Ara: History Untold does a fantastic job at giving players the freedom to shape their Nation how they see fit, whilst keeping everyone in a toothy race. The Nations themselves could be more distinct, but the game mechanics more than make up for that.

A 9/10 game let down by a shoddy port to PC.

The Plucky Squire is a gorgeous, entertaining adventure that will keep you hooked until the final page. While lacking in challenge, the creative set-pieces, beautiful visuals, and mini-games do the heavy lifting.

NBA 2K25 shows yet again why Visual Concepts' basketball game is leagues ahead of other titles in the genre, but the usual monetization woes hold it back like they do every year.

While the characters and voice actors add a lot of life into the group of characters present in Wild Bastards, the gameplay falls short of making it a game I would want to return to.

Space Marine 2 is a masterful game with a captivating, gorgeous, and action-packed campaign. The multiplayer systems are impressive, expansive, yet slightly disappointing given the disparity between the modes. Regardless, it's a must-play.

Star Wars Outlaws does a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong, resulting in a gorgeously realized galaxy that feels simultaneously dated and innovative.

Age of Mythology: Retold is brimming with contrasts, and yet the game's most important asset, the combat and myth units, aren't as interesting or exciting past their legendary visages.

Firewalk Studios' debut sci-fi shooter makes an incredibly rough landing with too little to set it apart in a highly competitive genre.

Visions of Mana is an incredibly hand-holdy, laid-back adventure game where you can't go two minutes without watching a short film.

Madden NFL 25 is a step in the right direction for the franchise and we hope EA keeps this momentum going to make the next entry even better.

Although it has it's charm, there is little substance to this cat based pirate game. It is a game decidedly marketed at young children.

SteamWorld Heist II is a captivating blend of strategy and action that delivers a truly solid experience. The game's turn-based combat is a highlight, offering a satisfying mix of planning and execution, and the job system adds to character progression and customization. Mission rewards and necessary backtracking can detract from the overall enjoyment and pacing, but if you don't mind a bit of a grind, then SteamWorld Heist II is definitely worth checking out.

EA Sports College Football 25 is a triumphant return for the NCAA, and the excellent framework makes us incredibly excited for the road ahead.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess manages to pull two genres together in a way that captures the best of both worlds, and wraps them up in beautiful traditional artstyles with a soundtrack to match.

Flintlock is an explosive Soulslite that throws lots of weapons your way. The pacing may not be great, but that can be looked over thanks to the gameplay itself.

Despite a few glaring faults, EvilVEvil still provides a fun, addictive gameplay loop that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. Don't expect AAA polish and you'll have a great time with this vampiric shooter.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is an outstanding addition to one of the greatest games of all time.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is exactly what the series needed, adding on a ton of much-appreciated quality-of-life features and a wealth of new content to the already stellar skeleton that SMT is known for.

While Duck Detective: The Secret Salami has an incredible voice cast, colorful characters, and an intriguing plot, I was let down by the puzzles and gameplay. There were a few puzzles that I solved on my own with no issue, but many puzzles had clues that left me in the dark instead of guiding me.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a brutal and mind-bending journey through Senua's eyes and ears once again, but this time through Viking Iceland. With new puzzles, tense combat scenarios, and evocative visuals, Hellblade 2's only downfall is it's occasional slow pacing and its technical problems.

The PC port of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the definitive way to experience the game.

A brutal RTS game that will not let you catch a breath, Men of War 2 is a great gameplay experience that needs its other aspects to be on par with how complex and thought out its core is designed.

Mullet Mad Jack is a hyper stylized shooter with a lot under the hood. The simple yet addicting gameplay loop is more than enough to keep players engaged for the long term.

A wonderfully stylish game with puzzles that will have you pondering way beyond the confines of your playtime. The whole mysterious package is nicely wrapped up in a plot that will have you guessing just as much as the varied conundrums.

Quotation forthcoming.

A story-driven game, Sand Land is a masterfully crafted world created by Akira Toriyama that finds finds itself in a conflict between its powerful narrative and a lack of detail on elements such as hand-to-hand combat and world design. Overall, an enjoyable game.

Another Crab's Treasure is a colorful and lively platformer that's also a tough action RPG with Soulslike combat. They juxtapose each other perfectly, and I had a fun time discovering shells, collecting microplastics, and defeating grueling bosses.

Infection Free Zone may currently be a rather standard zombie apocalypse experience, but it is exciting and thrilling, and that's not mentioning the hours of fun exploring real world locations (and your home). [Early Access Provisional Score = 75]

Botany Manor is a colorful exploration game with clever puzzles to solve and an intriguing narrative to back it up. With each problem solved I felt gratified and smart for putting together the right clues and reading between the lines. The environmental storytelling and the relaxing atmosphere made me want to explore every nook and cranny of the manor.

With its previous visual and gameplay quality vastly improved, Horizon Forbidden West's PC port not only is the ultimate Horizon experience but is also an accomplishment in porting and video game development.

While not exempt from some unpolished elements, MLB The Show 24 manages to bring forth a great baseball experience with the potential of bringing new players to the table with addicting gameplay and a variety of modes.

South Park Snow Day is an entertaining, if simple, title that entirely focuses on multiplayer. Fans of the show will lap up the humor, but those planning to go in alone will be disappointed.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is an incredible fantasy RPG that immerses you into a living and breathing world full of memorable NPCs and terrifying monsters. It often starts to feel old-fashioned in its gameplay design, but you can find the charm in it after many hours of gameplay.

Alone in the Dark tempts you with some great ideas but inevitably provides no substance. Couple that with less than stellar gameplay and a hunger to tell a better story, I left Derceto Manor feeling unimpressed, frustrated, and ultimately dejected by the sum of its parts.

Winter Survival is a tedious, repetitive, boring, and shallow survival game. Although there are some good ideas, they're ultimately wasted on the lack of investment the game provides. The story mode is the only thing that may make this game worthwhile for some. [Early Access Provisional Score = 50]

WWE 2K24 is a huge win for the series. If you look past the technical issues, you can see a full packaged game. However, the premier mode WrestleMania may leave you unsatisfied with how empty it can be.

Nightingale is both fun and frustrating in different intervals. It has interesting base building mechanics and beautifully-crafted Realms, but it's held back by a stale gameplay loop and some unfortunate quality-of-life issues. [Early Access Provisional Score = 65]

With a wonderful setting in 20th century Warsaw, The Thaumaturge combines perfectly the fantasy of magic and the rawness of human nature.

Last Epoch delivers an innovative ARPG experience with exceptional build customization and accessible crafting, bolstered by its refreshing time travel mechanic. However, a weak narrative, limited character customization, and repetitive endgame loop somewhat hold it back.

A love letter to Boris and Arkady that brings their anomalous horrors to the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Drive makes up for what it gets wrong in pacing with imaginative gameplay and exceptional design.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a spectacular adventure with best in class combat and visuals that remind you why this world is so beloved to begin with. Rebirth's greatest strength is not how it reimagines the original game for a modern audience, but rather, how it inspires a modern audience to appreciate the original game.

Instead of a "gritty pirate game," Skull and Bones is a looter shooter on the high seas that keeps stepping on its own toes. I hope future seasons will transform it into a game that's good for more than novelty ship battles.

With a variety of smart enhancements that keep the player experience firmly in mind, Persona 3 Reload reminds everyone why the original game was one of the finest of its era.

A game that has more bugs than it intended but still produces a standout experience. Helldivers 2 gives scale and gravitas to alien warfare in good old-fashioned multiplayer fun.

Most gameplay elements in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden have been done before, but they're pulled off way better in this title. The choices you make carry the already gripping story. Missing out on this experience may haunt you for years to come.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is actually a good game. The good found in gameplay, cutscenes, and level design far outweigh the bad found in the campaign's pacing and some grisly missions and boss fights. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, flaws and all, and will definitely be sticking around.

Tekken 8 is a stellar entry to the series with something for everyone. Whether you're a grizzled veteran or just want to play as the guy who looks like Bruce Lee, there's never been a better time to enjoy the King of Iron Fist tournament.

For being in early access, Enshrouded is already phenomenal. What I like most about Enshrouded is it cleverly creates a satisfying gameplay loop out of bouncing players between building and questing, it features a beautiful blend of hand-combed survival crafting tropes and RPG mechanics, and the open world is a massive playground riddled with Shrouds, secrets, and scenic views. Especially with friends, you'll enjoy your time and find what you're looking for in Enshrouded. [Early Access Score = 90]

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth builds on everything that came before it to provide one of the medium's most essential RPGs, filled to bursting with an unrivaled bounty.

Palworld offers everything you'd expect, and so much more. From incredible boss fights to satisfying community building, there's something for everyone. [Early Access Provisional Score = 85]

While Sovereign Syndicate offered a rich world with colorful characters and an enticing story, I left it feeling like there was more to see. Luckily, its unique Tarot system and detailed dialogue kept me intrigued.

While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's story doesn't match the immersion of the gameplay, it does its best to hold everything together during its second half. However, with solid but challenging combat and platforming, it seems like the Prince is using his strengths to deliver what may be the franchise's most compelling adventure yet. It's not perfect, but it's far from subpar.

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora soars to new heights with its innovative gameplay mechanics and gorgeous world design. But I constantly found myself hitting walls and fighting against the game's combat instead of working with it. There were moments that I dreaded partaking in, and others that I reveled in.

House Flipper 2 rewards creativity and puts out a relaxing vibe that can be downright addictive.

Backpack Hero offers some neat adventures worth experiencing, but you'll have to grapple with a persistently irritating interface and other rough edges to find them all.

A Highland Song is a gorgeous game that will deliver a genuine and beautiful story. There are many secrets to discover, despite the travel mechanics that get in the way.

Star Ocean The Second Story R is a fantastic remake with a gorgeous visual style. The specialty and item creation systems create a beautiful harmony with the gameplay to make this one of the most satisfying gaming experiences of the year.

Knuckle Sandwich revives a lost genre while sparking a whole new one. It's uniquely clever and effortlessly funny.

The Last Faith fails to make waves in a market already far too saturated to make space for something that doesn't bring innovation. Beautiful design, both in sound and scene, is let down by predictable gameplay.

Although Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections brings along some incredible battle mechanics and detailed customization elements, the game is lacking in a decent single-player story mode. Special Story mode wasn't very interactive or interesting for my tastes.

KarmaZoo is a lovely co-op adventure that has some outstanding visuals, alongside tremendous platforming. But it may get repetitive fast due to a lack of game modes.

Persona 5 Tactica seamlessly blends the SRPG genre with Persona 5. With combat mechanics that elevate the game and a story that ramps up to be enrapturing and heart-wrenching, Persona 5 Tactica is easily my favorite Persona spin-off, and I hope Atlus makes more SRPGs with this style of gameplay.

Alan Wake 2 is survival horror at its best, runs and looks stunning, and consistently left me enticed. It's a mystery-solving and ghost-fighting narrative experience that'll leave you wanting more.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a lackluster sequel, lacking depth and variety.

Modern Warfare 3 sets what seems to be the final chapter in the MW series. But with a short campaign, a lot of the payoff feels unfulfilled. However, the open-world design does freshen up the formula that's showing its age. Be prepared to spend little time getting through the narrative. [Campaign Review Score = 60]

With a compelling, troubling, and disturbing story and art style, Little Goody Two Shoes is a must for anyone that is familiar with or new to the genre - in this case, a multitude of genres. Creepy, beautiful, dramatic, and memorable.

The same array of activities that has made past games in the series such a joy to play returns once more, but the effect isn't quite as impressive because the central story hasn't been given enough time to properly develop.

The Invincible sets out to make you think about what if "not everything, everywhere is for us," and it does not disappoint in the slightest. With cutting-edge graphics and a compelling storyline, the only things holding this game back are its occasionally confusing objectives and relatively mediocre NPC design.

Original and imaginative experience for a puzzle game that delivers on what it is.

While slightly let down by the gameplay, it's still nice to see a refreshing take on the genre. If Outerloop can look back and improve its offerings with each release, I’d say this is one studio to watch out for in the future.

Not a bad first try for an indie studio. However, the game lacks originality and quickly becomes a repetitive slog.

If you love Ark Survival Evolved, you'll likely love Ark Survival Ascended... once the bugs have been ironed out and the performance is better optimized. If you can get past the two glaring gameplay issues, Ark Survival Ascended will eventually become a great remaster of an already great survival game.

Haus is a promising addition to Dead Island 2 at first but is quickly made worse by a short runtime and lack of meaningful additions.

Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria blends survival adventure and sandbox together fantastically. A very satisfying and rewarding experience all around.

If you're in the market for a no-nonsense, balls-to-the-wall, frame-accurate movement shooter, then this neon-soaked game from One More Level will hit the spot. However, it isn't without its flaws.

World of Horror gets its art direction and gameplay mechanics right. But it comes with a learning curve, and can eventually feel stale after doing the same mysteries multiple times.

Mostly lives up to the promises and hype built around the game. An all at once engaging, intriguing, funny, satisfying, and deep experience.

While the game shows promise, it is hindered by questionable decisions and plagued by stability issues. Cities: Skylines II might not change your life, but some fans could enjoy investing some hours crafting their cities, as long as the game does not crash and burn.

Harvest Island has a great story for you to get wrapped up in, but the gameplay doesn't quite cut it and it fails on both promised themes.

Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged does an amazing job in providing a mechanically and visually pleasing experience, but the campaign mode has some downsides.

Unimpressive build variety, strange and tedious resource collecting, and the lack of meaningful and fun progression make Wizard with a Gun a disappointment. Ultimately, Wizard with a Gun has a really great concept and some great ideas, but it fumbles the execution.

Lords of the Fallen sets a new benchmark for all Soulslikes out there. It masters what we love about the genre, and adds to it in many ways. It won't get better than this for a while.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless mostly feels like business as usual, which is good news for long-time fans and newcomers alike. Some rough edges have been smoothed, though, and the polish works alongside a few smart new features to produce one of the finest entries in the series to date.

A callback to what made Assassin's Creed a hit for many over the years. While the main character and the movement fall somewhat short, the world and reintroduction of classic mechanics make up for that in a big way.

Forza Motorsport is another fantastic entry into the series. Bringing some fantastic tracks, visuals, and elevating the already stellar driving.

High on Knife is as perfect as a High on LIfe DLC can get. It builds upon the mechanics of the first game, providing a funny and fresh experience.

Moonstone Island refreshes my love for games like Stardew Valley and Pokémon, but still exerts its own unique identity. But sometimes with an amalgamation of genres, the details can get a little blurry, and there are certain aspects that sour the experience. Overall though, this was, and continues to be, a very adorable and compelling game.

You'd be missing out on a ton of amazing content if you don't play Separate Ways. This RE4 Remake DLC brings you back to some stellar combat and an engaging story, while also giving Ada the spotlight she deserves.

Having great customization options, weapons, and an easy-to-do progression system, Payday 3 has the right ingredients to be a great shooter. On the other hand, with no offline mode and a lack of content, it might be hard to get more players to jump into the world for the long run.

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty makes some improvements, but it fails to live up to its own lofty promises.

With the responsibility of becoming the next great Mortal Kombat game, Mortal Kombat 1 is a masterclass in gaming achievement. While not perfect, it surely brings the ultimate Mortal Kombat experience to the table.

NBA 2K24 has made several noteworthy improvements, like its addition of ProPLAY, which amps up the realism, and a modern approach to the game's presentation that makes it feel fresh. However, it's disappointing that the otherwise fantastic simulation experience is marred by the game's microtransactions, transforming it into a pay-to-win model. Unless you are a basketball enthusiast who wants to collect every title in the NBA 2K series, it's best to skip NBA 2K24.

Party Animals is a blast and a half! The music slaps, the animals are adorable, and the maps are magnificent — all of it works to create an addicting game that I want to keep coming back to, especially as more is added.

Lies of P plays well enough with a world that's reasonably captivating but it struggles to find an identity for itself and follows in the footsteps of Dark Souls and Bloodborne without managing to step out from their shadow.

MythForce looks stunning and perfectly encapsulates the look and feel of 80s action cartoons. Unfortunately, its repetitive gameplay loop, frustrating stamina mechanic, and unrewarding progression system spoil what could've been an exceptional game.

An all right farming simulator with charming graphics, fairly rounded mechanics, and a unique and interesting magical angle, but too slow to the selling point.

Though Starfield is an ambitious sci-fi adventure that's incredibly fun, beautifully nostalgic, and will age like fine wine, there are several fundamental decisions that Bethesda sticks to that makes Starfield feel like it's stuck in 2011... for better and worse. Ultimately though, Starfield is yet another Bethesda classic.