PlayMagic's XIII may get better after several patches, but right now it's a broken, buggy mess that plays like a generic shooter and looks worse than the 2003 original. If you really want to play XIII, go play that instead.

Flashback 2 could have channeled the first game's spirit while presenting a new spin on the action. It fails spectacularly, lacking polish and nearly any redeeming qualities.

Like Gollum’s war within, this stealth platformer struggles with its own identity while offering a thoughtful tale concerning the mind and travels of its protagonist.

Despite some impressive visuals via Unreal Engine 5, Stray Souls feels utterly uninspired with awful story-telling and laughable horror.

Whatever this game attempts to do, others have already done, and done better. It would be a disappointing addition to the gaming libraries of most players, and it’s hard to believe a title could fall this flat in 2026. I wouldn’t recommend this even to someone who’s completely out of options; being bored with nothing to play is honestly preferable to experiencing this mess.

This is one otherworldly gaming experience with interesting ideas, but wholly horrendous execution.

Skull Island: Rise of Kong, more than anything else, feels like a hollow attempt at cashing in on the Kong brand.

Supercross 4 is as big of an improvement that we’ve gotten in the genre for a while, but that’s not saying much. A good amount of content and some new ideas round things out nicely, though.

RiMS Racing makes an honorable attempt at raising the bar for customization but it comes at the cost of nearly everything else.

With The Virtuous Cycle, Mortal Shell tosses its hat into the roguelite ring, and while it’s a great reason to come back for more Mortal Shell, its slow progression and lack of clear direction make it less of a fulfilling experience than the main campaign.

Life is Strange: True Color's well written cast and rich setting help make it easily one of the strongest outings this franchise has had.

Subdivision Infinity DX may be worth a try for fans of space combat games, but stumbles out the gate with zero controller customization options and a padded out progression system.

Straddling a fine line between tradition and modernization, Beyond a Steel Sky is a worthy follow up to the original that manages to create a compelling tale for fans of the 1994 classic and newcomers starting with this game alike.

MXGP 2021 is more of the same from Milestone’s marquee motocross experience.

Assetto Corsa Competizione is a game made only for those seeking a full, unquestioned simulation, and its inconsistencies and lack of structure leave little room for error and a lot of room for frustration, even with the upgraded performance on the new consoles.

The Serpent Rogue is a curious roguelike survival game with a few addicting elements on offer under its hazy exterior.

I found myself more enamored with the idea of playing Source of Madness than I did with the game itself.

Roller Champions loses its momentum too fast, but provides great bursts of genuine fun along the way.

While it lacks some polish here and there, and its main story leaves a lot to be desired, the pure absurdity behind Metal Max Xeno Reborn helps make it greater than the sum of its parts. The vehicular combat is fun, and the optional boss fights are an all-round great time.

Deliver Us the Moon is a solid game, but this sloppy current-gen upgrade is probably not the best way to experience it.

Despite some decent combat and sustainable charm, Rumbleverse has very little going on to hold your attention beyond one or two sittings.

New animations help NHL 23 make steps toward greater authenticity but the series still needs a major overhaul.

Gundam Evolution might have shamelessly lifted some of its presentation and mechanics from other games (and I think it did), but it’s still a great game at the end of the day.

Hello Neighbor 2 is a gorgeous game with a solid concept, but unfortunately it is held back by some serious bugs and bad AI.

Regardless of how you choose to play Valheim, it is a fantastic survival crafting experience that is more than worth its cost for the potentially hundreds of hours you could spend in its world, and it will only get better with time. [Early Access Score = 90]

Risen is… fine. It’s a game that was influential and beloved in its time, but that time was long ago, and many other great games have taken its place since. So, unless you’re a die-hard Risen fan, your money is likely better spent elsewhere, though that’s no fault of the game itself. It just belongs to a genre that has been iterated and improved upon so much that going back doesn’t seem worth it, especially for new players.

There’s a lot to like about Death in the Water 2, and it's a very impressive game coming from a 2-person game studio. But the things it lacks hamper the experience quite a bit, especially if you stick with it to the end.

Gamedec has plenty of rough edges, but thanks to its emphasis on choice and consequence mechanics and its unique premise, it's still very much worth a look.

Even at its relatively lower price, I don’t think LEAP is worth your time. There are games with more personality and more fun that can be downloaded and played for free these days, which makes LEAP basically dead on arrival. Look elsewhere for your competitive FPS needs.

Players looking for a hardcore crafting/survival game on consoles likely won’t be able to find much better than Valheim, and its inclusion in Game Pass further makes it an easy choice despite a handful of issues. [Early Access Review Score = 80]

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is a game that will appeal to those looking for an accessible tactical RPG, but it sticks too close to the rulebook of the original for its own good.

Final Transmission is the proper "ending" for The Callisto Protocol, and while it closes Jacob Lee's story, the overall execution and content leave a lot to be desired.

Ed-0: Zombie Uprising’s challenges are rooted in its poor difficulty balance and budget design, not so much in its nature of being a true rogue-like experience.

If you're craving more Atomic Heart content with all its underwhelming dialogue and iffy gameplay, Annihilation Instinct may be worth checking out, but even hardcore fans may be left wanting.

Even after a year of major updates and new regions, Tower of Fantasy still has fundamental issues which hinder it to a painful degree.

NASCAR Arcade Rush could have been an interesting real-life inspired take on a Mario Kart-style racer, but it doesn’t have the ideas or the content to pull it off.

Witchfire hopes to meld gameplay inspired by Soulslikes and extraction shooters while trying to forge its own identity. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

Dungeons 4 is pretty safe as sequels go, adding new features and bigger maps while upping the visual quality. The story is forgettable, the humor dreadful and the performance on Xbox Series X is questionable, but it still offers some addictive gameplay.

Calling it one of 2023's worst games wouldn't even begin to describe just how much of a mess The Walking Dead: Destinies is.

Though Arkham Trilogy on the Switch serves as an excellent excuse to dive back into Asylum and City, its Arkham Knight port is nothing short of diabolical.

There's a reason the phrase "Buyer beware" remains relevant, and it's because of games like The Day Before. The only bright side to its miserable existence is you can no longer purchase it. [Early Access Score = 1/10]

Palworld is equal parts charming and dark, with a massive world and no restrictions on exploration. Combat needs some fine-tuning and the survival crafting may not be for everyone, but it's early access release is a solid starting point. [Early Access Score = 70]

New Cycle is nowhere near delivering a mix of resource management, city-building and humane stories like, say, Frostpunk. As repetitive as its core gameplay can get, it is appealing, and hopefully, early access will expand on it while ironing out all the issues. [Early Access Review Score = 60]

While the genre itself is filled with games that are often too derivative of each other without a strong sense of identity, Enshrouded thankfully bucks that trend. [Early Access Score = 70]

Nightingale is brimming with potential and can grow into something truly fascinating, but it has a long way to go. [Early Access Score = 60]

Lackluster content, clunky combat, dull exploration and more plague DRAGO entertainment's early access survival crafting title. [Early Access Score = 40]

Lightyear Frontier impresses with its sci-fi setting, non-violent approach and nature-focused gameplay, to say nothing of the gorgeous visuals. It has a ways to go, though, and some issues to iron out. [Early Access Score = 70]

No Rest for the Wicked isn't bad - in fact, there's so much potential in this mishmash of genres that it's worth keeping an eye on. At this stage, however, there are a lot of rough edges to smooth over. [Early Access Score = 60]

Fallout 4's Next-Gen Update brings minimal changes, but Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG is still a fun game at its core, even with its issues.

Manor Lords still requires time to develop, especially when building out several of its more intriguing features. Nevertheless, its emphasis on medieval city-building with dashes of combat can prove enjoyable. [Early Access Score = 70]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic is an interesting exercise, since it doesn’t really have much to do with the original World of Warcraft Classic anymore. The sweeping changes it makes to leveling, class and quest design, while interesting on their own, also supplements the more intriguing small-scale stories told throughout the game.

Bodycam presents an intriguing perspective for a multiplayer shooter and offers incredible attention to detail with its environments. However, it requires lots of work and features to make it a compelling competitive shooter. [Early Access Score = 60]

The Sky Breaker could have gone in several interesting directions, but opts for yet another bland conflict that lacks any of the engaging material from the base game.

As an expansion to Asphalt 9: Legends, Unite aspires for much but can't rise above some major flaws. The existing issues only exacerbate the problem, resulting in a grindy mess.

Sylvio: Black Waters is a short horror game that doesn’t really tell a story as much as it offers up an experience thanks to its excellent atmosphere created by the use of clever lighting and great audio design.

As a worthwhile experience that's only improved over the years, Valorant is a great option for competitive shooter fans on consoles.

DOOM 1 + DOOM 2 is simply one of the best video game compilations out there and an excellent tribute to id Software's legendary shooter.

Level Zero Extraction is a flawed title not worth investing much time in at this point. [Early Access Score = 40]

The third and final paid DLC for Remnant 2 is a step up in some ways, but it's still nowhere near as good as the base experience.

Whatever vision the development team had for No More Room in Hell 2 is squandered by bugs, a dismal gameplay loop, awful permadeath implementation, and more. Even if it's eventually technically sound, the concept needs a lot more work. [Early Access Score = 50]

Towers of Aghasba initially made an impression with its striking art style and approach, yet its inherent design and mechanics are frustratingly flawed. It may look radically different in the coming years, but for now, it's difficult to get into. [Early Access Score = 40]

Star Wars Outlaws' Wild Card DLC is a short, above-average experience for what it delivers. Nothing more, nothing less, and certainly nothing that warrants a look for those still on the fence with the base game.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Secrets of the Spire might entice some players with its new gimmicks, but the DLC won't do much to keep them entertained once the novelty wears off.

Path of Exile 2 is everything you could want in a sequel, providing nearly unmatched build-crafting, stunning environments, and engaging boss fights. Even in its current state, the title of "ARPG King" is only a matter of time. [Early Access Score = 80]

The Forever Winter is an addictive extraction shooter, albeit with a few flaws. [Early Access Score = 70]

Supernatural offers a unique horror experience with an interesting story, multiple endings, and a short runtime that encourages replayability. Just be warned that there’s plenty of gore to deal with.

Pine Harbor's bland quest design and underwhelming voice acting makes it one of the most disappointing early access games of the year. [Early Access Score = 50]

Heart Machine's early access title tries to combine extraction elements and rogue-like progression to some very mixed results. [Early Access Score = 50]

Enchantment Under the Sea might just be some of the best gameplay experiences Atomic Heart has delivered so far. While it doesn’t have the open-world nature of the base game, the more linear approach to level design and fun new powers makes the DLC well worth visiting.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer feels like an absolute blast from the past in terms of its gameplay mechanics, overall structure, and how it tells its campy story.

As it currently stands, however, SCP: Fragmented Minds is a difficult game to recommend. The pacing issues alone means that you’re going to be spending the vast majority of your time with the game just running around and hiding from goofy looking creatures. [Early Access Review]

Kunos Simulazioni's new racing sim boasts gorgeous visuals and excellent handling but has a long way to go in so many ways. [Early Access Review]

Blade & Soul NEO feels like a MMORPG stuck in the 2000s. There is plenty of grinding to be done, but neither the gameplay nor the writing will be compelling enough for you to keep playing.

Bug Bear Studios is back with even more detailed crashes and destructive driving, but it may have jumped the gun a little early. [Early Access Review]

Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror features an interesting premise but just about every aspect of playing it makes it a monotonous experience.

A mish-mash of genres and convoluted progression dull what's otherwise intriguing art direction and extensive destruction. [Early Access Review]

Even six years after the original, The Sinking City Remastered still feels like a rough gem. Its investigative mechanics shine, but their impact is dulled by weak stealth and a progression system that leans too heavily on uninspired combat.

A Pirate’s Fortune is a short but meaningful return to Star Wars Outlaws, proving that with the right fixes, there’s still an adventure worth chasing.

Battle for Brooklyn isn't an earth-shattering new addition to The Division 2, but it doesn't feel tacked on either. Even if I expected something more, the content and story missions are solid, and there's plenty of cool new loot to earn.

If you can deal with its current optimization hiccups, Grounded 2 is an easy recommendation for those new to survival crafting sandbox. [Early Access Review]

Black Myth: Wukong works well on the Xbox, and is well worth the effort that Game Science has put into bringing it to the console. It's a game that has continued to remain relevant in the year since its release, and is probably going to be back in the news as soon as its rumored DLC becomes available to its players. It's worth every penny you pay for it, and it is definitely an experience that could remain among your favorites for a long time to come.

At its core, Endless Legend 2 not only satisfies that itch for one more turn but also for proper set-up and preparation for what future turns could hold. [Early Access Review]

Atomfall: The Red Strain matches the base game’s quality but still misses crucial quality-of-life improvements.

The new battle royale isn't without its missteps or annoyances, but it's a solid start that feeds your appetite for destruction.

Red Dead Redemption's current-gen debut does a lot to improve on the original experience, but it isn't enough to make this one worthy of the systems it's running on. Although it is the definitive way to play the game, this is a title that deserved a full-fledged remake.

The Forsaken Hollows is pretty much a given for any fan of Nightreign, even if the lack of new weapons stuns the replay value.

Ferocious feels like a callback to an era of shooters where all that really mattered was the action, throwing plenty of enemies your way to keep the chaos going.

Even in its current state, Creepy Jar's sci-fi base-builder offers a lot to keep fans of automation and exploration busy. [Early Access Review]

If you want to revisit the glory days on the PS1 with a cult classic tactical title, you can't go wrong with Front Mission 3 remake.

Vampires: Bloodlord Rising promises survival crafting with a complete story and a strong focus on social interaction, but does it deliver? [Early Access Review]

In its current state, The Midnight Walkers also feels quite repetitive. Once you’ve gotten your hands on some decent enough gear, there just isn’t much incentive to keep playing, at least for the time being. [Early Access Review]

Skip The 9th Charnel. It never does enough to feel genuinely fun, engaging, or immersive.

Though the studio has worked on simulation games before, Docked focuses entirely on one type of machine: cranes.

Ghost of Yōtei: Legends doesn't significantly reinvent the gameplay loop present in Tsushima: Legends, instead offering new mechanics and mission types to go with a familiar gear grind. Despite some difficulty pains, it works very well and serves as a strong foundation for what's to come.

SCREEN JUICE's debut has solid foundations and a killer aesthetic, and could become something truly spectacular over time. [Early Access Review]

Road to Vostok may be a solo-developed indie game, but its future looks extremely bright, and the foundations already in place give it enormous potential. [Early Access Review]

Spark in the Dark is a new twist on the old-school dungeon crawling formula, melding Soulslike combat with elements of horror.

The DLC is plagued by poor pacing and repetitive combat; its only saving graces are its fantastic boss fights and short runtime.