I don't give out perfect scores lightly, and I mulled over this for some time, but there was almost no part of PRAGMATA I disliked. The story had emotional weight and surprised me with its twists, and the combination of puzzle and action in real-time made fights engaging, and the temporary weapons continually made combat feel dynamic. The simple progression was enjoyable, and I felt that every single collectible I could find held meaning that made me more powerful. This is a must-have game.

TAMASHIKA is a weird, fast-paced FPS that doesn’t need an overwhelming amount of content to prove its worth. The balance of visual craziness and audio cues turns each run into a skill-driven rush to kill every enemy on screen and get to the end of the level as fast as possible. And with how tight the core mechanics are, it’s hard not to love every second of it. The game is extremely small, and I mean, only one procedurally-generated level small, but I still couldn’t stop myself from playing that same level over and over until the next day comes, and I can try a completely new level to top the leaderboard.

People of Note is a solid RPG with a fantastic concept that sounds incredible. The variety of locations and the obvious musical influence across the entirety of the game are amazing, and it includes the music and how it switches throughout the mechanics. The actual RPG mechanics are basic, and I found it to be a little easy, but I was still a lot of fun to play through, and especially a lot of fun to listen to.

Even with the issues, Hozy succeeds as a relaxing experience that is worth playing through. I love the visual style and how cleaning is more interactive. The levels may be short, and there aren't many of them, but each one feels unique and exciting to play through, as long as it's your first time playing.

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.

Death Stranding 2 is everything I could have asked for in a sequel and more. Its incredible improvements, combined with insane visual quality and immersion, make it an outstanding experience from start to finish. Even if you were put off by the first game’s gameplay loop, the sequel’s more action-packed approach and more natural, engaging narrative make it feel fresh.

Marathon is a game of extremes. When it’s firing on all cylinders, it’s gripping, punishing, and deeply satisfying. When it falters, it can feel overly rigid and unnecessarily obtuse. It’s not an easy recommendation, but it is a fascinating one - and in a genre that often plays it safe, that alone counts for a lot.

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.

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.

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.

Grime 2 has all the makings of a great metroidvania that overshadows the issues that make it frustrating. The world is beautiful, and the basic combat loop is a ton of fun. It can get obnoxious when fighting multiple enemies, and I wasn't a fan of navigation, but exploration feels rewarding with a solid progression system.

World of Warcraft: Midnight feels more like a DLC of The War Within than a brand new expansion. The atmosphere, redesigned Silvermoon, soundtrack, and surprisingly detailed housing system are strong highlights, however. But they aren’t enough to fully compensate for uninspired storytelling, underwhelming class additions, and a noticeable lack of a defining expansion identity.

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]

Capcom’s Legacy collections have been one of the few groups of retro releases that I’ve been looking forward to. Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is one of them. It feels very similar to the Battle Network games, both for better or worse, and all seven games that were released in the series have been wrapped up in a nice package with extras, quality of life improvements, and online multiplayer. It doesn’t change the quality of the games themselves as much, so there are still some big reasons why they may not be enjoyable, but as a fan of the Battle Network games, this was great.

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.

Pokémon Pokopia succeeds because it understands Pokémon at a fundamental level. It recognizes that the appeal of the series isn’t just about collecting creatures or filling a Pokédex; it’s about the sense of adventure, discovery, and companionship that comes from exploring a world filled with these iconic monsters. By leaning into that idea and building an enormous, engaging experience around it, Pokopia becomes something special.

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.

I have played more wholesome games than someone like me would have expected, especially in the past year. Of them, Collector's Cove is one of the more unique concepts. While simple on the surface, I love the setting and the focus on just vibing with your animal friend while filling out a codex from the world. With its comfortable charms and focus on exploration, there is more than enough in Collector's Cove for fans of the genre who want something a little different.

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.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake does so many things right, and even the mechanics that give me nightmares turned out to be high points in my experience. The atmosphere and setting are creepy, and the great use of jump scares, camera angles, and an engaging story heightened the horror I felt deep within. The use of the Camera Obscura to interact with the world is great, and it ups the horror factor more than I expected, but the combat can be extremely frustrating to the point that I had to take breaks. Still, I always felt compelled to come back, and I am glad I did.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 keeps the good parts of its predecessors, the solid battle system, the vibrant art style, and the creature collecting, then backs it up with the best storyline in the series yet. This, combined with the new habitat restoration feature and a beautiful new world, makes it my favorite entry into the series yet.

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.

Planet of Lana 2 is a worthwhile continuation that shows how emotional a beautiful story could be, even without words. The incredible art style remains unchanged from the previous game, and I felt the story held up as a sequel. The puzzles are a little bit on the easy side, but not enough to make it feel unenjoyable. The gameplay is very safe, not straying too far from what defined the original, which is both good and bad.

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.

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.

Esoteric Ebb is a tough game to pin down, but the closest I could describe it as is a CRPG with Visual Novel elements. A lot of burden is placed on the writing, and fortunately, the writing is really good. Almost all action is handled through the dialogue system, and the traditional CRPG mechanics work really well for conversations. As long as you can cope with the somewhat irritating combat mechanics and RNG, Esoteric Ebb is a fun time.

Resident Evil Requiem finds a way to bring the newer and older gameplay styles that have defined the franchise into an exceptionally enjoyable experience that is perfect for fans of the series. The meshing of Grace's slower, stealthier gameplay with Leon's action-packed killing works wonderfully, giving us the best of both worlds. Combined with an exciting story with some fantastic twists and turns and a gorgeous setting with recognizable locations, Requiem stands above its minor issues to become one of my favorite survival horror experiences I’ve played.

Demon Tides exceeded almost all of my expectations for this 3D platformer. The mechanics are tight and sound, with a great level of customization to modify our moveset in unique ways that cater to how we want to play. The open world and player-driven exploration make finding islands with platforming challenges more engaging, while the rewards for completing these were worthwhile and motivating. There are some minor issues here and there, but none of them take away from how well-built the game is.