It features a pretty sizeable map and a world that seems like it’s worth exploring, even if you’re never fully clear on what you’re looking for other than a way off the planet. I wouldn’t say it’s a must-play game, but it shows promise, and from a tiny indie studio, that’s something worthwhile.

Was Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves worth the nearly two and a half decade wait? Absolutely! Despite the wild ride the game has promotionally (The uproar over the “real people” inclusion as playable characters, then having said real person, Salvatore Ganacci show up to open this year’s WrestleMania), the game is certainly one which will stand the test of time. My only hope is that the support is there which will help SNK further bolster the roster and features so that the streets of South Town will never be too quiet. I mean after all, we still don’t know what Cristiano Ronaldo would do with the Jin scrolls…

Obviously, the match-3 genre isn’t known for producing a lot of innovation – unless you count finding new ways to get people addicted innovative. But Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 is a clear exception to that rule. It’s addictive, sure, but it’s also interesting, and fleshed-out, and funny. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or someone who usually can’t stand it, you owe it to yourself to check this game out.

Right now, Bionic Bay is easily one of the best games I’ve played this year. It’s a fantastic platforming experience with a super unique visual style that’s constantly throwing new puzzles and ideas at you throughout the campaign. While certainly not as whimsical or packed with secrets in comparison to something like Astro Bot, Bionic Bay nails its approach with incredibly tight controls and a cool sense of style. I’d recommend checking it out, it may well be the best platformer released this year.

It’s quite possibly the most relaxed – and relaxing – game I’ve ever placed, and I loved every second of my time with it.

As for the meat and potatoes of the game – that is, its combat and its traversal – there’s really not much to say about it. In those respects, INAYAH is pretty much exactly what you’d expect. You get your choice of weapon early on, and you can upgrade them throughout the game with a pretty thorough skill tree, but really, there’s nothing in INAYAH, gameplay-wise, that we haven’t seen before. Which means that we’re left to judge INAYAH on things other than its gameplay. And even if there’s some good there (specifically, the artwork), that’s balanced out by design decisions that make the game a lot more annoying than it should be.

Lunar Remastered Collection is a fantastic collection of two of the greatest early ’90s RPGs to ever be released for home consoles. Even with the subtle changes that were made to the voices and some of the dialog, you will never find yourself hating your experiences with either of the games included. Definitely pick this one up if you love classic RPGs, have already experienced the world of Lunar or are looking for a pair of fantastic games that offer experiences that will stay with you for a long time.

If you’re a fan of JRPGs or looking to dip your feet in, Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Definitive release on the Switch is an excellent start and comes back boasting new features, new content, and updated quality of life to truly make it worth your while. It is an absolute gem and is a game to keep on your radar, even if the story leaves a little to be desired.

To be fair, I didn’t hate my time with Kaya’s Prophecy. It doesn’t do anything original, but it also copies other, better games so well that it can’t help but get some reflected glow. But because it doesn’t add anything to either of those well-established formulas, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend it over its influences. Maybe check it out if you’re a fan of Slay the Spire or Stacklands, but don’t expect it to be more than the sum of its influences.

Everyone’s specific experiences with Peppered will differ, but taken as a whole, I have to imagine that anyone who like platformers will find themselves well-rewarded by this game.

Star Overdrive is another example of a game where a cool reveal didn’t live up to the end result. Whatever inspiration there was to be found in last year’s trailer didn’t make it to the finished product, and there’s little here to make the game worth recommending.

This entry in the Two Point series definitely represents a slight turn towards being (slightly) more serious and (slightly) more demanding – and while that may not be the worst thing in the world, it’s definitely not what I look to the series for, personally.

Breakout Beyond is a fantastic remake of a timeless classic. Choice Provisions has done a remarkable job recreating the authentic look and feel of the original game while adding just enough new things to attract today’s gamers. I really enjoyed my time with this and i do believe you will as well, whether you are a classic gamer or looking for a decent challenge. This is one remake / reimagining of a classic game that I highly recommend and I hope that more are on the way!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collections was a good attempt at preserving the past, but even with 14 games it’s filled with fluff and very little substance. If you are craving old-school Yu-Gi-Oh! and are a fan of the animated show, this collection is for you. I hope they will bring out a 2nd collection with the PlayStation family of games.

MLB The Show 25 on the Switch certainly won’t win any awards for looks, but if you’re hoping that the game gets a decent send-off on the hybrid platform – or even if you just want it to run better than last year – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The Overkill Edition on Nintendo Switch looks and runs great, and while I have little doubt that more powerful systems make Cookie Cutter even more visually appealing, the Switch is no slouch at maintaining the 60 FPS you want for this style of game, and in handheld mode you’ll be pretty impressed with how great the game looks. I’d highly suggest checking Cookie Cutter: Overkill Edition out whenever you have the chance, you won’t be disappointed.

Without that sense of nostalgia, you’ll be left with a trio of games that weren’t all that good first time around, and it’s hard to imagine you’ll find them very worthwhile.

Wyrmhall is a rare bird: a cozy game that doesn’t try to hide how repetitive it is at its core, but finds a way to make that gameplay loop surprisingly addictive. If you’re looking for something to knock out in a sitting, it’s worth checking out.

WWE 2K25 is certainly not without its glitches (of course not on the level of the dumpster fire that was 2K20), and for the most part they’ve already been improved via patches. In my opinion, 2K25 is a must buy for a current or lapsed wrestling fan. It’s better than last year’s release, which is still saying a lot, and it’s miles better than the AEW release which feels like an eternity ago.

Even a forgettable version of MLB The Show still delivers a best-in-class baseball experience. It makes it hard to recommend if you picked up the last few years’ editions, but if you’ve taken a year or two off, it might be time to jump back in.

If you want a traditional, linear experience with clear goals and objectives, Atomfall probably isn’t what you’re after. It’s very much a player-directed experience – for better and for worse, depending on your perspective. However, if you’re the type who wants a game to give you the freedom to play however you want, then you owe it to yourself to check out Atomfall.

I don’t think Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a bad game, but I don’t think it’s a great one either. With patches I think it could seriously become a great game, but as it stands with what I was playing, I’m not impressed with the systems/gameplay. I really, really want to like Shadows more because of how much the total package feels, but those few issues are enough to really hamper that. If you’re someone that enjoys going everywhere to do things and unlock everything, you’ll definitely have a great time, so it’s not inherently a super negative. The combat experience is definitely a damper though. Fingers crossed Ubisoft and the team behind Shadows really polishes and shines it up!

No matter how fun the gameplay is, that doesn’t matter if the game doesn’t consistently work, and I don’t think anyone could realistically say that Rise of the Ronin works as it should on PC. Given a bit of time and patches, I could absolutely see Rise of the Ronin becoming a must-play for anyone who wants to roam around an open-world, exploring 19th-century Japan and slicing down all kinds of enemies. But as of now, you need to wait and see if the game gets there, because it certainly isn’t at the moment.

With a story that keeps you engaged and guessing to the end (whichever end you uncover), Expelled! is a worthy successor to inkle’s previous glories, and it’s the kind of game that every mystery fan needs to play.

Petit Island borrows a lot of well-established ideas without doing enough to make any of them feel like its own, and as a result, you’ll come away from the game wishing you could play some of those other games instead.

The Suikoden series has its good games and bad, but Suikoden 1 and 2 are my two favorites in the series. For those looking to scratch the itch of a classic JRPG, these games will do it. I hope that other companies take notes, as they kept the core game play and didn’t make any major changes to the battle system — I’m looking at you Final Fantasy VII Remake. The Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster isn’t perfect though, and Konami should have made a few more quality of life improvements, specifically to the inventory system. The story to both games is there in all of its glory, the second game’s story especially. Overall, Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is a solid update to some classically good JRPGs!

Regardless of whether you want to play with someone else in-person or online, Split Fiction is well worth your time. It’s an excellent co-op adventure, and it’s easy to imagine the game garnering the same kind of following – and accolades – as It Takes Two.

Rolando is filled with a great cast of characters, each of which have their own abilities, and it makes a real effort to ensure you’re using those abilities to their full extent – whether it’s a hyperactive ball who can’t stop moving, a lazy king ball who needs to be rolled everywhere, or a ball that sticks to surfaces (among many others). The game is a riot of colour, and it knows how to create different worlds that mix things up enough to keep it interesting, both in terms of design and in terms of visuals. Rolando was a triumph of mobile gaming on its first release, and Rolando Deluxe shows that it’s every bit as great now.