The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales shows Square Enix taking some bold new directions, but they aren’t fleshed out enough. The overall story and side quests are great, and the Magicite system gives us some nice customization on how we use our weapons. However, it doesn’t stop the combat from feeling basic and repetitive, and there are some little holes here and there in the story experience. And while I love the visual style, there wasn’t enough distinction between the eras to make it feel unique the longer we play. There is still a fun game here, but each part of the game feels like there’s something missing.

Ultimately, I had a wonderful time playing Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. The focus on experimentation with a multitude of different creatures in a gorgeous storybook setting works well, and creates the gameplay loop that I not only enjoyed, but that I can’t remember experiencing before. It’s a little on the easy side, and can feel very repetitive towards the end, but there’s still a lot to enjoy.

Gothic 1 Remake is exactly the kind of RPG I wish we saw more often. It doesn't try to impress you with constant cutscenes or turn you into a hero within the first few hours. Instead, it drops you into a dangerous and punishing world and lets you earn everything yourself. Not every mechanic is great; some systems feel outdated, and there are definitely moments where the game tests your patience. But when everything comes together, the sense of progression and adventure is inescapable.

Voidling Bound is an interesting and unique take on the creature collector style, and its stylized focus helps it stand out from the pack. The decision to only have 9 creatures that can branch out makes each one feel significantly different from each other. The evolutionary lines and progression systems feel rewarding and distinct, and some of the areas in the hub help streamline and speed up the process to make the grind feel less obnoxious. The missions can feel a little bit repetitive, and it’s easy to focus on one or two creatures instead of all of them, but that doesn’t take away from how rewarding it feels to make them progressively stronger.

Honestly, I don’t really see Mixtape as a traditional video game. It feels more like a beautiful little art project that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. If you appreciate strong artistic direction and want to experience something that feels like a gorgeous 3-hour interactive movie, you’ll have a fantastic time with Mixtape. But at the same time, it's definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is pretty much what I had hoped for from when I heard the game announced. A humorous retelling of the Dark Knight Trilogy, complete with a sizable recreation of Gotham City filled with collectibles, built-for-fun gameplay, and you can bring a friend along for the ride.

007 First Light is easily one of the best Bond experiences I’ve had in years. IO Interactive perfectly understood what makes James Bond special and combined cinematic storytelling, clever mission design, fantastic gunfights, strong music, and immersive spy mechanics into something that truly feels worthy of the legendary IP.

What is perhaps most impressive about Mina the Hollower is how effortlessly confident it feels. Many retro-inspired games are content to imitate the aesthetics of the past while sanding away the rougher edges. Yacht Club Games understand that the magic of those older games came not just from how they looked, but from how boldly designed they were. Mina embraces mystery, difficulty, experimentation, and discovery with absolute conviction.

Yerba Buena is an intriguing experience that gets better after its opening. The story and gameplay get significantly better after the opening act, expanding in gameplay depth and with plot points that keep me interested. I couldn't really connect with our playable character, and that did make it hard to enjoy her perspective in the story. Some of the puzzles can be a bit too difficult, but apart from that, it's a great puzzle game that will keep you hooked.

When all is said and done, Bubsy 4D is a great return to form for the series. The tight 3D platforming in great level design is mixed with the humor to create something extremely fun in the moment. However, the length of the game is much shorter than I would have liked, and I didn’t find much motivation to replay, even after I finished. Still, it is without a doubt the best Bubsy game since Bubsy 3D.

Luna Abyss is a gorgeous and haunting shooter where the story hooked me in. I loved going through the levels and seeing the beautiful lighting and atmosphere, while the narrative hooked me in with some surprising revelations that I had not expected. The combat is a little on the basic side, which becomes more obvious later on, but the platforming is solid and quite enjoyable.

Thick As Thieves' troubled development has unfortunately resulted in a game full of half-baked ideas and limited replayability. While there are a couple of hours of enjoyment to be had, as well as a modest price tag, bugs and a lifeless world are a far cry from what was promised.

Coffee Talk Tokyo is another great entry in the series, one that’ll be perfect to play lying on a recliner while sipping a cup of coffee. The cast characters are memorable, with stories that hit emotionally thanks to the great atmosphere, lo-fi soundtrack, and the visual cues that express them. The social media and phone UI clunkiness doesn’t detract from what is otherwise a great experience; there is one worth opening your heart to. On top of that, it is flawless on the Steam Deck, making this game a great one to take on the go.

Forza Horizon 6 plays it safe in almost every aspect. Whether that's a good or a bad thing depends on whether you enjoyed the previous entries in the series, and whether or not you were hoping for something new. The rural areas of the map are a delight, but the city of Tokyo left me feeling disappointed with its relatively bland depiction and empty streets. The cars are still great fun to drive, with a huge showing from Japanese manufacturers this time around, and exploration is as rewarding as ever.

Saros is a third-person shooter at its core, but the roguelike and bullet hell elements feel so refined that it offers an experience worth playing through. The combat is energetic, the progression is effective, and the story will be wrapped up in a nice blanket that feels satisfying to finish. It can be a little brutal at times, especially with destabilization, but that never stopped me from continually going in for more.

Directive 8020 is a solid story-driven thriller that has a few too many pitfalls. I love the story, and it gets significantly better towards the second half, but the first half felt more like a long introduction. The new Turning Point system is a great idea, and it allows easy access to go back and see what we could do differently for another run, which makes it a lot easier to try new pathways. The gameplay itself is a little too simple and easy, but it still has the same emphasis on choices that affect the story. It all works really well, but still falls short in a few key areas.

While the battle system is somewhat simplistic in nature, the tension created by constant crises, overwhelming enemy odds, and infighting amongst your fleet allows Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes to create a great atmosphere worthy of the Battlestar Galactica name.

Outbound is the equivalent of sitting in the countryside during late summer, knocking back a cold drink with ice, and relaxing while watching the sunset. This game may have the guts of the usual survival and crafting games that crop up all the time, but Outbound has done a great job avoiding many pitfalls in the genre.

What Dead as Disco already gets right is arguably the hardest part: it has a combat system that feels fantastic, and a musical backbone that elevates it beyond simple imitation. If you’ve ever loved the rhythm and flow of Arkham-style combat, this is a game that understands exactly why that worked - and then dares to remix it into something fresh. It’s stylish, it’s confident, and most importantly, it’s an absolute joy to play in time with. Harmonious, even. [Early Access Score = 90]

Motorslice is a fun game that feels great when it works, but the odd controls keep it from realizing that potential. The simple combat can be fun, while the parkour moves that we have flow nicely with each other and are accentuated by the good level design. However, there were too many times when I would want to do a specific move and ended up doing a completely different one. This would’ve benefited from a little more polish, but there is still something to enjoy here.

TerraTech Legion is easily one of the most unique survivors games I have played. It pushes the upgrade system to something that feels customizable and impactful with each block you place to build your own vehicle. It was so enjoyable to start each run and build my vehicle up to the kind of powerhouse I wanted it to be. The permanent upgrade system leaves a little to be desired, and doesn’t encourage trying to operators as much as I would’ve liked, but I didn’t mind just using one because each run felt like a new way to experiment.

Bus Bound feels like it has a conflicted identity. Presenting us with a somewhat realistic driving simulation, backed up by almost no management or logistics gameplay. Unless you want to drive a familiar path, day in, day out, then Bus Bound isn't the game for you.

Invincible VS is a game full of contradictions. It builds a genuinely engaging foundation with its deep, movement-focused gameplay and constant mind games, but almost every other aspect surrounding it feels underdeveloped or uninspired. From its lack of content and weak character design to its forgettable presentation and missing modern features, it often feels like a game that needed much more time in the oven.

inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories is quite possibly one of the most relaxing, heartfelt games I’ve played this year. The laid-back feeling of stalking the store, while talking to and getting to know the intriguing customers, is great. The gameplay is on the basic side, but it still feels enjoyable. There are some little nuisances here and there, but nothing takes away from how great it is to relax and play.

It might be Early Access with a long way to go, but the content and mechanics on offer are plentiful, and fans of the genre will appreciate the core gameplay and the narrative in the campaign. Plenty of skirmish maps, multiplayer, and the map editor at launch offer enough on the buffet table, and so far, I really like how Olden Era is shaping up. It needs work with optimization, and I want to see gamepad support for certain. The experience on the Steam Deck is a little rough due to the tiny text size and controller issues, but there is plenty of time for fixes to come in.

Tides of Tomorrow has a strong, intriguing, and ultimately emotional narrative that makes it worth experiencing. The gameplay sections are merely a vehicle to keep the narrative moving, and while they aren't the most engaging, they do their job. And while the Online Story Link system does elevate the gameplay and impact how you approach the game, it can fade into the background. However, the story feels impactful and engaging enough to keep you going despite the setbacks.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered offers slight visual enhancements, but the real upgrade is the new camera system and controls, which make the game much easier to play. Whether such a small change is worth the release of an entirely new game is up for debate, but series fans will probably want to check out the "best" version of Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

Airborne Empire tries to merge a role-playing adventure experience with a city-builder, and while neither area excels at what they do, the game is enjoyable for a playthrough of the Adventure Mode. I can't see myself returning for repeats or trying out the non-story modes, though.