The King of Fighters XV may lack the bells and whistles of its more famous contemporaries, but it makes up for that with strong combat mechanics and online play that manages to keep up with the fast-paced action the series is known for.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is far from perfect. The visual issues and boring opening stretch make that clear. However, the title is still a majorly fun and exciting evolution of the franchise. Getting out there in the world and interacting with the Pokémon has never felt better. I'm excited to see where Game Freak goes from here, which is not something I would have necessarily said after prior entries.

Dying Light 2 exchanges simplicity for scale but it is still a decent sequel. The parkour movement and combat are both excellent, but the poor story, simplified night gameplay, and broken co-op mean this is not the best zombie game from Techland.

OlliOlli World continues to kick flip its way across a variety of colorful and imaginative levels. Returning fans will be pleased with this familiar experience sporting a new art style, but newcomers may be put off by eventually increasing difficulty and repetitive trial-and-error nature of the levels.

The Waylanders tries to imitate a variety of mechanics from leaders of the RPG genre, but fails to implement any of them effectively, while offering nothing original apart from the astonishingly poor dialogue.

Moonglow Bay starts strong with its emotional story and initially solid gameplay loop of fishing and cooking. Unfortunately, bugs and the lack of variety quickly become its downfall, resulting in an experience that grows more bland and frustrating to play the further you progress.

Siberian Mayhem improves on Serious Sam 4 in several areas, except where it mattered most: performance. The expansion’s poor framerates and tech issues are a shame when it has better level design and fun secrets.

I enjoyed my time with Reverie Knights Tactics, and I think there's a solid foundation of a strategy title here. However, the disappointing finish to the quest, and lack of gameplay depth outside of combat cast a cloud over the entire experience.

Rainbow Six Extraction is an experimental spinoff that has some potential, with a solid foundation borrowed from R6 Siege. But the experience is constantly torn between stealth and action, and with the repetitive nature of the gameplay and limited content, it's tough to say how many will keep fighting to the end.

As of now, there are five boards, 100 mini-games, and ten playable characters. Rumblings of DLC have been floating around, and that would be very welcome. Such rumblings invoke a greater discussion on whether a sequel should be made with the same or different mini-games, or if this title could now act as a platform for the series. It’s a tricky issue, that I don’t envy the creators having to face, but the fact of the matter is that NDCube has set a bar for themselves now that they absolutely cannot afford to go under. Whether they continue to remake older, beloved experiences, or take this success as an experience to apply to new, original content, they have won me over with this Mario Party. I suspect this get-together is one for the books.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is a solid entry into the franchise with well written characters and strong investigatory gameplay. Some distracting visual issues and poor combat sully the experience.

Solar Ash is a visually pleasing adventure that pulls you in quickly with its swift and elegant movement mechanics and a snazzy synth soundtrack. Despite the strong start, the experience begins to lose its grip the longer it goes, with unreliable performance and mundane combat.

There is nothing special or complicated about The Gunk, but it proves to be a relaxing and light adventure that focuses on the manual removal of a toxic substance and the abrupt return of nature.

Looking for Aliens is an enjoyable way to spend some downtime, with its charming art style and large levels. There's plenty to click on and much of the environment is satisfyingly interactive.

White Shadows is a middling puzzle-platformer with interesting Orwellian themes. Although its black and white world design is commendable, it is limited by bland gameplay and an ungainly eleventh-hour exposition dump.

At its best moments, Chorus is an intense space fighter that takes you to some gorgeous locations. However, the weak plot and technical issues hold it back from its full potential.

Halo Infinite offers a brief campaign with uneven writing, and a functional but safe implementation of the new open-world levels. It's still a great shooter with strong core mechanics that help carry the experience, but as multiplayer is now standalone and free, the value proposition of this full priced solo adventure is rather diluted.

Battlefield 2042 changes the franchise formula considerably but brings no real improvements. While it has added flexibility with specialists and the Portal mode, the balance issues, poor maps, technical problems, and missing features keep it from reaching the heights of its predecessors.

Shin Megami Tensei V is an excellent, although quite punishing, RPG. The brutal challenge it possesses and bleak story may not make it a crowd favorite. Finding the right balance between Law and Chaos is not as clear as you may think. However, it’s due to their uncompromising decisions that Atlus continues to be one of the best RPG developers around.

Bright Memory: Infinite proves that smaller games don't always have to forego high quality visuals, but at the same time it also demonstrates that looks aren't everything.

Bloodshore finds itself stuck in a cruel circle, as a bland game adaptation of a roughly cut movie, which in turn is a bad adaptation of a game genre.

Multiplayer is the only reason to play Call of Duty: Vanguard, thanks to substantial online content and a satisfying competitive pace. Both the zombies mode and the campaign are tiresome, clichéd, and mediocre, best left out of the history books.

Owing to its precise gameplay and satisfying open-world, Riders Republic has the makings of an extreme sport fan's dream. It just would have been nice if the title's exhausting and obnoxious attitude had been checked at the door.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy offers some great dialogue, strong characters and occasionally interesting story choices. The gameplay is serviceable, and it could have used a bit more polish, but it's being in the company of these self-proclaimed good guys that you'll be most interested in.

Forza Horizon 5 offers plenty to do and see in Mexico, though much of it is becoming rather familiar. The latest entry doesn't have as much impact or innovation as each of its predecessors did, but it remains the most enjoyable and customizable arcade racer around.

Age of Empires IV is an old school RTS that should be comfortable for returning players and accessible to newcomers. A bigger focus on historical campaigns is enjoyable, alongside great Skirmish and multiplayer modes.

Although not without some frustrating moments, Metroid Dread is a great experience, offering up an engrossing journey full of engaging exploration and challenging combat that is proof alone that 2D Metroid is worthy of a renaissance.

Despite the alluring and violent art, Happy Game is dragged down by simple and random puzzles, annoying screen flashes, and awkward interactions.

On its own, Impostor Factory is a decent adventure with occasionally interesting story elements and mostly enjoyable dialogue. But as part of the otherwise great series, it's a disappointing misstep.

New World has the mechanical foundations of a decent MMO, with passable combat and good visuals, but its hopes are extinguished at the hands of dreadful PvE design. The few distinctive experiences that it does have, locked away behind high levels as if the game knows it has precious little to offer, are not worth the hours of mind numbing grind to get there.

NHL 22 makes a careful and mostly smooth transition to a new engine and the new console generation. The new ice looks great, and some gameplay tweaks are enjoyable, but beneath the surface the experience still feels very much the same.

Back 4 Blood is an immensely fun multiplayer shooter, with an astonishingly replayable cooperative campaign full of intense periods and challenges that encourage teamwork. The competitive Swarm mode may not have the refined suspense of Left 4 Dead’s Versus mode, but it does have a few satisfying moments.

The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes certainly changes things up for the anthology, with a cliché over the top story and a new tone that returning fans may not enjoy. But the strong cast and some interesting choices help prod the adventure along, even as its awkward new camera and dated visuals try to get in the way.

In Sound Mind tells an interesting story and provides an intriguing combination of first-person exploration, puzzles and shooting, but it fails to have the impact it could’ve had due to bland visuals, mediocre combat, and the fact that it’s a horror game that isn’t very scary.

Despite a full year since the launch of the new console generation, FIFA 22 doesn't offer anything groundbreaking, on or off the pitch. The changes are largely minor and exclusive features are not worth fretting over. It plays a solid game of football, as always, but we're still left waiting for a true next-gen leap.

Far Cry 6 is another well-crafted entry in Ubisoft's long-running franchise. While the framework of the series is still in place, the title introduces welcome changes such as a real protagonist and extensive customization that make this an improvement on its predecessor.

Lost in Random is a pleasant action-adventure with a clever use of numbers, great visual design, and a unique combat system that allows players to roll with the punches.

As one of the most frustrating games ever made, I Am Fish is a special kind of awful. With horrible traversal, unforgiving physics, inconsistent challenge, and terrible stealth sections, it is about as fun as getting your head stuck in a fishbowl.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is an enjoyable arcade racer with deep customization and great presentation, let down by a lack of modes to play.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a title of high artistic value, but one that stumbles in gameplay. It's got charming characters and setting, a decent story and great looking cutscenes, but actually playing through the experience is largely underwhelming.

There is a vast rainbow of greatness within Life is Strange: True Colors. Its awesome characters, emotional connections, effective humor, intricate animations, fun moments, and outstanding music are why it is one of the best narrative adventure games in years.

Deathloop is able to break the cycle of repetitive AI encounters and uneven performance thanks to an interesting story, strong characters, and enticing exploration.

Song of Iron starts off as a promising minimalistic Viking adventure, before running out of steam and dipping in quality the longer you play - which isn't long, thus also putting its asking price into question.

NBA 2K22 continues to assert the series' reputation as one of the best sports sims in the business. It's an incredibly enjoyable game to play, even if the options surrounding the on-court action continue to be maddeningly inconsistent.

Discovering the past of an abandoned village in The Rewinder is satisfying thanks to a neat time-altering mechanic and basic adventure puzzles. This adventure only stumbles with some translation errors and minimal complexity.

The Artful Escape is a joyous intergalactic trip with an electric guitar and vibrant visuals. Like a good solo, if you get swept up in the experience, you'll forget all about its flaws.

WRC 10 is a decent rally experience, thanks to the solid driving model and improved vehicle feedback. The new tracks are good but team management has regressed and other changes are a mixed bag in what is a predictable yearly release.

Road 96 is an engaging and timely adventure, but the title's poor performance on the Nintendo Switch makes it a rougher go than it should be.

Twelve Minutes starts off strong and pulls you in with an intriguing premise and interesting gameplay loop but is let down by a poorly executed shock twist, finicky controls, and occasionally obtuse puzzle design.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite does no favors to the franchise's reputation in video games. It's a mostly functional, but very repetitive and bland shooter that may only grab the interest of the most hardcore Xeno enthusiasts.

A poor story, writing and performances coupled with outdated quest design make King's Bounty II a tough game to play through. Turn-based battles are enjoyable but can't make up for the game's numerous issues.

Fantastic trips through colorful minds and a robust narrative help to make Psychonauts 2 an enjoyable adventure and a faithful sequel.

Humankind is a decent 4X entry for fans of the genre looking for something different - and yet very familiar. Newcomers are probably better off trying Civilization and giving Humankind some time to address its issues.

Those seeking a short, relaxing adventure will find that Omno has just the right mix, including a vibrant world filled with creatures, calming music, basic puzzles, and easy-going platforming.

Lifeslide offers decent value on paper, pun intended, and yet the brief run time and wonky physics prevent you from fully enjoying the colorful but repetitive levels.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has great characters, visuals and an intriguing plot, but the new mechanics offer no challenge or player engagement, making this a solid entry for returning fans but offering little to entice newcomers.

Outstanding cyberpunk visuals and fun top-down shooting make The Ascent worth playing in single-player. But it could have been even better with less tedium, tighter pacing, and fewer bugs.

Last Stop is an engaging piece of entertainment, but not really an entertaining game to play. The fun of the narrative can't overcome the lackluster gameplay and nonexistent player choice.

Cris Tales may not be as feature heavy as the JRPG classics it takes inspiration from, but it oozes whimsical charm with a vibrant anime aesthetic and a likeable cast. The gameplay, while serviceable, may get stale towards the end, but Cris Tales is still a title I'd recommend taking a chance on.

The Forgotten City succeeds at drawing you into a mystery and using time travel mechanics very effectively. As a narrative adventure, its strong cast and engaging setting help bring the city to life. The game may not always look great and some of the endings are rather abrupt, but it's a trip back in time worth taking.

Aery - Calm Mind sets the bar very low for itself to begin with, and yet still manages to deliver some annoyances. This casual flight game is little more than a tech demo, and while some may argue if it's worth the price, it turns out to be not worth the time.

Chernobylite combines a multifaceted narrative with stunning, atmospheric levels that repopulate with fantastic points of interest. Players can sneak or shoot their way around the faithfully recreated Zone and see the modest ripple effects of story choices they can alter following each death.

Death's Door is a streamlined action adventure experience that finds a groove and sticks with it. With a low asking price and high level of polish, fans of this genre should find the little crow's soul reaping journey quite endearing.

Scarlet Nexus succeeds largely on the back of its engaging gameplay. Bandai Namco have crafted an excellent combat engine that lets you run wild with power. The characters could have used some sprucing up, and the repetition of the environments is disappointing, but the framework of a future franchise is here.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game is comprised of a very watered down collection of minigames that offer just a few fleeting moments of fun. Fans looking for something casual might as well pick up the Mario & Sonic spinoff instead - and even so, temper your expectations.

Dark Alliance is a dull and unpolished multiplayer action RPG with repetitive and glitchy combat, broken online connectivity, unbalanced solo play, and more than enough technical issues to put off anyone even slightly interested in checking it out.

Song of Horror manages to provide atmospheric horror, but its lack of quality characters, unapologetically slow gameplay and heartbreaking save corruption bug make it a game that just isn't worth the time.

With amazing art and music, Backbone has a killer introduction and a great vibe. Unfortunately, due to a dreadful turn in the narrative and underdeveloped gameplay, this is a classic case of style over substance.

Agent Intercept offers a surprisingly thrilling action-adventure, but even with some improvements over the mobile version, the shallow and repetitive gameplay ultimately holds it back.

Despite some brisk and occasionally satisfying combat, Necromunda: Hired Gun is a boring and clunky foray into a deep dark hole within the WH40K universe.

Strategic Mind: Fight for Freedom is a rough game in some areas but the turn-based tactical gameplay is surprisingly involved and gives you plenty to think about.

Managing a small group of bums becomes addicting in Garbage, with the objective to keep them alive and train them to fight. Unfortunately some leveling grind, repetitive and random fights, and technical blemishes mean that the game does not go the full distance.

The Last Kids On Earth and The Staff Of Doom may keep the young fans of the series entertained for a good amount of time. However, the lack of overall depth and no serious tie-ins to the plot of the show makes this an effort that more discerning gamers can safely ignore.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart delivers some fun action and great looking visuals with a charming art style, but it doesn't really push the gameplay boundaries of the familiar franchise formula.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a safe sequel that doesn't address enough issues from its predecessor, while diluting the improved and exciting stealth infiltration missions with uninspiring extreme-long-range assignments.

Across three hours, In My Shadow has a few puzzles that might make you stand up in your chair. But the rest of the dull, fiddly shadow-moving experience will make you wish you turned out the lights and had a nap instead.

Protocol is a tortuous experience that combines clumsy, awful gameplay with an abysmal script. I would much rather fail the protocol, and be nuked, then have to play through this again.

Biomutant bites off more radioactive waste than it can chew. It's an action game with a multitude of ambitions, but none of them are fully realized. The very dated presentation and poor performance only further hamper its already weakened potential.

Resident Evil Village is a decent entry into a franchise that continues to wildly swing back and forth, stumbling into success and failure, unsure of what it even wants to be.

Subnautica: Below Zero is a good survival game, even if the new frozen land areas are not fun to explore and the story has several pacing issues. Fortunately, the solid progression system and mastery of the sea makes it easy to recommend for fans of the original.

Papetura is a charming but very brief puzzle adventure, and one that will most strongly appeal to fans of unique art and abstract worlds.

New Pokémon Snap may not reinvent the wheel, but it's just as charming as its predecessor was. It's a calming, lovingly crafted spin-off that will challenge your photography skills.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends features an engrossing setting and some good competitive play when two well-matched, coordinated teams collide. However, there are balancing and technical issues that need addressing, and despite the lower asking price, there seems to be a lack of content for long term play.

An experience which exudes humanity and warmth, from the writing to the visual style and music. A short game with some issues, but it packs a true emotional weight.

What's always been good about the franchise is still good here, but when it comes to making the next-gen leap, The Show 21 can't quite cut it. Series die-hards will likely enjoy the real-world rule changes, but if you're picking up the game for the first time in a while, last year's entry is as good as this one.

Returnal is a brutally tough but satisfying roguelike journey that is buoyed by its addictive combat and myriad of weapons, items and upgrades that ensure the journey doesn't get stale. Its narrative is gripping and unsettling, its visual aesthetic is arresting and despite a high level of difficulty, it's a damn joy to play.

As is sometimes the case with comedy films, the premise and promotional material for Turnip Boy ends up being funnier than the end product. This brief and mostly shallow adventure is rarely amusing, but it at least looks charming in the process.

Don't Forget Me offers a shallow story in a generic Sci-Fi setting. The word guessing mechanic is the only thing the game has to offer, and it isn't very good. The music and visuals are decent enough, but they don't fit together.

Cozy Grove accomplishes what it sets out to do. That is, to provide a charming respite from the troubles of the world. The addicting loop of the island will keep me coming back, even if I don't necessarily love all aspects of the title.

Ashwalkers is a low priced, brief survival adventure that offers neither satisfying decision making nor engaging gameplay mechanics.

It Takes Two is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging cooperative journey that constantly throws interesting new mechanics and gameplay ideas into the mix. Its narrative shortcomings are disappointing, but the stylish visuals and detailed sound design make for an impressive presentation.

Although it features moments of satisfying action and a few good end-game design tweaks, the majority of Outriders experience consists of conflicting design ideas, technical issues in multiplayer, and poorly implemented borrowed mechanics.

Monster Hunter Rise aims at old-school fans, those who were here before Monster Hunter World, and will be sure to enjoy themselves with this more compact entry. But for those who just recently came aboard the franchise, it will feel like a step down.

Evil Genius 2 is a fun, charming game which allows you to run an evil empire from your secret island lair. Despite some issues, the gameplay holds up to be a worthwhile experience.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page ends up being as forgettable as its name. Outside of just a few brief highlights, the rest of the story is filled with inconsistencies and dull gameplay. The accessible price point is one of its few redeeming qualities.

While the bunker in Paradise Lost is interesting to explore at first, it is not packed with enough narrative content to match its ostentatious surrounds. This brief walking adventure quickly becomes frustrating as you wait for the mostly unsatisfying story to reveal itself.

Devotion is another great horror outing for Red Candle Games. After years of waiting, I thought I was finally ready to engage in whatever terrors these Taiwanese developers had planned - I was wrong.

The core gameplay mechanics of Loop Hero are exceptional. There's something that is devilishly interesting about it, drawing you back into every run. It's the kind of game that you always want to play again. However, the grind can get tiresome and playing on PC is not an ideal setting for the late campaign marathon sessions.