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.

Gears of War: Reloaded hasn’t aged evenly across the board. The movement system and NPC AI in the campaign definitely show their age. Even so, it remains a game with a rock-solid foundation that’s still worth playing today. PlayStation players in particular—who never had the chance to experience this amazing franchise before—are in for a treat. Xbox players, don’t worry, there’s plenty for you too, with a bonus chapter and the ultimate way to play the game in 4K at 120 FPS.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a brilliant action game that plays just as wonderfully as it looks. It’s easy to pick up, yet packed with depth thanks to a combo system you learn organically. The game continuously expands both combat and exploration with new abilities. Above all, it looks breathtaking with a unique painterly style and stunning lighting effects. Every level is crammed with secrets and extra challenges that provide countless hours of fun. The bosses are tricky, but they never gave me the feeling I couldn’t overcome them. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is the kind of action game they rarely make anymore – and it plays even better than it looks.

Is Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater the ultimate version of this legendary classic? Honestly, not really. It’s a competent remake, but because Konami plays it so safe, I feel there’s little reason to pick up this new version – especially considering the issues on PC. On consoles it might be a different story, but unfortunately we haven’t been able to test those yet. The game looks stunning, but in this remake it feels too easy. If you’ve never played Metal Gear Solid 3 before, you can pick up MGS Δ without hesitation. Purists, however, will undoubtedly remain loyal to the original versions. What I mainly hope is that Konami takes the right lessons from this remake. Fans are craving a true continuation of the series. A remake of a game that still holds up perfectly well will never score outstandingly. Hopefully Konami won’t misinterpret that as a lack of interest in the franchise and put Metal Gear Solid back on ice.

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.

Sword of the Sea is a visually stunning but short experience that, despite its length and minor issues, left a strong impression on me.

Nightwatchers adds a load of high-quality content to a game that’s already excellent. If there was ever a time to pick up Against the Storm, it’s now.

Drag X Drive proves that the mouse function of the Joy-Con 2s is no gimmick, but can be a true game-changer when used the right way. The controls are remarkably precise and intuitive, making the short 3v3 matches feel tight, smooth, and surprisingly intense. The absence of local co-op feels like a missed opportunity, especially for a game with such a strong social focus. In terms of content and visual style, the game also drops the ball somewhat, with little variety and a rather cold presentation. Even so, the innovative controls create such an addictive flow that you’ll keep coming back for “just one more match."

Mafia: The Old Country feels like a return to the original Mafia titles, and that’s exactly what I was hoping for. A linear experience with excellent presentation, exceptional acting, and a solid story. Unfortunately, the combat and stealth are mediocre, but sufficient to keep the story moving. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy it. With the relatively low entry price, I hope potential fans will be tempted — and that this won’t be the last we see of the Mafia franchise.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound masterfully translates the fast-paced action the series is known for into a modern retro title. Thanks to beautifully detailed pixel art, a modern mission structure, and excellent level and boss design, it not only succeeds in letting you relive the Ninja games of the previous century, but even surpasses them. It certainly doesn’t play like Ninja Gaiden on the NES did, but perhaps like how you remember that game through the rose-tinted lens of nostalgia.

PEAK starts off simple but evolves into a hilarious and strategic co-op game packed with clever mechanics, dynamic biomes, and surprisingly deep gameplay. A charming, fresh must-play at a ridiculously low price.

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.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a fresh hit of nostalgia, though it doesn’t land quite as hard as the first remake. Iron Galaxy has clearly put in a solid effort to bring the games into the modern era, but a few things still slip through the cracks.

Robocop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business is a great follow-up to its 2022 predecessor. While it’s an expansion with a few imperfections, it easily delivers more than enough value for its modest price tag.

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.

Donkey Kong Bananza is the second must-play title of 2025 for Nintendo Switch 2 owners. From start to finish, the game puts a smile on your face—one that won’t fade even after the credits roll. Bananza offers a great deal of freedom, features a fantastic soundtrack, and looks stunning 99% of the time. Add to that the excellent platforming elements and the unique twist of the transformations, and I can’t help but wholeheartedly recommend this game.

Despite a few caveats, Against the Storm remains a game that grabs you and doesn’t let go. It’s challenging, tactical, and consistently fresh. The combination of city-building and roguelite elements works surprisingly well, and it feels like the developers have chosen depth over spectacle. The balance between threat and reward, control and chaos, makes every run exciting. You have to think, plan, and endure – and if you fail, you fail with a lesson in your back pocket.

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.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a game that exceeds even my wildest dreams in terms of production value. It is by far the most visually stunning game I’ve seen on the PlayStation 5, accompanied by a soundtrack from Woodkid that reaches similarly impressive heights. The game has clearly taken past criticism into account, resulting in a much more accessible experience. Death Stranding 2 is certainly no walking sim, although it does start at a walking pace. Beyond that, it’s a groundbreaking game with an emotionally gripping story, making it one of the best PlayStation 5 exclusives to date. Meanwhile, Elle Fanning and Troy Baker manage to steal the show – their performances alone are reason enough to play the game.

With Sonic X Shadow Generations, Shadow brings his own set of levels that can easily match the quality of Sonic's. Thanks to Shadow's many interesting superpowers, some of these levels even manage to surpass that level of quality. However, it also exposes a bigger problem within the franchise. Even the best-designed levels in the series don’t always shine due to inherently imprecise controls and mediocre camera work. As such, Sonic X Shadow Generations is an excellent celebration of everything Sonic has achieved over the years—but it also highlights what needs improvement in the future.

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.

Raidou Remastered makes the slower, heavily outdated original a lot more accessible, allowing its atmosphere to be experienced more easily today. At the same time, it has to make significant changes to the original framework to achieve that. I’d love to see the second game get a remaster as well, but if Atlus truly wants to make the subseries relevant again, it would be better off launching an entirely new title. If Raidou Remastered has taught me anything (again), it’s that Raidou is more than worth it.

Cyberpunk 2077 is just as impressive on the Nintendo Switch 2. It includes the fantastic base game and its equally strong expansion, and it runs remarkably well. The game looks stunning — especially in handheld mode — and performs great, particularly when you enable the performance mode’s framerate boost. In handheld mode, the analog sticks lack a bit of precision, making motion controls almost essential. It's a shame you can’t dynamically switch between gamepad and mouse controls. Still, Cyberpunk 2077 is a fantastic experience that will keep you engaged for many hours in a beautifully crafted world.