Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the 2D side-scroller in a fresh direction thanks to reality-bending Wonder Flowers that add fun gameplay-changing effects.

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

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

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an incredibly polished sequel that perfects the previous games' combat and delivers new, exciting ways to traverse New York City as you beat up bad guys.

Phantom Liberty is an excellent expansion to Cyberpunk 2077 that delivers a rich, polished bonus act to the dystopian RPG.

Sea of Stars is a vibrant, beautiful RPG that's packed with gameplay conventions from yesteryear, but it has enough flair to stand out from its inspirations.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a decent, though bland, introduction to adventure games that's elevated by its off-kilter use of the Pokémon franchise.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is an entertaining beat 'em up with many unlockable characters, but its relatively long load times and inconsistent difficulty make for an occasionally frustrating brawling experience.

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

Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t the clean narrative reboot that its name implies, but its rich single-player action and new tag-team aerial brawls make for the best fighting system in the history of the franchise.

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

30XX recalls classic robot-blasting action of the Mega Man X series, but adds its own fun-filled spin on the formula via multiple play modes, custom stage creation, and randomly generated weapon drops.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is a retro horror adventure game with strong narrative options, but it feels a bit too familiar.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a delightful skating and hip-hop mash-up that builds its foundation on Sega's classic Jet Set Radio series, but contains enough narrative and gameplay freshness to stand on its own as an arcade-style action game.

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

Baldur's Gate 3 is an incredible RPG for PC and PS5 that's true to the Dungeons & Dragons experience as well as the sheer possibilities that tabletop games allow.

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

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

Blasphemous 2's grim world packed with brutal monstrosities, haunting religious symbolism, and gripping action make it a standout title in the oversaturated Metroidvania genre.

Honkai: Star Rail is a stylish and engaging turn-based RPG that marries a quirky sci-fi tale with anime-style graphics.

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.

Nintendo's Pikmin 4 beautifully builds upon the franchise’s quirky strategy formula to deliver new mechanics and dense locales that make you feel even more like an interplanetary explorer.

Crime Boss: Rockay City is a heist-shooter that squanders nearly every fun opportunity with its glitches, bugs, and severely undercooked gameplay.

C-Smash VRS is a game about playing squash in space, but it's also a wonderful, senses-stimulating experience that can only be truly appreciated in virtual reality.

Final Fantasy XVI for the PlayStation 5 marries iconic series elements with brutal political intrigue and intense action to create a gripping entry unlike any other in the franchise.

An homage to fondly remembered wrestling titles of the past, AEW: Fight Forever features a large roster, simple controls, numerous game modes, and a wonderfully entertaining match flow, but some issues keep it from grabbing the gold.

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.

Cassette Beasts puts a cool spin on the proven Pokemon formula by adding strategic combat, lovely throwback visuals, and a genuine sense of adventure.