Collectively, it's less like you're playing a game with a great soundtrack and more like someone has turned a soundtrack into an interactive experiment. It had to be a game, and that's partly what makes it so much more affecting than if this were a movie, but still, the music leads. Mixtape is whatever it needs to be in each moment, and the studio makes a strong case for why it must be that way.

It might not be a direct sequel, but decisions like this and others elsewhere address every issue I had with Returnal. Housemarque's previous game is fantastic in its own way. Yet Saros elevates the studio's roguelite formula to another level. Its structure is surprisingly malleable, combat is deeper and more rewarding, and I couldn't resist being wrapped around the finger of its mysterious and foreboding narrative. I find roguelites hit-and-miss, but it didn't take long before I was utterly infatuated with Saros. It's an incredible game that does more than just refine what worked before. Even after rolling credits, I can't wait to dive back in.

Even with everything unlocked and nothing left to work toward, Vampire Crawlers still has its teeth in me, begging me to dive back in and decimate all who stand before me. Since I haven't come close to growing tired of mowing down baddies with the wackiest decks possible, I guess I'll give it just one more run. And then maybe just one more after that.

There aren't many other games that pull off the same distinct art style as Mouse: P.I. For Hire. Cuphead is the only one that comes to mind, which makes it easy to fall for the game's presentational charms. There's rarely a frame that isn't bursting with style and creativity, and it's none too shabby as a retro-style shooter either. Mouse: P.I. might not reinvent the wheel, but its arsenal of weapons is punchy and delightfully varied, while the fluidity of movement makes for some thrilling, high-speed shootouts. In this instance, you should have no qualms about handing over money to the mouse.

This all led to a thrilling conclusion that tested my skills, stirred my heart, and left me wanting more. Pragmata offers a robust post-game with plenty to do, but I hope that's not the last I see of Hugh and Diana. This combination of sharp combat mechanics, rich strategic depth, and lovely storytelling doesn't come along often. Pragmata shouldn't be missed.

I've now sunk nearly 90 hours into Marathon, and it has quickly eclipsed many of my other go-to multiplayer games. It's currently all I'm thinking about and all I want to play. I'm excited to see how else the game will change over time, whether that's with new Shells, new contracts, new story, new modes, or new enemies. And so far, Bungie has been highly attuned to player feedback, and that has already resulted in lots of tweaks and improvements to the experience...Even those frustrating losing streaks often just have me jumping back into another match, eager to replace the gear I've lost, and most battles are fun, tense, and tactical, pushing you to play smartly and work together with your teammates. How the developers support Marathon over the long term will determine whether it can sustain interest the way other successful live-service games have, but Bungie's fundamentals are incredibly strong, and Marathon is much richer and deeper than its 20-minute matches would suggest. Tau Ceti IV calls, and there are runs to complete.

Nostalgia is something that's often talked about when it comes to WoW Classic, not modern WoW. Nevertheless, nostalgia was what kept coming to mind while playing Midnight. Whether it was hearing old war tales from classic Warcraft characters in the Arcantina or revisiting familiar places and faces in Eversong Woods, Midnight honors the past while not being beholden to it, making for a memorable trip down memory lane. Despite its nostalgic underpinnings, Midnight never feels stuck in the past. Just like with the 20-year-later revamp of Eversong and Silvermoon City, Blizzard isn't simply updating WoW--it's continuing to move it forward, one change at a time.

There's a lot to love about Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. It's set in a beautiful world that's filled with gorgeous color and fantastic music, and it teases you with mysteries that you want to unravel and feel excited about for doing so. A good-but-not-great first half holds it back though, as the best platforming puzzles and story revelations are saved for the dramatic finale. If the ending of the game is any indication, we should expect another game in this series. And if the latter half of Planet of Lana II is evidence of the direction of where the gameplay of this series is going, I cannot wait to see that third game.

I’ve always thought of the Stories subseries as a commendable yet modest spinoff series, but Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is anything but modest. It takes Monster Hunter's core loop and successfully translates it into turn-based combat, evolves the monster-taming genre thanks to Habitat Restoration, and does all this while telling a thrilling story with a great presentation. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection easily stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the best Monster Hunter games.

There's still plenty of room for improvement going forward, with the creation suite in need of an overhaul and far too many animations that have gotten stale after years of use. However, after a lackluster WWE 2K25 and no alternatives on the horizon, WWE 2K26 is the wrestling game we need right now--one where we can trigger fireworks while we walk to the ring, dump our opponent face-first onto a pile of thumbtacks, and then set them on fire in an Inferno match. It's still not a meaningful evolution of the series, but there are enough incremental updates stacked together to make it worthwhile. It works well, has a seemingly unlimited number of gameplay options, and with the various upgrades introduced, this is the most enjoyable a WWE game has been at release in years, even if it still feels largely familiar.

I cannot say enough good things about Esoteric Ebb, which is positively stuffed with them. Like a good mimic, it's got teeth. It is both familiar in its shape and size and astonishing in its surprising depth and riches. Do not let its appearance fool you: There is a lot more to love about this "Disco-like" than its vibrant surface and wit might initially convey.

Pokemon Pokopia is a combination of the design sensibilities of Animal Crossing and Dragon Quest Builders, but by melding those two structures and fusing them with Pokemon, it compensates for each one's weaknesses. Animal Crossing is so focused on building community that there isn't much to do once you finish your daily chores, while Dragon Quest Builders relies heavily on story quests without much incentive to build up your community and socialize. Pokemon Pokopia gives you a massive amount to do and a story that propels you forward, while also letting you enjoy the simple pleasure of living among your Pokemon friends and building your perfect community. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface, and I can't wait to keep exploring. I'll get Squirtle back yet.

For almost a decade, Capcom has been refining Resident Evil, finding ways to modernize the storied franchise and to maintain what has made it so beloved. With Requiem, Capcom has dialed in Resident Evil maybe as far as it can. The result is a game that leans too hard on past successes and nostalgia, and so doesn't show its fans any new ideas. But it knows its hits backward and forward, and it plays them near-perfectly.

Seeing Reanimal through in one sitting made me feel like I'd accompanied the siblings on their journey, holding their tiny, innocent hands as they uncovered horrors beyond comprehension. The conclusion of Reanimal leaves the door open for further explanation, so the incoming DLC for the game has me genuinely excited. Unfortunately, I am still left with a bunch of questions, and with no release date for the DLC, I'm in a state of purgatory. The imagery and implications linger in my mind much like the siblings' nightmares. While Reanimal is certainly unsettling, it's also quite beautiful. It shines a light on the importance of companionship--while you may face moments of uncertainty, and unsafety, you're not alone. And that's invaluable.

Mario's various dalliances into sports have been inconsistent, often because they feel so bare-bones and perfunctory. Mario Tennis Fever breaks this trend with a multitude of modes and a playful, flexible gimmick that makes it more wild and unpredictable while also testing your tennis skills in a new way. It's the best a Mario sports game has been in years, and hopefully charts a course going forward for the Mushroom Kingdom's other sporting events.

Mewgenics still manages to offer a captivating and fascinating experience. Whether you're trying to breed the best hybrid classes or hoping to unlock the next zone and legendary reward, or you're just humming catchy songs that are stuck on a loop in your head, this is a game that you can play nonstop for hours on end through trials and triumphs. What McMillen, Glaiel, and co. pulled off is simply paw-some. It's catnip for roguelites in all its glory, as you keep going through runs and coming back for more.

From quality-of-life enhancements like this, to excellent new additions and refinements to its core systems, Nioh 3 is absolutely superb across the board. It's an evolution of the Nioh formula where every single new idea lands. There might still be a couple of issues, but they're relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. Nioh 3 is Team Ninja at its very best, learning from its own development side quests to return with renewed vigor. The end result is the best game in the series so far, and one not to be missed.

Cairn may have fewer mechanics than some games, but it drills down on what's there so successfully, and regularly tests the players' resolve and accomplishment of these skills, that I was often itching for the next challenge it'd send my way.

Big Hops is a testament to how much fun can be had with simple ideas done well. Hop has a modest suite of moves, finely tuned, that string together in ways to make movement feel free-flowing and exuberant. On top of that strong foundation, it layers on flexibility making the worlds you explore feel like playgrounds for your creative thinking and platforming finesse. Altogether, the result is a delightful platformer, and the first great game of 2026.

This is how it feels to play Octopath Traveler 0: a seemingly endless pattern of ever-deeper combat challenges and strategic wrinkles, slowly revealing themselves to you over and over through dozens of hours. I've seen credits, in a sense, but there's still so much more to do and explore. It feels like a game that could go on forever. I just might let it.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sometimes feels like a product of its notoriously long and troubled development. At moments it serves as a time capsule for gaming trends that have come and gone over the last decade, like a sparse open world and a squad shooter with AI teammates. Those elements are decently made, but not as expertly crafted as the more traditional Metroid Prime exploration and storytelling. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is uneven and messy in some respects, but at its best it meets or exceeds the best moments the series has to offer.

Kirby Air Riders is an impressive package that makes the most of its deceivingly simple mechanics. Air Ride delivers a solid kart racing experience; Top Ride is a fun--albeit a bit straightforward--distraction; City Trial is chaotic in the best way possible; and Road Trip ties it all together with its creative encounters and satisfying progression. In the second Kirby Air Riders Direct, Masahiro Sakurai said he had no plans to continue the franchise or add any DLC. When I first heard this, I was a little disappointed, but now that I've spent countless hours exploring each mode, there's not really anything else I could want. This feels like that initial concept from 2003 taken as far as it could possibly go, and I couldn't be happier with the result.

While the rest of the team doesn't get the same treatment as Invisigal, they're all enjoyable to interact with, regardless of whether you choose to make choices or not. While the lack of branches in the narrative keeps most choices from feeling substantial enough to warrant careful consideration, the arc of Invisigal's potential redemption, incredible writing, and stellar voice acting make this one of the best superhero dramas I've watched. Plus, the act of dispatching heroes and growing as a leader is a fun interlude between all the choice-making, especially when you can see your improvement reflected in Robert's growth throughout the story. I have my qualms with parts of it, but Dispatch is more than worthy of getting a second season. The writing and world-building behind its story are too good for this to be a one-and-done entry.

If you've ever enjoyed the zen-like sensation of cleaning grime from skate parks, Mars rovers, and Shrek's swamp, you'll find plenty of satisfaction aboard Ambrosia Sky's agricultural colony. There are some aspects--such as trifling progression and limited use cases--where it feels like it's just getting its feet wet, but you'll still discover that cleaning its fungus-filled hallways is a serene experience, offering fulfillment that's both familiar and unique. Marrying this with human stories that inspire hope within the somber context of death is oddly comforting. I'm eager to see where Dalia's journey takes her from here. It's already a gripping tale, possessing a warmth and relatability that will resonate with most. Hopefully, future acts can build on these solid foundations.

Regardless of the context in which I experience each stage in Lumines Arise--whether that is competing against another player on a stage they selected, or curating a playlist and taking my time with it at my own pace--revisiting them is never arduous. Sure, it's a testament to the conceit of the series and how well-designed Lumines is. But it also speaks to the main attraction, which is simply to experience--and then re-experience--each setpiece, with its visual gimmicks and stimulating sounds coming together to create a singular ambiance. It doesn't matter that the apples will always turn into peppers, or that the dancers will always be caught in the rain--Arise puts on a show with each stage, revitalizing the series by grabbing a familiar foundation and playing a dozen different concerts with it.

Life is far from perfect. Everyone would agree, yet it's in exploring that obvious fact that this team has achieved something so memorable once again. Nice Dream Games' Goodnight Universe is both mechanically simple and emotionally complex. Presented as a story about a baby, it's more accurate to say it's about the time we spend on Earth, with whom we spend it, and what we leave behind when our time is up.

Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter unlike any other, playing out like a totally unpredictable, immersive, thrilling story generator directed by the community.

The Outer Worlds 2 feels like the series coming into its own, carried by flexible combat options and great role-playing progression. The first Outer Worlds felt like Obsidian trying to recapture the magic of Fallout's apocalyptic future in a new spacefaring context. The Outer Worlds 2 cements this setting as its own identity that can exist alongside its sci-fi contemporaries to deliver something that is familiar, but also distinctly its own.

Once Upon a Katamari is still a fantastic time and the new must-play title in the series. It manages to perfectly capture what has always made Katamari so charming and special--the writing, the humor, the music, the absurdity of it all--and refines it into the best way to experience the series, regardless of if it's your first time playing or if you're a long-time fan. Though it seems absurd to claim I wanted Bandai Namco to commit even more to the bit with this game, more intention and innovation is all that keeps Once Upon a Katamari from being truly great. Regardless, it's still a wonderful--and much-welcomed--return to the world of Katamari.

Even after barreling through the campaign in a couple of days, I still couldn't stop myself from going back for more. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a brutal menagerie of excessive blood spray, gratifying weapons, and gloriously stylish action. It banishes the sour memories of Ninja Gaiden 3 and has me pining for more character-action games, serving as a wistful reminder that games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta ruled the roost before the recent proliferation of Souls-likes. Every change is meaningful, adding to the rock-solid foundations and evolving the formula to bring out the very best in its phenomenal combat. If Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance weren't enough, then Ninja Gaiden 4 solidifies 2025 as the year of the ninja.

Even after barreling through the campaign in a couple of days, I still couldn't stop myself from going back for more. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a brutal menagerie of excessive blood spray, gratifying weapons, and gloriously stylish action. It banishes the sour memories of Ninja Gaiden 3 and has me pining for more character-action games, serving as a wistful reminder that games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta ruled the roost before the recent proliferation of Souls-likes. Every change is meaningful, adding to the rock-solid foundations and evolving the formula to bring out the very best in its phenomenal combat. If Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance weren't enough, then Ninja Gaiden 4 solidifies 2025 as the year of the ninja.

Keeper is Double Fine at its most confident: a visual feast, a tone poem, an exploration of movement mechanics, a fable about the world and what we owe to it. It's recognizable as an evolution of the studio's earlier works while also feeling fresh and inventive. Double Fine games have always been dense with artistry, but it's Keeper--a game without words--that feels most like it's letting the artistry speak for itself.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a strong argument that it's high time to give the digital monsters their own space in the critter-catching genre. Strong voice acting and mature themes digivolve this time-traveling tale into an emotionally-rewarding journey of grief and self-acceptance, and a vast array of branching options keeps team-building and the turn-based combat exciting. If you're still ignoring Digimon for its more mainstream pocket monster cousin, you owe it to yourself to at least try Time Stranger. You won't regret it.

It's a joy every time. I didn't want to put Absolum down, and I slightly resented when life would make me. By tapping into a primordial part of gaming history, Absolum has created something that feels revelatory. The beat-'em-up genre feels changed, now, and I don't know if there's any going back.

Ghost of Yotei builds and improves upon its predecessor with a gripping story, rewarding exploration, and fantastic combat, with each aspect emphasizing the characteristics of a new protagonist. As a sequel, familiarity is baked in, but every alteration is in service of Atsu and her profound differences, making for a game that manages to feel distinct even when what you're doing is so recognizable. The Ghost is just a mask; what matters is who's behind it.

There's so much to love about Hollow Knight: Silksong, especially if you were a fan of the first game. This sequel better focuses the narrative with guided exploration and eases the frustrations with the first game's platforming by making the protagonist far more acrobatic. In many respects, that makes it a safe sequel, as much of the game is merely a more polished, approachable, and fulfilling take on what worked well before. But that first game is one of the best metroidvania titles out there, making this sequel equally essential. Hornet's story is more than worth the wait.

Hades 2 is a game that is essential to experience, with all of its parts coalescing into a memorable adventure that you will likely lose dozens of hours to without regret.

Final Fantasy Tactics is a formative game in the tactical RPG genre, and still one of the greatest. Its unforgettable story has never been better told thanks to a retouched translation, stellar voice acting, and smart new tools to help track all of the palace intrigue. Combat remains incredibly rewarding and flexible, which is an especially impressive achievement given its smaller scale compared to many modern action RPGs. The Ivalice Chronicles lacks a few nice-to-have features, but it's easily the best way to play this all-time classic.

Perhaps this isn't surprising, considering that nearly every part of Silent Hill f is crafted with the same level of care and skill. And yet, that doesn't make anything about this game and what NeoBards has achieved any less impressive. Silent Hill f is not just a return to form, it's a remarkable evolution; it's a visual spectacle, a mastercraft in psychological horror, a work of narrative brilliance, and a new benchmark for the Silent Hill series.

Dying Light has always been a series that does a few things very well, but would get distracted trying to be a lot more at the same time. Finally, The Beast leans into Dying Light's best parts, giving you a scarier, tougher, more immersive world to explore than anything in the series before.

If 1st Chapter is a bit lighter and less complex than its later iterations, then that is also in keeping in the spirit of the original game as the beginning of an epic saga. If you've always wanted to experience the wonder of the Trails series but didn't know where to start, then there are no excuses as this faithful remake is the definitive way to begin that long and winding trail. Hopefully, the remake of its second chapter follows up swiftly.

It's a beautiful game in so many ways, but most of all that beauty shines through in the would-be simple story of two friends on an adventure together, which easily became just as special for me and my loved ones.

I do still have fun in The City thanks to its ever-cycling limited-time events, casual and competitive game modes, and vibe as a landing spot for basketball fanatics to congregate and have fun together. Knowing this virtual city is also where the game's most obvious issue has become an annual pain makes my experience a bit more conflicted than it should be. Is NBA 2K26 an excellent basketball video game? Absolutely, it is. Does it suffer from a pay-to-win problem in some areas? Absolutely, it does. Thankfully, The City, MyCareer, MyNBA, and its WNBA modes combine to overcome that glaring problem and still make this a game well worth playing in a number of different ways. I liken it to my home of Portland, Oregon, home of the Trail Blazers. The cost of living is burdensome and ought to be addressed, but dammit if I'm not compelled to make it work because, despite its faults, I love it here.

There are aspects of Cronos the team would be wise to improve upon with its next horror game. Particularly, knowing when not to challenge me with combat, but instead leaving me with a guttural sense of dread, could go a long way to marking future projects from Bloober Team as being on the level of its landmark remake project. Still, that's not to say what the team has done here is less than great in its own right. Cronos: The New Dawn is Bloober Team cementing itself as not just a studio obsessed with horror--it's been that for over a decade already. This is Bloober Team becoming a trusted voice in horror.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World takes an already-great game and gives you more of it. The upgrade doesn't feel as essential as the Zelda Switch 2 Edition games, because those helped ambitious games run more smoothly and fully realize their original potential. But it is more substantial than either of those, by nature of adding new story content and stages to explore. Kirby and the Forgotten Land was already a platforming buffet, and this add-on is a great reason to go back for seconds.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance has few equals when it comes to 2D combat. It's a thrilling triumph, emblazoned by a striking art style that confirms Lizardcube is at the top of its game. After a prolonged absence, this is the perfect way to reintroduce the world to Shinobi and Joe Musashi, instantly revitalizing one of Sega's earliest heroes with his best game to date. There's still a clear reverence for the past here, but Art of Vengeance also pushes the genre forward with an emphasis on deep combat that flows just as smoothly as water and has the looks to back it up. Ninjas are eating well.

Delta isn't the first instance of Hideo Kojima's beloved classic being updated and re-released, but it is the first complete rebuild of MGS3. It successfully modernizes visuals, tweaks game design, and updates controls so that the game sits comfortably alongside its action game contemporaries. From a content perspective, Konami has played it incredibly safe, using the same voice work and music, and leaving the story completely unaltered--effectively making Delta a one-to-one remake. But I can't fault that, especially when I found myself once again enraptured by Snake's tortuous mission to pull the world out of nuclear danger and fight for survival in a dangerous jungle. The impact of Konami's efforts was such that, for eight hours, I wasn't an adult yearning for the lost feelings that made me love Metal Gear Solid 3; I was the teenager living them for the first time again.

It's a heartwarming joy to get to know each of the calicorns I found on my journey to the mountain, and it's because of the loving bonds I'd formed with each of them that its central gameplay mechanic works so well, both in my hands and in my heart.

Madden NFL 26 takes a bigger leap forward than you may expect. On the field, Madden has rounded into shape and is now taking victory laps with its major and minor changes, like more exciting locomotion and lifelike player traits. Its presentation beats finally behave more like the NFL seen on TV every week, with intense weather and big-game showdowns in primetime demanding your attention. Franchise mode's RPG-like deep dive makes it feel like the destination mode it should be, and year-over-year, it represents the most dramatic improvement I can recall in the series' history. Superstar mode still feels like a work-in-progress, and MUT shows no signs of ditching its pay-to-win scheme, but for players like me, who are Franchise-focused and on-field-obsessive, Madden NFL 26 is the game you've been hoping for.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a thrilling revival that successfully channels the spirit of the classic series while also building upon it with some inspired new mechanics. It remains to be seen if the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4 will likewise live up to the series' standards, but Koei Tecmo's Year of the Ninja is off to a good start.

The surrealistic nature of Dead Take reaches a fever pitch in the game's final half hour, and it loses me a bit there. Overall, however, this is a great game, and I would have loved to chase down more USB drives and watch many more FMV recordings--these performances left me rapt and I was always eager to search out more. But even beyond this gameplay loop, Chase's efforts to delve deeper into a bizarre mansion and splice together corrupted recordings of people is rewardingly symbolic in a narrative sense. You're going into a person's twisted and guarded psyche and unearthing the painful truths hidden within to not only beat a video game, but also witness, as Cain so often puts it, "something real." Those truths are sickening and scary and it propels the experience of Dead Take into one of the most harrowing I've experienced this year. These are not five hours I'll easily forget.

As a horror obsessive, I hope others like me push through the game's frustrating puzzles and dense plot to see Luto's best parts, because they're numerous and unforgettable. This being Broken Bird Games' first project makes me incredibly excited to see where the team goes from here. I often wonder what P.T. would've looked like as a full game. We'll never know for sure, but it would've been lucky to be something like Luto.

While these complaints might dampen the overall experience, ultimately, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a great experience filled with far more satisfying battles than frustrating ones, wonderful ideas, and truly gorgeous locations. Considering this is Leenzee's debut title, I have extremely high hopes for the studio's future endeavors, and even Wuchang itself, assuming it receives a few needed adjustments. However, even as it exists now, Wuchang is absolutely a game I'd recommend to soulslike fans, so long as they don't mind getting a bit sweaty.

With most new Sims 4 expansions, I usually hone in on the one or two aspects I like the most and don't sweat the rest too much. But with its fun new occult type, a wonderful new world, and unique build and CAS items, Enchanted by Nature is a rare Sims 4 pack that feels like a complete experience in itself. I can appreciate that players who prefer the dollhouse side of The Sims 4 may find the amount of CAS and build mode items lacking, but Enchanted by Nature is so much fun as a whole that I can live with that.

Despite the occasional flaw, College Football 26 builds upon its solid foundations to graduate near the top of its class. This is a fantastic football game that revels in the singularity of the college experience, from the pageantry, traditions, and electric atmosphere of each school on game day, through to the recruitment process, and the myriad heated rivalries between its 136 teams. After a hugely successful comeback, EA Sports College Football 26 furthers the series' upward trajectory, making for one of the greatest shows on turf.

As part of the launch line-up for the Switch 2, [Donkey Kong Bananza] nicely fills the gap for one of Nintendo's signature substantial single-player adventures. But more importantly, it's an excellent game in its own right, and deserves to be mentioned alongside games like Mario Odyssey as among Nintendo's best recent work.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a phenomenal game of skate, one that fans would flock to without hesitation if it weren't for some of the strange decisions regarding the game's Career mode and THPS 4 levels. Some of the changes feel needless, and overall, THPS 4 just doesn't fit as well into the same structure as the original three games. It's also disappointing that newcomers won't be able to experience the fourth game the way it was originally intended. Once the initial disappointment fades, however, you're left with a remake that still handles as well as these games ever have, and that's something that's worth playing no matter who you are.

Sometimes the game gets in its own way by not tutorializing key points, like how to best deal with status effects and play roles dependably. But once you've gained that institutional knowledge, FBC: Firebreak is an enjoyably chaotic power fantasy, and an interesting experiment for Remedy between its bigger, weirder projects.

The moral dilemmas and confronting moments created by manufacturing and living with alternate versions of yourself is a captivating narrative that The Alters delivers on, creating moments of emotional and mechanical tension by balancing its various management systems atop one another. It paves the way for some nail-biting victories and memorable interactions, but is also hampered by occasional tedium and needlessly frustrating exploration that is governed too heavily by a single resource. Still, the plight of Jan Dolski and his mission to get home is one that is bound to be very different for each player of The Alters, and is a stressful adventure I won't soon forget.

Mario Kart World is a massive, sprawling sequel that playfully expands and iterates on the qualities that made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe such an enduring success. It's an incredibly fun and rewarding kart racing experience that's easy to understand, with enough mechanical nuance to reward veteran kart racers, all presented beautifully as a Switch 2 showpiece. It will be shocking if this game doesn't enjoy the same long-term success of its predecessor, because it's among the best in the series and a worthy marquee title for the launch of a new Nintendo console.

It's also not a bad thing that Lies of P: Overture is essentially more of the same. The base game is arguably the best souls-like to come out of a studio not named From Software since the genre took off. However, I would imagine it's less than ideal for anyone who's recently finished Lies of P for the first time. For people like me, who haven't touched it since it launched in September 2023, I was more than happy to dedicate another 15 hours to more of the same. Overture is a beginning that caps off a fantastic game.

Elden Ring Nightreign's announcement was a genuine surprise. The details explaining the kind of game it was were even more surprising. This peculiar mix of a From Software RPG spliced with elements of roguelites and battle royales sounds like the kind of experimental concept no game studio would actually devote money to. But here's From Software, tapping into its creativity to put its own weird, bold spin on a thrilling cooperative multiplayer experience. Even if the end result were middling, this is the kind of risk worth celebrating, but doubly so now that it turned out to be such a fantastic, anomalous thing. The part of From Software's collective brain that created oddities like Metal Wolf Chaos and Otogi: Myth of Demons is still very much alive and well.

All told, this is another great compendium of some of Capcom's best fighting games in their history. How many more Capcom can put together, however, remains to be seen.

With a set destination, the journey has to be the focal point of Old Skies--which is great for it, as the game is a fantastic journey. The memorable dialogue is bolstered by an incredible cast of voice actors, and the story is compelling from its shocking first hour to its timey-wimey final moments. I'm normally one to play point-and-click games in small bursts to sit with each chapter of the story, but I found myself regularly playing Old Skies in large chunks, going through multiple chapters in each sitting just to see what would happen next. And even though I didn't enjoy every step there, the overall package more than made up for it with one of my favorite stories of this year.

These misgivings aside, Revenge of the Savage Planet offers up a carefree adventure that's a rollicking good time either solo or with a friend--whether online or in split-screen. It's a more confident and varied sequel, with a shift in perspective that maximizes its slapstick comedy and platforming chops. Combat is a letdown, but everything around it is a joy, from finding creative ways to use its gadgets and solve puzzles to simply exploring every nook and cranny of its diverse and bountiful planets. Revenge of the Savage Planet may have been born from less-than-ideal circumstances, but it's evident from playing it just how much Raccoon Logic is reveling in it existing at all.

It's surprising how much Doom: The Dark Ages manages to reign in some of the changes Doom Eternal made while also taking the series in a wholly new direction that redefines its rules of engagement. The emphasis is on melee combat that harmonizes beautifully with the tried-and-tested pace of Doom's action, making each new attack parried and counter-attack landed feel as satisfying as the first. It's a finely tuned adventure that delivers the power fantasy of ripping and tearing through thousands of demons without losing an underlying complexity that makes each encounter engaging to blast through. Although it can falter at times when straying too far from the fundamentals, Doom: The Dark Ages shows that there's still so much fertile ground that this series can explore, and that sometimes smart, measured changes can take the series in surprising new directions and yield some of its finest moments.

Controversy aside, Fatal Fury has come back in a big way with City Of The Wolves. I can't get enough of the REV System and its tactical edge to the classic 2D fighting format, as it adds an energy to each match that other fighters don't have. The roster offers plenty of variety and experimentation, and each member of it looks incredible thanks to the comic-themed style. I just wish there were more to do with these characters that didn't feel as repetitive as Episodes Of South Town does. Luckily, a very solid online environment fixes the issue, as every match I've played so far has run without incident.

Skin Deep doesn't reimagine immersive sims, but it takes the level design principles that players have enjoyed for decades and recontextualizes them for its brightly lit, goofier-than-usual world. Sometimes, preferred routes to success can become too reliable and make very differently shaped spaceships the settings for some familiar outcomes, but much more often, it's a game of clever actions and surprising reactions. It checks all the boxes of a great immersive sim, where each level is a puzzle box and you hold any number of figurative keys to unlocking it. And, yes, you can flush the toilets.

Virtuous seem to understand that trademark Oblivion "charm" because the remaster keeps the best of the Bethesda jank intact while gently reworking some of Oblivion's more dated mechanics.

When you factor in the voice talent involved, the visual splendor on offer, and the sheer scale of the whole game, it really feels like Clair Obscur is punching above its weight, considering the comparatively small size of the team at Sandfall. This is a supremely confident game that reinterprets familiar mechanics with an imaginative eye. Its combat is a consistent delight, delivering thrills with thoughtful strategy and reactive action in equal measure, complementing a heartfelt story of shared grief and camaraderie. There are minor pitfalls in relation to its narrow exploration and some quality-of-life issues, but these missteps aren't enough to significantly detract from a game with all the makings of an RPG classic.

Sunderfolk does a great job of emulating the experience of playing a tactical-focused tabletop game with your friends, where the moments you most remember were the ones you and your fellow players made together, not the tale that the Game Master tells.

Blue Prince is one of the most memorable video game experiences I have ever had. It is at once accessible and impenetrable, frustrating and euphoric. Like each of my dozens of permutations of the Mount Holly manor house itself, it is truly one of a kind.

And that's what South of Midnight is: an unapologetic love letter to the American Deep South; specifically, the gothic vibes that permeate the mythology and superstitions of the region as well as the history and culture of the people who live there. It doesn't exactly wow with its combat and platforming, but these parts of the game are mechanically sound, and South of Midnight's memorable characters, incredible visuals, and catchy soundtrack are so strong that it doesn't really matter that the gameplay is just decent. South of Midnight is the type of story that will sit with you, and a good reminder that we need more games about the American Deep South. Compulsion Games hasn't made a direct sequel to any of its games yet, but it needs to make an exception here--I am not done with this world.

MLB The Show 25 plays a typically excellent game of baseball. Ambush Hitting is lackluster, but tweaks to fielding make for a more well-rounded game. Meanwhile, Road to the Show finally gets the shot in the arm it's been crying out for with the inclusion of amateur games and a reworked progression system; free agency is more engaging in Franchise, and Diamond Dynasty smartly shifts away from the restrictive Sets and Seasons model while also introducing an enjoyable new single-player mode. Whether its additions are incremental or more significant, MLB The Show 25 makes enough positive changes to justify another year out on the diamond.

Despite a forgettable story and some constricted level design, The First Berserker: Khazan's excellent combat is more than enough to cover for these missteps. It's challenging, engaging, and consistently satisfying, complemented by a cavalcade of dynamic enemies and a versatile progression system that extends beyond the typical XP-based approach. It can feel derivative at times, yet The First Berserker's confluence of ideas and influences makes for a thrilling souls-like that stands out in what has become an increasingly crowded genre.

So much of Shadows' issues come from Yasuke's inclusion. Not because he's a badly written character or because he doesn't feel like he belongs, but because much of what makes an Assassin's Creed game an Assassin's Creed is stripped away to make his samurai fantasy work. Naoe's shinobi fantasy works far better, effortlessly sliding into the gameplay loop of hunting down mysterious targets, puzzling through the best way to reach them, cutting them down, and disappearing without a trace. Naoe and Yasuke's story could have used more unity, especially in giving the duo a shared purpose to drive the plotline and their character development forward. But at the very least, Naoe's gameplay is the best that the series has felt since the transition to a more action-RPG format--Assassin's Creed Shadows is an absolute blast to play.

WWE 2K25 is an excellent game on a mechanical level, offering tremendous depth and breadth to create matches that mimic reality in exciting ways. Its bevy of game modes comprises several worthwhile timesinks and interesting new wrinkles, each of them appealing to one or more sections of wrestling fandom. Its creation suite is in a tier of its own and deserves to be the envy of everyone else bringing user-generated content into their games. Online multiplayer woes exist in both previously seen and new forms this year, but there is so much here that deserves praise. I wouldn't throw out an otherwise exciting WrestleMania over a bad match or two. Similarly, I don't feel a handful of poorly implemented PvP features leaves WWE 2K25 as anything less than the number one contender for sports game of the year.

Split Fiction could very well be the best cooperative game I've ever played. At the very least, I firmly believe it sets a new standard for the genre. And yet, it's more than that. Split Fiction is a love letter to creativity--to stories, games, and the people who make them. It is funny, dark, joyous, childish, tender, cheesy, thrilling, and remarkable. All this combined with gorgeous environments, fantastic gameplay, and sheer spectacle make Hazelight Studio's newest release an early contender for the best game of 2025.

Lost Records explores and depicts adolescence in a way that not only surpasses many games, but several works of media in general. It's no secret that we are inundated with "coming-of-age" stories, and as a fan of the cliche, I'd argue it's for good reason. The era between childhood and adulthood is one filled with hormones, emotions, self-discovery, lust, defiance, and experiences that ultimately shape the person you will become, shedding some semblance of your former self. Yet both the story that Lost Records explores and the one being shaped in the "current" time, in which women in their 40s come together and dispel the grating notion that women of that age are decrepit, matronly, and boring, do so in a way that feels fascinating, new, and important. As it stands now, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is poised to be one of Don't Nod's greatest titles. Ultimately, however, much of the game's success is dependent upon the release of its second half, which is scheduled to release this April. It will take answers, action, and rewarded patience to stick the landing, but as of right now, I have faith that the team will do so.

I won't spoil any of the other monsters you'll come across, but there's seemingly no end to the cavalcade of creative monster designs coming out of Capcom. This has always been Monster Hunter's greatest strength. Whether you're alone or playing with others, Capcom understands the value of throwing you into one climactic battle after another in what would be a set-piece boss fight in almost any other game. Monster Hunter Wilds suffers from some performance issues, the environments are often bland, and the story feels superfluous, but when you're face-to-face with a fearsome monster, few situations are quite as riveting. Monster Hunter Wilds may only make iterative improvements to further refine the formula, but that's all it really needed to do.

Issues aside, Cabernet is an incredible RPG. The concept of comparing vampirism to addiction is nothing new, but framing that storyline within the real-world history of the middle class during the 19th century adds a compelling undercurrent to Liza's story and the various people she befriends, betrays, and smooches during her struggle to come to grips with her new existence. The consequences of Liza's actions feel impactful, and seeing each character's arc all the way through is narratively fulfilling. This is the level of quality that stories about vampires should strive for.

As it is now, VF5 REVO is the best currently available version of an all-time great 3D fighting game. If you're willing to put the effort into it, Virtua Fighter will reward you with some of the most intense fighting out there. Just please, make sure your PC runs it at a proper frame rate before you do anything else.

While Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 still stumbles in some aspects of its portrayal of 15th-century Bohemia, the shadow that lingered over the first game has mostly dissipated. This is a massively improved sequel in every other area, with better combat, quest design, and none of the technical issues that plagued the original. Not everyone will vibe with its slow-paced and oftentimes tedious approach, but those willing to meet it on its own terms will find a compelling open-world RPG that relishes in player agency and the consequences of your actions.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII's "one more turn" aspect is still as engaging as ever, and I enjoyed huge portions of my playthroughs. Several facets, such as those related to diplomacy, espionage, crises, and combat address long-standing concerns. Legacy Paths and narrative events, meanwhile, offer rich and rewarding avenues for advancement through the ages. Unfortunately, as someone who's seen the heights that previous series entries have reached, the vanilla Civilization VII experience still needs a few tweaks, as it's held back by the aforementioned issues that occur during brief but crucial era transitions. Granted, the changes this series has undergone over the years--whether it's the square tiles or hexes debate, the "one unit per tile" drama, or city-planning with districts--have been for the better, eventually. The issues deemed controversial or cumbersome at the start paved the way for a better overall experience. As such, even if Civilization VII has a strong foundation, we might not see the game's full potential until much later in its lifespan. But, hey: At least the franchise has been consistent in that regard.

Marvel Rivals feels like the first hero shooter since Overwatch launched in 2015 to fully capture the magic of the genre. It offers a ton of heroes to play with, a great visual style, and a focus on making the game fun for everyone. While it does lift directly from Overwatch, its more original ideas make it feel fresh in the space. Marvel Rivals is a great multiplayer shooter in its early days, and if it can deliver on future updates, it could remain one for years to come.

It can sometimes be tough to appreciate games from the past because so much of game design is built on iteration. That isn't a problem with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered. There are archaic elements to both games, yet it's surprising just how well they hold up today. There's no doubt that improvements to the game's controls and, to a lesser extent, their visuals contribute to this, but the main reason they persevere is because of their masterful melding of story, worldbuilding, and mechanics with a handful of innovative ideas. Much like Raziel, this isn't a perfect revival, but it preserves a pair of classic games and, in an ideal world, will attract a new audience to a series that has been dormant for far too long. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of its resurgence.

MachineGames has successfully designed a game around its protagonist; its mix of improvisational stealth and combat feels distinct by adopting a fast and loose style that echoes Indy's scrappy persistence. It might not be quite as accomplished in all areas as the studio's Wolfenstein games, but Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is still a frequent delight.

The Veilguard is a mostly sound game that works when you're playing as a class that can take advantage of its combat. I haven't run into any glitches or game-breaking bugs. No side quest feels too obtrusive or too fetch quest-y. And now that I've distanced myself from the mage, each combat encounter is snappy and avoids feeling too tedious or frustrating. The Veilguard feels like BioWare making a good BioWare game again, and that in itself makes me extraordinarily happy.

Slay the Princess is a dazzling game, dripping with charm, brilliance, and emotion. Last year, GameSpot included the title on its Best PC Games of 2024 list. A year later, both time and The Pristine Cut have intensified my love for the title. Though there are a few rough spots, Slay the Princess is not only impressive as a game hailing from a small, independent studio, but as a game, period. There are a substantial amount of content warnings surrounding the game--all of which can be found on its official website--but for those willing to endure, it is a must-play.

A few underwhelming cases do little to dampen The Rise of the Golden Idol's unmistakable quality. This is a worthy successor to one of 2022's best games, putting a fresh spin on its singular concept with another collection of challenging and inventive puzzles. With a compelling story tying it all together and smart changes to its interface, Rise of the Golden Idol is everything you could ask for from a sequel; it's an excellent continuation of a singular idea, and there's already more on the way. Armchair sleuths are eating well.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a superb remake of a classic game that rarely received due recognition outside of Japan. It's filled with systems that are fun to explore and utilize alongside a core gameplay conceit that remains unique. If you're looking for a different take on JRPGs--or just a unique RPG in general--this is a lengthy journey you'll want to invest lots of time into.

The highs are high enough. Its story is a fun Batman romp that would work as a solid comic book arc, even if it can't touch Rocksteady's mainline saga. Moreover, it's by capturing the full spectrum of Arkham's still-exciting gameplay mechanics so effectively that Shadow becomes a must-play game for Batman fans, and a revealing measuring stick of how much virtual reality has advanced in just a few years. This isn't the first Batman Arkham game made for VR, but it's undoubtedly the first to feel like it belongs with the rest of the series.

RetroRealms' first two "cabinets" arrive in style with excellent platforming gameplay, an authentic '90s vibe, and an interesting first-person 3D wrapper of a hub world that reminds you the game isn't just mechanically tight; it's also horror-obsessed. Boss Team and Wayforward prove to be a compelling tandem with this game, and given the team's intentions to build out its arcade with additional famous (and sometimes masked) faces, I'm hopeful RetroRealms can go the way of the slasher series and get several sequels of its own.

RetroRealms' first two "cabinets" arrive in style with excellent platforming gameplay, an authentic '90s vibe, and an interesting first-person 3D wrapper of a hub world that reminds you the game isn't just mechanically tight; it's also horror-obsessed. Boss Team and Wayforward prove to be a compelling tandem with this game, and given the team's intentions to build out its arcade with additional famous (and sometimes masked) faces, I'm hopeful RetroRealms can go the way of the slasher series and get several sequels of its own.

I once enjoyed the game as a player, back when I was in the middle of the game's target audience. Today, I'm well outside of that, but the game has taken on new meaning to me now that I have kids of my own. Because the core gameplay remains fun and easy to learn, passing down my favorite characters to my kids has been a heartwarming joy, and watching their favorites emerge has been exciting. I can't really play this game competitively anymore; I've outgrown it in that sense. But I could never outgrow these vibrant kids that helped shape my childhood, and I'm confident other parents, whether they grew up with the game or not, will sense a similar magic when they play it with their kids, too.

Somehow, Metaphor: ReFantazio is even greater than the sum of its parts, yet each piece of the game is masterfully crafted. I found the whole experience transcendent and was impressed by how it felt both novel yet familiar--elevated and modern, yet so reminiscent to the fantasy RPGs I sunk countless hours into on my little grey PlayStation. But most importantly, it made me remember that we are lost without hope. It sounds silly and cliche, I know--sometimes it can be. It also certainly doesn't put out the fires set all over the world. But it reminded me that giving into despair and fear serves no one, myself included. It reminded me that fantasy and fiction have power--words and stories have power. They can inspire and comfort, and these things that are vital to preserving. And it reminded me that the proof of good in the world can be us, and that's a good start.

Vessel of Hatred acts as a great reentry point for lapsed Diablo 4 players looking for another fix of the dungeon-crawling action that the original release so deftly introduced. The Spiritborn class is as satisfying to command in skirmishes as it is to experiment with, featuring a level of depth that extends beyond all classes before it. Both the Kurast Undercity and the Dark Citadel are captivating additions to the existing (and drastically improved) endgame conten. The expansion is only let down by a middling story that fails to captivate on the setup of the base game and ends with nothing more than a tease for the presumably real conflict to come. Irrespective of that, Diablo 4 didn't need an expansion to uplift it, but Vessel of Hatred certainly delivers on making the entire thing feel fresh again.

The original Silent Hill 2 is one of the most beloved, culturally significant, and overall best horror games ever made. It appeared to be the case that trying to recapture the magic of that game was to misjudge how impactful its time and place were, and how its limitations helped shape it for the better. Any studio advancing on such a project should've had a Sisyphean task ahead of them, forever chasing its essence like a moth with a hole in your net. However, by staying true to the original game in extremely important ways and taking calculated risks born from an understanding of the source material, all while being supported further by some of the game's original brain trust, Bloober Team has done what was reasonably considered near-impossible. The remake of Silent Hill 2 is a restless dream come true.