Koira is another minimalist 2D adventure that has a few charming moments and a warm friendship at its core, but doesn't really offer enough to stand out in the crowded genre.

Another solid entry for the series, Assassin's Creed Shadows offers a wonderfully rendered natural world, though it's not as unique as it once could have been. The typical mix of stealth and action gameplay is still enjoyable and is now split between two protagonists, though switching between them can be cumbersome. Fans of the franchise should be satisfied, if not exactly impressed.

A tycoon game about building a bar for vampires is a great idea - but sadly the execution here leaves a lot to be desired. The management gameplay is a bit too simple for my liking, but it's the constant game-breaking bugs that really suck the fun out of the experience.

Civilization VII brings a lot of changes to the formula, but they don't feel entirely innovative or fully realized. The core of the experience retains its addictive qualities, and yet lacks refinement at launch.

Engaging combat, a beautiful world, and intriguing story moments ensure Avowed is an action-RPG worth exploring, but tiresome encounters, progression quirks, and dull companions keep it from achieving divinity.

While the returning sniping and stealth mechanics keep Sniper Elite: Resistance on target across some good open levels, the lack of innovation means it is not a surefire hit for everyone.

As a precision platformer with a focus on speedrunning, Unless works well. Mastering its tiny levels is satisfying, but the very short runtime means that its good ideas never really have time to fully develop.

Tribe Nation has some decent design foundations, and its low asking price should appeal to fans of the roguelike genre looking for a specific type of challenging experience.

Although the abstract portions of Discolored 2 might be too elusive for some, the more direct puzzles fare better across the 4-5 hour journey, along with some active threats that create pressure.

Despite the tremendous atmosphere, big open world, and familiar mechanics, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an uneven experience due to AI flaws, combat annoyances, laborious exploration, and technical issues.

Although still impressive and unmatched in its scale, the 2024 sequel to Microsoft Flight Simulator can't be carried by its novelty alone. The added career mode seems competent on paper, and being able to step outside your aircraft adds immersion. But the entire experience is hamstrung by very disappointing visuals and data streaming issues, as well as plentiful bugs and design shortcomings.

Forgive Me Father 2 is a throwback FPS with a stylish Lovecraftian presentation. If you're craving a slick arena shooter to play for a few hours then this is a good option, although the pedestrian level design and short campaign holds it back from competing with the best in the genre.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is far from the duo's best RPG outing, but that's not to say it is a bad one. The combat is engaging enough to remain entertaining throughout the 40+ hour adventure, even as it crawls along against the tide.

LEGO Horizon Adventures faithfully recreates the world of machines from the PlayStation game series, and has some fun combat. However, it is aimed squarely at younger players, and is rather brief. A fun and accessible introduction for newcomers, but returning fans will find this diversion not as worthwhile.

Stealth fans might find enough entertainment in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, thanks to moments of decent immersion and sound manipulation, but inconsistent and shallow mechanics hold it back.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a mishmash of enjoyable 2D platforming and frustrating 3D sequences. Shadow at least manages to somewhat mitigate the clumsy controls thanks to some interesting gameplay wrinkles. The title also looks good, but probably won't bring the pair of hedgehogs back to the forefront of the genre.

The Casting of Frank Stone may not be weighed down by its ties to the Dead by Daylight universe, but it's nonetheless unable to reach the surface from under the waves of a slow story, dull gameplay and a lack of thrills.

Despite excellent facial animations and wonderful music, Double Exposure has pacing issues, unlikable characters, dire gameplay, tonal problems, and is an incomplete imitation of the perfect storm.

NHL 25 makes some minor strides to improve on last year's game, but will mostly appeal to those interested in team management and being a superstar forward. As a franchise, it continues to wait for a top draft pick that can turn things around in a meaningful way.

Frostpunk 2 isn't afraid to shake things up and bring a different kind of experience to the franchise, although that new design philosophy leaves a bit more to be desired in mechanics, UI and narrative elements.

Athena Crisis is squarely aimed at long-time Advance Wars fans, who will likely find much to enjoy in both the official missions and the potentially endless content created by the community. It falls short of the best in the genre, like Wargroove or Into the Breach, but is still worth a look for those who get a kick out of sending pixelated soldiers to their deaths.

Ara: History Untold is a decent foray into the historical 4X, with enough borrowed and slightly tweaked elements to make it worth a look for fans of the genre. Its original ideas become too much of a slog however, along with a scattering of UI issues and performance hiccups that need addressing.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is unable to recapture the magic or originality of its predecessors, nor keep up with the current leaders of the genre. It's an open world racing game that lacks content and has too many frustrations to qualify for the starting grid.

The Plucky Squire has a nice art style and some clever tricks with shifting between two different perspectives on the world, though ultimately this storybook will appeal to younger players the most.

Despite great visuals and hectic combat, Space Marine 2 stumbles on its repetition and generic missions. While co-op has limited appeal, the single player is boring and the competitive action is mostly an afterthought. And even devout followers may lose faith due to the technical issues.

Solid deck building fundamentals are let down by a lack of progression and weak not-quite-RPG questing. If you like the idea of a deck builder with a relatively open overworld and a cheery fantasy vibe, you might still enjoy this one, but it's hard to recommend above its more sophisticated indie peers.

The Crush House has its share of solid moments, but it ends up oscillating between creativity and boredom. The day to day filming schedule needed to be spruced up to avoid repetitive dialogue and bland footage.

Dustborn grabs the generic modern day adventure game formula and adds a bunch of cliché and often annoying characters, a subpar story, some low-grade music, along with a heavy-handed dose of politics front and center, resulting in a middling and overlong road trip that's more concerned about its poorly delivered message than anything else.

There is a moderately intriguing narrative in Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss as you solve mysteries within a well-preserved shipwreck, but flimsy clues, tedious wandering, and technical blemishes mean playing it can be like fighting to keep your head above water.

With appealing pixel graphics and some smart tweaks to the bullet heaven formula, Swarm Grinder is a lot of fun... until it isn't. The lack of variety in playable characters, levels, and weapons drags down the experience, but die hard fans of the genre may still enjoy the grind. Those prone to nightmares involving insectoid aliens who want to suck your face off should probably avoid.

Given its low price, Nobody Wants to Die may be worth checking out for the visual style and unique atmosphere, but the basic gameplay and underwhelming story make for a forgettable adventure.

Featuring enjoyable dungeons and intriguing plot developments, Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fun escape to a magical version of Austria. It doesn't stray far from its comfort zone, but the basics here are solid enough to prop up the highlights of the experience.

Anger Foot’s rapid-fire, door-kicking action will compel some to dance along to its vibrant beat, but repetition and lackluster levels mean not all will be swept off their feet.

More a cyberpunk city creation tool than a game in the traditional sense, Dystopika can offer a brief distraction - or awaken the urban architect within you. Either outcome seems fair for its low asking price.

#BLUD may not bring anything new to the table, but it has a fun personality and unique presentation to make it worth taking a chance on for fans of the genre.

Until Then has an interesting art style and some decent writing, but mundane pacing, limited interactivity and contrived, poorly delivered drama make for a forgettable adventure.

Although not quite the triumphant homecoming fans hoped for, Homeworld 3 is still a sleek and at times spectacular space RTS.

XDefiant is a solid multiplayer shooter that may not surpass the leaders of the genre anytime soon, but it proves to be a notably alluring, free alternative.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver feels like a step back from its predecessor on just about every level. The plot is lacking in intrigue and severely underbaked, while the simplistic gameplay offers little challenge. While it's nice to get further detail on the universe of the series, this sequel severely disappoints.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps the basics intact, and while a strong lead character, great animations, and simple but enjoyable combat continue to deliver, the poor pacing and performance issues prevent this sequel from breaking free of its past.

More a brief collectathon than a worthwhile adventure, Little Kitty, Big City is a somewhat charming but ultimately forgettable feline trek to get back to taking a nap.

TopSpin 2K25 is a solid return to the court for the veteran franchise. It's a bit lacking in content, from the limited roster to the repetitive modes, but the excellent gameplay mechanics offer a lot of hope for the future.

With dull gameplay, conflicting art styles, stiff dialogue and a weak ending, Indika is a philosophy-infused discussion of religion that's unable to carry its burdens.

Harold Halibut overstays its welcome like a free diver that descends too far. Its painfully boring gameplay consists of walking back and forth as the story unhurriedly transpires. Still, the oddball characters and sublime stop-motion aesthetics may hook a few gamers who are happy to wade in the shallows.

The video game adaptation of Sand Land brings one of Akira Toriyama's lesser-known works into the spotlight. It follows the source material well and cleverly expands on the story, but the gameplay is lacking.

Stellar Blade is a mostly enjoyable action game with solid combat, strong presentation, and good enemy designs. Its scantily clad heroine is not very interesting, and neither is the story, but there is enough here to warrant a peek.

Although the Australian setting is good, and it occasionally shows potential, Broken Roads is a clumsy party-based RPG with mediocre combat, pacing issues, and bland fetch quests.

Close quarters action games are already stressful enough - but piling on roguelike elements, and having to watch basic AI try to execute on your elaborate plans, makes for a tactical game that's often as frustrating as it is satisfying. There is plenty of content here, but only for a rather specific audience.

The first mainline game for Princess Peach in nearly two decades is a charming adventure with some solid ideas and excellent boss battles. Princess Peach: Showtime demonstrates that the heroine is worthy of being a leading protagonist on her own merit, despite a few performance issues.

While some walking sims have evolved, Open Roads is stuck in the past. Its two good characters cannot offset the bland interactivity and mystery that is as flat as the game's 2D conversations.

South Park: Snow Day is an authentic adaptation that has a couple of decent ideas, but the drab combat and a short runtime leave it stuck in a snowbank, to be rescued only by the faithful fans of the show.

With movement and combat upgrades, Outcast – A New Beginning eventually comes close to being a decent open-world shooter, but terrible fetch quests, bland activities, tech issues, and narrative gaffes mean that the colorful world of Adelpha does not bear enough fruit.

Rise of the Ronin is a case where more isn't always better. It's got varied and challenging combat, a wealth of content, and a wide variety of mechanics in a story that spans over a decade. But while most of the individual components work, many feel unrefined, and their sheer volume doesn't elevate the experience.

As buggy as the bayou, Alone in the Dark is a disappointing return for the classic horror franchise. Derceto Manor has corners worth exploring, and the puzzles are smartly designed. However, the clunky combat, lack of scares, unengaging story and drab voice acting sully the overall package.

Like squeezing blood from a stone, The Outlast Trials is a repetitive chore that features monotonous searches and running laps through mazes until there is nothing left but pain and the option to share the misery with others.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong brings the classic GBA title back with new crisp graphics, but there has not been enough changes to the mechanics or controls to make this feel contemporary on the Switch.

Skull and Bones may have survived the turbulent seas of its long voyage to release, but the end result is a game that's barely kept afloat by its solid sailing mechanics, while the uninspiring content, underwhelming presentation, and poor multiplayer design punch far too many holes in the hull.

There are fascinating and fun elements in Ultros, from the splashy visuals, the alien design, and the unexpectedly enticing gardening mechanic. However, most other facets of the gameplay just aren't up to par for a modern metroidvania.

Helldivers 2 offers some chaotic and entertaining moments in the early stages, as you hop between planets with friends, call in devastating strikes, and spreading democracy. But as the hours begin to accumulate, increasing difficulty levels unravel some of the annoying design decisions, and along with persistent connectivity problems, it seems that the game could have used more prep time.

Despite The Cub’s basic platforming, with clunky trial and error, its slightly bizarre world, cool and varied music, and great visual design make it worth playing.

Raccoo Venture is highly inspired by the classic 3D platformers of yesteryear but does not implement enough unique ideas to stand out from the crowd. There are some fantastic environmental puzzles that are thoroughly fun to solve, but they are far too short. The uneven difficulty, annoying secondary character mechanics, and a few bugs ultimately dilute the experience.

Trinity Fusion is enjoyable to play, but the overall package feels lacking in comparison to others in the genre. The lack of character development, and underwhelming visuals are kept afloat by enjoyable core gameplay that should mostly appeal to dedicated fans of the genre.

Ready or Not successfully imports the moment-to-moment gameplay and intensity of the classic SWAT franchise, but without much innovation and a host of major AI issues this tactical shooter was seemingly not quite ready to breach out of Early Access.

The natural world of Pandora is the main star of this latest video game adaptation of the Avatar franchise. It's supported by the competent and familiar mechanics, but let down by the weak story and occasional lack of polish.

Worldless is not going to be for everyone. The harsh difficulty of the combat, and the thin plot can make it tough to move forward. However, there's satisfaction to be found in clearing the title's challenges. Combined with the splashy visuals, the adventure is worth undertaking if you're up for the task.

Codemasters’ first shot at the WRC license is underwhelming. Despite a responsive driving model and decent rally stages, EA Sports WRC offers an awkward career mode with shallow team management. Even the presentation quality is inconsistent, with some bothersome stuttering.

SteamWorld Build is a sufficiently well-designed management game that is initially engaging with a good blend of underground exploration, but it eventually becomes a bit repetitive and is over rather quickly, without much motivation to start up another town.

With weaponized nostalgia, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III delivers a satisfying experience in multiplayer and zombies. A diverse selection of returning battlegrounds augments the competitive action and the deep open-world undead mode is entertaining for hours, making it worth playing despite the disappointing campaign.

The Invincible offers up plenty of sci-fi intrigue, but even as a fan of walking simulators, the gameplay just falls too short of the mark. I still enjoyed my time on Regis III, but there were definitely ways to improve the experience.

Cities: Skylines II is a modest improvement on its predecessor, integrating a good amount of features and content to feel like a worthwhile sequel. The underlying design remains great and should eventually reach its full potential, but a lack of structure and poor technical performance mean that it's not yet time to make the switch.

Despite its wonderful atmosphere and interesting locations, Alan Wake 2 is a middling third-person survival-horror game with sluggish pacing, a lackluster Mind Place feature, and lazy jump-scares, too concerned about being obscure and filling itself with quirky meta-references.

Lords of the Fallen filled me with excitement and hope. However, the end product was frustrating and loaded with errors. As such, though it scratches that Souls-like itch, it doesn't quite live up to the hype. Yet, I liked the two realms and the customisation options. Sadly, though, this wasn't enough to paper over the cracks.

RoboCop: Rogue City faithfully recreates the classic character, but gives him nothing to work with. The narrative is dull, presentation is poor, and too many lackluster mechanics are shoehorned in. With unsatisfying action, this title is an empty metal shell of a game.

Detective Pikachu Returns had the potential to appeal to everyone as most Nintendo and Pokemon games do, but instead falls in the bracket of being a milquetoast experience that will only occupy younger players.

NHL 24 puts all of its pucks into the online play basket, so only players who fall into that category will find some excitement this year. The new controls and pressure mechanics leave something to be desired, and the complete lack of offline mode changes is baffling, as are the still incredibly slow menus.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a decent return to the series’ roots that puts stealth and free-running parkour back into focus. While it has several issues, and Basim’s story is uninspired, many will still appreciate silently exploring a smaller sand castle.

Fading Afternoon takes the concept of time and creates a melancholic experience which explores heavy themes surrounding self-reflection and existentialism. However, occasional bugs and repetitive combat hold it back from its true potential.

EA Sports FC 24 may be a new name, but it contains the very familiar game. With minor improvements across the board, and thanks to a still solid foundation, it’s the annual sports entry that you'd expect, no more and no less.

Cocoon is a clever and original world-stacking puzzler with complex mechanics that are kept in check by limiting how players arrange and explore worlds. While it's possible to stumble upon solutions through a confusing haze, the game's few moments of brilliance make it worth checking out.

Payday 3 introduces a few changes to its decade-old arcade heist formula, and yet still feels very much like a product of a bygone era. Returning fans will find many missing features and lack of content to grumble about, while newcomers were turned away with unplayable servers during launch week, and it's hard to tell if either group will be back.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is a short, unexciting, and slow narrative adventure, full of unlikable characters and repetitive gameplay. Despite a great performance from Cara Gee as Drummer and a few engaging player choices, it is a waste of space.

Despite some issues and a weaker entry than last year, there's still plenty to enjoy in NBA 2K24. The gameplay continues to be refined with smart tweaks, and the visuals are among the best in the genre. However, the continued push of microtransactions continues to leave a sour taste, and MyCareer is a disappointment this time out.

After a couple of unsuccessful outings, The Crew franchise finally finds itself on solid ground with Motorfest. It has to borrow a lot ideas to get there, and still has plenty of oil leaks to deal with, but at least there's finally some enjoyable arcade racing to be had.

Goodbye Volcano High hits a few promising notes, put intended, with its good musical numbers, decent dialogue and nice art. However, notable issues and inconsistencies with the main story plus a few minor technical quirks keep this fantasy tale from reaching its full potential.

Immortals of Aveum may have an interesting premise, but with a dull story, repetitive gameplay, and poor technical performance, this full priced first person shooter lacks magic.

WrestleQuest has just enough charm and personality to make up for its more distracting problems. The constant references to the world of wrestling and fun appearances by legends make the stories of Muchacho Man and Brink worth following, but the gameplay could have used some additional refinement.

While the atmosphere in Fort Solis is excellent, backed by great visuals and understated horror, the ambiguous story, poor ending, and cumbersome interaction means that this walking adventure does not always put its best foot forward.

Disney Illusion Island is an excellent choice for anyone who classes themselves as a gigantic Disney aficionado or anyone looking for a family-friendly game. However, the enchantment of the experience may start to dwindle like a fading dream due to the over-simplistic gameplay.

Panic Porcupine is a parody game that will test your patience and ability to adapt to side-scrolling platforming action. But its heavy reliance on repetitive deathtraps, accompanied by devious camera movements, overall holds back the experience.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a novel attempt at offering something new to the video game space. But while it has a strong cast and a well-realized setting, the uneven songs, lack of meaningful player choice and a dull narrative bring down the curtain too soon.

Star Trek: Resurgence has an interesting story with thought-provoking scenarios and two good protagonists. While it makes adequate use of the interactive-story genre, there was room to improve the choices and gameplay.

Viewfinder is a delightfully fresh and enjoyable puzzler. The unique photo dropping gimmick is implemented perfectly, and repeatedly built upon over the course of the campaign. Some elements outside of the gameplay could have used work, but this is still a solid debut effort.

Exoprimal offers some initially fun and chaotic multiplayer action, but it delays new enemies and objectives for far too long, and without a good reason. The dino enemies and the PVPVE systems don't end up being particularly interesting either, and given the high asking price, it's probably better to get your action fix elsewhere, at least for now.

Invector: Rhythm Galaxy squanders the rare advantage of an officially licensed soundtrack with some strange design choices and unbalanced difficulty that may repel newcomers, while being far too similar to its predecessor to attract returning fans.

AEW: Fight Forever nails the gameplay mechanics, but struggles in several other areas, with a lackluster presentation and gaps in the roster. It doesn't hit the lows some of the recent WWE 2K games, but it also can't match that series' current high.

Despite some witty dialogue and a few poignant moments, OXENFREE II: Lost Signals is an unexciting talkie-walkie with conversation interruptions and dull gameplay.

The concept of a Crash Bandicoot MOBA game sounds appealing, but this fight for the precious Wumpa fruit has missed the mark. Crash Team Rumble lacks content at launch, and despite some decent gameplay mechanics, just isn't worthy of the franchise name.

Final Fantasy XVI continues to push the series into a new direction. While it has a well-realized setting, good characters, satisfying combat, and excellent cinematic large scale battles, the slow pacing, lackluster RPG elements and barebones optional content grind the excitement to a halt too often.