Life is Strange: Reunion takes a bold step by bringing Max and Chloe back together in a story that fully embraces the series’ legacy while delivering an emotionally grounded conclusion to their journey. With a more engaging narrative than its predecessor and a central relationship that carries the experience, the game hits where it matters most, even while struggling with technical issues and uneven side arcs. It’s not flawless, but it’s exactly the kind of return longtime fans were hoping for.

A faithful remake that preserves the essence of a horror classic, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly delivers a haunting atmosphere, strong psychological tension, and improved visuals and audio. However, its slow pacing, repetitive combat, and dated mechanics may not appeal to all players, especially those seeking a more dynamic experience.

A masterfully crafted roguelite, Hades II builds on its predecessor with refined combat, a compelling new protagonist, and an addictive gameplay loop that constantly rewards progression. While its narrative occasionally feels familiar, the game excels in pacing, variety, and presentation, standing out as one of the strongest entries in the genre.

A vast and immersive space adventure, Starfield offers strong exploration, solid gunplay, and a compelling sense of discovery on PS5, enhanced by meaningful improvements and added content. However, it is held back by repetitive side missions, limited enemy AI, and RPG systems that lack deeper refinement, preventing it from reaching its full potential.

An ambitious and content-rich open-world adventure, Crimson Desert stands out for its freedom, deep exploration, and dozens of hours of gameplay, but suffers from a weak narrative, underdeveloped characters, and inconsistencies in some mechanics and technical aspects.

Pragmata blends third-person shooting with a real-time hacking system that runs alongside combat, creating a solid and engaging gameplay loop. Enemy variety and boss fights stand out, while visuals are strong in Quality mode but less consistent in Performance. The story has an interesting premise but suffers from rushed pacing. In the end, the gameplay is the clear highlight.

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition celebrates the classic platformer with a collection that brings together five versions of the original Rayman alongside extras focused on preserving the franchise’s history, including an interactive museum and a playable prototype. While it offers an interesting look behind the scenes of the game’s development, the package feels limited due to the lack of variety, as each version delivers nearly the same experience. The gameplay retains the challenging feel of its era, with rigid controls, though modern features like rewind help soften the difficulty. Overall, it works better as a historical celebration for fans than as a content-rich collection.

Sons of Sparta is an interesting attempt to adapt God of War into a 2D metroidvania-inspired format. The interconnected exploration of Laconia works well, and the relationship between Kratos and Deimos adds value to the narrative, revisiting the protagonist’s youth. However, inconsistent combat, predictable progression, and some polish issues prevent the game from reaching its full potential. Still, as a complementary chapter in Kratos’ story, it offers a curious perspective on his past.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando delivers a solid cooperative shooter, featuring consistent gunplay, class-based progression and an engaging skill tree that encourages different strategies between runs. Its open mission structure creates meaningful risk-reward decisions, while defense segments against large hordes keep the combat intense. Despite repetitive mission design, limited enemy variety and technically simple visuals, the game compensates with a steady pace, a strong soundtrack by John Carpenter and a cooperative experience that shines when played with friends.

Resident Evil Requiem stands out for its precise balance between survival horror and action, blending tension and combat with remarkable cohesion. Backed by a compelling narrative that dives deep into Umbrella’s origins, the game expands the franchise’s legacy with confidence. Grace delivers a strong and memorable debut, while Leon returns sharper than ever, reaffirming his place as one of the series’ most iconic heroes.

High On Life 2 delivers fast-paced FPS action wrapped in irreverent sci-fi comedy, with talking weapons, sharp satire, and a surprisingly fluid skate traversal system that keeps combat dynamic and stylish. The sequel expands on the original’s personality and creativity, offering vibrant visuals and memorable characters. However, performance issues on PlayStation 5, including frame rate drops and low internal resolution, hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Avowed is an RPG adventure that, surprisingly, manages to appeal to different types of players. It works for those who value charismatic characters and meaningful interactions, for those looking for intense combat filled with magic and build variety, and also for anyone who enjoys spending hours immersed in a richly crafted world. Precisely because it tries to embrace so much, it can feel somewhat superficial in certain aspects. Even so, it delivers a solid, engaging, and fun journey, carrying the level of quality you would expect from an experienced studio like Obsidian.

Reanimal goes far beyond being just an inspiration from The Little Nightmares. Developed by Tarsier Studios, the project shows a clear sense of identity and the confidence to explore new ideas. Instead of simply repeating mechanics that worked in the past, the studio expands its formula by introducing combat and building a brand new universe with its own tone and personality. The result is an experience that respects its roots while carving out a distinct path, with enough strength and originality to stand on its own and potentially grow into a franchise just as memorable as the one that inspired it.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is, above all, a celebration of what the series does best. The package strikes a smart balance between nostalgia and modernization, revisiting a key chapter in Kazuma Kiryu’s journey while expanding the universe with an original story that adds depth to one of the franchise’s most compelling antagonists. It’s not a revolutionary game, but it is a very welcome refinement of a formula that still works.

Nioh 3 proves that sequels can still bring fresh ideas to an established franchise. By introducing more open regions and meaningful side activities, the new soulslike retains the strengths of its predecessors while addressing their shortcomings. The result is a well-crafted narrative, unforgettable boss battles, and a wealth of content, all supported by a progression system that feels inviting to both newcomers and longtime fans.

Code Vein 2 expands on the ideas of the first game with more content, a stronger focus on dual combat, and a narrative built around multiple timelines. The story’s core concept is interesting, though characters and dialogue struggle to create emotional engagement. Combat remains methodical and strategic, working well in cooperative play and offering a good variety of builds, even if few boss fights stand out as truly memorable. Exploration is open and functional, but provides limited incentives beyond basic progression. Confusing interfaces, recurring technical issues, and visuals below expectations for the current generation hurt the overall experience. Overall, it is an above-average game that will please fans of the original Code Vein, but it fails to stand out in a competitive year due to its reliance on safe, unambitious formulas.

Call of Duty Black Ops 7 tries to innovate with a co-op open world campaign and psychological elements but fails in almost every narrative aspect. The story is disjointed, relying heavily on hallucinations and aimless twists that disrespect the franchise’s legacy. The multiplayer is more solid, bringing some welcome improvements over BO6, with good maps and the return of fan-favorite mechanics. Zombies mode also stands out, offering a robust and fun experience. Still, it feels like an annual release that could have been just an expansion, especially with a weak campaign, aggressive monetization, and a lack of truly new content.

A.I.L.A is the new project from Pulsatrix Studios, creators of Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel, and marks a creative leap for the Brazilian studio. Blending psychological horror, sci-fi, and interactive storytelling, the game puts players in the role of Samuel, a beta tester trapped in simulations created by an AI. The experiences range from supernatural adventures to medieval settings, all while maintaining narrative cohesion. Highlights include the immersive sound design, well-crafted puzzles, and challenging boss battles.

With solid gameplay, intense combat, and strategic risk-reward decisions, ARC Raiders delivers an engaging experience whether playing solo or in a squad. While the narrative is shallow and the item management system needs refinement, the world-building, art direction, and soundtrack greatly enhance immersion. Each match offers high tension and memorable moments, making ARC Raiders one of the standout multiplayer titles of the year.

Little Nightmares 3 preserves the franchise’s eerie atmosphere and strong visual identity, delivering tense chase sequences and well‑designed cooperative puzzles. However, the lack of local co‑op, unstable matchmaking, and a growing sense of repetition hold the experience back. Its cinematic direction and detailed environments are impressive, though depth perception issues often impact platforming. It’s a solid entry, but one that falls short of bringing meaningful innovation to the series.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a loving tribute to the franchise’s classic era, bundling 11 nostalgic titles alongside a surprisingly rich interactive documentary. The historical context, visual archive, and new features like online play and fatality training elevate the package as a preservation effort. Unfortunately, input lag and online instability weaken the gameplay experience, especially in a genre where precision is everything. It’s a meaningful collection for fans and historians, but its technical issues hold it back from being a flawless victory.

Just Dance 2026 stays true to the series’ strengths: quick fun, a lively pop playlist, and improved motion-tracking that finally removes the need to hold your phone. The base tracklist is strong and varied, making it great for parties. Its weaknesses are familiar: little innovation, choreography aimed mostly at casual players, and the continued reliance on a subscription for more songs. Even so, it remains a joyful, accessible party game that delivers exactly the kind of easygoing fun fans expect.

Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland delivers an emotional and creative adventure driven by a heartfelt story about purpose, language, and grief. Its charming pixel art, engaging soundtrack, and surprisingly strong voice acting create a memorable atmosphere from start to finish. The downside lies in its very simple gameplay loop, focused mainly on walking, collecting words, and completing basic interactions, leaving a sense that deeper puzzles or mechanics could have enriched the experience. Even so, it remains a touching, humorous, and unique journey that stands out more for its heart than for the complexity of its systems.

Ninja Gaiden 4 doubles down on uncensored gore and a difficulty curve that punishes without pushing players away. Its campaign picks up where the previous entries left off, bringing back familiar faces while introducing new ones. PlatinumGames delivers a visceral hack-and-slash experience that works both for newcomers and for veterans who already understand the franchise’s punishing pace.

Absolum blends roguelike and beat’em up with charm and style. Addictive gameplay, layered combat, and gorgeous hand-drawn visuals shine, despite minor input and hitbox issues. With a standout soundtrack and local/online multiplayer, it's one of 2025’s indie highlights and hard to put down.

Borderlands 4 modernizes its formula with seamless zones, tight gunplay, and great co-op features. Sidequests and characters shine, but technical issues, UI annoyances, and a forgettable main villain hold it back. It’s fun, loud, and promising—just not the full evolution yet.

Dying Light: The Beast brings back the series' roots with a brutal, more focused adventure led by Kyle Crane. Parkour remains sharp, melee combat is weighty and satisfying, and the open world offers tense moments, especially at night. While the progression system feels recycled and some fights get repetitive, the experience is technically solid. A strong return for fans, though its price may be a barrier.

Battlefield 6 marks a triumphant return for the franchise, reviving large-scale destruction, tight teamplay, and intense firefights. The campaign serves as a cinematic tutorial but lacks emotional weight. Multiplayer is where the game shines, featuring well-designed maps, a balanced class system, and top-tier gunplay. With strong performance, impressive visuals, and a promising live-service roadmap, Battlefield 6 stands as the best entry in the series since BF4.