From its neon graphics to its tactical mechanics, Knockout City’s take on multiplayer dodgeball is over-the-top in all the right ways. It just sits in an awkward limbo between free and paid games.

Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs drops classic Angry Birds gameplay into virtual reality, making it a fun diversion for its intended younger audience.

With Champion Edition, Street Fighter V achieves what may be its final form. Boasting a reasonable price and a wealth of content from the game's multiple seasons, it's a good deal. Still, the fighting game's netcode and monetization schemes need work.

Daemon X Machina impresses with its focus on big guns, mecha customization, and wild, anime-style action. But its head-scratching story and lifeless environments prevent it from being an instant classic.

With its reworked graphics and battle systems, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined is the definitive way to play the beloved JRPG, though some of its mechanics aren't as revolutionary as they once were.

Postal: Brain Damaged delivers a great throwback to classic FPS games from the 90s and early 00s, delivering breakneck gameplay, lots of fun weapons, and for better or worse, its signature edgy wit.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is a colorful and fun Nintendo Switch platformer that's best suited for young gamers.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a cynical look at a future, fallen America. The dystopian action-RPG boasts a deeply satisfying story, an engrossing world, and excellent shooting and melee combat, but it suffers from numerous bugs.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a remastered blast from the past that will appeal to longtime Yakuza fans, but a dated design and some bugs make the game feel rough around the edges.

The Last of Us Part 1 remakes the beloved 2013 PS3 game in stunning detail, but it's difficult to recommend at full price with so few changes.

Thunder Ray is a fun but brief take on arcade-style boxing with a cool sci-fi spin that separates it from its inspirations.

Lego Horizon Adventures is a fascinating remix of Sony’s open-world juggernaut that ditches vast exploration in favor of snappy, flashy, kid-friendly combat.

Disney Illusion Island’s dazzling presentation, tight platforming, and kid-friendly approach to nonlinear design will amaze young gamers, but its shallow mechanics may make less of an impression on Metroidvania veterans.

Minecraft Dungeons takes the smash hit construction game into an action-packed new genre, but keeps the friendly aesthetic and accessibility kids love. The game's a tad short and requires some late-stage grinding, though.

Halo 2 Anniversary is a blast to play, but like the other games in The Master Chief Collection, it has problems, too. The non-stop action is occasionally sidelined by bugs, so patiently wait for fixes.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty offers a cool morale system, leaping attacks, and fresh spins on magic and character customization, though stilted storytelling and underwhelming stage designs prevent it from reaching the heights of other Nioh games.

With Jamboree TV, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Super Mario Party Jamboree gains even more wacky, if shallow, ways to enjoy multiplayer mini-game mayhem.

Though it takes time and skill to master, Cygni: All Guns Blazing is a satisfying arcade-style shoot 'em up that only gets better with replays.

RetroMania Wrestling continues the action-filled fun established by classic, arcade wrestling titles, but features additional mechanics to please contemporary audiences. It isn't the deepest wrestling game, but that's part of its breezy, accessible charm.

Pikmin 1+2 are welcome ports of Nintendo GameCube classics to the Switch, but little was done to update them in their 20-year absence.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a smaller, tighter title than recent series entries, which results in a fun but relatively uninventive gameplay experience.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars offers three excellent games in close to their original forms, but it misses a lot of opportunities to polish and improve them.

Another Crab’s Treasure may not convince soulslike skeptics, but it's a lovingly executed underwater take on the challenging genre.

Shovel Knight Dig remixes the popular indie platformer into a clever roguelike that’s an entertaining—if somewhat diminished—Shovel Knight experience.

Chimera Squad is a fun, bite-size spin-off of the XCOM series that scales down the scope and stakes. The strategy game is more accessible than its mainline predecessors, but its streamlined nature brings with it a few limitations.

With its reworked graphics and battle systems, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined is the definitive way to play the beloved JRPG, though some of its mechanics aren't as revolutionary as they once were.

The Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection brings the Game Boy Advance RPGs to modern systems, and with it hours of chip-collecting fun.

Rise of the Ronin offers an enticing, streamlined take on complex Team Ninja action, but it will prove somewhat disappointing if you're a fan of mechanically rich combat.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a beautiful RPG with exciting combat, excellent voice work, and a fantastic score, but design constraints may turn off genre fans seeking a grand adventure.

Overwatch 2 is as fun and fast-paced as the original game, but its free-to-play structure sullies the experience a bit.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon delivers great mech action and superb customization options, albeit with some annoying difficulty spikes and relatively bland maps.

En Garde’s intense sword fights and infectious atmosphere make it a fun, if fleeting, indie action game.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus isn't the open-world Pokemon game fans have been waiting for, but it's still the most ambitious Pokemon experience yet, and a fun collect-a-thon in its own right.

Dying Light: The Beast is a return to form for the RPG series, but its exciting action and parkour are stymied by a ho-hum open-world design.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a fine action game with plenty to do, and a satisfyingly robust combat system. It's denser and more focused than Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, but that focus removes some of the charm. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition was a love letter to the entire Legend of Zelda series, a game filled with familiar characters and places from several of titles. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is very much a Breath of the Wild-specific game, which is certainly fine (Breath of the Wild was excellent), but not nearly as much of a fan-pleasing barrage of elements from the entire series. It’s a game that expects you to specifically love Breath of the Wild, and be invested in what happened before its events. If you dig that idea, you'll dig Age of Calamity.

Across the Obelisk is an exciting deck-building RPG that combines a magical fantasy setting with a charming art style and occasionally frustrating combat systems.

Elden Ring is a wonderful action-RPG that features thrilling combat, an amazing open world, and tons of replay value. Unfortunately, its PC performance needs work.

Lego 2K Drive is a thrilling and creative open-world racing game for all ages that stops just short of reaching its full potential.

Dying Light 2 should appeal to fans of the original game with is terrific graphics and zombie-bashing action, though it suffers from poor pacing, a bland story, and technical issues.

Gunbrella's compelling revenge tale, challenging platforming, and light Metroidvania elements make it an entertaining indie action game.

Pokemon Unite’s familiar faces and approachable mechanics let everyone enjoy the otherwise inscrutable MOBA genre.

Hotshot Racing captures the look and feel of classic retro racers, but the track design could use more thrills.

Featuring combo-heavy gameplay and a dark fantasy setting, Soulstice delivers Devil May Cry-style action that's marred by some frustrating mechanics.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake the original Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo Switch. They're still lengthy, fun Pokemon adventures, but not much has been added, and even the remade graphics are showing their age.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake the original Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo Switch. They're still lengthy, fun Pokemon adventures, but not much has been added, and even the remade graphics are showing their age.

WarioWare: Move It's motion controls inject creative chaos into an already bonkers formula that's great for friends and parties, even if the high wears off a little too quickly.

Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots is a highly entertaining sports game for casual players and simulation enthusiasts, even if its simplistic presentation leaves something to be desired.

DIG: Deep in Galaxies is an engaging roguelike platformer that tasks you with digging and shooting through different planets with dozens of high-powered abilities and weapons.

Live A Live delivers a gem of a JRPG from a lost generation. It's a nostalgic blast from the past with enough modern innovations to keep the experience fresh and engaging.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a serviceable Nintendo Switch remake of an excellent Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer that could use more content for its price.

Starfield is a massive space-based RPG with a galaxy of content to explore, but it has a surprising lack of ambition.

Lords of the Fallen subverts its Souls-like expectations by delivering an engrossing dual-world gameplay system, though its performance leaves something to be desired.

Persona 3 Reload is the best way to play an incredibly influential classic RPG, but it doesn't fix the problems that were improved in later games.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an impressive remaster of a flawed, but highly original, photo-based horror game.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a hard-hitting action game that's sure to satisfy genre enthusiasts, but it exchanges the franchise's complex combat mechanics for a simpler, more arcade-like experience.

Concord is a decent shooter with rock-solid mechanics and AAA visuals, but that’s not enough to attract an audience to yet another live-service game. As is, it’s a fine release, albeit one that feels like it was pumped out of a boardroom algorithm. If you’ve got $40 to spare and aren’t hung up by comparisons to similar shooters (like the free-to-play Destiny 2, Valorant, and the upcoming Marvel Rivals), Concord is a fun time, flaws and all.

Whisker Squadron: Survivor blends classic Star Fox gameplay with modern rogue-lite flourishes for a short yet stylish indie rail shooter.

Hogwarts Legacy delivers a detail-rich world steeped in Harry Potter lore with satisfying spells, exploration, and combat, though it plays better on consoles than on PC.

Blanc is a charming and extremely short adventure game that features challenging puzzles and a beautiful, minimalist art style that should occupy you and a friend for an hour or two.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has the presentation and adventure chops to charm newcomers and nostalgists alike, but a handful of safe and stale gameplay elements keep it from excellence.

Evil Genius 2 is the natural continuation of the 2004 base-building, trap-laden classic. New evil geniuses, new minion types, and expanded bases round out this mostly satisfying sequel, but a grindy mid-game and no minion control dulls the game's shine a bit.

Miitopia casts you and your friends in an adorably social, role-playing adventure, even if the novelty wears off before you reach the end of its surprisingly epic quest.

Brawlhalla may lack the Super Smash Bros. franchise's polish, name recognition, and generous content offerings, but it’s still a worthwhile entry in the platform fighting genre that you can enjoy for free.

Sonic's beloved, 2D adventures return with a fresh coat of HD paint. However, this otherwise enjoyable collection of Genesis-era games is marred by a few technical issues.

Ghostrunner has ferocious melee combat, nimble first-person platforming, and cyberpunk style to spare. Unfortunately, it's also frustrating and needlessly unforgiving.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a massive JRPG with a unique story and deep combat that's tempered by all-too-familiar gameplay mechanics.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD’s upgraded visuals and motion-free control options make this the best way to play the Wii classic, even if the game is firmly stuck in Zelda’s past.

WRC 10's precise controls and detailed graphics wonderfully replicate rally racing, though graphical hiccups occasionally sour the experience.

Nintendo’s overlooked Pikmin series shines as the latest Wii U Port on Switch, though the core gameplay experience is largely unchanged.

Fireteam Elite doesn’t stray from the horde-heavy, co-op gameplay that's typical of multiplayer shooters, but the newest Alien title is packed with great visuals, smart classes, and great action.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition's core game on the Switch is identical to the 3DS and Wii games in terms of story, gameplay, and graphics (besides the higher resolution). This is the same JRPG Nintendo has published twice before, and it largely holds up. Unfortunately, the aging RPG now looks and feels a bit dated, especially after Xenoblade Chronicles 2's release.

Dauntless provides a streamlined, user-friendly alternative to Monster Hunter. Though repetitive at times, there’s no denying the game's solid and enjoyable core mechanics. The dull environments could use some work, however.

Warframe is a shockingly polished free-to-play action game that boasts great visuals, gameplay, and replay value. Unfortunately, grinding and odd design choices bog down the late-game experience.

Super Mario Party Jamboree introduces an array of new content, modes, and options to push the Mario Party foundation as far as it can go.

Visions of Mana is a charming action-RPG that celebrates the spirit of its 2D predecessors thanks to its liberating exploration and wonderful visuals, but it lacks some gameplay polish.

Watch Dogs: Legion - Bloodline injects new fun into the vanilla game, but stumbles a bit. Returning characters improve the narrative, but this DLC add-on lacks the base game’s free-form, squad-based action.

Fire Emblem Engage recalls earlier series entries by hitting familiar tactical notes, but it augments them with a cool, new team-up system. Its multiplayer modes need work, though.

Soundfall’s music-based gameplay adds a fresh groove to an otherwise standard dungeon-crawling adventure.

Zenless Zone Zero delivers adrenaline-pumping action with gorgeous visuals and art direction, but it lacks meaningful exploration.

Atmospheric and lushly imagined, Firmament is a joy to explore. Its unique mechanics offer a dynamic puzzle-solving experience, but the game could use more lore.

Ninja Gaiden is an amazing, trailblazing series that set new action game standards, but this collection offers nothing new for longtime fans. In fact, this bare-bones port lacks the original games' multiplayer modes.

The Divine Force refines the Star Ocean series' combat and exploration to deliver a sci-fi tale with engaging, action-focused gameplay, but a few of the franchise's longstanding flaws persist.

Featuring beautiful sprite work, creative puzzles, and fun action-RPG mechanics, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth recalls Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, while forging its own path.

realMyst: Masterpiece Edition updates a classic PC game, making it more accessible than ever to modern audiences—assuming you master its dodgy controls.

The Falconeer blends aerial exploration with dogfighting, but doesn’t stick the landing. It delivers an interesting, but middling, action-fantasy experience that's filled with gorgeous sights and clunky combat.

Chocobo GP has the makings of a great kart racer with its diverse cast of specialized racers, excellent power-up combos, and terrific visuals. However, uninspired track design and excessive microtransactions mar the experience.

Paper Mario: The Origami King is a fun, colorful JRPG that trips itself up by either overthinking or underthinking one of its core elements. Besides the highly entertaining boss fights, the unsatisfying, puzzle-based combat system misses the mark.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot pays homage to the classic manga and anime with its faithful representation of the source material. Unfortunately, its gameplay is too thin to satisfy anyone but serious devotees.

Need for Speed Unbound is a beautiful street racing game that features a cool soundtrack and welcome cross-platform play, but frustrating car physics and CPU drivers sully the experience.

A mainline Halo game has finally come to PC as part of a much larger compilation. If you desire high-octane Halo action on PC, Reach is as good a start as any, but heed this port's rough edges and missing features.

Mario Party Superstars may bring back fond memories of Nintendo's mini-game franchise, but being from the past doesn’t automatically make it a blast.

The Medium impresses with its next-gen graphics and unique, split-screenplay that lets you jump between the human and spirit worlds. Unfortunately, the horror game's not particularly scary.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A tweaks the standard formula to deliver more active monster catching and battling, but it takes place in a disappointingly boring city with little else to do.

Despite Gotham Knight's cooperative multiplayer and many customization options, vigilante justice can’t save this open-world action-RPG from mediocrity.

Memes aside, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is an aggressively ridiculous action-RPG with surprisingly deep combat and subpar performance.

With Back 4 Blood, developer Turtle Rock tries to revive Left 4 Dead's cooperative, zombie-shooting glory days. The result is a mixed bag that features solid ideas, but half-baked execution.

Battlefield 2042 is an ambitious shooter that features the excellent Portal mode-creation tool, as well as a few, cool game types. Unfortunately, technical issues and balance problems mean that you may want to hold off buying the game until EA Dice irons out the kinks.

Immortals of Aveum is a magic-focused shooter with excellent graphics and gameplay, but its story and puzzles leave a lot to be desired.