Despite looking a bit dated and not quite as good as Xseed’s recent Ys games, Xanadu Next is still an enjoyable dungeon crawler. It’s not without its faults such as some known bugs and the constant increase in key prices, but once you get around those quirks you’ll find a fun game that’ll keep you coming back to the ruins to explore some more.

Even with its faults Crackdown is still a solid game that is well worth playing through. While it's not nearly as strong as some of Microsoft's other first party offerings, Crackdown does prove to be a solid first entry into what will no doubt be a franchise.

A good title, but definitely with flaws.

Aliens: Dark Descent is a tense real-time strategy shooter that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you prefer not to be stressed out playing video games, it is certainly not for you. On the other hand, if you have the patience and mental fortitude to withstand relentless Xenomorphs, it is a clever take on the RTS genre that can be tough to put down.

Story of Seasons doesn't rewrite the book on farming sims, but it's a big, healthy break from the Harvest Moon series that adds a few strong new ideas. It's Harvest Moon in everything but name, and one of the best of this kind of game to come along in a while.

All in all, the game is a great addition to the collection of any fan of Final Fantasy Tactics or Final Fantasy XII because it melds the two games together seemlessly.

Rendering Ranger_R2 Rewind isn't the prettiest package, but that's ok. It's mainly here to give you some of that old school retro pain. Two of my favorite genres wrapped into one game feels like a good move, so give it a shot.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a competent, if linear and somewhat unbalanced, action adventure. You can tell that the game studio was made up of true fans who poured their love for the show into this game. But the scope and grandeur of the Samurai Jack IP are sadly limited by this game's low-budget restrictions. It's fun for what it is, but it left me hungry for more.

NBA 2K24 delivers the most authentic on-court gameplay in the series’ history thanks to the new ProPLAY technology. Gameplay feels less scripted, animations feel less canned, and modern players perform closer to their real counterparts than ever before. Some modes and features still feel largely untouched from years past, while MyCAREER caters to veteran and pay-to-win players, but I guess we can’t have it all.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris is less of an expansion and more of a continuation, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. While Eivor's character development seemed to take a step backward, fans of the base game will still enjoy another 10 or so hours of gameplay thanks to Francia's new storyline, characters, weapons, and abilities.

Rare Replay is one of the best compilation titles you could ever pick up.

Dragonborn is great for those who have exhausted as much as possible in Skyrim.

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.

If you’re a true fanatic then you shouldn’t think twice about purchasing this game. It contains everything you’ve loved about the previous entries, coupled with some new mini-games and a bevy of new tracks to dance to.

Decent gameplay, a solid dynasty mode, and an improved physics engine more than make up for poor team creation and few major enhancements as NHL 06 goes "five hole" on the competition.

Windscape has its rough edges, but the scope, ambition and heart of this one-man passion project help it to punch above its weight class. If you want a Zelda or Skyrim-style game that’s great for relaxing after a long day, Windscape fits the bill nicely.

Resident Evil 3 may not be as good as Resident Evil 2 but It's still a fantastic game. I would say, so far, it's one of the best games of the year. I really want Capcom to continue with this series of remakes. Hopefully we can get a remake of Code Veronica because that's really the one Resident Evil game that needs a remake the most as it's pretty much unplayable today.

Shadowplay: Metropolis Foe is interesting and challenging, but definitely not recommended for players new to deck building games. The amount of strategy needed to progress through even the early stages can be far greater than more basic deck builders such as Ascension and Star Realms. However, deck building veterans should already have the skills needed to properly build and maintain their deck as they play and can work with equipment that goes along with it. If you want a challenging deck-building game, Shadowplay: Metropolis Foe will give you that challenge.

There's no getting around it: Dark Arisen is difficult. There are moments when playing it that it may even feel like it's impossible and completely unfair, but the feeling of beating this title makes the incredibly tough adventure well worth it.

Prey gets a lot of things right, but it has a few technical hiccups and some balance issues that keep it from being a truly stellar experience. Let's hope we see some improvements in the next Prey.

Rezrog is essentially the “miniatures on a grid” portion of Dungeons & Dragons so to speak and I enjoy that. However, the early going can be tedious as you learn the game’s mechanics and some frustration may set in until you start to get your characters leveled up. This is definitely a game where strategy must be employed to survive without getting your heroes captured, but if you stick with it long enough you’ll find an enjoyable experience that tabletop RPG fans will likely enjoy.

In a nutshell, Stellar Blade is just that – a game with exceptionally stylish combat that is both challenging and accessible. The narrative and characterization won’t land with every audience, but developer Shift Up has made a noteworthy console debut.

While it's easy to criticize this game for not being very different from past entries, Virtua Tennis 3 proves to be just as much fun as it ever was. With fantastic online support, an engaging single player mode and some entertaining mini-games, Sega's next-gen tennis game will turn you into a tennis fan!

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.

Petroglyph, the modern maestros of RTS, have created a fun, accessible new entry that is a great way to get into the genre. There isn’t a lot of complexity here but the friendly art style and generous difficulty curve make 8-Bit Armies the perfect RTS for beginners.

Warriors Orochi 3 is a much more accessible Warriors game the most of the others in the series, and as a result becomes a much better experience. The focus here is on the action and the fun, which is wiping out the hordes of enemies and it does so like no other. There are a variety of technical flaws, but the overall experience really out shines all of them.

While some of Game Factory’s licensed games have been hit or miss, the care and time put into Pet Alien make it a surprising and memorable experience.

While the formula works, it's starting to get a little stale so while I fully expect to see a Guitar Hero IV I hope the developer takes the game and add something truly new to the series.