It’s been nine years since Saints Row 4, and this new entry feels like a back-to-basics reboot. But technical issues, bugs, and many more little frustrations conspire to make this a middling experience at launch. It’s unfortunate because when Saints Row fires on all cylinders, it’s an absolute blast with some truly lofty high points.

The market for a shorter Persona experience is there; Not everyone has the time to sink so much time into a single game. Even for fans of the franchise, the idea of experiencing everything Persona offers in the span of a couple of weekends sounds like heaven in a world where an array of games demand our attention. But Soul Hackers 2’s attempt to deliver a palatable streamlined experience for anyone and everyone should have taken more time to do some soul searching.

The focus on the band at large in later chapters also takes away from the more personal stories that make We Are OFK great. As a portrait of individuals struggling to reconcile their corporate and artistic identities, We Are OFK succeeds in the strength of its writing. But as a vehicle for OFK the band, this undercooked visual novel can’t quite strike the right chord.

There isn’t anything like Stray. Sure, you’ve probably played puzzle-platformers set in dystopian cities before, but Stray’s cuddly protagonist gives this game an edge. It’s quirky, intuitive, expertly paced, and one of the most enjoyable games of 2022.

Digimon Survive isn’t awful, but longtime fans of the franchise will likely come away feeling a little disappointed. If the tactics gameplay was up to snuff — or eliminated entirely — the experience would’ve been better overall.

When Xenoblade Chronicles 3 wasn’t bringing a smile to my face, it was breaking my heart over and over again.

There’s something for everyone in Live A Live, a deliberate blast from the past that draws from Final Fantasy IV as much as it does 2001: A Space Odyssey and Shane. You’ll love some sections more than others, to be sure, but the way it all ties together is nothing short of spectacular.

Endling: Extinction is Forever hides a monotonous experience behind a striking visual aesthetic and an empty message about the relationship between humanity and the environment. The gameplay never fully commits to building the relationship between the mother and her cubs, which leaves the whole story feeling emotionless and bare. The end result is more “call of the mild” than Call of the Wild.

As Dusk Falls isn’t quite the arty thinkpiece it aspires to be. But it’s a hell of a lot of fun nonetheless. This is a perfect Game Pass experience for a mellow weekend, and probably best enjoyed with an adult beverage in hand — and the company of your favorite like-minded sickos.

Sunbreak is exactly what it needs to be: modern and fluid enough to attract new players, and tough enough to keep veterans coming back. Stick with it, and you'll be rewarded for your effort. If you're seeking a quick, low-stakes fix of fun, however, you might want to look elsewhere.

Escape Academy offers a truly unique experience that provides the player with a sense of discovery that’s difficult to compare to any other game. I have a new itch to scratch, and now no other game can satisfy that. I’ll have to go book an escape room.

MADiSON is simultaneously one of the most tantalizing, yet enraging horror experiences I’ve ever played. The atmosphere and story are rich and engaging, and the scares are turned up to 11. But the puzzles are so baffling that it’s tough to recommend this game even to devoted horror fans. That said, I’d love to see Bloodious Games take another stab at a horror project with more streamlined gameplay.

It’s not perfect, but it is memorable in a way that’ll have me playing its ending song on repeat for weeks. This game gave me such an adrenaline rush that I was able to pull my first all-nighter in months without an issue. If Special Agent Date’s powerup is a porno mag, this is mine.

Naturally, fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and classic beat ‘em ups will get the most out of Shredder’s Revenge, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing if you can’t recite the theme song from memory. Even for non-fans, you can beat the game in a single afternoon and have more fun than you will in most 50-hour open-world epics. If you’re looking for a new multiplayer game, Shredder’s Revenge is a must-play, thanks to its stellar combat and upbeat tone that makes it worth revisiting levels again and again.

As someone that thoroughly enjoyed my 200 hours with Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I never expected Three Hopes to meet, let alone surpass that experience — but it does. Three Hopes’ systems all coalesce into something truly special, and the war-driven story allows the world and characters to shine their brightest. Though it could do with less padding, Three Hopes represents Koei Tecmo firing on all cylinders, and it’s easily another title to add to the growing list of essential Switch games.

Like every other Mario sports game, realism is thrown out the window in favor of ridiculous gameplay. The final product is mostly fun, but overcomplicated systems feel destined to frustrate casual players.

A game built on the message that your choices matter, The Quarry does very little to prove this design principle in execution. It’s a grand attempt at recapturing the magic of the developer’s cult 2015 hit Until Dawn, but rather than demonstrate growth for Supermassive, The Quarry makes it feel like the studio is trapped in the past. In this case, it’s an overemphasis on pulpy B-horror movies from the ‘80s.

The joy of each puzzle comes in stages. A realization of the challenge, the difficulty of grappling with it, and the gratification of solving it. Dungeons of Dreadrock so skillfully executes that gameplay loop in every one of its 100 handcrafted levels. Though the game primarily looks to a mobile audience, the clunky UI can’t get in the way of the colorful sprites and inventive puzzles Dreadrock offers, leaving a short and sweet experience I would happily come back to for 100 more floors.

There’s something to be said about not messing with something that’s working just fine. The Show 22 is a familiar product for better and for worse. The ball game is as solid as ever, but the video game entry fails to offer something truly new for PlayStation owners who bought last year’s installment, while its most noticeable change doesn’t really help matters.

Floppy Knights is a charming experience that brings something unique to the table, even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel for either of its genres. I do wish there was a little more meat to the experience, and despite the charming writing the story simply lacks a strong core. Despite that, however, it’s a journey that’s well worth taking, especially if you’re a fan of tactical games or deck builders.

Soulslikes are appealing because of the sense of accomplishment they evoke, offering tremendously difficult battles that — with practice — can be overcome. Every death feels fair, and the design philosophy is fine-tuned in such a way that feels intentional and deliberate. Salt and Sacrifice, on the other hand, achieves difficulty with clunky design, which completely misses the point of what makes a good challenge worth the time. Instead, the sacrifice of wasted time here is more than enough to make you salty.

It’s an utterly unique title that boasts astounding production values, supported by a cast of actors that do an incredible job of playing multiple characters. There are a few niggling issues with the various gameplay systems, but it’s an incredible experience that easily stands out as one of my favorites of the year.

I truly wish Rising’s gameplay systems were more engaging, as the story and characters had me genuinely engaged. There’s nothing about the game that’s particularly bad. But outside of the story, there’s nothing that’s particularly exceptional either. The flood of backtracking and busy work feels ripped right out of a classic JRPG, but not in a good way. If anything, this game makes me cautiously excited for what Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will do.

The story of Citizen Sleeper is one of the most thoughtful and emotionally satisfying I’ve ever played. Your story will be different, and I wholeheartedly recommend that you find out what it is.

Intuitive, responsive motion controls successfully recapture the easygoing magic of the Wii’s heyday, and will likely make Switch Sports a family game night staple and chart-topper for years to come.

What I appreciate the most about Cat Cafe Manager is that it lets the player go entirely at their own speed. Sure there’s an overall goal of restoring the shrine and cafe, but there’s no specific way you need to get there. You can adopt the cats you want, design your cafe however you want, and there are no “goals” to hit each day. It’s a game that simply wants you to revel in its cuteness and joy, and that’s honestly just a lovely change of pace.

Like the island it’s set on, every part of Sephonie works in concert for the good of the whole, making it one of the most profoundly moving games I’ve ever played.

Skywalker Saga is easily one of the best Lego games ever made, but I hope to see the franchise’s core gameplay loop evolve a little further in the future.

13 Sentinels is still one of the most unique gaming experiences of recent years, and the way the game’s disparate stories come together is truly something stunning. There are few games that manage to pay homage to so many other sci-fi series, while also doing something unique all its own, but 13 Sentinels manages it. The Nintendo Switch version is a stunning port that doesn’t make any compromises, and it’s the perfect sci-fi story for the handheld console.

Playing Chrono Cross was both better and worse than I expected, and I’m glad to have a better understanding of what all the fuss has been about after all these years. I wouldn’t place it in the rare tier of games I’d recommend to positively anyone, but if you’re someone with a deep affinity for this genre, it’s a risk-taking riff on a classic that’s still got surprises to spare.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a truly magical game that amounts to what could be the best franchise entry in decades. Even if its level themes and puzzle elements call back to concepts longtime fans will have seen before, the execution is charming and polished to an absolute shine. The oddities of Mouthful Mode alone are well worth the price of admission. If you can overlook linear levels and occasionally forced backtracking, this might be one of the best games of 2022 so far.

Ghostwire: Tokyo’s vision of Shibuya is eccentric and captivating. Exploring every nook and cranny to learn more about the Japanese myths and legends that inspired the game makes for a compelling gameplay hook. It’s a shame that despite some interesting ideas, parts of the story campaign feel like they were left on the cutting room floor.

Self-aware humor permeates throughout Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, and by and large, it works really, really well. Any fears I had about Stranger of Paradise were dispelled after a dozen or so hours with its phenomenal combat system, strange but genuine story, and a surprising commitment to celebrating everything Final Fantasy — all through the eyes of an angry edgelord named Jack.

WWE 2K22 is 2K Sports’ first mainline WWE game since 2019. Following the abysmal reception to 2K20 that year, 2K took an extra year to make sure bugs were squashed and character models looked the part while preserving the fun factor. The team behind the latest release has addressed most of these issues this time around, and while 2K22 is significantly better than its predecessor, the bar was absurdly low. The extra year has certainly helped, but ultimately, the final product still feels undercooked.

Chocobo GP feels like a game that wants to be Mario Kart with Final Fantasy, but it simply doesn’t have the creativity or mechanical chops to back it up. There are certainly worse racers out there, but unless you’re the type of Final Fantasy fan who’s really into games like Theatrhythm or Dissidia that celebrate the franchise at the expense of quality gaming, you’re not going to get a whole lot out of Chocobo GP.

Despite some sluggish pacing near the beginning, Triangle Strategy is nearly everything I could have asked for from a new tactical RPG: a massive story filled with politics and intrigue, dynamic choices, a complex battle system that puts your skills to the test, and a gorgeous art style filled with unique touches. It’s a triumphant return to the genre for Square Enix and one that shows a bright future for the developer’s HD-2D style.

This isn’t just Dark Souls with an open world tacked on. Instead, developer FromSoftware weaves its familiar formula into a massive playground so expertly that we can’t help but wonder how we ever played Dark Souls without it.

Shin Megami Tensei's influence shines through in Monark’s moody gothic atmosphere and aesthetics, but the gameplay and pacing fall short of that lofty ideal.

Horizon Forbidden West is the latest in Sony’s prestigious run of polished first-person exclusives. As the sequel to 2017’s acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn, the bar is set high for Aloy’s next adventure. The first game debuted in an era before exclusives like God of War, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and The Last of Us Part II broke barriers in gameplay accessibility. In 2022, Forbidden West has a much higher standard to meet, and for the most part, it’s a resounding success.

KOF’s resistance to any grand story arc defies the pressure being applied by its rivals. Minimal solo options and routine online duels don’t reinvent anything either. This isn’t laziness on SNK’s part, however. It feels more like a focus on maintaining the design philosophy that the player base has loved all along: potent character design, instantly identifiable team play, and off-the-wall plotlines.

Sifu’s singular focus on the perfect run leaves the essential feeling of incremental progress too far out of reach.

When the platforming actually works, Dying Light 2 is an absolute blast. Chaining together a high-flying hang glider maneuver, then grappling off the edge of a building before executing a perfectly timed series of jumps makes you feel like a superhero. It’s just too bad that more often than not, something will go wrong and you’ll fall to your death instead.

The magic of Legends: Arceus stems from dozens of smaller quality-of-life improvements. Some are long-requested, others are simply revelatory — mechanics I’d never even considered in all my fantasies of the ideal Pokémon game. Whether it be Pokémon displaying unique character traits, cohesion between the different mechanical systems, or the crafting of items, developer Game Freak has the right ideas in place for the future of the series.

Ubisoft eventually came to the realization that it was time to get this game out the door, and the result is a jumbled pile of ideas you’ve seen before, executed in a wildly uninteresting way.

Endwalker may not outdo the previous expansion, Shadowbringers — a high point for the entire Final Fantasy series — but it ultimately has very different aims. Even as it ends the game’s first story arc, it has me looking forward to what’s next. For all its lofty ambitions, this operatic conclusion to a decade-long story peaks when focusing on how its core characters keep each other standing, even as the world falls down around them.

If Doom Eternal is a cheeseburger and fries at In-n-Out, then Halo Infinite is a steak dinner in the big city with an overpriced bottle of luscious red wine. It is buff grandpa showing the young hotshot how it’s done because he invented the game.

Brilliant Diamond lacks ambition and will frustrate fans of Pokémon Platinum more than it pleases. Still, an extremely faithful classic Pokémon remake might be just what we need before Game Freak wildly changes up the formula with 2022’s Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Shin Megami Tensei V does not suffer fools gladly. You will be punished brutally for attempting a battle that’s out of your league. But there’s so much to do in its expansive wasteland that working your way up to the challenge never feels like a grind.

It can’t match Forza Horizon 4 in terms of innovations, but Forza Horizon 5 introduces a more varied open-world structure in one of the most visually stunning experiences of this new console generation — perhaps ever.

If Guardians of the Galaxy had Returnal’s combat and traversal, it would be a real Game of the Year contender, but it’s the few mechanical flaws that hold it back.

If you have a soft spot for arcade-era classics like Guilty Gear, Marvel vs. Capcom, or Street Fighter III, then Type Lumina should definitely be on your radar. But if you plan to play online, there’s one big catch you should be aware of.

No More Heroes 3 is a good game. But what affords the game personality is perhaps the same thing that keeps it from becoming something better than just good.

We’ve seen Metroidvania games like Hollow Knight nail the formula in recent years, but Metroid Dread proves there’s nothing better than the franchise that started it all.

Back 4 Blood has the best water-cooler moments of any game released in 2021.

Far Cry 6 does not disappoint. It didn’t just make me fall in love with it, but it made me realize what was so wrong with its predecessor.

You can't outrun the sheer horror of existence, but Jett: The Far Shore lets you try. Its heavy narrative is a perfect complement to its exhilarating gameplay.

Difficulty spikes and a wonky camera will occasionally have players throwing their controllers across the room. Still, this otherwise compelling remastered package demonstrates why Sega needs to make Super Monkey Ball one of its premier franchises.

Sable lacks the same level of polish as Breath of the Wild or other AAA open-world titles. But as an indie game made by a small team, Sable is an unforgettable adventure that can elicit a deeply personal connection to the player.

Ember Labs has established a solid foundation for a franchise that could eventually rival The Legend of Zelda. If future entries refine the combat and platforming, this could become one of the defining new series of this console generation.

While Yagami’s second outing is more sprawling and silly than its predecessor, it’s also proof that bigger isn’t always better.

If you’re willing to overlook the bloated combat, you’ll find a lot to love in this macabre adventure about the bond between sisters.

Somehow, this irreverent hilarity and overwhelming brutality is a match made in heaven. Medieval warfare is terrifying, but it’s also inherently absurd. Bring us more of it.

Deathloop playfully bends the rules of its genre, thanks to being steered by the steady hands of the people who helped write those rules in the first place. Action-stealth games tend toward homogeny, but Deathloop wisely forces you to play smarter — and feel smarter as a result.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a fantastic duology that visual novel and mystery fans will love. It’s also a great starting point for newcomers in the Ace Attorney franchise. With strong writing and deep, yet fun characters, this bundle will keep you engaged for every minute of its 50-60 hour runtime.

If you enjoy Japanese role-playing games but shudder at the thought of labyrinthine stories and 100+ hour playtimes, NEO: TWEWY serves up a tightly paced narrative with impressive mission variety and unmatched panache — in half the time.

If you’re able to handle moderate frustration or have a friend available to help when boss battles require too much precision, many disabled gamers who couldn’t play the original should theoretically be able to conquer Skyward Sword HD. That said, it’s unlikely you’ll be feeling as cheery as Skyloft’s NPCs when it’s all over.

Psychonauts 2 is one of the best games of 2021 — and the best ones Double Fine has ever made — so play it and make sure this becomes a bonafide classic, not a cult classic like its predecessor.

Tales of Arise is a triumph in almost every way, delivering a strong narrative, well-developed characters, and combat that feels snappier than ever. This is the next step in the evolution of the Tales series, and the future looks awfully bright.