WWE 2K26 is a brilliant wrestling game where it counts – but I recommend waiting a couple of months to purchase, to see how MyFaction and Ringside Pass rewards play out in the medium-term. For now, action in the ring is solid, and some of the best in the series, but it can sting when rewards feel so miserly and centered on monetization over skill.

The developers clearly realized that they had something special going and require online play if you want to unlock all 12 achievements.

Madden and PSP have gone together beautifully for years now, and for better or worse this season is no different.

Sacred Citadel’s obvious finale will leave you wondering why it shipped with a half-baked story. Thankfully, the enjoyable combat steals the spotlight, though it doesn’t come away unblemished.

Too bad it's only ad-hoc - a true online mode would have brought all the Ace fans together in a maelstrom of missiles and inappropriate language. Instead, we'll all happily settle for a portable version that, despite its flaws, is a rocket-powered ballet that'll ensnare new and old players alike.

There’s a fun little onling game here; and while it’s not quite as deep or engrossing as other titles on the market, it’s still a blast to create a character, dress them up and kill a lot of stuff in a group with other people.

Days Gone is a keen and engaging open world zombie adventure despite some issues.

This is still the best Dynasty Warriors out there, and still well worth playing, but there's just not much reason to buy it if you have even a single eariler entry in the series.

Encore is a solid sequel and an enjoyable experience, but in 2008, Karaoke Revolution is starting to feel a bit outdated compared to the emerging competition.

And while the core game is inviting, easy to grasp and simple enough for casual dabbling, there’s no sense of accomplishment as with Puzzle Quest.

If nothing else, this game proves that light gun games can be done right on the DS.

While we aren’t impressed with the changes (or lack thereof), with the price reduced to $29.99, current-gen gamers are still getting a great game, and for half the price of the 360 version.

Part mystery, part comedy, this is a classy point-and-click with dazzling art, charming characters, and crackling dialogue. Although slightly overlong and occasionally slow, it feel surprisingly fresh.

800 feels like a lot to pay for the sequel to a game that was free with your system, but hey, you can't complain that you aren't getting a lot of content for the cost. Just as long as you already loved the original game.

It's easily the most improved fighter in recent memory, and if you've got some local competition, it's a steal at 30 bucks.

Despite the addition of women players in HUT and tweaked mechanics like last-chance puck movements, NHL 23 barely feels it's changed from last year's offering. It's a fun but all too familiar hockey experience.

A solid RPG, but it's far from an excellent one. It's like the party you'll attend because you don't have much else going on.

Oh how we wish that the PS3 Madden were as smooth as its 360 cousin. It's not all bad, of course, and there's a bevy of stuff to do across scads of modes to take up plenty of time. Unfortunately, the distinctly inferior product for Sony's pricey console will likely serve as yet more fodder for never ending flame wars.

The bottom line is that NBA Live 07 is a pretty darned good hoops sim - once you adjust the wonky default sliders. Without it, the shooting doesn't give an inch, no matter how well you time your release.

A cute My First Metroidvania with charming characters, wrapped up in some fairly basic and uninspired platforming levels. It's not Illusion at its best, but should entertain kids.

We would have liked to see more inventive uses of the clingy-liquid properties of the element, but the game manages to fling a decent number of twists at the player throughout its generous helping of levels. This mercury may not heal your wounds, but it certainly won't poison you either.

Despite its frustrating enemy AI and the limitations of your arsenal, Call of Juarez has plenty of pistol packin’ heat for the average buckaroo, with a decent, profanity-laced storyline and a bevy of unique multiplayer modes.

It's a tougher recommendation if you're not into online play, since the other elements of the game are in sore need of a refresher. That aside, it's undoubtedly the most fun PES to play against friends in some time, and that's the reason you'll want to play it.

Doom Eternal is a smart iteration of what came before it that occasionally stumbles under its own desire to evolve.

You’ll need an appreciation for the cube itself to get the most out of this - and you may want to destroy whoever programmed the chirpy music and decided to call the cubes “cubies” and give them a story - but it’s a solid value for puzzle players.

Though the just-released Mario Party DS bests it with double the games, Wi-Fi support, and more robust single-card play, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 succeeds with style, pizzazz, and humor unlike that seen in most handheld versions of console favorites.

Fortune Street is one of those games that isn't going to appeal to everyone, but those it does appeal to will be totally enthralled with it despite its handful of annoyances. If you like Monopoly but wish the strategy were a little more robust, Fortune Street is game you've been waiting for.

Mojang's smartly streamlined dungeon crawler makes for a more accessible alternative in the action RPG space.