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.

Star Wars Outlaws can never be called a bad game at any point. However, apart from the presentation, the game doesn’t truly excel in any area. A tremendous amount of love has been put into the worlds and characters, but the overall gameplay simply falls short. Nevertheless, I hope we see more of Kay Vess in the future.

Black Myth: Wukong is a visual masterpiece that brings the rich Chinese culture and mythology to life in an impressive way. The combat is satisfying, and the variety in environments and bosses keeps the experience fresh. Despite some frustrations with invisible walls, occasionally inconsistent difficulty, and performance issues, Black Myth: Wukong offers a unique and immersive experience. For those who crave a deep cultural immersion and challenging action, Black Myth: Wukong is definitely worth it.

Elden Ring was already one of the best games of all time, and Shadow of the Erdtree takes it even further, with a complex but captivating world that constantly challenges you with its secrets, tough bosses, and beautiful vistas. After over 40 hours of gameplay, I've seen all the areas and defeated all the bosses, but I'm far from done with this perfect expansion to an already perfect game.

After more than thirty hours with the Switch remake, I joined the group of people who have been saying for years that Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the best Mario RPG. It lacks some quality of life aspects that I would have liked to see in a modern release, but this is just a small blemish on an otherwise great game. The memorable characters and moments in the story, combined with the large dose of dry humor, made the time fly by.

All in all, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is one of the most unique experiences I have encountered in a game in recent years. The way the psychoses that Senua undergoes are depicted in the game is an excellent way to help people understand these mental issues. Additionally, Hellblade II is also a fantastic game to play, though I would recommend playing in shorter sessions due to the challenging subject matter. The story is beautiful and is enhanced by a stunning landscape featuring impressive puzzles.

Stellar Blade is a great game that entertained me for a good twenty hours. Unfortunately, there are some minor issues. More could have been made of the open world areas, and the acting could have been a bit more convincing. However, these concerns disappear completely when I step back into a fight because the combat is just really enjoyable. It really gives a sense of satisfaction when I parry correctly and can retaliate with an even harder hit. The boss fights were also in a class of their own for me.

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.

Pepper Grinder is a short but charming platformer. The unique way of movement is well executed and thus extremely satisfying. Additionally, the game offers sufficient challenges with boss fights, later levels, and time attacks.

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.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is, in one word: unique. Bold choices offer both pleasure and frustration, which are balanced by excellent combat.

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

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a lot less daring than you might expect after Remake. Fortunately, even a safe sequel means more of this fantastic world and near-perfect combat system.

Arrowhead Game Studios has really managed to deliver a great fun game with Helldivers 2.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a strong remake of the game originally released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004. With two brand new worlds and a wide variety of mechanics, the levels continue to feel unique and the game is a pleasure to play.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden isn’t perfect, but it is a very intriguing action RPG with a moral dilemma that kept me at the edge of my seat. It tells a beautiful story about love, loss, acceptance and fear. I loved doing research on the villagers to find out the truth, walking through the beautifully crafted world and the combat kept me interested for a long time. The ending even made me want to start another playthrough, right after I finished.

Persona 3 Reload has everything you want from a modern remake. New content, better voice acting, new events, a big graphics and music update, and more. A perfect mix of style and substance make sure Persona 3 Reload never gets boring for new and recurring players.

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League has become a game that fortunately gets better along the way. There are definitely positive aspects such as the good animations, fun dialogues and colorful world. It is just a pity that the game does not offer much variety in terms of gameplay. In addition, it is obvious that the game is constantly working towards the endgame content and that the drudgery due to monotonous missions can hit hard. Unfortunately, it did not become the top title I had hoped for, but with three friends, the game could be enjoyable in short sessions.

Infinite Wealth has made me feel like I've been on a warm, colorful and wacky but fantastic vacation during this cold winter time. The gameplay may be more of the same if you look at Like A Dragon, but the game is very well put together and there is so much to do that you can easily spend hours distracted from the main story with mini-games and fun activities. Fortunately, the story of Infinite Wealth is also strongly crafted and the game managed to keep me constantly entertained. The amount of content can give you dozens if not hundreds of hours of gameplay, and people who really want to complete everything will be able to top that number with ease. Infinite Wealth is simply the best Like A Dragon/Yakuza game I have played so far.

Tekken 8 is an improvement over Tekken 7 in many ways. Although the main story is not very long, it is told and portrayed much better than in the previous installment. The game is a feast for the eyes thanks to Unreal Engine 5. Tekken 8 also plays very smoothly and both a beginner and a veteran will have a great time due to the large amount of content. Everyone can improve and learn thanks to the Special Style and the Heat System provide new dynamics and ways to play Tekken 8.

The Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice Trilogy merges three good games with a unique slant, colorful characters and interesting stories. The set features quality of life improvements such as autoplay, being able to choose any section of each chapter and has a well-stocked museum section full of artwork and music. The three titles look good, sound even better and managed to keep me enthralled, albeit with a bit too much filler in the middle. Sifting through the testimonies and demonstrating contradictions remains cool and makes you feel insanely clever at times - even when the gameplay is minimalistic.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a very big step in the right direction for the franchise that has been around for years. It was a great idea to go back to the roots of the series and make it a 2D platformer in the style of a metroidvania. With this game, the creators managed to strike a perfect balance of impressive boss fights, well thought out puzzles and challenging courses. Thus, the gameplay is never boring or monotonous for a moment. Especially with protagonist Sargon constantly gaining new time powers, there are always new ways to take on bosses or solve puzzles. As a player, I continued to marvel at this. It's just a shame that the story really got going late. There was so much potential in the characters and the story told with them. Also graphically, the game is disappointing compared to other parts in the Prince of Persia series. But nevertheless, The Lost Crown is a great metroidvania. I hope Ubisoft continues the franchise this way and we will see Sargon again.