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.

Dynamic DNA seasons are a great addition to the franchise, but NBA Live is not quite a championship contender.

Who knew that working on a box-making assembly line could be this much fun?

Modern Combat doesn't really look, sound, or play like any of the PC Battlefield games, which might be a little disappointing for those looking for more than just another arcade-style shooter.

Galaxies adds a great deal of depth to an already intense shooter.

Wii Fit will help you work up a sweat, but it's not as smooth and fun a workout as you'd probably like.

Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark follows an individual searching for freedom, and delivers an unnerving 2D puzzle-platforming adventure.

Playing The Corporate Machine is a spectacularly compelling experience that can practically take over your life.

The psychedelic sequel to Bit.Trip Beat improves upon its predecessor and has an entirely different sort of rhythm shooter action.

This light "strategy" game is charming enough, but its gameplay is wildly unbalanced.

It may lack a certain spark and its missions tend to slip into drudgery, but I keep finding myself coming back to blast off toward any star in the night sky and eventually reach it. Such possibilities satisfy the thwarted little astronaut within me, and perhaps more importantly, they kindle excitement for the possibilities of the future.

While this port manages to reach the same emotional and spiritually resonant highs as other releases, it unfortunately features some inconsistent frame rate and subdued texture detail throughout, lessening the impact of some key moments. With that said, Hellblade is still largely intact on the more modest platform. In the Switch's tablet form, it gives the impression you're diving into an engrossing novel, making for a more intimate experience that can't found in other versions of the game.

Those simply looking for a visually impressive, enjoyable real-time strategy game set in the BattleTech universe should find that MC 2 fits that description well.

While it does have some new features and still plays well, it actually falls short of its two predecessors in the important area of multiplayer support.

Beautifully illustrated, hand-painted graphics combined with an entertainingly twisted plot makes this an eye-catching adventure to savor.

The gameplay is solid enough to warrant the interest of hard-core fans of the genre and the time period, but the game does have some problems, and its graphics engine can be rather choppy and slow even on a well-equipped system.

Dark Cloud successfully blends adventure, RPG, simulation, and strategy elements into one incredibly addictive game.

As a wrestling game, Def Jam Vendetta manages to succeed on most every level, providing surprisingly deep gameplay, quality graphics and sound, and a distinctive atmosphere.

Retails for more than the earlier expansion packs, but it offers a lot more. Though fans of Disciples II must be anxious for a true third installment in the series, for now, this is the closest thing they'll get.

The ability to challenge other players from across the world in the Xbox version of Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO makes it an utterly incredible experience for anyone with even the faintest appreciation for the genre.

It adds a couple of new control features to the original game, but it doesn't address the underlying flaws of the system.

A pretender. While it borrows some new features from "NCAA Football 2005" and includes a revamped play-calling system that is actually fun to use, a broken dynasty mode and choppy online play mar an otherwise good basketball game.

The actual racing hasn't changed too much, but the ever-present police make this game a whole lot more interesting.

Flaws aside, Vanishing Point is one of the most original and enjoyable racing games to come along in a long time.

Lone Sails is a transfixing, lovely experience, one that takes recurring indie game tropes and does something unique and fun with them. It's short enough that you could play through it in a single two or three-hour session, but it will likely stick with you for a long time. I can see myself going back in a few months just to revisit the ship, like checking in on an old friend.

Despite its problems, Gravity Rush is an adventure worth taking not just because there's hardly anything like it, but because it leverages its distinct gameplay to great effect, freeing you from the hold of gravity in a world worth exploring.

Some strained metaphors and connections aside, the cities of Rapture and Columbia make for strange but comfortable bedfellows in BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 2. More importantly, Elizabeth's journey is tense and rewarding on its own terms, and is one that makes Rapture as mysterious as it was the first time you ventured inside.

The most stable S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game yet also happens to be the most atmospheric and compelling.

With a newfound combat system that steals the show and offers a novel take on turn-based combat, its winking, nodding, and adventuring shine all the brighter. Its world and characters might not be the series' best, but it's still able to consistently throw left turns, good gags, and smart surprises at you. Each piece of The Origami King elegantly fits into its whole, taking its irreverent flair to new heights. The Paper Mario series has recently shown that being clever and being smart are two different things, but thankfully, it's once again managed to be both.

Certainly devotees to karaoke will enjoy the changes that Revolution Party has to offer. But if you're anything less than diehard, you'll probably feel like this game, for all its options, is still too much of the same.

Attila is more of the same and a little bit extra, then, not as convincingly realized as the best Total Wars, but strong enough to keep you clicking until the inevitable patches and expansions trickle in.

Although giving the game a human face would make playing it a much more personable--even a more realistic--experience, Solecismic is dead-on with all the core elements of play. There's no better simulation of big-league football.

Beyond the challenge of combat, Battle Chasers is sustained through the strength of its story, a rollicking tale that takes our heroes literally to hell and back.

While Darkwood is an absolute marvel in terms of its aesthetics and gameplay--as well as its disarmingly dissonant score--I experienced several bugs that caused me to lose minor progress. In one case, I was trapped behind a disassembled tractor, which forced me to quit to the main menu and restart the game in order to press onward. On top of this, one of the game's areas caused the frame rate to drop so dramatically that playing became a chore. This was easily rectified, again simply requiring a soft reboot, but these glitches are a disappointing nuisance plaguing an otherwise exceptional game.

If you're looking for pure platforming action with plenty of variety, Kirby's latest adventure most certainly fits the bill.

Even if the new bells and whistles aren't enough to bring back established fans, this is still Lego Star Wars at its finest.

There is no unifying theory of Everything. If the point is to invoke a sense of existentialist zen, it accomplishes that, but it subsequently undercuts the accomplishment with a sense of lame, abstract humor. If the point is to invent a wild playground where everything that exists has a self-centered consciousness all its own, it’s that as well--in which case, it's almost taking Alan Watts' ideas to Looney Tunes levels of ridiculousness. When those two elements are at odds, the game seems to lose all meaning.

The fighting modes deliver some excitement, but the adventure loses its way with too many boring fetch quests and repetitive environmental puzzles.

Warzone is a great sophomore attempt at a battle royale from Call of Duty, which finally manages to carve out its own identity with interesting spins on the existing formula. Its subversion of death and the nail-biting Gulag duels give you more ways to stay in a match, while also forcing you to be aware of your surroundings even after wiping a rival squad. Its looting is streamlined enough to make early moments feel fast, but Warzone also loses some of the messy magic from hobbled together loadouts by letting you drop in prebuilt ones far too easily and frequently. Still, if you're comfortable with Call of Duty's latest iteration of multiplayer antics and thrive in the stressful setting of battle royales, Warzone is a strong contender for your attention.

Though the additions and adjustments to the standard Worms experience aren't game changing, the playful violence and light strategy still hold up.

As one of the most comprehensive and filler-free Call of Dutys in recent memory, Call of Duty: WWII successfully capitalizes on the series' strengths.

In the transition to consoles, sharper controls empower you in ways that the stodgy keyboard wasn't able to, removing the slight frustrations entirely. Furthermore, there's downloadable content for those who don't want this journey to end.

Pushmo World isn't quite the revelation on Wii U that Pushmo was on the 3DS. But the logic of these colorful puzzles is still as satisfying as ever.

Knockout City's greatest strengths lie in its simplicity, but also in the ways it remixes traditional multiplayer elements to create something distinct. Its easy-going nature and straightforward mechanics reduce the time it takes to feel invested in each match, but it's really the subtle complexity underneath that keeps the action engaging and compelling over long play sessions. There's certainly room for improvement with the game's rotating match modes and some of its special ball types, but Knockout City nails the fundamentals to create multiplayer fun that will likely hook you for a long time to come.

Terrific art and diverse movement mechanics make it a pleasure to explore the exciting world of Capsized.

EA's latest skater caters to newcomers and experienced boarders alike, and features a robust system for creating and sharing content.

Enslaved is an affecting adventure that makes strong use of its characters and story to create a believable world.

It might not offer enough new stuff to make it worthwhile for owners of FlatOut 2, but Ultimate Carnage is still a riotous racer in its own right.

This is a game that is aimed directly at sprint car racing fans. As such, the developmental focus was clearly on the gameplay, seemingly at the expense of the audio and visual aspects of the game.

Never has there been a tycoon game this visually attractive or effectively designed to minimize micromanagement.

The original version is every bit as good, if not better than this new release, so only those PS2 owners who don't also own a Dreamcast will find this game worthwhile.

While some design choices mire aspects of this futuristic game in the dungeon-slogging role-playing-game past, the end result is an enjoyable experience, even if the game does not boldly go where no game has gone before.

The game's excellent story, action elements, de-emphasis on repetitive base building, and largely automated resource collection ensure that even the most jaded real-time strategy player will find something fresh and exciting in Hostile Waters.

Myst V concludes this landmark series with dignity and style, delivering a challenging and sophisticated adventure that contains a number of satisfying moments.

Metal Gear Acid 2 manages to deliver the same unique, strategic gameplay with the trademark style and oddball humor that Metal Gear Solid is known for, making it another great addition to your PSP library.

Microsoft's Flight Simulator X provides a mind-boggling level of depth and breadth--if you don't mind some less than stellar frame rates.

Xbox owners interested in a fast-paced, funny sports game with plenty of personality and deceptively deep gameplay shouldn't think twice about picking up Soccer Slam.

Superbly crafted production values (catered exclusively to the Xbox's hardware) and great gameplay that's tough but not impossible make for a game that's not just beautiful to look at, but entertaining and challenging as well.

While not perfect, Wave Race: Blue Storm is the most accurate video game representation of water-based racing ever to be released.

With its better balance, new features, and addictive gameplay, PSO Version 2 stands out as one of the last great games for the system.

More than just a classic action game, Sonic CD is an exemplary port of a retro game to a modern platform.

Though the brutal rise in difficulty near the end mars the adventure, it doesn't ruin the overall mood, and the cover charge is more than reasonable for this particular night at the club. Grab a colorful cocktail and head to the dance floor!

Ziggurat can be completed in just over an hour, but it's unlikely you will stop there. The game is challenging, engaging, and a whole lot of fun, despite its problems.

Things like the storefront and the menus and loot system don't make the game terrible, it just would've been better without them. It tries to be larger than its predecessor, there are more abilities, more weapons, more Orcs, yet it leaves you wanting less. But at its core, it's a fun experience with brilliant moments that provide fascinating insight into some of the untold stories of Middle-earth. I just wish it had known when to stop.

Despite some unremarkable additions to the standard Ryu ga Gotoku template, by the end of Judgment it's hard not to feel like you want to spend dozens upon dozens more hours with Yagami and friends.

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.

An outstanding improvement to an already excellent racing franchise. It's far more than just a great racing sim, or a gorgeous showcase for the types of feats the Xbox One hardware is capable of. This is a game built on the romantic thrill of motorsport in all its forms, and that love for its subject matter is all but impossible to resist.

A tricky and technical 2D platformer, Dustforce delights the senses with its harmonious score and sweeping sense of momentum.

Not every method of murder is as satisfying as you'd want, but Absolution plays well and looks sumptuous.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 successfully returns to the fundamentals of realistic WWE action and impressive creation tools.

With Imaginators, the Skylanders series isn't pushing any gaming boundaries, but at least it has character.

If you can commit a great many hours to familiarizing yourself with all the game's nooks and crannies, expect to be rewarded with an enjoyable addiction that will cost you weeks, if not months, of your life.

There is enough variety in the combat spaces, and the enemy combinations within, that The New Order's levels feel well paced, and combat feels tense without being unmanageable or overwhelming.

Having South Asian developers, all with different experiences, means Venba is a narrative cooking adventure about an immigrant mother’s life that feels authentic. It is told through her culture’s cuisine in a way that will make players empathize and sympathize. But it isn’t downbeat or drab, it’s vivid, colorful, and inspiring. Its ending, however, had me sit there and grapple with my thoughts after its two-hour playtime, thinking about how it is never too late in life to discover or rediscover your racial/cultural identity as a South Asian individual. Sometimes a recipe for idli can be the first step in finding the resolve to be yourself and discovering pride in your roots.

This atmospheric return to the classic Resident Evil gameplay packs more than a few surprises.

It's not quite as unlimited as its subtitle might suggest, and it's got a pervasively aimless feel, but Test Drive Unlimited still succeeds by creating a fun, leisurely world to drive in.

Yakuza 3's compelling story, great atmosphere, and abundance of extracurricular activities make it the best game in the franchise so far.

It's packed with clever and entertaining action, not to mention some of the most highly impressive, razor-sharp graphics you've ever seen, along with terrific music and sound. Kameo feels rather disjointed at first, and it's not a particularly long game, but it ultimately provides a rousing, memorable journey.

There's a lot of fun to be had in Escape Academy, especially if you have a friend willing to tackle its challenges with you. Much like real-world escape rooms, the levels of Escape Academy don't lend themselves very well to solo play or replayability, but, in the same vein, those inspirations have created a challenging puzzle game that's fulfilling to complete. The narrative isn't much to write home about, but the virtual escape rooms more than makeup for that, delivering a game that encapsulates why escape rooms are some of the most fun you can have with friends.

Despite some omissions in FIFA Football, it's as close to the full-blown console versions as a portable FIFA game has ever got, playing a precise, challenging, and--most importantly--exciting game of football. The great gameplay is backed up by a slick presentation with easy-to-navigate menus, well-delivered commentary, and crisp, detailed visuals. Deep single-player modes and smooth online play ensure you have plenty to keep you occupied as well.

This rim-rocking arcade classic returns, and though it's missing modern amenities, it's still an awful lot of fun.

All of these features, combined with the tightly balanced fighting mechanics, make The King of Fighters XIII a fantastic game that can easily go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters in the fighting game genre.

Despite some new and enduring weak spots, Doom Eternal's frantic combat (mostly) continues to shine through. Once you get back into the swing of the action, the rock-paper-scissors design philosophy still results in a great time. I just wish Doom Eternal could get out of its own way.

It's true that Fallen Order borrows liberally from other action games, but those elements work together with Respawn's combat and environment design, and a story that finds humanity in the Force and in its characters, to hone in on what makes the world of Star Wars worthy of revisiting again and again. Even with some rough edges, Fallen Order represents one of the most compelling game additions to the Star Wars franchise in years.

A well-designed, open-ended, lengthy role-playing game sporting impressive graphics and sound and a lot of replay value.

Smart design choices make this handheld debut for the Rock Band series a great one.

It's slow to unfold and simple to play, but you won't soon forget this extraordinary work of interactive fiction.

A fine-looking, great-sounding, fun-filled game.

Other M is a strong departure from previous Metroid games, with fantastic combat and exciting bosses that make this another great entry in the series.

Enthralling combat and a potent story make Devil Survivor 2 a great strategy role-playing game.

The changes to the game are marginal at best... However, die-hard Formula One fans need look no further than F1 2001 for the most up-to-date--visually or otherwise-- F1 racing game on the market.

But if R-Type must end, at least it's going out on a high note--rest assured that Final lives up to the classic R-Type name in every way.

Definitely a fun game, but it's also a short one. It shouldn't take you more than five hours to go from beginning to end.

If you've got tons of free time to devote to racing, purchasing, and modifying scores of cars, this might be what you're looking for.

Come and play, because everything's A-OK with Once Upon a Monster thanks to its surplus of charm and kid-friendly controls.

Great use of lighting effects helps sell the feeling of dread and isolation of the strange world.

The real reason that you're driven to keep playing Squadrons is for the pure joy of dogfighting, whether that be in the game's team deathmatch mode, campaign setpieces, or perhaps in VR on PS4 and PC, where the sensory deprivation and head-tracking give you an extra layer of physical response to your flight maneuvers, which can be exciting for as long as you can stomach it. The campaign's narrative leaves you wanting, and the flagship Fleet Battles can be incredibly uneven. But the feeling of Squadrons' core flight combat is gratifying enough to sustain you through it all. The involved nature of juggling all tasks required to operate your cool starfighter at peak efficiency while soaking in the more mechanical sights and sounds of Star Wars is a stimulating experience that Squadrons just gets right.

Hell's Highway proves to be an exciting, engaging ride despite a few bumps along the way.