Days Gone remains a mixed bag. The Remastered version is arguably the best the game has ever looked or sounded, and it's the most fun version to play. But the main gameplay loop, coupled with a terrible story and lead character, still continues to frustrate. The resulting game is a contradictory experience that's gorgeous to look at yet not much fun to play.

If you're a fan of big robots, melodrama, and love exploration, Xenoblade Chronicles X should be right up your alley. It's a wonderful time capsule from a console that barely got its due, and a terrific example of how well some of these almost forgotten games have stood the test of time.

Saga Frontier 2 Remastered has aged surprisingly gracefully, and a big part of that is thanks to the remaster. While the story takes a while to get going and doesn't have the same forward momentum as other peers, the big picture is a vast mosaic well worth experiencing. For old-school fans, this is a welcome addition to the collection. It has everything you might remember, only better and more polished than before. For those curious about classic RPGs, Saga Frontier 2 represents an island in time that, for the first time, is more accessible than ever. If we can't have a full remake, then this is the next best thing. Especially if it's your first time with the saga.

If you’ve never played Freedom Wars before, or you have a hankering for a Monster Hunter/Attack on Titan hybrid with a demented sense of humor, this is an easy recommendation.

It's Donkey Kong as we remember it, and sometimes that's enough.

I love this game. I think it's a masterpiece in more ways than one. It can still have massive faults to its name and come away as one of the best, most grand titles in the RPG space that you can think of. In the years to come, I think many will claim it as their favorite experience on any platform. Even more will point to it as the starting point for their love of this genre. Like its characters, it's a complicated and conflicted experience, but also human and multifaceted in a way that most others never achieve. It is one of the best games of the year, and it's only February.

Wren’s Resurgence is for a limited crowd, but I’m not sure that’s entirely a bad thing. This is a labor of love that understands what it’s emulating. It has its heart in the right place, and there is plenty to enjoy in the platforming aspects. It’s nowhere near perfect, but sometimes passion is enough to cover other parts that fall short. If you find yourself missing the days of NES action games, Wren’s Resurgence is a perfect antidote to that nostalgia.

SYNDUALITY needs to take a long, hard look at itself and ask what does it want to be, and how will it get there. Right now, it’s not worth the asking price, especially with all the micro-transactions still found in the game. But maybe, after some updates and potentially a free-to-play model in place, SYNDUALITY emerges a better, more thought-out product.

Avowed is a game that I didn’t expect to like, let alone love. Yet here I am, happy to be proven so wrong. For RPG fans, 2025 is shaping up to be an all-time great year. For those who’ve missed the feeling that Skyrim once provided, here is your remedy. Avowed is a spectacular adventure epic worth every minute of your time and one of the best roleplaying games ever made.

The PC version struggles a bit compared to the console counterparts, but those willing to overlook some issues on a technical side will discover a deep and rewarding gameplay experience that will captivate just the same as the first one.

At its price point, Ender Magnolia is a terrific game. It won’t reinvent the genre, but that’s hardly a knock at it. Sometimes it’s enough to just be one of the best.

The finest installment of a legendary franchise and one of the best action adventure titles of the year.