Kiln is a delightful and brilliant blend of player-driven creativity, melee brawler combat, and MOBA map design. Though it may be slightly lacking on content, it's a great game to unwind with, or to fire up with the family.

If you are someone that enjoys single-player content in fighting games, then Invincible VS won't hold your attention for more than a few hours. However, for those who are ready to go online, then you are going to have a lot of fun with this, especially if you are a fan of the source material. Fans of Invincible are going to go crazy over this game and they did a perfect job adapting to the IP to a new medium. It's a very good 3v3 fighting game but the full package does feel a little barebones.

As an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink sandbox, Crimson Desert is endlessly compelling, and frankly, irresistible. As a single-player RPG trying to tell a story, it falls flat on its face. Amazingly, it features one of the best and most immersive open worlds since Red Dead Redemption 2, but tries to give it purpose with a narrative that will have you scratching your head, or worse yet, scrolling on your phone.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance isn’t that bad of a game. But it’s also likely not what fans were waiting for. Having three characters to play through twelve levels sounds good. But all three play similarly and they aren’t evenly featured—with Kain only playable once or twice. Legacy of Kain: Ascendace is okay. But longtime fans will be left still waiting for the next big game in the series.

Pragmata was well worth the wait. It's an incredibly fun sci-fi adventure with amazing combat, lots of areas to explore, and two of the best protagonists I've seen in games in a while with Hugh and Diana. The story unfortunately may be run of the mill and predictable, but I still enjoyed the experience. Certain moments of the story hit hard like they should.

Life is Strange: Reunion is not only a major step up from Double Exposure, it's one of the best games in the series. Almost every criticism from the previous game was rectified in Reunion and gave Max and Chloe the closure that they deserved. Great writing, great characters and a pretty intense mystery to solve, this game could have gone off the rails at so many points. But Deck Nine managed to pull off a miracle here by delivering a fantastic game.

Resident Evil Requiem is one of the best, if not the best, Resident Evil games I’ve ever played. And I mean ever. The controls, the level(s) of difficulty, the characters, and the story are all immersive. The only thing I wanted to put down are those zombies. Capcom has done it again.

Marathon is a challenging, gorgeous, addictive, and deceptively deep extraction shooter. Bungie has created a gorgeous world with a captivating sci-fi story lurking beneath the surface, and thrown in their signature gunplay to create one of the year's best games. It is for a very niche audience. But for those willing to accept its extreme highs and lows, there is something quite compelling about its gameplay loop.

Esoteric Ebb is a gorgeously illustrated, dialogue-drunk RPG that marries Disco Elysium’s inner-monologues with D&D's gameplay bones. Its bureaucratic labyrinths, strange citizens, and bickering ability scores keep every conversation swaying between revelation and the ridiculous. Solid writing and solid technical performance make the whole investigation run smoothly. It’s a game for anyone willing to take the bad rolls with the good—and enjoy the story that spills out when the dice decide you’re not the hero today.

Dated mission structure and zombie design hold back Toxic Commando to an extent, but Saber Interactive still executed on a couple of fresh ideas. The Swarm Engine’s impressive zombie hordes, satisfying gunplay, and MudRunner-style vehicle physics that shouldn’t work but do are reason enough to grab a few friends and start blasting the undead.

WWE 2K26 is a great move forward for the series and the developers have laid down a lot of exciting groundwork that can be expanded upon in future games. The grind is still as bad as ever, though, and the Ringside Pass needs to be changed so the DLC wrestlers can be earned much earlier than they are now. Those issues aside this is a WWE game that I will absolutely be playing through most of this year.

The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest is exactly as it presents itself. It wants to be more, but I wish it didn't think it had to be. It's regular retro platforming, with a good map, checkpoints, forgettable characters, and cool bosses. It's something to do. You'll probably play it twice, but that's twice the something to do.

The Switch ports of The Disney Afternoon Collection play just as well as the original release. However, the exclusivity of Goof Troop and Bonkers to these ports along with hardly any extras for both (including no Boss Rush or Time Attack modes) may divide some people. If you never picked up the original Disney Afternoon Collection, this is the definitive version. However, you might have to ask yourself if Goof Troop and Bonkers are worth currently being Switch exclusives.

There is a lot of fun to be had with Yakuza Kiwami 3. But the cracks are really starting to show with this series, and it feels stale in a lot of areas. On its own, Kiwami 3 is lot less fun than other entries in this series, despite some good new management games here. As a remake, however, it certainly isn't good enough to justify the original being delisted and for this to now be the definitive version of Yakuza 3.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Fighting Force Collection didn't reinvent the wheel here, and I really wish it had. It's the same game. Take that for what it's worth.

A gorgeous remake of a classic JRPG that many players missed out on, this version of Dragon Quest VII swings hard towards accessibility (and might actually overshoot the mark a little bit). Visually gorgeous, with a fun episodic structure, this is a great way for fans to revisit this story or encounter it for the first time. My only caveat is a warning to be very careful with the "Quality of Life" settings, which make it entirely too easy to break the game, removing all of the challenge (and therefore all of the fun).

The depth of content and similarities to past space titles may be tempting, but even its dazzling display of stars and planets can't make up for the lack of worthwhile gameplay.

MAVRIX is an enjoyable open-world mountain biking game that leans into being more of a sim while remaining accessible. A few features don’t feel fully fleshed out, and the asking price is a little steep for what’s included, but it’s been getting periodic updates since releasing on PC.

Cairn is a mixed bag that I don't think will be for everyone. Persevering through a difficult section of the climb is extremely satisfying, but on the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating as well. I enjoyed my time on Kami, but there were times I felt beat down too, both by the mountain and its abrasive protagonist. Ultimately, it's hard to give Cairn a broad recommendation.

Mutant Football League 2 is one of the funniest video games I've ever played, with raunchy jokes that take no prisoners. But once the nostalgia of playing a violent arcade football game again fades, and you're hearing the same punchlines repeatedly, I don't know that its on-field gameplay will keep you coming back.

A lightweight but still impressive proof of concept for the inevitable day when AI-powered NPCs are the industry standard. Conversing with the bots is fun, and their personality parameters are interesting to toy around with. There isn't a ton of game here, but what is here feels like some crazy science-fiction fantasy I might have had when I was a kid. Warning: Causes fits of laughter in children.

I can't put my finger on why this game isn't perfect, but it's all the things I want in a modern beat 'em up. You can invite your friends and everyone will have a lot of fun. Play it solo only if you have to. After all, it's Mah-vel baby!

Hello Kitty Adventure Island is a sweet, fun open-world experience with quests to help move the story along. With new areas to explore and new friends to meet, this wholesome game is a great option for all cozy gamers young and old.

Some stability issues still hold Forestrike back but when it’s working, and it mostly does, it really works. The foresight mechanic is an excellent way to unlock fluid combat scenarios and it has the right amount of strategy required to be more than a mindless button masher. But you will need to find the right timing to mash the buttons so there is a level of skill required, but ample opportunity to practice your way to mastery. There is enough variety between the disciplines and the roguelike nature of earning skills and items on each run to keep things interesting long past when you get your money’s worth from a title that only comes in at 10 bucks to begin with.

Rustic Defense is a simplistic tower defense game but a very fun and very addicting one at that. The game could have used some more scenarios and different maps but it didn't take away from the fun I was having.

A great crossover between Demeo's polished and approachable gameplay mechanics, and D&D's world building, characters, and storytelling. Battlemarked is a blast in multiplayer, and doubles as an engaging single-player tactics game. It's perfectly acceptable to play Battlemarked flat, but real ones know that VR is where the magic comes alive. A few quibbles with the advancement system are not enough to rub the sheen off of this inspired iteration on Demeo's stellar core mechanics.

My 30,000-foot view of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is that it’s one of the most immersive and meticulous simulations you can play, for better or worse. But even Microsoft is not immune to some good old-fashioned simulator jank, which keeps it from totally sticking the landing.

Lumines Arise is NOT Tetris Effect Connected, and once you make that distinction, you'll enjoy this one. The effects can be overwhelming, but turn the ones that affect you off, and connect to the ones that allow you to enjoy the game. See what I did there?

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment successfully marries the button mashing combat of the Warriors formula with the visuals and sounds of Tears of the Kingdom. While the repetitive mission structure can get a little tiring (plan on taking breaks) and the game doesn't push any boundaries, the satisfying combat, impressive technical performance, and faithful recreation of Tears of the Kingdom's world make this an easy recommendation for Zelda fans that miss the sights and sounds of Hyrule.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tries to do a lot of things. It doesn't all come off but the end result is more game to play. The core elements are all there, and even if you think the campaign is an abomination, you still have PvP and zombies that don't stray as far from the course—just like you had every other year.

Sektori is an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-your-seat assault on the senses. I barely blinked, I barely breathed, and I’m seldom so enthralled with a video game, even if I can’t manage to beat it.

A fun, surprisingly lengthy and deep romp with everyone's favorite violent motormouth, Deadpool VR sends players careening around the Marvel Universe on a goofball mission that allows for equal parts bloody combat and surprisingly awesome watercooler moments. The combat is only as fun as you make it, but the non-stop barrage of jokes are top tier. The tone is right, largely due to a killer, irreverent performance from Neil Patrick Harris, so everything else falls into place.

Once Upon a Katamari is a love letter to all the other games, for a game that doesn't always love you back. If there's ever been a time you wanted to shut a king up, it's here. There's still a sprinkle of happiness to roll over any and everything, but my Katamari may be getting a little flat.

Dispatch is possibly the greatest narrative game ever made, if only they could smooth out the actual dispatching. I absolutely love this world, this story, and these characters. I just don't like the parts where I am scripted to fail, and I further don't like that those parts ultimately don't matter. Whatever, ignore my whining. This is a great game.

Contraband Police is both too much yet not enough. Sometimes less is more—I wanted more simulator and less first-person shooter RPG, but there are still certain types of simulator comrades that will dig it, I think.

ARC Raiders is a massive achievement, bringing the extraction shooter to a mainstream audience with immaculate gunplay, sound design, gameplay systems, and world-building. Embark Studios has planted a flag as one of the best, if not the best, multiplayer shooter developers in the industry.

There are very few games on the market that I would grant the title "King's Field-like". Verho - Curse of Faces stands as the best of them. This game could not nail the PS1 ASCII Entertainment vibes any harder if FromSoftware made it themselves. Newcomers will want to try the demo first, but King's Field fans should not hesitate to take the full plunge. You will not be disappointed.

Power Washer simulator 2 builds on the first game's addictive simplicity, offering a more polished and visually appealing experience. It takes all the core mechanics and layers on larger, more complex levels that add depth without losing accessibility. Ultimately, it remains a relaxing escape and something that transcends the gaming experience to become something more: an outlet for frustration and your worries.

Bye Sweet Carole is beautiful to look at, but a little tough to get through. The inconsistencies may not be enough to turn survival gamers off, but they may be too much to validate a full playthrough. If you love escape rooms, and not Dragon's Lair, hop to it.

Becastled is a streamlined and satisfying blend of city builder, tower defense, and real-time strategy that is easy to pick-up and tough to put down at times.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition does the best single thing it could for a game set in this franchise: it looks and feels like an Alien game. Where it also feels like a VR port makes sense and meshes well with the tone and arc of the gameplay. This part one doesn’t weigh in with the longest playtime and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but based on this first effort the sequel and eventual conclusion of the story seems worth waiting for, and playing through when it does drop. But I would like to see the Aliens get a little deadlier, and the pulse rifle get a boost along with it.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection is an absolutely incredible collection of the classic games with some great quality of life features added to them. The documentary is a fascinating look into the history of the Mortal Kombat team and the development of the series. It's a shame that the online features are barebones as of now, but I think for old school Mortal Kombat fans, this collection is a dream come true and has personally reignited my love for this franchise.

The Outer Worlds 2 refines the overall Outer Worlds universe, pulling back on ridiculous and expanding into more human territory, while still keeping its satirical tongue firmly in cheek. Every system in the game has been refined, from greater control over character development to slicker and more impactful combat. This is a great RPG that firmly cements the franchise as a genre leader.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a fantastic, fun and challenging action game that fans of the genre will be coming back to many times, with tons of replay value and inevitable DLC expansions in the future. It's a shame that the story and characters are completely undercooked, but the gameplay hard-carries this game to one of the best action games of the year.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is an excellent entry for the franchise and continues what made the prior Digimon Story games great. The story is fun and engaging with a lot of different choices to make in the narrative and Digimon to level up and digivolve. While some of the mechanics can be a bit complex and the difference in difficulty between normal and Titan battles can be a bit jarring for the unprepared, it won’t take long before you’re saving both the real and digital worlds like you’ve been a Digimon Tamer you’re entire life.

While more limited in scope than the mainline Dying Light titles, this side-quel ups the fun factor by giving the player a way to blow off steam with the addition of superpowers. Lighter in tone and with more room to breathe, Dying Light: The Beast puts just enough spin on the franchise's formula to keep from feeling like a retread. It turns out that the ability to stomp around and clear a room in 30 seconds was just what Dying Light needed.

Ball X Pit is a wildly inventive twist on a classic formula, blending brick breaking with roguelike progression, RPG mechanics, and resource management into a chaotic, endlessly replayable experience. Thanks to a deep roster of characters, seemingly endless ball combinations, and a settlement system that evolves between runs, the game will sink it hooks into you and refuse to let you go.

Battlefield 6 completed the main objective: make a great multiplayer suite. But it failed the side objective: make a great singeplayer campaign. Still, Battlefield players are here for one thing. I know it, you know it, Battlefield Studios knows it – we all know it. And there’s no denying that they’ve nailed the most important part.

The annual Just Dance drop has occurred, bringing with it 40 new songs and a new party mode. Ongoing legacy frustrations with the poor stream quality continue to mar the experience somewhat. I've fully settled into the fact that Just Dance is now a platform. Some attention paid to how players can manage the platform as it expands would be much appreciated. But there is no questioning the quality of the unchanging core gameplay mechanics. Just Dance has always been fun, and it continues to be fun.

A fast-paced blend of beat 'em up and rogue-like mechanics, Absolum starts off simple but evolves to reveal surprising depth and experience that will keep you come back for just one more run.

Three unsatisfying modes do not make a full package. A decent story mode is kneecapped by terrible racing, the racing "arcade" mode doesn't have the saving grace of story moments, and the Playset—which could be its own standalone product—is undone by a lack of basic figures and Quest 3's memory restrictions. Hardcore fans will find some fun here, but everyone else is likely to be frustrated by the game's lack of focus and inability to deliver on its own great potential.

Hades 2 is a masterpiece. It's something I will probably never stop playing until I unlock everything. The new trope should be if it ain't broke, take a lot of cooler things, an amazing soundtrack, and some of the greatest storytelling, put them all in a caldron, and out comes the king of roguelikes. This also proves, that things do get better...with time.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a fantastic introduction to the series for newcomers, and a no-brainer for series veterans. This is one of the best and most reliably fun JRPG franchises on the market today, packing a fantastic narrative, a beautiful world, a rewarding battle system, and memorable characters together in one deep and sprawling package. You can't miss with this one.

Nicktoons and the Dice of Destiny is exactly what you're expecting it to be, and probably more. With standard ARPG elements mixed with classic characters from the Nickelodeon universe, this game straddles the line between compelling gameplay and frivolous fun. A great blend of nostalgia and gaming.

The Knightling is quite reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in terms of game flow: you have your main quest line and a vast world to explore, with plenty of side quests to help improve your abilities. The only sticking point I had was that combat can be a bit rough when multiple enemies are involved, and enemies have a habit of popping up behind you without warning. Aside from that, The Knightling definitely helped me scratch my open-world adventure itch.

LEGO Voyagers is a fun journey along a short trail. There is groundwork here for what could be an amazing cooperative experience, but in the end, it comes across as simply a proof of concept.

Ghost of Yotei separates itself from the original game in all the right ways, improving and iterating on everything from combat to quest design. This is what a sequel should be. This is why we play video games.

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile will likely intrigue fans of mystery adventure games, but others will likely find the game's somewhat obtuse puzzle structure frustrating. The 70s setting is fun, and the characters are well done, but overall the game feels a bit too mechanically dated to draw in new fans. If you know you like this sort of thing, check it out. But the merely curious might want to keep on sailing.

Fruitbus could easily fall into the category of a cozy game, but it's so much more than that. The storytelling and scaling create an engaging timeline that walks the player through a fascinating story all while maintaining the principles of a standard cozy game.

Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots is overflowing with content. If you want to get into the game and golf, you can do that. If you want to unlock all the things, you can do that too. There's a lot to do, sometimes maybe too much. If you don't let yourself get bogged down with it, there is much golf fun to be had. You know, for everybody.

Borderlands 4 is an incredibly fun game with a couple of flaws. The world of Kairos is beautiful to play through and there's no shortage of challenges to dive into. While the Unreal Engine still has some issues, the stuttering is corrected without a big hit. With over 30 billion combinations of weapons, no two guns are the same. Multiplayer makes this game a must play if you have friends that are interested in the series. Simply put, Borderlands 4 is fun, immersive, and worth picking up right away.

NBA 2K26 is another small but significant step forward for the franchise. It has never felt better to play an NBA 2K game, thanks to on-court gameplay improvements and quality-of-life fixes off the court. There is so much content that you almost have to pick a lane and stay there, while microtransactions are positioned as a fix for the FOMO you’ll inevitably feel ignoring one mode for another. But it’s still easy to recommend NBA 2K26 to hoops fans.

While not redefining the genre, the new Kirby is an insanely clever take on platforming that delivers a ton of laughs with its stellar co-op. The Star-Crossed World material adds a fair amount of value for veterans and makes an already sizable game even bigger for newcomers. This is a fantastic game to play through with a kid or a buddy, with challenges and secrets piled into its densely packed levels. Another winner for the Switch 2.

Firefighting Simulator: Ignite is one of the better simulators on console, and perhaps the best of the firefighting variety. It’s a sim on console, so you know it comes with some bugs, but if you’re into the emergency services subgenre of sims, it’s a no brainer.

Earthion is an absolute masterpiece, both as a shmup and a modern game in general. It’s beautiful, engaging, has a heart-pumping soundtrack, and is the type of game that keeps you coming back again and again. This is a special gift for fans of the genre and will go down as one of the best shmups of all time.

If Silent Hill 2 Remake and Dead Space had a baby it would be Chronos: The New Dawn and that is a good thing. A great survival horror experience with amazing atmosphere, challenging and tense gameplay, and a story that kept me hooked throughout.

For $40, you’ll get 15 or so hours of a lite Icelandic folklore version of the modern God of War games. It comes with caveats – finding the right difficulty and looking past annoyances with puzzles and combat – but I’d recommend giving Echoes of the End a go.

A rich, character-driven choose-your-own-adventure story and a deep, rewarding job system make The Nameless: Slay Dragon a must-play for fans of classic RPGs and visual novels alike. It may be slightly rough around the edges, but its many strengths easily outweigh its few flaws.

Chips 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids has big ideas for the strategy genre, but it doesn't quite pull it off. I still think it's worth playing if you're interested in an easily digestible, save-the-world-from-aliens strategy romp.

Stone Simulator is less a video game and more a meditation — an ambience of time, weather, and surrealism. You don’t play it so much as witness it: fog rolls in, fireflies emerge, UFOs drop stones and abduct horses, and a leafy shaman conjures storms that vanish in seconds. It’s a slow, atmospheric drift through moments that feel poetic, absurd, and occasionally profound. With no score, no goal, no movement, it asks only for your presence. For those willing to sit still, it offers something rare: a space to simply be.

Beautiful in every way, Herdling is a short and sweet adventure that will pull at your heartstrings.

In this brave new world of Destiny, a new saga begins, and major shifts and changes alter the very systems on which the Guardians stand and progress. Unfortunately, these are changes I’m going to have to sit out until they get dialed in over the coming weeks and months. This game has been a constant in my rotation for nearly 10 years. But it now demands time that I just don’t have to give, offers rewards that aren’t worth the heavy investment, and promises to reset the clock and devalue that commitment every six months. The shooter part of Destiny is still excellent, but I’ll check back in December and see if they’ve worked out the looter bit.

An overall bland cyberpunk combat racer with a cool aesthetic and soundtrack that stalls out due to lackluster gameplay.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is great. I don't know how they got the controls so tight, but it's magic. Bonus points for tying up a story for a game I still loathe to this day. And more Kumori please.

Sure, Mafia: The Old Country has guns and cars, but the more important pieces are the awesome story, great performances, and beautiful setting. Cinematic in all the ways that most games only dream of, The Old Country delivers a nuanced and thoughtful story full of thrills. I couldn't tear myself away from it.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a minimal preservation effort. At least it's not abandonware anymore. Higher resolutions and controller support make it playable on modern PCs and now consoles, but old bugs and dated assets remain. It’s still a richly layered D&D adventure — with all the charm of its 2006 origins.

Ready or Not’s grounded, gritty gameplay is one of the best tactical experiences on console. It requires you to take it seriously to be successful, but that’s what an elite tactical shooter will do. If you’re into this sort of thing, I highly recommend it.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a great game that is packed with content that will keep players coming back to it for a long time long after finishing both campaigns. While on its own it is just as good as 1+2 in the gameplay department, the soundtrack consisting of mostly new tracks along with the removal of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4's original career mode will make this game probably not hit as hard in the nostalgia department as the first game did. On its own Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is very good, but as remakes of the original 3 and 4? Not as good.

Just as Super Mario Odyssey cemented the original Switch as a must-have platform, Donkey Kong Bananza smashes it's way into the Nintendo hall of classics, bumping the Switch 2 from "really nice" to "must buy" status. Don't let the smashing mechanics fool you, this game is just as smart, deep, and clever as any of the Mario or Zelda titles. Nintendo has set up and intricate and beautiful playground, and then releases the player into it as a wrecking ball. Fun doesn't get much more fun than this.

Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder is a novel concept, translating basketball into a deckbuilding card game rather elegantly. The gameplay isn't the issue, but using difficulty to gatekeep entire game modes is. To put it in basketball terms: they've dunked the ball but have been called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim and taunting us players.

Holdfast: Nations at War is a community-driven historical military shooter that leans heavily into its player-based roleplay system. The laborious combat won't be for everyone, and you'll only get out of it what you put into it from a social roleplaying standpoint. But there's something special about standing on the frontline with my musket, laugh-crying at my fake French teammates, all while listening to rock music blaring from the commander's megaphone. That's Holdfast, in a nutshell.

College Football 26 is a significant refinement from last year, particularly in terms of realistic gameplay and an authentic college football experience. But you'll have to contend with a troublesome Wear and Tear system, and occasionally braindead AI in specific modes.

Golden Tee Arcade Classics is 6 Golden Tee games, a bowling game, and a shuffleboard game. It has the same exact feel as the arcade. The controls feel wonky without a trackball, and there is no online play. A faithful recreation, which makes this a little dated, and a little under par.

This simple nonogram puzzle encourages the player to unlock items to decorate a mouse's home, but falls short on providing reasoning or goals for the player. It's cute and simple, and fun for a nonogram puzzle fan, but doesn't fully separate itself from the competition in a way I was expecting or hoping for.

Sadly, R&A does not deliver the experience I have been dreaming about for so many years. What is here is a very promising technical demo of parkour in video game form, which is great in terms of the technical accomplishment, but it lacks the game experience. Instead, it becomes a test of your dedication and patience to walk away feeling anything but frustration.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S seems like the game version of redundancy. If you have the first sequel, there is simply no good reason to get this one. This could be the worst thing that's happened between Sega and Nintendo since the "Genesis Does What Nintendon't" commercials.

Ruffy and the Riverside is both an homage to classic platform games and an entirely new take on the genre. Its fantastic texture swapping mechanic lends itself to a stunning variety of environmental puzzles, many of which offer a high level of head-scratching satisfaction. Ruffy and the Riverside has sleeper hit written all over it.

Maximum Football is a disappointment in its 1.0 version, with stale, robotic gameplay and some troublesome bugs in key places. Still, it does show real potential, and with a base version available for free, there's no excuse not to try it if you're into football simulations.

Firebreak could be 2025's most underrated shooter — if it can hold players' attention long enough. But Remedy isn't punching above its weight anymore. It's pacing itself, for better or worse.

Starlight Legacy is a 16-bit JRPG that gives players a lot of options in terms of how to progress. From choosing which order to tackle the four main provinces, to customizing a character's weapon and item loadout and changing their elements, to even turning random encounters off and on or changing how much experience is rewarded after a fight, there are plenty of ways to either make the game easier for new players or make it more challenging for seasoned JRPG veterans. There are a few quirks that some players might have issues with, but Starlight Legacy is a fun classic-style RPG that's worth checking out.

Hideo Kojima once again proves to be a singular creative force in the video game industry, crafting a sequel in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach that is not just essential for fans of the first game, but an essential experience for all gamers.

There is a lot of jank to CarX Street, yet the game is miraculously still pretty lovable. Don't go into it expecting it to make much sense, and you'll likely have a good time. With design that is bordering on anti-player, the game forces you to pay to refill your gas tank while constantly ramming you off the road with cross-traffic. But somehow, someway, it's still pretty fun.

Deck of Haunts is a quick and fun deck-building roguelike. Building out the haunted house is the most fun part. Just know that this is also one of those games where you will be at the mercy of the RNG, where failing to get a specific card you need to save your run may lead to your demise.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma confidently advances the life sim genre while still keeping one foot comfortably in the past. With streamlined farming and town management mechanics, deeper yet-still-accessible combat, and the usual great writing and character work, Guardians delivers a consistent good time for new and old players alike. This beautifully animated game is a great way to break in that Switch 2.

Steel Seed doesn't do anything particularly new, but it does recreate tried and true gameplay and traversal elements and wraps it in a stunning presentation. I have trouble with the final act as I think it falls a bit short of the promise the first two acts build up to, but overall the complete package is a pretty good game marked by solid mechanics and progression. It settles into a core loop but encourages you to explore options to play that out, and for the most part offers a pretty cool narrative wrapping neat ideas into a gorgeous bit of world building.

Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a great game for fans of dungeon crawlers and roguelikes. The combat can be a little tricky to get the hang of as you’ll have to learn how to time your attacks and dodge when necessary to avoid taking huge chunks of damage. The town building aspects provide a lot of ways to customize your home base between missions and show them off to your friends in co-op. If you’re looking for a dungeon crawler where you can customize your town between missions, Lynked: Banner of the Spark is well worth the price.

Maniac distills the chaotic thrills of Grand Theft Auto’s wanted level system into a full game of mindless enjoyment. It’s a darkly humorous shooter that is easy to recommend at the low asking price, even if it may not take the gaming world by storm.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 completes the journey, and opens the door for new chapters. The interest alone in these games shows that Capcom still has a hadouken or two left. We are in fighting game heaven right now. Enjoy yourselves.