Nintendo has finally brought a graphically enhanced version of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD from the Wii and 3DS consoles to the Switch. The game remains of high quality even today, and the levels are still just as entertaining. This is indeed the best version of the game currently available to play. It's just unfortunate that the game is being sold at the same price as a new Nintendo game, while, apart from the graphical enhancements, it's essentially the same game that appeared on the 3DS more than ten years ago. Additionally, Tropical Freeze remains the superior Donkey Kong game available on the Switch. However, if you've never played Donkey Kong Country Returns or even tried the version on the 3DS, it can certainly be worth it.

Purists may feel let down by Dynasty Warriors Origins. Admittedly, the focus on a single character, the limited number of weapon types, and the lack of multiplayer are significant drawbacks. However, the final result more than justifies these sacrifices. With Origins, the series is finally taking steps back in the right direction (and into modernity). It boasts the most competently told story in the franchise, significantly improved gameplay, and an unprecedented sense of scale. If this is the new direction for the series as a whole, it could easily thrive for another 25 years.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does full justice to the franchise. The game is truly packed to the brim with humor, mysteries to solve, fistfights fitting for the series, and fantastic locations to explore while unraveling the mystery of the Great Circle. For me, 2024 started with a bang with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Microsoft, Bethesda, and MachineGames are closing the year with another great game.

For a 1.0 release, Ravenswatch has just barely gotten the basics right. Fortunately, those basics are incredibly solid. The gameplay is unique for a roguelike, successfully capturing the feel of a full playthrough of an ARPG like Diablo in runs lasting just under an hour. Each of the nine playable characters features a completely different playstyle, and all of them are immensely satisfying to play. The limited number of levels and the lack of variety within them are disappointing. However, the core gameplay is so strong that it keeps you coming back—especially when playing with a group of friends.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a remarkable game, even though it has its flaws. The game is challenging and stays true to the core of the series, including its gritty survival mechanics. Despite some rough edges and technical issues, it offers an immersive experience, with a vast amount of content and an impressive open world.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D is a masterclass in how to give an old game a modern update. The stunning graphics, combined with the captivating music, create an impressive audiovisual experience. But it's mainly the gameplay improvements, the new story segments with Ortega, and the delightful feeling of exploring the world that make Dragon Quest III HD-2D capable of providing you with many dozens of hours of gameplay enjoyment. Bring on the remakes of parts one and two.

With Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Deck Nine delivers a worthy successor to Max Caulfield's story. Despite the absence of a recap and the sometimes directive nature, the story manages to captivate and surprise. This is largely thanks to the strong acting, emotional music, and cinematic scenes.

Mario & Luigi Brothership feels like the series never left. AlphaDream may no longer be at the helm, but Acquire respectfully takes up the mantle. The lighthearted humor, interesting characters, world-building, and recognizable gameplay all feel as familiar as ever. Yet, despite the enjoyment I had throughout the lengthy storyline, the poor performance leaves a bitter aftertaste that will stay with me.

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.

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.

Super Mario Party Jamboree combines nostalgia and innovation with five new boards, 110 minigames, and a competitive ruleset that rewards skill over luck. While the partner system can add extra strategy, you are quite dependent on where this partner is placed on the board. The CPU doesn't always behave optimally and sometimes makes frustrating choices. The additional modes feel a bit unnecessary, with the unbeatable Party mode standing out as the clear favorite. Despite the lack of major innovations, the game remains perfect for fun evenings with friends and offers enough enjoyment to justify the purchase.

All in all, Metaphor is a different game than I expected. In a way, that's a shame: I was quite curious about what the Persona developers could achieve with an entirely new set of systems. Still, it's certainly not a bad thing. Metaphor does everything Persona did, and in many areas just that little bit better. The visual style is stunning, the battles and everything around them are more streamlined, and although it takes place in a fantasy world, it has just as much to say about our reality as its socially engaged predecessors – for games, at least. I'm very much looking forward to Persona 6, but perhaps I'm even more excited about the future of Metaphor.

Where Link’s Awakening already looked fantastic and sounded even better, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has all of that, but with a unique gameplay concept on top. The ability to learn and copy objects and enemies adds so much more depth than you might expect at first glance. It seems like multiple solutions are possible for everything, and you might have a completely different approach to most of the game than I do. Selecting the Echoes is somewhat awkward, and this user interface is the biggest criticism I have of the game. By limiting direct combat, you’re forced to think differently, and in most cases, this works out well, though it can be frustrating at times. Beyond that, you’ll find a wonderfully traditional Zelda adventure full of secrets, great dungeons, and boss fights, but filled with small environment-based puzzles and challenges.

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.

A somewhat inconsistent difficulty level and checkpoint system fortunately do little to detract from this excellent platforming experience. Astro Bot has all the potential to become PlayStation's permanent mascot, precisely because he embodies everything that makes PlayStation what it is. I sincerely hope he gets that chance, because if this game proves anything, it's that even a longer Astro Bot game isn't long enough. This leaves you wanting more once again.

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.