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.

Menace is off to more than a running start already. The turn-based tactical action is some of the best I've played lately, and I love the distinct, voiced squad leaders, as well as both the variety of missions and enemy factions. The biggest missing piece is really story and context. It's hard to get too invested in what's going on in the Wayback when I'm not even really sure why we're here yet. But for Early Access, this is a truly impressive effort, and there's plenty of fun to be had already. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined slims down and modernizes a notoriously bloated classic RPG, though its anthology structure still feels overlong.

All of these issues hinder a game that only occasionally rises above its weaknesses. The story can be compelling when focusing on its ill-fated characters, and the combat is enjoyable in specific circumstances, particularly when experimenting with the varied tools at your disposal. But Code Vein 2's shortcomings are too frequent to look past. Combat and exploration are hampered by dull enemies and wearisome environments, while technical issues only exacerbate its flaws. The soulslike genre has evolved since the original Code Vein launched in 2019, yet the forward-thinking shift to an open world hasn't prevented its sequel from suffering the same familiar blemishes.

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.

Minecraft is a forever-game for many people. Hypixel Studios has ambitions to get there, too, and the foundational gameplay here is solid enough--albeit partly due to the strict blueprint it followed--that success is at least possible, if not guaranteed. But Hytale will only find lasting success once it first finds its own path forward and does more than just rebuild experiences its players already had years ago. [Early Access Score = 60]

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.

Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen isn't likely to sustain an adult's interest like the hit animated show has. The movement is just a little too slow, and the puzzles are just a little too simplistic. But that's also what makes it a great introduction for younger players who need a gentle onboarding experience. And for them, they get to have that introduction wrapped in a lovely art style and funny, heartwarming story that captures the spirit of their favorite cartoon dogs.

Those with few qualms about duration will find a game made with evident love and affection for both the source material and the moment in time it was released. Its music is excellent--with perhaps the best rendition of the Terminator 2 theme to date--aiding the game's visuals in its mission to transport you back to a time when blowing into cartridges and inserting coins were the norm. Whether it's the T-1000's haunting fluidity of movement, Sarah Connor's one-armed reloading of a pump action shotgun, or the way the T-800 clambers onto the hood of a semi-truck to unload an entire magazine into its windshield, Terminator 2D: No Fate recreates the movie's most memorable moments with pitch-perfect authenticity. It's a shame it ends far too soon, but this is still the definitive Terminator 2 video game.

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.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is, fittingly, a loving tribute to the superhero side-scrollers of old. Experimenting with different teams in each stage offers a good amount of replay value, even if the same stages and enemies can grow tiresome after a while. The collectibles and challenges in each stage offer some nice extra incentives, and the depth of the source material will appeal to Marvel fans, new and old. The only thing Marvel Cosmic Invasion is missing, really, is Colossus's "whoooooaaaaa" sound effect from X-Men: The Arcade Game--though I suspect players will be saying "whoa" plenty of times while playing this terrific retro romp.

More than anything, Constance is a beautiful game. Its hand-drawn art style makes for one of the prettiest games I've seen all year, and the platforming gauntlets it puts you through make those sights more rewarding. While its narrative elements fall short and a chase sequence proves more annoying than challenging, the overall experience is a rewarding platformer with entertaining boss battles. Not a bad choice if you're looking for a way to take out your frustrations on several manifestations of burnout.

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.

Overall, the multiplayer package is really strong in Black Ops 7. The movement is fun and fluid, the gunplay is as satisfying as ever, and the map designs greatly improve the experience from last year. Combined with the smaller quality-of-life change and the futuristic themes, and Black Ops 7 feels like a fresh experience that avoids any dreaded fatigue...Ashes of the Damned implements some ambitious ideas for Zombies that largely succeed. The map is massive and refreshingly atmospheric, there are thrilling new enemy encounters, and the traversal elements with Ol' Tessie separate the experience from more traditional maps. Ashes of the Damned excels as a cooperative experience, while Vandorn Farm's survival map offers a fun way to have a solo or more condensed experience. Either way, Black Ops 7 provides enjoyable ways to slay the undead.

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.

Football Manager 26's overhauled UI simply feels like change for the sake of change. Its functionality is worse, several key features are missing, and bugs only exacerbate the issues. After a two-year wait, it's an unfortunate outcome, giving the impression that the delay wasn't long enough. There's definite potential here with the new tactical interface and match engine, and if you could combine these aspects with the previous UI, you'd have one of the best games in the series. Instead, the revamped UI's problems and inherent frustrations are too big to ignore. Such a vast undertaking is commendable, especially for an annual sports game, but its missteps are many and mostly lead to disappointment.

Ball x Pit shines brightest when it's letting you loose on enemies ahead of you, and giving you the tools to concoct your own brand of unstoppable chaos to fill the screen. It's easy to move from one run to the next when you're filling just a handful of minutes with thousands of enemy kills, accentuated by bright explosions and dizzying particle effectsBut your momentum can also be frequently halted by the vital town management moments in between them. Progression through Ball x Pit's campaign can feel uneven as a result, but, that's easy to overlook when the majority of the runs you embark on carry the potential to both surprise and delight in equal measure, with enough variety to keep the action in your final hours with the game as grin-inducing as your first.

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

A few issues hold it back, but Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment marks a high point for the spin-off series, iterating on its riotous hack-and-slash combat with depth and variety.

As the MK3 arcade cabinet once said, there is no knowledge that is not power. With everything Digital Eclipse packed into the collection, there's a lot of power to be had. [Review in Progress; Provisional Score = 90]

Ultimately, my feelings toward Dragon Quest I & II HD Remake boil down to "Would I recommend it over DQIIIHD or Dragon Quest XI? Well… no." Both of those games are far better experiences for both new and old DQ fans. That's not to say DQI&IIHD lack any value--there's good times to be had, especially with DQII. You're not forced to play either of the games before enjoying the other, so if you just want to play one, you're free to do so. But the games don't quite stack up compared to other recent Dragon Quests, even with all the new bells and whistles, and Dragon Quest I's remake in particular feels like a lot of wasted potential. But if you're looking for another source for that distinct Dragon Quest flavor of turn-based charm and whimsy, there's certainly nothing wrong with revisiting these two adventures.

Plants Vs. Zombies is a beloved classic, and Replanted shows that it's for good reason. The classic gameplay is still just as engaging, and the new modes will keep seasoned gardeners on their toes. While a few aspects of this remaster feel a little low-effort, it's just nice to have the classic game back and playable in a modern context. Now that it's easy to do, I expect I'll keep tending to my garden.

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.