Once again Tribute Games does another master course on how beat’em ups should be created. If their work on Shredder’s Revenge is a predictor for the trajectory of Cosmic Invasion, I expect there to be post release modes and characters (If Dev Diary #4’s background comic selection isn’t a teaser then I don’t know what is.) to come for the next year and change. Marvel Cosmic Invasion asks What if beat’em ups were good again and in this story, the answer is yes…yes they are.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is kind of like comfort food for 3D platforming fans. Even if you aren’t a fan of the TV series, it still delivers the kind of action you want with a minimum of fuss, and it’s not like you need to know the show very well to keep up with what’s going on. It wraps all that up in a solidly competent package, which means that if you’re a fan of the genre, you could do a lot worse than picking this up.

Age of Imprisonment mostly improves upon its predecessor albeit with some caveats that don’t superbly impact the player experience. The characters are all fun to play as, the music is great, and the mechanics all blend together pretty well in combat, mixing into one enjoyable concoction. With the holidays coming up, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is definitely a contender for your list if you’re looking for a nice Zelda story with some mindless hack-n-slash fun.

I wish I could say that everyone wins in the end when playing Jackbox Party Pack 11…but they really don’t. It’s certainly a step up from last year’s Naughty Pack, but the games on offer here are too inconsistent to be worth your while. As always, a good group of friends can always probably make anything fun, but it’ll take a lot more effort here than you’d like.

Overall, if you have played the Disgaea games before, 7 won’t bring much new to the table. Its zany over-the-top characters are colorful, and fun. Spending hours leveling up characters and items can be a bit of a chore, but it’s also a part of its charm. If you have played Disgaea before, you will find a lot of comfort in this game, and if you have not, this is still a good entry to get started on. If you find you enjoy this one, I suggest picking up Disgaea 1 Complete to see how it all started!

The campaign and endgame content in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is another great addition to the franchise’s lineup, and, while it was slightly lacking in some aspects with the storytelling itself, the set design and experience of the whole campaign more than made up for it. Do yourself a favor and turn off social media for a day while you play, to avoid letting people get in your head about why you shouldn’t like it, and just give it a fair shot. If you like Black Ops, you will like this. [Campaign Review score = 85]

If you were ever on the fence with trying the original Hades, or thought Supergiant Games couldn’t possibly outdo themselves after the first game, then you owe it to yourself to check out Hades II. This year has been stellar when it comes to great games, and Hades II still manages to stand out from the pack for me. It’s an absolutely fantastic follow-up to the original and one that shouldn’t be missed.

Unfortunately for Dog Witch, the gameplay does very little to differentiate itself or to set the game apart. The game claims to have 150+ items that can be mixed and matched in different ways, but all in all, it mostly feels like you’re playing the same actions over and over again. While it certainly takes a little longer to master than your average Slay the Spire clone – in part, I think, because every run feels so short – the gameplay feels a little lacking in the sort of inspiration that will keep you coming back again and again.

Arc Raiders does more than any other game I’ve seen to deliver an experience to the extraction shooter genre that allows everyone to feel good. This is a release that you shouldn’t miss, and even if you’re afraid of extraction shooters, Arc Raiders is worth your eye if you’re even generally interested in shooter games. At a $40 day one price, it’s more than fair for the quality delivered, and Embark has proven with The Finals that they are reliable with keeping fresh updates dropping regularly to keep the experience fun for regular players. The numbers don’t lie; there’s a reason Arc Raiders is sitting in the top 5 games for player count on Steam since launch day.

You’re filling up your board with pretty adorable animals on behalf of an equally adorable robot, and you’d have to be hard-hearted not to get sucked into the game’s brightly coloured world. Unless, of course, you’re just sick of deckbuilding roguelikes – and I fully get it if you are. But if you have room in your heart and your hard drive for just one more, then you may want to give Roulette Hero a shot.

Double Dragon Revive is exactly what the series needed to come back from obscurity. Veterans and new players alike will enjoy what Yuke’s has brought out here. It may not be groundbreaking, or even a AAA title by today’s standards, but it’s a lot of fun and can be picked up and played by almost anyone. I really would like to see this series continue with remakes based on sequels, or even an original story. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

If nothing else, I guess, it’s quite possible that Wreckreation becomes a meme game with random explosions like that. But you’d have hoped that after ten years trying to recapture the brilliance of Burnout, Three Fields Entertainment would be further along than this. Wreckreation is better than anything they’ve done so far, true, but it’s still very far from the kind of racing game that anyone will want to play.

Personally, with PowerWash Simulator 2, I am excited about the future of the PowerWash franchise. If you look at their freshly released 2025/2026 roadmap you can be excited to see 3 paid IP DLC, 3 free Caldera Chronicle Jobs, and what they claim will be a bucket full of other planned additions coming. They are really giving us more of the game we all fell in love with, and I hope they continue to listen to their community. I highly recommend purchasing this installment if you enjoyed the first game, it will be well worth the investment. Go on, let’s go gnome hunting in PowerWash Simulator 2. If you like cozy, comforting games, it’s one of the best.

While I’m definitely looking forward to updates to the Switch 2 port of Reload, but it’s rather rough on the technical side right now. I would summarize it as a great game that looks great, sounds great, and plays great, but is unfortunately a victim of poor performance.

Overall, it’s safe to say that Pokémon Legends Z-A is a good game, albeit with some shortcomings. It’s fun, it’s enjoyable, and brings the return of the best battle mechanic in the series’ history. Both versions of the game (Switch 1 and Switch 2) run well on their respective platforms, with the Switch 2 getting a 60fps version of the game. Legends Z-A does also have its DLC expansion planned for release later on, bringing new story content and Mega Evolutions. It’ll also (presumably) bring in more Pokémon that aren’t already in the game, so there should be some fun surprises for all of us when we get to see the new Mega forms. Pokémon Legends Z-A marks an enjoyable breath of fresh air, but it could still do with some growth to catch up with the times.

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is still the great game it was all those years ago, just a tiny bit better. Is that enough to justify the higher price? Maybe, maybe not – but it’s one of those games that always feels worth it to me, no matter how many times I’ve played it or how much I’ve paid.

Overall Once Upon a Katamari doesn’t stray from the game’s core formula and makes some concessions which smooths out some of the rougher edges of the gameplay. I might say having such a troublesome father might make me reconsider my loyalties, but how can you stay mad at that face! If you haven’t been on a roll in a while, this is a perfectly suitable entry to get back on the ball!

Even with controls and camera work that feel slightly like a relic, there’s nothing here that would make you think the world got it wrong 15-20 years ago as far as these games are concerned. They were pinnacles of 3D platforming then, and they remain that way today as well.

Visually, Little Nightmares III is just fine, with the opening two levels again falling somewhat flat while the final two manage to shine just a little more brightly. Overall, this game just feels somewhat rushed, which may be due to the new development team at Supermassive taking the reins to the series. All in all, while there is something to like here, most players will ultimately be let down by a disappointingly empty sequel to a great second title.

Despite the occasional on-rail hiccup, I’ve really enjoyed my time with Ninja Gaiden 4, and it’s easily a game I can see myself revisiting as I try to improve my own abilities and end of level scoring, offering up an easy reason to replay stages over and over again. It’s certainly a far better effort than its predecessor, and while it’s a very different Ninja Gaiden game compared to the recently released Ragebound, it’s a worthy follow-up to one of the more beloved action franchises out there. Hopefully the release of Ninja Gaiden 4 breathes new life into the franchise, as I’d love to see even more Ninja Gaiden titles released in the near future.

Death on the Nile isn’t a must-play adventure, but it’s at least generally tolerable – which is more than can be said about it as an Agatha Christie adaptation. On that front, it fails, so if that’s why you’re interested in it, prepare for disappointment. Still, if you’re fond of point-and-click mysteries, there’s probably enough here to be interesting.

Konami’s return to new titles is strong with Silent Hill f despite its shortcomings in the combat department. The setting is gorgeous and eerie with the music only adding to that, the voice acting is excellent (I played the Japanese dub of the game), and the story is downright gripping. Every new story beat had me eager to theorize with myself and uncover as much as I could of this narrative unfolding in front of me. It truly is a “must play” of the survival horror genre and I wholeheartedly believe this marks the comeback of Konami as a powerhouse in gaming once more.

As noted up top, I could see someone loving Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny if they’re a very specific kind of person – but if you’re not, there’s no real reason to seek it out.

It’s an intriguing idea for a game, but it’s not nearly deep enough to sustain itself.

The Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit is a love letter for fans of the AVGN series and character. If you aren’t a fan of his characters and style, naughty language, or find NES games too primitive then there is nothing here that will make you a fan, but this is indeed a super fun game that even non-fans can enjoy if given a proper chance. For everyone else, this is the AVGN game you have been waiting for, and it is NOT going to disappoint. If you want a challenging (and I do mean challenging) game filled with great action, classic graphics and fantastic comedy that will leave you giddy, then you NEED to download and play this! This is the best “modern classic” game ever to be released and needs to be an industry standard for all titles that try to recreate a retro feel. Fantastic job by everyone involved. Love it, Love it, Love it!!!

I think it’s very much worth playing. Like I said, the story is… fine, but that’s not what you’re here for, is it? Go blow some stuff up and let the flames reflect in your sparkling little eyes. It’s glorious to behold. I have to give just one score to the campaign as a whole, so just know with this that I’m thinking the story is maybe a 6, but the mission to mission experience is probably more at a 9. Balancing that out, the campaign gets a middle grounded, 8. I lean toward favoring the strength of the experience over the weakness of the story because it’s doing exactly what it wanted to do, and does so very well. Buy it, try it, blow some stuff up in the Battlefield 6 campaign.

Platypus Reclayed is a very stylized, but overall simple shooter that can leave an impression on you. Like I mentioned at the start of the review, I love this Claymation style of art so it was a treat to experience this game in 4K. If you want a fun, and quirky shooter that is not only fun to play but challenging, then you will love this. Very cool and highly recommended!

Overall Dying Light: The Beast is a fun foray back into a world of survival horror. It is a little disappointing that there is only one way to gain XP in the game, and though going out at night is very risky, it is high risk/high reward. If you enjoyed the previous titles in the series, Dying Light: The Beast is a fun time, especially with friends.