Ys X: Nordics doesn’t exactly feel like an evolution of the prolific series, but more of a sidestep into something new and different. I’m not sure if future games will look like this, but that’s honestly Nordics’ biggest strength. It simultaneously feels faithful to the franchise and bold and new, all at once. It certainly stumbles here and there with story and the visual variety of its world, but it’s a robust seafaring tale full of rebellious spirit — just like the pirates that inspired it. It’s already been an absurdly busy year for RPGs, but I hope something as stellar as Ys X doesn’t get lost beneath the waves.

Neva ultimately feels at odds with itself, trying to be too much at once. Its combat and platforming are competent, but not enough to carry the game on their own. Neva’s story seems to be reaching after pure emotional appeal and a more concrete tale at once, but landing awkwardly between them. While the sense of Alba and Neva’s connection is enchanting at first, the game loses focus on their relationship as it wears on. Even its stunning art — the best part of Neva by far — is stuck halfway between some of the most gorgeous depictions of nature I’ve ever seen in a game and less successful dives into surreal yet sparse environments. Maybe I’m being cold-hearted, but even its adorable wolf cub couldn’t keep me interested for long. Neva has its moments when everything briefly clicks, but in the end it takes a half-step in too many directions at once.

While it has some issues with mode variety and how things are implemented, Sparking Zero is a deliriously good time that makes it almost impossible to not have a massive smile on your face while playing.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a startling, insightful RPG that succeeds far more than it struggles. This genuinely feels like a massive step up for Atlus in terms of storytelling and writing, and the genuine way the game tackles its themes feels important.

Echoes of Wisdom proves that even after nearly 40 years, The Legend of Zelda still has room to surprise us... Echoes of Wisdom feels like the Zelda-fronted game I’ve been waiting decades for. I only hope this isn’t her last turn as the series’ star.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a great idea held back by the era of games in which it was created. Younger players and fanatics of classic Disney may have a blast seeing this creative spin on the source material. But there’s little else that it does to stand out among the genre’s best.

Reynatis is obviously made by a small team with a lot of passion for the world and concept, but the game’s disparate ideas simply don’t come together into a truly cohesive package. There’s greatness hidden in Reynatis and even bits that I truly loved, like the text conversations, but it all comes with some caveats. I don’t regret the time I spent with Reynatis, and think there could be the spark of something truly interesting if it gets a sequel. But for now, it feels a bit like RPG junk food, satisfying in some ways, but leaving you wanting more.

Dead Rising was always an underrated masterpiece in my eyes, but with this remaster it feels like it has the polish to be truly deserving of that title, and the streamlined approachability means it can appeal to an entire new generation of fans.

More than anything, my time with Astro Bot is dominated by one word: surprise. There were moments that had my jaw on the floor, moments I cackled with glee, and even one or two where may have shed a tear. Astro Bot is everything that I love about video games — the potential they have to cause wonder and excitement, self-reflection, and, most importantly, fun.

Age of Mythology: Retold is exactly what a remake should be — not just bringing something classic to a modern audience, but meaningfully changing and upgrading it for that audience. It’s stunning in nearly every way, and a clear sign that real-time strategy games still have a bright future ahead.

It’s a shame nothing else in Visions lives up to its gorgeous presentation. While it’s a joy to look at, I found it dull to trudge through, with too many undercooked systems bogging down what’s otherwise extremely simplistic gameplay. Even that wouldn’t be a dealbreaker if its story and characters were good enough, but alas, no luck there either. As someone with a soft spot in my heart for Secret of Mana, I keep hoping that the series will see another truly great game again someday. Unfortunately, Visions of Mana isn’t it.

Outlaws’ exploration so often leads to wonder and joy, but it's contrasted by other elements that fall flat — rote and generic quest design, frustrating stealth, and an underbaked crime syndicate system. This is a game that wants you to constantly feel immersed and soak up every second in the Star Wars universe, but it too often breaks that immersion with its own problems. Despite those complaints, Outlaws is one of the most stunning representations of Star Wars we’ve ever seen, at least visually, and a game that I learned to love, warts and all.

Creatures of Ava is a mixed bag when it comes to mechanics, but it’s a game I couldn’t stop playing once I saw the beauty under its surface. The world of Ava is one of the most compelling environments I’ve explored in a video game in some time, and its subversion of worn-out story tropes is nothing short of brilliant. Where most games make playing the hero about laying waste to your enemies, Creatures of Ava provides a needed counterpoint by showing that you can’t always be the hero, and not every story even needs one.

SteamWorld Heist II’s great tactical battles and sense of humor make it hard to imagine anyone not being won over by it, whether you’re a fan of strategy games or not.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is a gorgeous, sincere, and snuggly little adventure. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, but its individual parts come together to create an immensely fun package that feels like a warm cup of tea on a cold dreary day. Fans of the cozy genre owe it to themselves to check this one out. The engaging puzzles and dungeons also warrant a look-in from those who have fuzzy memories of solving the elaborate temples of older 3D Zelda games. Dungeons of Hinterberg is a masterful mix of the modern cozy game and the wondrous sense of adventure of old-school role-playing classics. Spending a few days in this magical, quaint little town is sure to be time well spent.

Kunitsu-Gami, in many ways, feels like a game from a bygone era. It’s reminiscent of one of those weird experimental PS2 titles, like Okami, that would go on to become beloved cult classics. The brilliantly inventive mish-mash of strategy and action is immediately fun, but only grows more complex and delightful as the whole game progresses...This, coupled with Kunitsu-Gami’s entrancing art style and story, makes it one of Capcom’s best games in years, and that’s really saying something. Kunitsu-Gami’s sheer ambition blew me away, and the way the game consistently innovates upon its own formula is something other strategy titles should take notes from. No matter how you look at it, this is one you don’t want to miss.

I could actually see myself replaying Dawntrail in its entirety just to pore back over this adventure and look for missed details and re-experience the highs and lows. That’s a first for me, nearly a thousand hours in.

Whether this is your first step into Trails, or you’ve been with it for over a decade, Daybreak is a definitive RPG experience that can proudly stand with the best.

Shadow of the Erdtree feels like the moment where FromSoftware has to interrogate what it wants its games to be, and how the studio moves forward. Does the studio integrate more options for players, making the games more approachable to a wide array of players? Or do they stick to a core philosophy of being abrasive and unrelenting? More than anything, I’m interested to see how Shadow of the Erdtree lands with players, especially those who played Elden Ring as their first Souls games.

The Chinese Room has crafted yet another horrific and thrilling narrative to add to its arsenal of titles that practically pioneered the genre that so many others have contributed to over the last decade. It’s a novel love letter to fantastic films that have withstood the test of time some four decades later. It offers fun, nail-biting adventures that feel true to those authoritative, genre-defining works...But regrettably, mood and atmosphere aren’t enough to elevate this rote walking sim. While it’s an easy Xbox Game Pass recommendation for those looking for some cheap thrills, Still Wakes The Deep lacks any meaningful new ideas, preventing it from standing out amongst the heavily stacked pack.

By the end of Senua’s saga, however, I was left wishing there was just a bit more meat on the bone of this gorgeous, meticulously prepared piece of mutton.

Even if its dream is often a nightmare, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most compelling games I’ve played in years. As a puzzle game, it’s already a triumph, but the meditations on art and bold aesthetic choices elevate it to the level of a magnum opus as grand as the artwork at the heart of its story.

Homeworld 3 is one of the most entrancing experiences I’ve had with a strategy game in years, and proof that the single-player RTS still has an important role to fill.

Looking back at my time with Stellar Blade, I believe it has the potential to turn into a franchise instead of just a one-off deal.

Third act woes aren’t enough to overshadow an otherwise fantastic game. From its gorgeous world, stellar writing and voice acting, and score that’s already on the short list of 2024’s best, Tales of Kenzera is a game I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who believes in the medium’s ability to evoke very real, and above all very human, emotional experiences.

There are times you can feel Dragon’s Dogma 2 groaning under the weight of its own ambition, but the sheer confidence of its unfaltering vision keeps it surging forward.

In the end, Princess Peach: Showtime! hits the mark way more often than it misses it. Despite not committing to the bit with its story, its aesthetics run wild with the theatrical premise, never failing to evoke glee. And while its shallow gameplay left me somewhat unsatisfied, the moments when it throws caution to the wind for train heists, table-flipping martial arts fights, and full-on space shooter segments are undeniably great. Princess Peach: Showtime’s simplicity and variety make it easy to recommend as a game for younger players. For everyone else, Princess Peach: Showtime! will probably leave you underwhelmed, but it’s still an enjoyable night at the theater while it lasts.

Unicorn Overlord’s story may not have thrilled me, but I still can’t recommend it highly enough to strategy fans. Every time I found myself longing for more character depth or a less predictable story, those critiques were washed away by the next hour-long battle pushing my strategic abilities to their limit. It’s hard to focus on shallow character dynamics when every brain cell is focused on developing the perfect set of tactics to pull off a clutch victory, after all. The sheer joy of leading your army to victory through nothing but clever planning is hard to overstate, and I’m convinced it will make Unicorn Overlord a new classic of the strategy genre in years to come.