There is no question that Grim Dawn moves along familiar lines: Base classes, a tragic world inhabited by monsters in a wide variety of flavors, nearly constant loot drops, action-oriented combat, somewhat "lite" yet interesting story, etc. Somehow, though, Grim Dawn just does it better than any other ARPG in recent memory.

Bottom line, Demonschool delivers a fulfilling RPG experience using a forgiving and enjoyable turn-based combat system. Bundled with a light, fun supernatural story with enjoyable characters and there’s no way you can "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" with this game, highly recommended!

Although the true potential of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 feels held back by the limitations of the Switch’s hardware, developer Monolithsoft has clearly taken all of the lessons and experiences that they’ve accumulated over the years and crafted a gem that even Riku the Nopon would consider priceless.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an excellent game. There are few cyberpunk RPGs available, and none that offer such freeform stealth, and because of that it almost always feels novel. Though the game did suffer some issues with stuttering over time and the rare, brief audio drop out in dialogue, those issues couldn’t hold a candle to the sublime experience of immersing myself into that world. With numerous ways to complete every mission and two rich and satisfying secondary modes, it’s a game that begs to be returned to. In fact, I’ll do just that.

It’s a magnificent foundation for the coming months of patches. Long may it continue.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is an entrancing experience that draws you in and keeps you with a vice grip. I lost count of the nights I kept telling myself, “One more battle,” until it was four in the morning. There are small niggling issues here and there; I’d have preferred one or two more weapons, the storytelling still gets dry occasionally and cam suffer from slow pacing, and it’d be nice to have more visual customization for Ziluan. But Dynasty Warriors: Origins is such a success on the levels that really matter, an emotionally resonant story and unforgettable battles, that it hardly matters. It’s a game that both gets back to the basics of what makes a Dynasty Warriors game, while also striking out into new uncharted territory. If Dynasty Warriors 9 felt like a whimper that could end the franchise, Origins is a resounding shout that says it isn’t going anywhere just yet.

Code Vein II is a game I could gush over for a few more pages, but I think it’s better experienced for yourselves. It’s an objective improvement over the first game in almost every aspect. The world is more fleshed out. The characters are more memorable. The weapon and Blood Code combinations are more interesting. As someone who adored the original, Code Vein II more than exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it to RPG and Souls-like fans.

Even as horrible as I am at the combat it is impossible to deny the melee fighting is a welcome reprieve from the usual first-person shooter or Diablo-esque hack-n-slash combat.

I think that, despite showing its age, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition lives up to being one of the greatest JRPGs in the last couple decades. Its story and gameplay are timeless and, although I was personally overwhelmed by its inventory system, the amount of customizability and freedom that comes with the plethora of gear available makes it highly replay-able to boot. The additional content, including the new Casual and Expert modes, the Time Attack Challenges, and the extra story Future Connected epilogue, makes this the best version of Xenoblade Chronicles available to date, as well as cements it as one of the best values in gaming on the Nintendo Switch.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a triumph for Ubisoft, and one of the best games I’ve played all year. After almost 70 hours in Viking-era England, I still have more to explore and uncover with Eivor, and I can’t wait to dive back in for more. The story is excellent, leaving me eager to see what’s next, and while it had moments where it felt a little dissonant with what Eivor was doing as well as some pacing problems, overall I enjoyed my romp through England.

Beyond Light is an incredibly strong reminder that what Bungie has been delivering to Destiny is more than an expansion-a-year live service game, but an ever-evolving, grim dark world filled with rich lore, nuanced characters, and questions yet unanswered. While the plot has a mix of missed (or purposefully delayed) opportunities with developing some characters while creating some powerful, gut-wrenchingly emotional moments with others.

When A Plague Tale: Innocence was released in 2019, it quickly became my favorite game of the year. It was dark and emotional while combining puzzles and combat in a way that separated it from other games released at the time. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I found A Plague Tale: Requiem to be absolutely brilliant. It expands on and surpasses everything that the original did well. The only difference is the competition is a bit stiffer and it has to settle for my second favorite game of the year.

What Absolum truly does well with its take on a roguelite is offering plenty of opportunities to get invested in its world and characters, which is such an excellent quality to have for a roguelite, which tasks players with getting used to repeated excursions. Absolum is my favorite roguelite of 2025, and it's also one of the most satisfying genre mash-ups I've seen in some time. With time, I hope that Absolum will evolve even further and take Guard Crush Games' take on a roguelite beat-em-up to the next level.

The magic of the franchise is still there and I emotionally connected with this game the same now as I did with some of the other great entries at different points through my life. I may have ended up skipping a few along the way but XV definitely brought the allure and luster back. This really is a Final Fantasy for both new and old hats to the franchise alike.

Victoria 3 is a game that has captivated me now for weeks. I love the level of granular detail Paradox Games allow me to dive into, and Victoria 3 has this in droves. But my favorite parts of Paradox Games are the alternate history playthroughs. I found myself talking to friends and family about the quirks of the countries in my playthrough as if it were real geopolitical news. Every second in Vicky 3 I was hooked, sometimes finding myself sitting at my desk for hours into the night, losing track of the time yet never getting tired of the simulation. I craved more. And for me, that is high praise. As someone for who it takes quite a bit to really hook me, Victoria 3 certainly has in a big way. In fact, I think I’ll start my next campaign right now.

Tyranny is a game that must be played by any RPG fan. Some may knock its “old school” approach and style, but that’s about the only complaint that could be levied against such a wonderfully unique and deep RPG. It does everything Pillars of Eternity tried to do and it does so better. Consider Tyranny highly recommended and one of the best RPGs of the year.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is the best Assassin’s Creed game in years. I’m really tempted to say it’s my favorite game in the series period but it’s too soon to know for sure on that count. Hopefully this is a rebirth for the series and we’ll see further iterations and continuing in this style moving forward.

Ghost of Tsushima is the samurai game I’ve personally always wanted, and it’s one I can find myself diving into just to explore the world and take in the sights as I play, helping Jin find some small measure of peace along the way, assuming the wind guides us there.

The remakes of these two classic games were masterfully done. Square Enix is no stranger to remakes and upgrades but they have outdone themselves with this iteration of X / X-2. From the orchestrated score, to the increased polygon count and improved textures the game is atheistically better in every way. If you missed out on playing these games on the PS2 this new layer of polish on these classic gems will leave you unable to guess one is 14 years old this year.

When Morrowind was released last year, it was what I’d call Peak ESO. Now that Summerset is here, it’s raised that bar even more. Where Zenimax takes the game next is anyone’s guess, but I know I’ll be there to find out.

While my frustration and bitterness towards the multiplayer remains stubbornly rigid in this most recent Call of Duty outing, it simply isn’t enough to impede my adulation for the campaign. If nothing else, you should play Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War for the campaign alone. I really do believe it’s a worthwhile experience, and marks a return to form for Treyarch of old.

Ultimately, Starfield is one of the best space-based RPGs ever made, one where hours fly by in minutes, and one where the only hard limit is your imagination.

Overall I enjoyed the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC and finding out about the endings and what it could hold for the future of the series. The Re:Mind DLC was not long, but I didn’t really expect it to be long at all as it was just neat wrap up to a great story so far. The Limit Cut Episode brought a lot of questions, and I have so much speculation with how it ended, which I’ll not state here in order to avoid spoilers. I did not like high level requirements for the Limit Cut Episode, but I love the game so I will level up to unlock the endings for myself. Either way, the KH3 Re:Mind DLC was very cinematic with its cutscenes, and a very enjoyable DLC for a very enjoyable game.

Both a fantastic port and still a fantastic game.

Vessel of Hatred is a great entry point if you haven’t played Diablo IV before or you’ve been away for a while. Blizzard has made a lot of great changes over the last year, and this expansion brings even more. Between the new season starting on October 7th and all of the Vessel of Hatred content dropping on October 8th - Diablo IV is looking to be in an excellent place. Blizzard also seems to be laying the building blocks they can grow on in future expansions or new Diablo games. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Yet, as I sit here writing this review, I can’t help but be awed by what Pearl Abyss has built. It is a game that will push forward open-world design much like the games it was inspired by did in their day. Its combat will be the benchmark for many players moving forward, and its visuals are among the best on PC to date, full stop. I can confidently say that Crimson Desert is a modern masterpiece, despite its shortcomings.

Persona 5 Strikers is a brilliantly executed melding of the Dynasty Warriors style gameplay with Persona 5 characters and systems. It delivers a solid story while staying true to the roots of both games. There were some small issues with how some of the systems were set up, the default sorting for the items list for one, and I wish some of the actual content of my P5R saves would have carried over. Despite these minor issues, I had a blast hanging with the Phantom Thieves again and working to make the world a better place. I would never have thought to ask for this melding, but it's a beautiful experience.

Zenimax Online’s inaugural Chapter is a fresh start for game that’s already proven itself as one of the genre’s best titles. It didn’t need to get as good as Morrowind, but here we are. Morrowind, along with all the rest of the DLC we’ve received, has made it so that I don’t care to ever see the basic content of ESO again. That’s profound.