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.

I didn’t think it was possible for a game of this scale to exist yet, and I don’t recall the last time I ever played a game that wasn’t designed to be replayable that hooked me for such a long time. But here we are. The game lived up to its hype, and even though it isn’t perfect, Crimson Desert is one of the best RPGs I have ever played.

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.

What makes Blades of Greed disappointing isn’t that it lacks ideas. The ambition is visible everywhere, in its scale, its expanded systems, and its attempt to modernise traversal. But ambition without refinement magnifies flaws. Where previous entries felt lean and focused, this one feels bloated and less confident in its own fundamentals.

Reigns: The Witcher is another solid entry in the series that fans of the signature gameplay of Reigns and The Witcher lore will enjoy. The dark humor and dedication to the lore are a step above the rest, while the addition of “quests” to guide how you interact with the story is wonderful. However, it still feels a little stale.

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.

Scott Pilgrim EX is a great beat 'em up that gets almost everything right. The combat is dynamic and exciting, the world is gorgeous and filled with references to other video games, and light RPG systems that made progression more enjoyable than I expected. It can feel a little too simple at times overall, and I had some trouble lining up my attacks, but it never detracts from the gameplay and is still fun, especially when you have another friend to play with.

Despite the issues here and there, Romeo is a Dead Man feels like a SUDA51 game through and through, which is a compliment. There aren't many games that challenge status quos when it comes to their mechanics and style, but SUDA51 does. Does it work? Not all of the time. Can it be frustrating? Sometimes. However, there aren't many games that embrace this style and structure that direct correlates what the norms are.

Darwin's Paradox is a relatively short and sweet adventure, completable in a day if you really go at it. For the 7 hours it lasted, I had an enjoyable time, despite a couple of frustrations. Darwin makes for an interesting (and somewhat cute) protagonist, with a unique moveset that makes you think outside of the usual platforming box in this beautiful world.

ALL WILL FALL puts an interesting twist on the city-builder genre. Whether it's the natural disasters, changing sea levels, or the complaints of your citizens, the game keeps you on your toes, and everything can literally "fall" in moments.

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.

Gecko Gods is a game of contrasts for me. I love the unique transversal mechanic and the atmosphere of casually exploring the world. Being able to walk on walls changes exploration entirely, and Inresin has done a great job with the overall gameplay.

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.

Screamer combines a variety of unique driving mechanics to create an engaging driving experience. Backed up by an electrifying soundtrack and some flashy visuals, Screamer should be on any arcade racing fan's wishlist. There are some curious design choices regarding car balancing and objectives in the story mode that can frustrate some missions, but by and large, Screamer is a positive experience.

Docked presents a unique opportunity to manage your own shipping company; unfortunately, it ends up being more focused on moving containers than actual management, and a more balanced approach would have opened the way for a deeper gameplay experience. Unless you get a thrill out of moving container after container around the same dock area, this one may not be for you.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando surprised me. I expected it to be an enjoyable co-op shooter based on my previous experiences with it, but it ended up becoming my go-to game to play with friends. The gunplay is tight and extremely satisfying, and the decision to use contained maps with easy-to-find points of interest means there's action around almost every corner. There's also so much to upgrade, with gun customization being a very high point, and skill trees for the four character classes improving our abilities further. Even though there could be a little more variety, especially with character skins, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is one of the best co-op experiences I have had the pleasure of enjoying.

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.

Despite my worries, High on Life 2 exceeded my expectations for the sequel to one of the weirdest, most enjoyable first-person shooters I have played. With an entertaining story, engaging fast-paced combat, and a gorgeous world, this becomes a uniquely creative experience worth playing through.

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.

NORSE: Oath of Blood has a good game underneath all the bugs. The combat works, the storyline is good, and the presentation is excellent. These things combined helped me power through the many bugs (and sometimes crashes) that I experienced. Hopefully, a few patches down the line, we will have a very solid tactical RPG on our hands.

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.

My Hero Academia: All's Justice is filled with original content and new ideas that work quite well. I enjoyed the amount of single-player content we have, along with the enjoyable stories with Team Up mode and little bits here and there with Hero's Diary. The vast amount of characters and a great amount of customizability keep me coming back to play more, even after I finished the stories.

After all this time, this should have felt like a return - something that rekindles what made the series special while confidently pushing it forward. Instead, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance feels like it’s caught between reverence and reinvention, never fully committing to either. For those of us who grew up with Legacy of Kain, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of disappointment. Not because it’s outright bad, but because it comes so close, so often, to reminding you just how special that world once was, without ever quite reaching it again.

It is early days yet for MENACE, but I’m already impressed by what's on offer. I’ve probably played better turn-based tactics games in my time, such as Cyber Knights: Flashpoint, and I’ve also played games with better management systems. However, it’s the combination of the two that blends into something truly captivating. The game still needs work, and I would prefer to wait for some interface optimization before I’m comfortable playing it on the Steam Deck long term, but fans of Battle Brothers can expect Overhype Studios to be in this for the long haul. [Early Access Score = 80]

Nova Roma is in a good place, and Lion Shield has clearly learned a lot from developing Kingdoms and Castles over the years. The blend of Roman architecture, appeasing the Roman gods, and mechanics makes for an excellent experience. It may lack the insane depth of games such as Farthest Frontier and Heart of the Machine, but there is a great foundation so far. [Early Access Score = 80]

When it was said and done, Cooking Simulator 2 went in a different route than the previous game, sacrificing some of its uniqueness for a streamlined approach. Co-op and the blueprint system are easily the two best features of this sequel, with the former improving general gameplay in so many different ways. It does suffer a little when it comes to its progression systems, and I miss what made Cooking Simulator so engaging, but it doesn’t change how solid the experience is, especially with friends.

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.

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.