Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a pleasantly anxiety-inducing game that combines the creepy thrills of the horror genre with the sharp satisfaction of taking a good photo. Though there are a couple of bumps in the road when it comes to how smoothly the game plays, the atmosphere and vibes are unparalleled and, when combined with the creative photography-based gameplay, create a remake that is absolutely worth experiencing – so long as you have a bit of extra patience.

Esoteric Ebb, then, arrives as something that feels new when everyone is chasing games-as-a-service mandatory-multiplayer only: a single-player, well-written, extremely fun game that is about screwing around and enjoying the game rather than unlocking lootboxes, progressing through the season, or paying for content. Sit back, relax, and listen to what the voices in your head are telling you.

Escape from Ever After is a great game, and considering how people took to last year’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, part of me wonders if this Paper Mario-inspired game will have the same effect. It’s really wonderful to see a two-person team like this fund a successful Kickstarter, who probably played games like Paper Mario when they were younger to understand how to deliver such a strong, reminiscent game, and I look forward to what Sleepy Castle Studio has planned next.

While the tone can be jarring at times, a few areas lack polish, and I wish the characters had been given more depth, The Real Face of a VTuber is an intriguing murder mystery that brings fresh ideas to its courtroom gameplay. It’s well worth playing for fans of the genre, and you might even learn a little more about VTubers while you’re at it.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a great entry point for newcomers to the Remake trilogy, and the Switch 2 version offers an accessible way to play without significantly compromising the storytelling, visual fidelity, or attention to detail that define this love letter to RPG fans.

Don’t Stop, Girlypop! is a fun and fast arena movement-shooter, at its best when you are moving fast and shooting faster. The fun pink Y2K vibes add a level of charm and humor to a well-made, if a bit standard, FPS. The platforming excels at horizontal movement, but fumbles when verticality is introduced. Ultimately, it’s a great bite-sized experience and I was glad to play.

It’s not perfect, and in a perfect world, we’d still have things like Haven, Monster Meadows, and the Casino. But Dragon Quest VII Reimagined receives high marks for being incredibly accessible and stunning to boot. The new combat system, quality-of-life features, and accessibility go a long way. I had a blast playing Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.

Pathologic 3 is a bizarre remake of a game from 2005 that seems to combine the worst elements from Persona 5 and the Arrow TV series, and wants you to think that it’s somehow compelling. Its lack of atmosphere and plain dressing sap any curiosity I had, and the need for the game to hide even the most basic of information may attract the equivalent of horror game Soulslike fans, but I’d urge anyone to stay away. Somewhere in Pathologic 3, there’s a very interesting Trauma Center game with plenty of lore, decisions to make, and patients to save. Unfortunately, a time-travel and horror story is grafted onto it. Horror fans, you deserve better.

My Hero Academia: All’s Justice features fun gameplay and some nifty side modes, but the unbalanced battles in the Team Missions and story mode make for a bit of an uneven experience. The playable roster and additional narrative content are great, so fans of My Hero Academia may find it worth checking out for those features alone.

Romeo Is A Dead Man is a frustrating experience. I wanted to meet it on its own terms and let the insanity and sci-fi camp wash over me. But too much time spent in boring and tedious gameplay loops, coupled with weak character relationships, left me without anything of substance to hold onto.

Dark Auction left me asking “why” quite a bit. Why are we calling the leader of Germany during World War II “X”? Why was AI generated art used at all, especially in a part of the story that talks about the importance of art? Why isn’t this a visual novel, when the 3D exploration adds more tedium than value? Why does the ending feel like it needs a lot more context? Nevertheless, there are still a lot of good moments here, especially in the final chapters when the mystery starts to come together. It’s an interesting story with some unexpected developments, but it just feels like it could have been much more than it is.

Super Bomberman Collection is an all-around fantastic bundle of numerous classic Bomberman games. Fans and newcomers alike will find plenty to enjoy in this, and the series’ evolution throughout the Super Nintendo era is something to behold. Hopefully, later Bomberman games receive similar treatment, as I’d love to give the 3D-era games a go.

High On Life 2 is an absolute blast, and I dare you to find a funnier game to play this year.

Tokyo Scramble has some neat ideas, but the frustrating gameplay, choppy performance, and poorly-written characters hold it back from succeeding as a stealth game. I hope the more inventive aspects of the game can make a return in a more polished title down the line, as Tokyo Scramble sadly isn’t worth buying for those alone.

Mario Tennis Fever is a fantastic tennis game that overcomes its slow and hand-hold-y story mode through its breadth of modes and gameplay styles, charming characterization, and excellent core gameplay. Even if sports aren’t typically your thing, I recommend checking out Mario Tennis Fever, as it’s another exceptional Nintendo Switch 2 title to fill out the first year’s library.

Under the Island isn’t charming enough in its graphics or writing, so its gameplay foibles can be forgiven, and this is ultimately a shame, as the game attempts an 11th-hour reveal musing about how easily people can be swayed by honeyed words and how that can result in utter devastation. With some patches and playtesting, this game could be at least bearable. To think, all of this could’ve been avoided by respecting an island’s culture.

While it lacks the jaw-dropping twists of its predecessor, Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is an excellent supernatural story that weaves historical and mythological tales into an intriguing and often deadly mystery. If Square Enix continues to put such effort and care into these games, I hope Paranormasight can become a new long-running series.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is an overall great package that retains or expands on most of what made Yakuza 3 great while also adding a welcome new story from Mine’s perspective. Some of the cut content and added content can be just a little bit puzzling, and I’m a little nervous about the altered story content, but otherwise, this is a brilliant way to revisit one of the most underrated Yakuza titles.

Dear Me, I Was tackles the challenge of telling a story without any text at all, and it does so with a fair amount of success. At the same time, however, it lacks the impact its emotional moments feel like they’re meant to have. Overall, it’s a short chronicle of a woman’s life that might make you reflect on your connections with the people around you.

Play it for the aesthetics, the story, or to experience a world without Live Service Games.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a brilliant bunch of Disney video games that are mostly well worth playing 30+ years later. Though some of the games stand out above others, they’re largely a blast to play, with the two new inclusions standing out as especially grand games that certainly deserve some additional spotlight. I hope Digital Eclipse and Atari find a way to get Bonkers and Goof Troop to the other platforms’ versions of The Disney Afternoon Collection, because they’ve really made this an essential gathering of retro classics.

Resident Evil Requiem takes the best of the modern games and remakes and smashes them together to create the best Resident Evil in years. The horror sections are expertly tuned to be terrifying without losing out on the excellent combat, and the action sections are as engaging as they are overwhelming. Both sections enhance each other through impeccable pacing. The story gets the job done, but Grace and Leon elevate the experience through their characterization. It’s big, it’s dumb, and it goes off the rails in all the ways the best Resident Evil games do.

Scott Pilgrim EX is a strong follow-up to the nearly 16-year-old original beat-em-up that builds on most of its ideas. Though the format is a bit less enjoyable than a more straightforward game in this genre would be, the amount of passion for the source material and the satisfying feel of combat should be more than enough to make this a worthwhile buy for fans of Scott Pilgrim, beat-em-ups, or an especially solid purchase for fans of both.