With High On Life 2, Squanch Games has created a wonderfully colorful, varied, and creative game. The gameplay is tightly structured, and the humor is absolutely captivating, but never overly crude. It's a game I can't play continuously however as it's still quite chaotic in terms of overall impressions. That said, the game is an improvement over the first installment in almost every aspect and is definitely worth playing. A short break between main missions is certainly a necessity for me.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a solid and well-crafted metroidvania with strong combat and tight level design. Within the genre, it never truly excels in any exceptional way, but it knows exactly what it wants to be. The repetition in enemy design and the conservative skill tree prevent it from fully rising above itself. At the same time, its focus on character makes it a meaningful chapter within the broader God of War story. The game is neither a revolution nor a new benchmark, but it is a thoughtful and thematically strong origin piece that credibly deepens Kratos’ evolution.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 has turned out to be a very solid remake. RGG Studios has significantly cut back on side quests, but simultaneously introduced new elements and storylines that provide more depth. While the game might be slightly shorter than before due to the trimmed substories, the quality of the overall experience hasn't suffered. Unfortunately, Dark Ties doesn't offer a whole lot of content, clocking in at just a quarter of Yakuza Kiwami 3’s playtime. Nevertheless, the complete package is definitely worth picking up.

REANIMAL feels in every way like the natural successor to the first two Little Nightmares games, yet it manages to establish enough of its own identity to avoid feeling like a simple retread. Tarsier Studios proves they still perfectly master the DNA of this formula, elevating the experience in subtle but meaningful ways through a more intense atmosphere, new gameplay elements, and a more cohesive world.

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.

If you're into surreal games, Romeo Is a Deadman is an absolute must-play. The story is bonkers, and even if you appreciate the idea of a digital art exhibition in a game, it can still be hard to follow at times. The combat could have felt a bit more modern and refined in places, but this is largely made up for by the strong gameplay loop and the sheer amount of playful minigames that keep everything fresh.

When Nioh 3 is at its best, it’s extremely good. Some of the open-world segments can easily hold their own against the best levels from previous games. A number of the new bosses also measure up to the series’ better boss fights. Unfortunately, an open world also comes with the usual complaints.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined seems to combine the best elements of the earlier versions in many ways. The overall playtime may have been trimmed down a bit and some minor bits of content have been removed here and there, but it’s all been done in service of the story, resulting in a much smoother and more enjoyable experience.

Code Vein 2 is a promising sequel that learns from its mistakes. The combat is tighter, the world more vibrant, and the story surrounding time travel and the Resurgence is reasonably engaging from beginning to end. Although navigation in the open world can sometimes be frustrating and the weapon variety may feel somewhat limited in practice due to the upgrade system, what you get here is a solid and highly entertaining action RPG that will appeal to both fans of the original and newcomers alike.

Mio: Memories in Orbit is a largely brilliantly designed Metroidvania. The setting and central mystery are intriguing, the watercolor art style is beautiful, and Mio feels great to control. Her powers, and the way you use them, are cleverly conceived. When Mio is at its best, it can comfortably stand alongside the genre’s greats. Unfortunately, a significant portion in the game’s second half makes it linear and needlessly frustrating.

Trails Beyond the Horizon is not a game for everyone, and that is both its strength and its weakness. The title rewards years of careful buildup with strong revelations and a compelling finale, but demands a great deal of patience in return.

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.

Dispatch puts you in the heart of moral dilemmas as a dispatcher, with cryptic requests, strong voice acting, a vivid graphic novel style, and an immersive soundtrack. Eight episodes full of choices, reflection, and moral tension.

Skate Story seemingly captures the freedom and bite of skating with ease, while also showing just how difficult it was for developer Sam Eng to reach that point.

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.

The hub connecting the main locations does more harm than good, but it can’t stop the triumphant return of Samus Aran. Beyond that, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a game that only honors its predecessors.

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

You’re better off waiting a bit before picking up Project Motor Racing. Hopefully the game will improve soon with a few patches, because a solid racing sim on consoles with crossplay has the opportunity to be something special.

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.

Mysteria Ecclesiae is one of the strongest DLCs for KCD2, featuring an intriguing story and a vibrant setting, although the way you’re meant to play it feels a bit too constrained.

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.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment continues in the same style that Age of Calamity used to captivate me five years ago. The combat feels great and becomes increasingly engaging as you play, while sending enemies flying through the air as you dominate the battlefield has an almost therapeutic effect. There’s so much to discover and unlock on the map that I constantly felt like I was making progress – even if much of it is repetitive. It also presents a story through extensive cutscenes that are fully voice-acted – and, above all, remarkably serious. The new Switch 2 hardware has solved Age of Calamity’s biggest issue: there are no more frame drops, and it looks fantastic in higher resolution. When all is said and done, Age of Imprisonment completely drew me in, and it was a joy to watch the hours fly by on TV or in handheld mode just as quickly as the Bokoblins launched from my sword.

Once Upon a Katamari is a worthy successor to the series. All the cheerful whimsy of the original games has been preserved. The abundance of levels and collectibles, the challenging yet excellent controls, the infectious music, colorful visuals, and humorous little stories can’t help but put a smile on your face.

Dragon Quest 1+2 HD-2D Remake has turned out to be an excellent game that takes modern audiences into full account. There are plenty of options to make your gameplay experience as easy or as challenging as you want, and both games were already true classics in their original form.

The Outer Worlds 2 is an RPG that retains the strengths of the original but presents them on a larger scale, with more variety and a more direct impact on gameplay and choices. For both fans of the first game and newcomers, The Outer Worlds 2 offers a challenging, clever, and humorous sci-fi experience that, despite minor imperfections, is well worth exploring - and revisiting in a potential next playthrough.

Ninja Gaiden 4 has turned out to be a very strong action game. The gameplay is rock solid, and those who love games where you can decapitate, dismember, and brutally tear into your enemies will definitely find plenty of enjoyment here. Still, I would’ve preferred to see PlatinumGames and Team Ninja balance the focus more evenly between Ryu and Yakumo. Ninja Gaiden 4 falls a bit short in polish here and there, and Ryu in particular doesn’t always feel like the Super Ninja the game constantly claims he is.

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.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A neatly solves the biggest problems of Scarlet & Violet for me. The creative interpretation of the battle system combined with the Mega Evolution battles truly makes this Pokémon a joy to play again. The fact that the game holds your hand quite a bit and the story is as transparent as cling film is something I’m more than happy to accept.