, thanks to the lackluster combat and occasional bouts of frustration.

Sometimes we wake from a dream and wish we could recall its details. Sometimes we're trapped in a nightmare and wish we could wake at all. Nightslink feels like a bit of both.