I enjoyed revisiting the world and characters of Tales of Arise. Seeing how they’re doing a year later and how this world is finding a way to come together is interesting, and the early hours of Beyond the Dawn are mostly a good experience. Once again, though, the further things go, the less satisfying the overall experience is, and some strange design choices make this content feel strangely isolated. Big fans of Tales of Arise should certainly give this a shot, but it’s far from mandatory even for them.

Cuisineer is absolutely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The dungeon crawling is simplistic yet enjoyable, the management elements are a touch too simplistic, and the sidequests are a touch repetitive. Yet, it all comes together to provide an experience that’s absolutely full to the brim with charm, and, most importantly, one where you always feel like you’re making progress. It doesn’t matter whether you’re stocking your cupboards with ingredients, selling meals and raking in the cash, upgrading your furniture in order to allow more patrons to feast, or hunting down that next bubble tea upgrade – Cuisineer always carries this sense of forward progression that so many cozy games tend to miss on. Could you possibly go and find games that do each of these individual elements better elsewhere? Sure, you absolutely could, but it all comes together in Cusineer to provide a consistently rewarding experience that cozy gamer fans everywhere should be checking out this winter.

There’s still a ton of things to like about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Insomniac wisely kept the formula that worked so well in place and expanded it, removing a lot of what didn’t work and filling it in with new side content to leave players with plenty to do. There are few open-world games that are anywhere near as engaging, in large part because so few of them can capture the genuine joy of simply moving through the world in the way these games do. That so much of the game’s content has been broken down into its best parts makes it all the more frustrating, though, when the game continues to make a few major mistakes it’s been making since the very first entry. Still, any fans of the first two games will have a blast returning to this world in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

More than anything, I’m torn by how it would have only taken a little more effort to make RedRaptorshine. Things like having comic book panels to buttress the dialogue, or making the bosses more memorable. As it stands, the game is relatively fun but sadly doesn’t do anything to differentiate itself from the pack. It just felt very generic and uninspired. That said, the game is very affordable, so if you’re looking for a basic Shmup, you might enjoy RedRaptor.

While Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name undoubtedly suffers due to its smaller scale and a heavy reliance on the Akame Network to pad out its 12-hour story, there’s no denying how good it feels to see the Dragon of Dojima back in action – especially with the grab bag of gadgets he has at his disposal. And while this spin-off’s story is over a bit too soon, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s penchant for spinning a compelling narrative shines through, showing Kiryu at his most vulnerable and setting the stage for what’s sure to be a momentous follow-up when Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches next January.

Whether you’re pondering the meaning of life and existence or racking your brains solving some carefully crafted puzzles, The Talos Principle 2 takes everything great about the first game and refines it to perfection. Croteam spins philosophy in just the right light, asking hard-hitting questions in a lenient and digestible manner while presenting the player with a wealth of ways you can respond to them. But if you’re just here to solve a few puzzles, there’s no skimping on the quality here at all, and you’re free to skip right through the plot if you want to get straight to the mind melting.

Mineko’s Night Market is a charming narrative-driven game fueled by crafting and resource collecting. Its silly, snarky writing is smile-inducing, its unique aesthetics are inviting, and its core loop easy to comprehend yet oddly challenging to complete. Although I wish there had been more of the writing in favor of the mechanics, I can’t fault Mineko’s Night Market for giving us this delightful romp across a whimsically magical island. If Mineko’s Night Market calls to you, grab it — you’re sure to get plenty of enjoyment out of it.

Alan Wake II is a masterfully made horror title filled with audacious storytelling and some of the best moments in any game released this year. The moment-to-moment gameplay may not be quite as satisfying as some of Remedy’s other titles, but its atmosphere is perhaps the company’s best. After thirteen years of waiting, fans finally get to see what comes next for Alan Wake. It was worth the wait.

If you fancy a jaunty mail-centered platformer you can do much worse than Mail Time. It’s not quite priority mail, but manages to avoid being returned to sender. So open this envelope up and you might find something appealing inside.

Overall, My Time At Sandrock is a great game. There’s tons to do, and it’s got plenty of depth. If I had played it on, say, PC or PS5, I’m sure it would have run fine (or at least serviceable). But I didn’t. I played it on the Switch. And the Nintendo Switch Version of My Time At Sandrock is a crunchy, crusty, stuttering mess that I very much recommend that you stay away from.

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a true treat for both series veterans and newcomers alike, going far beyond the scope of traditional remakes and bringing The Second Story to a brand-new, and completely wonderful, level.

More than just a cynical cash-in, RoboCop: Rogue City does an excellent job bucking the trend of mediocre movie tie-ins to give fans something spectacular. It’s a bloody and visceral love letter to 80s action herodom that leans hard into its source material and even builds upon themes only touched upon in the films. Add a satisfying amount of content in the form of a robust skill tree and a wealth of side missions, and you have a game that no RoboCop fan should miss.

I know that mature games have been taking a beating lately, and I hate to add to that. But I really cannot recommend Another World Mahjong Girl, unless you’re already an expert at Mahjong or really enjoy ecchi. I know eastasiasoft is capable of much better than this, but the lack of a coherent tutorial or explanation of the game made it almost unplayable for me as a rookie. Unfortunately, no amount of great artwork can fix that deficit in the game, much to my chagrin.

LogiKing is a novel concept and a fun enough experience, but I can’t shake how barren it feels. In many ways, I think this game would have fared better as a technical demo than a full-fledged game you have to pay for. While I can respect the overall polish and strategy present in the game, ultimately, I was disappointed there wasn’t more to do.

Those are minor missteps, though, in an otherwise fantastic release. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is easily the most interesting a 2D Mario title has been since the 90s, and any fan of platformers absolutely needs to play this game. The Switch has had a fantastic year for first-party releases, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder stands alongside the very best of them.

I’ll be entirely honest here: Little Goody Two Shoes’ striking art style alone could sell the game. The ’90s anime stylings are superbly recreated here, feeling like a fever dream of an anime VHS tape you watched way back when. The four main maidens of this tale are well-spun and memorable, and even the more minor side characters all have their points of interest, helping tie together the short but sweet adventure all the better.

Prison City is a fun, albeit mixed experience. While I applaud the modern retro revolution that’s taking place and love the style of the game, the gameplay itself is hindered by control issues and the often unforgiving challenge of the game. Sure, you can turn down the difficulty, but I feel the default should be well-tuned enough so that the game is a balanced challenge. Despite that, if you’re a fan of retro-styled games and want to try something new, you might very well enjoy it. Though for those on the fence, I’d say wait until Prison City comes to consoles next month.

Ion Fury: Aftershock‘s road to release was long and, at times, seemed uncertain. Now, after numerous delays, I’m happy to report that this expansion was well worth the wait. Developer Voidpoint and 3D Realms have succeeded in delivering fans an explosive, feature-rich update with tons of stages to explore, new enemies to butcher, and a sleek new ride to help them get around its cyberpunk world. Throw in a soul-crushing new difficulty setting and an arranged mode that breathes new life into the original release, and there’s never been a better time to step into Bombshell’s combat boots and gib some techno cultists.

In some ways, Front Mission 2: Remake is an improvement on the first game’s remake. It looks better, and the gameplay has a bit more depth and complexity, even if it isn’t a significant upgrade. In the end, though, I actually had more fun with that original title, thanks to a more compelling story and far better localization. It’s nice that Front Mission 2 is finally officially available in English, but this is still much more a remaster than a remake.

The final echoes of the Viking horn resound with a mixture of satisfaction and a yearning for more. Land of the Vikings embarks on a voyage to encapsulate the Viking ethos within a city-building scaffold, achieving a serene yet engaging gameplay experience. However, the game’s reluctance to venture into the deeper waters of strategic complexity and narrative engagement leaves a trail of unexplored horizons. With a more polished narrative, enriched combat mechanics, and a more layered progression system, the game could transcend from being a calming voyage to an exhilarating exploration of Viking sagas entwined with the intricacies of city-building.

Gastro Force attempts to play to old-school gamers' nostalgia with its lo-fi visuals and classic maze shooter gameplay. Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine even the biggest fans of retro FPSs will have the intestinal fortitude to stomach its mercilessly repetitive campaign, especially when there are so many better boomer shooters available.

Ghostrunner 2 is an example of a model sequel that improves on almost every facet of the first game. Yes, the dark, concrete arenas and rooftops grow stale, and there’s still more room to make the characters and story more substantial, but what’s here is refined and even more badass than what came before. If the first Ghostrunner put you off, you should give this one a slash.

Though the Switch may not be as powerful as some of its counterparts, Gearbox Software still managed to do a phenomenal job taking so much content and condensing it into one neatly tied package without taking a major loss in performance. Still, this Switch port’s lack of some multiplayer options, along with a slight visual downgrade and lengthier loading times between stages when compared to other platforms, are a bit of a bummer. However, none of these minor flaws take away from the excitement that Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition provides, whether at home or on the move.

While a fairly simplistic affair, Slaps & Beans 2 is an enjoyable slice of beat-’em-up action. Between the love for the source material that pours out of every pixel and the massively entertaining set pieces, Slaps & Beans 2 may not be the deepest offering the genre has to offer, but it’s clear it was never meant to be. Instead, what you get is a history lesson in Bud and Terence’s brand of slapstick comedy and a combat system that’s simple enough to provide hours of fun for the whole family. On that basis, Slaps & Beans 2 is an easy recommendation.

While Crymachina’s flashy and striking character designs certainly shine, they can’t save a game that’s unfortunately hampered by uninspired, repetitive combat and painfully linear dungeons.

If you were already a fan of the original release, you won’t be disappointed with the boatload of content Treachery In Beatdown City: Ultra Remix offers. From the updated arsenal of moves it puts at your fingertips, added areas to explore, and even more tongue-in-cheek storytelling that plays on current events and 90s video game nostalgia in equal measure, there’s a lot to like here. But fresh content and some witty writing can only carry a game so far. And while I love many of the ideas behind Treachery In Beatdown City, this update doesn’t do quite enough to keep its pixelated brand of pugilism from growing stale far too soon.

It’s clear The 7th Guest VR is a labor of love made by true fans of the original game. Its puzzles are brilliant, its production values are top-notch, and it perfectly strikes that balance between creepiness and campiness that made the 1993 original such a hit. It’s just a shame that while exploring these familiar locales in VR is a nostalgic treat, the finicky controls and some questionable design choices occasionally rear their heads like fiendish phantoms to hurt the experience. However, if you can overlook these shortcomings or are a die-hard fan of the series, you’ll find The 7th Guest VR to be one hauntingly good time.

Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a title brimming with promise and love for its source material, reflected in its atmospheric visuals and intriguing narrative elements. It effectively encapsulates the grim allure of the Hellboy universe, offering a visually enthralling journey through its stylized, comic-esque realms. Yet, the game decides to tread the roguelike path that ultimately casts a shadow on its narrative strengths, often turning what could have been an engrossing narrative-driven experience into a slog through repetitively structured levels.