Ultimately, Pokémon Champions is an accessible VGC simulator that could have been quite enjoyable, but is held back significantly by pay-to-win elements and technical issues.

Reunion is an entertaining but technically imperfect trip down memory lane that proves the bond between Max and Chloe is still worth its weight in gold, even though the rest of the game is a bit less weighty this time around and the resolution sometimes feels a bit rushed.

The biggest issue with Mario Tennis Fever is that it seems too heavily targeted at children. While the colorful presentation, forgiving gameplay, and simple challenges make it accessible, for older players it feels like the game takes too few risks. Nintendo has chosen safety over depth, a decision that ultimately holds the game back. The franchise has proven in the past that it is possible to strike a balance between accessibility and technical finesse, but Fever fails to find that equilibrium.

Renegades is clearly a step forward compared to Edge of Fate. Where that expansion mainly focused on traversal but otherwise felt empty, Renegades actually adds something meaningful to the sandbox. The Star Wars-inspired flavor works surprisingly well, the gunplay is excellent, and the new systems are fun to play around with. Still, without strong endgame hooks, without a new raid, and with a shrinking community, it becomes difficult to keep the light burning for our Guardians. A real shame, because the foundation is still very solid. The big question is how long Bungie can continue to support it.

Octopath Traveler 0 is the perfect game for newcomers, but it doesn’t quite live up to the sky-high expectations of true die-hard fans. As a result, it’s a pretty solid game, but not as good as it could have been.

Just Dance 2026 mainly offers value for diehard players, for everyone else waiting or choosing Just Dance + makes more sense.

Just like in Air Ride, the simplicity of Kirby Air Riders is deceptive. There’s more depth and challenge in this one-button racer than you’d expect. At the same time, those simple systems also hold the game back. Controlling a vehicle with a single button is a funny idea, but it feels like a limitation for the sake of limiting.

Football Manager 26 is one of the most extensive management games within the sports simulation genre. It truly lets you step into the role of your own fictional football manager and gives you the freedom to bring the most creative scenarios to life. However, the game could have used a bit more time in the oven, as the pre-release version was riddled with bugs. On top of that, the visuals are dreadful, and it lacks the charm that similar games manage to capture.

Keeper is absolutely unique, with a beautiful Tim Burton-like art style, stunning music, and an intriguing world. I solved light puzzles, but the core of the game is mainly about movement and experience. The way it tries to guide you organically without any UI or hints is bold and admirable. But despite the variety, real tension is missing, and I couldn’t shake the question of whether I was actually enjoying what I was doing.

As a big fan of the first two games - and even the mobile spin-off Very Little Nightmares - I can’t help but feel disappointed by Little Nightmares 3. It falls short on the creepy vibes the series is known for, and the story lacks impact. After introducing a partner in the second game, full co-op was the logical next step, but the gameplay remains shallow, and the absence of local co-op is a missed opportunity.

Dying Light: The Beast may not be groundbreaking, but with Beast Mode, Castor Woods, and a few surprisingly fun side quests, it delivers enough chaos and enjoyment to have you grinning as you tear through hordes of zombies.

For a game that started out as a passion project, it’s impressive how far it has come. But as a finished product, it feels like a rough diamond that was never truly polished.

Cronos: The New Dawn is a game with a ton of potential, with an amazing atmosphere and interesting story, but the horror is undermined by poor balance, broken combat and technical issues.

Blurb: Hirogami has a cool visual style and simple, old-school design principles, though they don’t always shine through equally well.

The first few hours of Hell is Us are fantastic. You find yourself in an unfamiliar world torn apart by war, with shrieking, humanoid demons and ancient mysteries hinting at something earth-shattering, but once you pierce that bubble, the shaky foundation becomes clear.

With a poorly thought-out combat system, an uneven story, and an open world that is largely empty, developer Twirlbound falls into familiar pitfalls as they did before.

Heartworm is an intriguing ode to the survival horror games of old. It looks and plays like a first-generation PlayStation title, complete with a wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack. Sam’s story feels personal and sincere, though it doesn’t quite stick the landing. What truly matters, however, is the exploration, the horror, and solving puzzles in a twisted world. Heartworm presents some very strong ideas, though it sometimes only uses them a handful of times, and the game can definitely feel too easy at points, which undermines the horror a bit. Even so, I believe Heartworm does enough to be worth the time of Resident Evil and Silent Hill fans.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers offers little to no original ideas and fails to successfully mimic its biggest sources of inspiration.

Enchanted by Nature is an impressive expansion for players who enjoy playing with occult Sims in The Sims 4, but the nature-themed content is minimal and takes too much of a backseat.

Shadow Labyrinth shows that it understands what it takes to be a solid Metroidvania, thanks to its varied environments and gameplay, but it lacks finesse and polish in its execution.

Somewhere inside Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact there’s a fantastic game waiting to shine. Unfortunately, a sparse character roster, minimal single-player content, and a lackluster online experience so far keep it from truly standing out. I sincerely hope the post-launch content can polish things up a bit — even if it’s just for the few hardcore players who’ll stick around that long. As it stands, the game doesn’t offer enough single-player content to convert Hunter x Hunter fans into fighting game players, nor is it polished enough to satisfy those who already are.

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the plot of Ruffy and the Riverside ends with massive sequel bait. I sincerely hope developer Zockrates Laboratories gets the chance to actually make that sequel. I'm not saying that because Ruffy and the Riverside is such a great game – quite the opposite. The game does control smoothly, has a cool art style, and a fantastic soundtrack. More than anything, though, the ‘swap system’ deserves a place in a better title than this one. Now that the characters, world, art style, and game systems have been established, the studio just needs to tie them together in a better way in a follow-up. There’s clearly a lot more potential in the world of Ruffy than this game manages to deliver.

FBC: Firebreak offers strong co-op gameplay, solid gunplay, and an atmospheric world, but is held back by repetitive missions, low difficulty, and a lack of communication options. For 40 euros, it's fun for a few evenings, but it lacks a compelling reason to keep coming back.

Dune: Awakening might just be one of the most challenging, difficult, and entertaining survival games I’ve ever played, with the survival aspect standing out head and shoulders above the rest. However, the combat, story, repetitiveness, and the sheer number of bugs are genuinely disappointing. Still, if you're a fan of the Dune universe or simply love survival games, Dune: Awakening is a must-play.

All in all, the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a decent little game that you can finish in an afternoon. The tech demos are fun to try out, and the minigames are fairly amusing as well. However, when it comes to the quizzes and the hidden object sections, the game really misses the mark for me. I definitely wouldn’t spend money on it—especially since it's essentially just an interactive manual and tech demo. In that regard, Nintendo could learn a lot from Sony, which bundled a far better game disguised as a tech demo for free with the PlayStation 5.

The extra content isn't particularly special, but the minigames do help position To a T more as a game than an experiment. Still, it contains all the experimental craziness you’d expect from Keita Takahashi. To a T is once again an absurd trip that only Keita Takahashi could create. It’s not the longest or most profound game you’ll experience this year, but it overflows with charm, humor, and Takahashi’s unique personality.

South of Midnight is in many ways a small masterpiece—at least visually. The unique art style is truly stunning and could easily win awards for its art direction. Compulsion Games brings to life a world rarely seen in games, full of atmosphere and folklore. Unfortunately, the game falls short in terms of gameplay. The combat is too basic and repetitive, the level structure is predictable, and traversal lacks challenge. It’s never truly bad, but rarely engaging. If you have Game Pass, it’s definitely worth checking out to experience its unique vibe. But if you decide to skip it, you’re not missing all that much either. Hopefully, Compulsion will deliver a sequel in the future that pairs its visual magic with gameplay that matches that same level.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii isn’t as creative as its subtitle suggests. Nearly all environments and activities feel familiar. This is often the case with Yakuza games—especially now that it’s become an annual franchise. Other entries in the series at least make up for it with a compelling plot, but Pirate Yakuza stumbles in that regard. The only things it can rely on are the usual Yakuza systems, the pirate setting, and the main character. Admittedly, all of those elements are fantastic. I sincerely hope that Majima gets another chance to set sail in a better-written adventure.

The fact that the bosses in Eternal Strands already feel like a chore to get through says it all. The game has grand ideas and even grander sources of inspiration. For a team of around 70 people, it’s quite impressive what they’ve accomplished. But when you choose to take cues from Monster Hunter, Shadow of the Colossus, and Breath of the Wild, you inevitably invite the associated expectations. Those games then become not just your inspirations but also your competition. And Eternal Strands doesn’t come close to these games.

With high hopes, I embarked on Haroona’s adventure, longing for a nostalgic single-player experience like the ones we used to have. However, in my experience, that "back in the day" feeling felt more like a memory. In many ways, the game has that distinct last-gen bargain-bin vibe. The influences of titles like Uncharted and Tomb Raider are unmistakable, but the repetitive combat and uninspired platforming leave much to be desired. The game is somewhat saved by its set pieces, story, and the strong performance of Anya Chalotra.

EA Sports FC 25 is an excellent improvement over its predecessor in many areas. Rush mode – especially when played with friends – is brilliant at times and brings back the fun of EA’s football game. However, the game has too many issues to truly impress us. The gameplay and FC IQ are well-designed, but the servers are often so poor that everything feels sluggish. Both the menus and the online gameplay feel very slow, although that still doesn't stop us from enjoying FC 25 quite a bit.

Frostpunk 2 offers a great survival builder experience in terms of gameplay, but falls short in other areas due to limited content, unfinished aspects, and a lack of a compelling story.

The only times I wanted to put down—or throw—the controller were during the cutscenes with the almost offensively poorly written plot developments. I always thought the Mana games could do just fine without a story. I used to think it was nice to have one, but certainly not essential. Now I can honestly say I'd prefer a Mana game without a story if the alternative is a plot like this. Visions of Mana is so charming, plays so well, and is so addictive that even a terribly bad plot can't completely ruin it—though it certainly tries its best.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a game full of good ideas that rarely come into their own. The emotional story about dealing with loss is compelling in itself, but its execution is more at odds with the game than it contributes to it. At the same time, the game, with its poorly executed Metroidvania elements and bugs, also gets in its own way.

South Park: Snow Day is just not well put together. Clunky controls, the same under-snowed design and disappointingly little story and dialogue make you want to skip this game.

Princess Peach: Showtime! does enough to create a fun, unique experience, even if it remains fairly simple. It's a shame the Switch has a hard time running the game.

Rise of the Ronin has the same tight combat that we have come to expect from Team Ninja. Unfortunately, the action takes place in an empty, sterile open world that even an incredibly fascinating setting cannot breathe life into.

Alone in the Dark offers a good mix of puzzles, exploration and moments of good tension, but it doesn't really surprise or innovate.