Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a fun and visually appealing shooter, but it doesn't offer anything groundbreaking or memorable in terms of plot or gameplay. With a few additions and changes to the pacing, the end result could have been a hit like Cuphead.

The unique co-op approach captures the edgy feel of Control, but still offers only a sloppy experience.

There’s a reason why Pokémon are so beloved. LeafGreen and FireRed Versions are both still undeniably enjoyable, evergreen releases and have aged well, because their mechanics were so carefully designed from the very beginning. At their best, they take me back in time to a more carefree life – for example to those moments when I was a kid and sat on the yard swing for hours, playing with my Game Boy. As a re-release however, it is too lazy and cynical, topped off with a price tag that’s a bit too high.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is an above-average visual novel game. It will certainly appeal to those interested in Japanese folklore, but horror fans will find the experience lacking.

As an update package, the Switch 2 Edition isn't all that special. It doesn't technically improve anything other than the Jamboree TV portion, and the game modes only offer short-term fun before they start repeating themselves. The best part of Mario Party, in my opinion, is the minigames, both in the entire package and in this update. But would I pay 20 euros for them? Maybe not.

Despite its minor flaws, Stratogun is a minimalist, enjoyable, and visually striking arcade shooter that pushes players to their limits but rewards effort generously. It’s not the easiest game difficulty-wise, but thanks to its well-designed gameplay loop, frustration never really got the chance to set in.

Little Nightmares III is an atmospheric title that continues the series' typical twisted horror with a too-unsurprising approach. The two-player element doesn't add enough to the package, and many of the levels don't offer enough to explore to make the adventure rewarding. The level set at a carnival comes closest to the atmosphere of the original series, but many other sections lag behind. The Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition, released at the same time, is definitely the best way to immerse yourself in the Tarsier universe; the sequels haven't achieved the same excellence.

Those who miss retro 3D platformers will certainly enjoy Ruffy's colorful world, but as a modern platformer it offers too varied an experience. At times the bear's own adventure is captivating, but the difficulty level too often swings from easy to illogical, and the adventure doesn't feel rewarding enough. Too bad, because there was potential for better.

It feels a bit tiring to give the same summary every year, but it’s true: despite its shortcomings, EA Sports FC 26 is once again the best football game on the market. That said, there still isn’t much real competition. Aside from Konami’s wonky eFootball (formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer), there are only a few smaller titles, such as the 5-on-5 game Rematch and the excellent, emotional, story-driven football tale Despelote. However, in terms of style, these play in a completely different league compared to EA Sports FC.

There are very few concrete improvements in MotoGP 26, compared to previous instalments in this generation. It still delivers functional and content-rich motorcycling, with some stupid and rude AI drivers.

Screamer is a stylish, content-rich, and ambitious racing game that slightly stumbles over its own grandiosity. Narrative shortcomings, combined with a hint of excessive multitasking lower its overall score just enough that it doesn’t quite reach the very top tier in my eyes. Despite these nitpicks, it’s still an enjoyable high-speed racer that manages to carve out something unique in its own market.

Super Meat Boy 3D is brutal yet addictive and genuinely fun platformer. However, I can’t help but think it would be even better if its spatial perception issues and somewhat shaky controls could be refined into better shape. It’s enjoyable as it is, but with the difficulty level soaring through the clouds, it would admittedly be nice if not quite so many attempts didn’t end in death due to slightly clunky gameplay. Be that as it may, the action is enjoyable, quirky and anarchic, and that alone earns it a lot of forgiveness in my eyes.

The debut game from French developer ZDT Games hides a surprisingly difficult and even frustrating combination of puzzle-solving and platforming behind its colorful and vibrant art style. I loved Darwin's Paradox, I hated Darwin's Paradox!

What kind of experience is the new Just Dance from the perspective of a dance newbie? Well, first of all, everything is cheerful, lively, and colorful – which isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, but you get used to it. On the other hand, everything runs smoothly (at least on Switch 2), and the experience has been pleasant enough that I definitely plan to keep sweating it out on the "home dance floor". What bothers me more, however, is the lack of imagination, especially regarding the game modes. It all feels a bit too safe for my taste, even though there’s so much potential to do more.

Herdling is a charming and emotionally engaging game where players guide horned creatures through beautifully crafted landscapes, using simple mechanics and thoughtful design. While the journey is mostly delightful, minor technical issues and a somewhat familiar ending may leave seasoned fans of Okomotive’s previous titles wanting more.

Echoes of the End is hugely ambitious and often delightfully traditional in the best kind of way. It's also riddled with baffling design choices, clunky mechanics, and some truly clunky dialog. Nevertheless, it's a great calling card for a studio that will do better in the future.

Lost Soul Aside is a particularly frustrating case. Yang Bing and his team have managed to create flashy and quite fun action game full of mostly well-designed boss fights, nice graphics and great music. But nearly everything else around it is so hollow and tedious that it was hard to muster the energy to see it through to the end. And I apologize for nitpicking about the price, but when a game drains roughly 70 euros from your wallet, certain aspects really should be in a much better state.

Bye Sweet Carole is a very frustrating gaming experience. The adventure is really beautiful, but the impressive appearance alone cannot save the game. The clumsy controls, the back and forth trotting and running away from monsters cause ultimate irritation, so it doesn't matter how beautiful the adventure looks. The thing would work better as a movie: Bye Sweet Carole is nice to watch, but not to play.

In a nutshell, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is mostly as dull as the elementary basics and disappointingly lacking in meaningful content, which results in a largely flat emotional curve, aside from the ending.

Playing an endless loop was a very fascinating experience in the DEATHLOOP release, but P1: Anchor Light gets on your nerves after just a few plays.

Aesthetically stunning, yet stylishly ruthless extraction shooter struggles with entertainment.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is an ambitious and often pretty game that suffers from poorly balanced combat, terrible design choices, and some truly awful technical glitches. This one is for diehard fans of the genre, and even they should consider replaying something else first.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is an interactive introduction to the new console’s features - the concept is fun and very Nintendo, but the execution feels dull at times, making the experience feel like doing chores.

Patrones & Escondites' Your House stumbles in the most important thing, the puzzles. You are too often left feeling frustrated when you spend too much time on a particular puzzle. However, as a concept, it is interesting and in some ways also unique, which is supported by the clever audiovisual design.

Swery and Suda together! What could possibly go wrong? Well, unfortunately, quite a lot of things. It’s just a true shame that personality and horror movie references alone doesn’t make for a good gameplay experience. Maybe masochists and roguelite veterans will get more out of this, but for me it fell disappointingly flat. Here’s hoping that Suda’s next epic will deliver on its promises better next year.

It pains me to say this, but Shadow Labyrinth feels somewhat like a relic in terms of structure, level design, and combat – one that seemingly never witnessed the birth of games like the Ori series or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. In principle, it offers the foundations for a solid Metroidvania and is by no means a bad game. In practice, however, many of its competitors do things significantly better, especially when it comes to art style and combat. Unfortunately, not even the occasional nods to other Bandai Namco retro titles or the random Pac-Man mazes can quite make up for this.

I thought for a long time on how to rate this release. From a preservation perspective, Glover is an interesting case indeed, but as a remaster, it barely deserves two stars. However: when the game works and the level design shines (rarely), it does have some fun moments and quirky ideas. The music is also quite catchy in many places, so it's not a completely hopeless case. Nevertheless, Glover would've needed a lot more work to make it more appealing and relevant for younger generations.

Wreckreation tries to bring Burnout back to life, but it lacks the things that made Burnout fun in the first place.