Above all else, Zau's realistic journey through the loss of a loved one is something that's going to stick with me for some time, and I'm grateful for the loving lessons I've learned from it.

Triangle Strategy is an excellent game that expertly combines satisfying combat and a layered narrative to create something I didn’t know I needed. Serenoa Wollfort’s journey is punctuated with intrigue, betrayal, and triumph that are all driven by player decisions that actually feel like they matter. It isn’t smoke and mirrors on a moral railroad presenting the illusion of choice, it's a ride or die political rollercoaster where failing to convince a single ally will result in the untimely deaths of thousands.

Dungeons 4 is a complete package that delivers a way to embrace your dark side, build your very own evil empire, and see the forces of good reduced to dust. It heavily focuses on resource management more than strategic combat, which may be off-putting to some, but there’s a lot of challenge here, and combat is equally as satisfying. Just watch out for the unicorns. They’re more fierce than you’d think.

When all is said and done, and the eight storytellers have finally found a way to make their narratives line up and come together to deliver the exciting finale, Octopath Traveler 2 makes for a satisfying night at the bar. It’s full of pathos and excitement that pushes you forward, and the gameplay is tight and enjoyable. You can’t help but wish it was a little more well-structured, but seeing how the storytellers learned so much from their previous attempt, it’s hard not to look forward to the tales they’ll tell next time.

Age Of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is still a solid game. Its single-player content will last you over a dozen hours, and its multiplayer matches will last you several dozen more. While there is no longer that drive to farm XP for updates your Home City, the game itself is good enough that you'll be coming back for rematches time after time.

Lies of P: Overture is just an extension of an already terrific game, and that’s great. It’s almost nostalgic, reminding me of a decade ago when DLC was the norm, and not every game was bombarded with monthly updates or roadmaps. It’s a great expansion that attempts to give Lies of P its own identity, and while it doesn’t really improve or build upon the features that you’ve grown used to over the course of dozens of hours trawling the streets of Krat, it didn’t need to. I’m more than happy with a second helping of Lies of P.

“Play this game” if you’ve ever wanted a puzzle platformer, Limbo-esque horror game that drags you through a swamp of grim-dark Nordic fairy tales by your ears. It’s an excellent, labor-of-love game filled with little details that make the world feel very much alive - although no one wants that. I’d never leave my house again.

The combat is so engaging that I'd often go out of my way to join battles I had no business joining in on – much to the chagrin of my teammates. Landing a deadly lightning strike on your foe, or sending a fiery shockwave through the enemy squad is just too empowering to pass up. Spellbreak has quickly become my go-to battle royale, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for this magical title.

Is it perfect? No most certainly not, but neither are these characters and that’s ok too. You can love this game despite its problems and think it’s extremely important even if there are aspects of it you don’t like. People are flawed, and so is this game, but we can overcome that and still allow them to affect us deeply as we move on from them.

A terrific offering overall from Codemasters for hardened and casual players, but we wouldn't say no to an overhaul of the established systems and features in place for F1 2021 which we're assuming will be the series' first foray onto next-gen consoles.

The best thing I can say about House of Ashes is that its story didn’t make me feel betrayed in the end. There is no “it was all a dream” twist that creates a dozen plot holes, and it doesn’t pull away from the supernatural elements at the last second to reveal that the characters were hallucinating. Rather, it uses its monsters to connect together its themes and create a closed loop that only the best horror stories can effectively execute. For once it feels like The Dark Pictures bit off exactly as much as it can chew, and House of Ashes is so much better off for it. This is where I would recommend newcomers start with the series, and it's a great indicator that the anthology is just going to keep getting better.

It was always hard to imagine how Prince of Persia could fit into the new world carved out by Assassin’s Creed all those years ago, a sentiment Ubisoft clearly shared when it shelved the series for over a decade. But The Lost Crown finally found its place, standing tall as one of, if not the best Prince of Persia game — a GOTY contender and a Metroidvania all-timer. The expansion takes those elements and brings them up to the next level, making one of Ubisoft’s strongest outings even stronger.

I didn’t expect more than a short, fun diversion, but Aliens: Fireteam Elite has the ambitions of a genuine hobby game, and honestly, I think it’s good enough to pull it off.

Sniper Elite 5 is a great little shooter, and I had a lot of fun sinking into its sprawling levels and inventive mechanics. It doesn’t change the formula or even introduce anything particularly new to the wider genre, but perfectly understands what it wants to be and delivers on that expectation with significant flair. I viewed it as a palette cleanser of sorts, an experience that harkens back to a different generation of single-player shooters we don’t tend to see anymore. It’s almost nostalgic, and aside from Wolfenstein there is no better Nazi-murdering simulator out there.

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a big, beautiful rehash of very familiar Spider-Man stories, which makes it feel like a bit of an imitation in the end. An exceptional imitation to be sure, but it could have been so much more.

Navigating the uncharted waters of history to give the British Empire a black eye and establish a free India is a monumental task, and longtime Victoria fans will be eager to answer the challenge.

There are moments when Tape 1 stumbles. Performance issues crop up from time to time. I noticed pop-ins pretty consistently when the story switched from third-person to first-person. And the frame rate chugged for me in a climactic moment towards the end of the chapter. But the game's bigger problem is that Lost Records continues Don't Nod's penchant for corny dialogue. Some of that stems from the game incorporating dated '90s slang like "parental units" and "geez-o," which works well enough as period language. But one big late-game moment, where a character attempts to make a serious point by reciting lyrics to a punk song, falls especially flat. But the game's utter sincerity is a major point in its favor, and these kinds of missteps are a side effect. If I have to put up with some deeply goofy choices in order to get a character as heartbreakingly earnest as Swann Holloway, I'll accept the trade-off.

Wall Town Wonders is one of the most creative uses of mixed reality I’ve ever seen and it has quickly become one of my favourite VR games. It’s easy to slip into for a few minutes to check on your town, or you can play for hours as you delve through your favourite minigames to grow your little civilisation more quickly. The detailed world you’ll find living in your walls is utterly charming and you certainly won’t forget it in a hurry.

Despite its shortcomings with performance and AI pathing, Total War: Pharaoh has been one of the most enjoyable Total War games I’ve played for quite some time. Its refined focus on a smaller period of history has allowed for experimentation elsewhere, with dynamic weather and terrain, resource generation on the campaign map, and a wave-based invasion system with the Sea Peoples that constantly keeps you guessing. I hope that some of these mechanics can be taken and expanded on for future, main series releases for Total War.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a demanding, luminous journey through decay and empathy, one that asks a lot of its players and gives back just enough to make the struggle worthwhile.

The defining strength of Replaced—besides the stunning visuals—lies in its cultural commentary. Though the main narrative focuses primarily on one aspect of the apocalypse, organ donation and the subsequent dehumanisation that comes from losing a part of oneself, there's plenty of flavour there for the world's other tragedies: extreme poverty, the frivolity of the elite, fascism, police state and especially the dangers of technology.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 doesn’t reinvent the park-building formula, nor does it step leaps and bounds beyond the prior games, but it refines it in meaningful ways. It’s smarter, more visually polished, and management systems are both deep and flexible. Small rough edges, repetitive moments, and occasional AI frustrations keep it from perfection, but there’s a lot here to love, especially for management fans who enjoy tinkering with every system at their disposal.

Despite how much joy I mined conquering its temples and delving into its many rifts, at times it doesn’t push its ambition far enough. That never stops Echoes from being a warm hug of a video game that enraptured me from start to finish, but it does leave me infinitely more curious about what the future holds. Now Zelda has helmed her first epic outing, it’s only a matter of time until she goes onto bigger and better things.

If you can't wait for Metroid Prime 4, Savage Planet is a modernized version of that series that will scratch the itch. I wish it was longer, deeper, had more tools, more weapons, and more upgrades, but it's hardly a criticism of the game to say I wanted more of it.

Its attachment to the past can hold it back from greatness, especially in regards to its dedication to bombastic set-pieces and a hesitation to explore its own ideas. Village is drenched in excellence throughout, but the occasional fumble stops it from reaching the heights of both its predecessor and the seminal masterpiece it is so desperate to imitate. There’s also not nearly enough big lady - she needs her own game.

Whether you’re looking for fierce competition or you simply want to get as close to driving around F1’s real tracks as life allows without becoming a professional driver, F1 2021 has you covered. It’s the closest you’re ever going to feel to the real thing while sitting on your couch, and isn’t that really what playing any sports sim is all about?

Super Mario Party Jamboree is a return to form for a series that stumbled as it arrived on the Switch and barely steadied itself with Mario Party Superstars' greatest hits runout. Jamboree brings creative boards and a range of enjoyable minigames to the table, but overcooks the single-player stuff.

If you enjoy a brutal challenge and managing complicated skill trees, then you need to jump on this right away. When it comes to difficult games, Nioh 2 is an incredibly deep and engaging experience that makes Dark Souls look like Kirby's Dreamland.

Scorn is a hard game to pin down, but it’s one I can’t help but recommend. It’s disgustingly alluring in its visual execution, with each new location bringing with it a waterfall of questions as you poke, prod, and cower at every discovery. This ambition of being artsy and cryptic can hold it back at points, but there’s something fiercely admirable in its artistic vision that few games in the genre are able to match. This is a tragic horror of Lovecraftian proportions, and one that really must be seen to be believed.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a Dragon Age game like no other, and that alone will put some people off. But it brings with it the traditions of excellent character writing, strong world building through narrative quests, and offers the most exciting combat the series has ever seen. There is a stronger version of The Veilguard in here, one with more Solas and companion quests that find a more natural ending, but the one we’ve got is still a worthy successor to Dragon Age: Inquisition, and is a much needed return to form for BioWare.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown might not have the most captivating story and characters, but its platforming and combat are a new peak for the series - an impressive feat considering that’s what put it on the map in the first place. Some fans may have already turned their nose up at The Lost Crown because of everything that it does differently from the Sands trilogy, but this is not only one of its best entries in the series, but one that understands what makes Prince of Persia so great in the first place.

Admittedly, I had a hard time putting Nobody Saves The World down to write up this review, and that speaks to how satisfying its rewarding challenge-based progression and surprisingly deep form-changing gameplay are. Prepare to see Nobody Saves The World in the dungeon-crawling hall of fame.

The game does deliver what it promises: magic girls, animals, cute furniture, a relaxed pace, and the chance to bend the rules with magic and ride a giant cat. However, it also has some glitches, a few quirks in its gameplay, and some slightly iffy controls. How much you get out of Calico will truly depend on how much you love its themes as well as your tolerance for glitches. It will also matter if you were looking for a game that lets you actually run a café, since this aspect of gameplay is surprisingly passive.

Simulacra 2 is at its best when it is rewarding strong attention to detail, and at its worst when it's punishing you for guessing incorrectly in dialogue sequences. The acting is strong by FMV standards too. I like this series and I appreciate how much it grew between the two games. I'm excited to see where they go next with it.

All being said, I never believed I would live to see the day a worthy successor of Jet Set Radio materialized into existence, and yet, here we are. For better or worse, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk embodies the vibes and fun of the early 2000s era in video games and succeeds in delivering a great experience, whether you’re a fan of that era or not.

From a gameplay perspective, I got more than I anticipated from Ragnarok. It manages to introduce new systems and gameplay mechanics consistently from beginning to end, keeping combat and exploration fresh and exciting the entire time - you can check out the most in-depth analysis of the combat here, in my preview, and in this non-exhaustive deep dive. Gear has similar progression problems that 2018’s God of War had, but now you can actually craft complex builds with cool synergies that feel impactful. There’s an unbelievable amount of variety in the places you go and the kinds of enemies you fight compared to the previous game, and your options in combat are a lot more involved and meaningful as well. These improvements and refinements make Ragnarok a great sequel, and the increased length will please the ‘time spent = value’ crowd, but the path from Faye’s final resting place to the final battle of Ragnarok is not nearly as composed or worthwhile as it could have been.

Bridge Constructor: Ultimate Edition is definitely worth your time on Switch. It’ll take three to five hours to complete given your bridge-building abilities. Once everything is done, you could go back and aim for a more structurally-sound crossing and a higher score. It likely won’t hold anyone’s attention for more than ten-or-so hours, but, at fifteen dollars, this is definitely a solid addition to the Nintendo eShop.

Severed Steel feels like playing the Deathloop trailer. Not the actual game, specifically the trailer. Specifically the run shoot kick montage that comes in right at the end. Slick, stylised, and never slowing down for a second, Severed Steel looks set to launch without much fanfare, but if you want a game that gives you a great time and then leaves you alone, give it a try. KILL. THEM. ALL.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has found its perfect home on the Nintendo Switch with its mash-up of two genres that work best when on handheld — visual novel and RTS. I ended up carrying my Switch with me for days on end as 13 Sentinels was like a good book that I couldn’t put down. The gorgeous hand-drawn graphics and intricately layered storyline pair beautifully together to create a love letter to classic sci-fi.

Those small flaws don't detract from what is a great little puzzle game, though. Amanita basically has a perfect track record when it comes to its different releases and Creaks does not break that trend. It certainly is something new for the studio that longtime fans may not immediately gel with, but those that have a love of the weird and creepy will find a lot to admire in Creaks.

Even with the confusing cut content that hopefully gets added back in at a later date, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is the perfect way for newcomers to get into the series with its most action-packed and visceral entry. Veterans are still likely to prefer the ridiculous cruelty of the original game, but most fans are just going to be happy to see Ryu return and right most of Sigma’s wrongs.

While none of the major aspects of the game are particularly extraordinary, The 7th Guest VR does everything right. The setting, story, and puzzles are enjoyable and cohesive, while small details like the reality-shifting lantern view and the volumetric video cutscenes help it stand out from most VR puzzle games on the market. You might not be amazed by anything in particular, but you certainly won’t be disappointed by any of it.

I wouldn’t recommend playing if your idea of cinematic games is a highly polished triple-A experience. But if you don’t mind a bit of jank, if you don’t care about bowls clipping through each other in the sink as you wash the dishes, then Apartment Story will spin you a fraught tale in which there’s as much tension in getting a shower as there is with your home invader.

All in all, Zero Parades has that ever-elusive quality of convincing you to keep playing: to find out what happens next, to unravel the narrative, to keep experiencing Portofiro. There's something about games that try to capture the collective human experience that just speaks to my very soul. Zero Parades is the kind of game that makes you ponder our shared existence; the immutable mechanisms of existing in a society you have no control over. I'm ecstatic to announce we have another fantastic narrative RPG in the world. Bravo ZA/UM.

The fact that Capcom has bundled these games together is a great value and lets an underrated rendition of this franchise be experienced by fans both old and new.

Venba is a truly wonderful game, and executes what it sets out to do wonderfully. The art is gorgeous, the music is excellent, and the storytelling is somehow both broad in what it manages to elucidate about the South Asian immigrant experience while deep in the family dynamics it portrays. The cooking gameplay does eventually get a little stale towards the end as it attempts to include more recipes with less detail, and quite honestly, it’s more of a visual novel that touches on cooking than an actual cooking game. That said, I still found myself sniffling and wiping tears away by the end. It’s a sincere, full-throated love letter to Tamil culture and first-generation immigrants everywhere, and in that sense it is unique and singular in its ambition. I loved Venba, and have already recommended it to my Indian friends. I can only hope that it reaches far beyond that audience.

It’s an easy recommendation for any one already invested in the series, but to the five million couples that played It Takes Two last year: We Were Here Forever should be your next co-op adventure. As the longest and most approachable entry, it’s a great place to start even if you don’t intend to play through all four games - though the second you finish Forever, you’ll almost certainly want to go back for more We Were Here. It’s been a delight to watch We Were Here grow from a student project into one of the best puzzle series around, and I can’t wait to see how Total Mayhem Games takes its signature style beyond Castle Rock next time.

In an alternate universe, Hitman became one of the best-selling series of all time, its influence akin to something like PUBG. In this better world, where the pandemic never even happened, Hitman spawned a genre of its own - the Hitmanlike, where developers put level design and systemic play right at the top of their priority list. Alas, we can’t break through the skin of the world and reach that universe. We’re stuck here. In our world, Hitman stands alone. There’s nothing like it, and Hitman 3 is an outstanding refinement of that unique 21-year-old recipe. Just watch out for that secret ingredient. (It’s poison).

Remnant: From the Ashes is one of my all-time favorite games, so the sequel had a lot to live up to. Remnant 2 makes many bold changes, and not all of them are successful, but it doesn’t lose the core of what makes Remnant so popular. It’s still a rock-solid shooter with a captivating setting that’s full of challenging boss fights, unique weapons, and plenty of mysteries to discover. If the post-launch support for Remnant 2 is anything like Remnant: From the Ashes, we'll have a lot to look forward to over the next couple of years while Gunfire Games refines the systems and adds new locations and game modes to try. The cliffhanger ending certainly indicates there’s a lot more to come, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

I'm very happy that the wait was worth it. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is still a unique experience that manages to blend its platforming and FPS gameplay mechanics pretty well. There are some parts that haven't aged as well as others, but if you're looking for a game where you fire smack-talking chipmunks at criminals with names like Joe Momma, then this will fit perfectly on your Nintendo Switch.

Stray Gods can be inconsistent in its musical numbers at times and presents a selection of irksome technical issues, but these foibles are trivial to overlook when Grace’s journey fires on all cylinders. It is marvelously written with a beating heart lined with poignancy, which at every turn expresses the joy, fear, and unpredictability of human life you can’t help but feel represented by. Much like Grace, I’m a lost, lost girl with little direction in life, but sometimes a game like this comes along and convinces me it’s only a matter of time until I’m found.

If you want a game that offers some simple yet addictive combat mechanics and a relaxed atmosphere with just enough challenge, then Trials Of Mana is a great choice for a game to play after you come down from the high of escaping Midgar.

I have my nitpicks, although I’m not too proud to admit that they are drastically outweighed by my predilections. Pokemon Unite is a game I can see myself playing for a long time - just add Blastoise to the roster already, eh? I’m dying to see what a Unite move with massive reptilian shoulder cannons looks like.

Never Again is a great game to pick up for a broad range of players. It bears repeating that although there are elements that one might consider part of the Horror genre, Never Again could be argued as falling closer in line to other such classics as Firewatch, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, and What Remains of Edith Finch, thanks to its great story and engaging puzzles. Despite the few shortcomings listed here, Never Again is not a title that players should miss.

For a free mobile game, KOONGYA Draw Party is a great way to pass the time. It's cute, it's cheerful, it's filled with a good number of "dad joke"-level puns - truly, what more do you need?

I have always considered the original City Building series to be some of the best games in the genre, and A New Era elevates Pharoah to modern standards spectacularly well. You’ll come for the charming style and intricate building mechanics but stay for the sheer wealth of content available, allowing you to spend hours building the Egyptian city of your dreams. I hope to see remakes of the rest of the series in the future, or maybe even a brand new ancient civilization city builder.

Inconsistent graphics and the lack of a female protagonist we had in Portable aside, however, this remains a solid means of enjoying one of the finest RPGs of the past two decades. Its writing is sharper, combat is more satisfying, and it brings this world to life in ways that just weren’t possible several generations ago. Reload might lack its signature rough edge, but those coming around for the first time will find plenty to love.

Obviously, it would have been better if the collection had included the first Star Gladiator and Rival Schools games, and it would be nice if Capcom had provided us with characters and features locked to the console ports of these titles. However, you can always ask for more and the point stands that what’s here is already one of the best retro fighting game collections on the market.

It’s rare for games this introspective to be made with such delicacy, and Hibiscus & Butterfly is a gem that’s shaped with care for detail and a great amount of love. Love is everywhere in this game, from the carefully written dialogue to the drinks referring to the developer’s own Southeast Asian region. The game’s message, really, is about love for yourself and for others, and in a world where everything feels like an opportunity for more division, it feels incredibly healing to play a game so focused on empathy and connection with the people around us.

Brothers isn't perfect. Its blend of serious tone and incomprehensible delivery doesn't fully work, and its characters (especially a female character introduced late in the game) are more archetypes than believable people. However, the remake's improved presentation of the original's unique gameplay make it well worth experiencing. Even if, like me, you're a decade late to the party.

Riot Forge has an incredible track record of matching studios with the right project, and this is the best example yet. It is such a strong execution of an idea that it ultimately suffers for being underscoped. Had The Mageseeker had the full force of Riot behind it I can easily see it being a game of the year contender, but it feels like the publisher isn’t ready to go all-in on these outside projects yet. I don’t think Sylas’ story should end here, and I’m excited to see what Digital Sun does with the world of Runeterra next.

My short time with Morkredd was unsettling, frustrating, and – ultimately – enjoyable. It does an excellent job of slowly ramping up the action, culminating in a final level that is both challenging and thrilling, even though it's drastically different from the rest of the game. The early levels were a bit of a slog, as you need to wrap your head around the controls before diving into the meat of the experience, but once it clicks there's a lot of fun to be had. As chilling as the story is, I wish there was more for me to experience after the credits roll. Morkredd left me with a lot of questions, but there's not a lot of replay value beyond discovering a few paintings you missed on your first go-round.

Penny’s Big Breakaway might be a bit unrefined, but behind the occasional bugs and argumentative camera is one of the best momentum-based 3D platformers I’ve ever played, with unique movement mechanics that rival Sonic at his absolute best.

Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a reminder that no matter what dimension he’s put in, Kirby is one of Nintendo’s most consistently brilliant series.

Apart from that, there’s a lot of fun to be had with Black Myth: Wukong, and it’s a must-play for anyone that enjoys a good soulslike. It’s also perfect for anyone with soulslike fatigue and weary of the brutal difficulty that usually comes with them. It’s beautiful, frantic, challenging, and a delight to play.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of running a museum, there’s so much to keep you coming back to in Two Point Museum. Even after playing for a few weeks now, I still have more fish to breed, ghosts to accommodate, Places of Interest to explore, and cavemen to stop from messing up my donation stands. My work is far from over. Now that I’m old enough to appreciate this Interactive Display on how to curate a museum that’ll keep them coming back for more, I don’t foresee myself hanging up my name badge anytime soon.

3 out of 10’s move to Nintendo Switch is a successful port that makes sense on the portable device. Taking in the game’s 30(ish)-minute episodes one at a time is a great format that works well on Switch, since you can watch it from wherever you may be in your house. Season two is slated to release on the Epic Games Store on Thursday, April 8 for free, so now is the perfect time to get caught up on all of the shenanigans from season one.

Mineko’s Night Market is a delightful journey that explores childlike storytelling and themes of tradition and friendship in a way that captivates players. Its beautiful style and emphasis on Japanese culture draw you in, but the compelling and varied gameplay makes you stay. Its slow and simple start may be off-putting for some, but if you’re starting a cute little life sim game like this and expecting fast-paced drama, you’re at the wrong market stall.

It's clear that the devs at Mega Cat love RPGs, and they might love wrestling even more. This could easily have been a cheap cash-in, a generic RPG with a lazy wrestling facade. The truth is the opposite, and I implore fans of old-school RPGs to check it out whether you like wrestling or not. If you're a wrestling fan, then everything gets even better. You'll get all the references, enjoy the niche moves, and enjoy one of the best wrestling games in years.

The Midnight Walk is a story of redemption, of how one fiery spark can reignite old passions or heal a broken heart. Founding members of Moonhood once told me they thought about quitting game development altogether, before eventually founding the studio and finding a reason to keep going with this project. I can't help but feel The Midnight Walk is an allegory for that rekindled passion; sometimes a great game only needs a spark.

The difficulty may push some people away, but those that commit to learning the ropes are in for a thrilling and unforgettable experience.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the game I wanted it to be, but I can’t say the same for anyone else. It’s a series that has been on hiatus for so long that fans have likely built up impossible expectations inside their heads that are never going to be met, or an ignorant form this new game needs to take at all costs.

This is a title that is intended for One Piece fans and it offers one of the most fun trips to the world of pirates so far.

If you’re a 40K fan or just looking for a combat-heavy RPG outside of the normal fantasy fare, Rogue Trader will make a welcome addition to your library. It dives deeper into the setting and lore than any other video game to date, showing that it’s clearly a game by fans, for fans. Owlcat gave us multiple Pathfinder RPGs - hopefully, we’ll see more adventures in the Koronus Expanse in the future as well.

As someone who adores games like Spelunky for forcing the player to digest every bit of information, Sifu strikes that exact same spot with the force of a freight train, delivering a combat system that is truly unrivalled. As a game, it's one of the most engaging I've played in some time, it's just a shame that it won't appeal to all players thanks to its surprising difficulty and that it took some developmental liberties with representing Asian voices.

Planet Coaster 2 will take you on a new adventure that combines the charm and joy of the original with its own brand-new highs. While there are a couple of dips along the way, they are short-lived and simply part of the experience that doesn’t diminish the joy.

Even when Super Meat Boy 3D had me moments away from rage-quitting, occasionally thanks to a death that wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t help but smile as I bashed my head on whatever wall I was struggling to jump off. Meat Boy’s legacy is a very particular one that won’t appeal to everyone but, even with some wobbles, 3D proves itself to be a sequel that’s worthy of standing next to the original masterpiece.

At its core, One Finger Death Punch 2 has the appearance of one of those flash games from the 2000s. It doesn’t look visually impressive and the game mechanics are so basic that it’s hard to fathom how this game could provide more than a few minutes of entertainment. But that’s the big, magical mystery of this game. It takes the idea of being a Bruce Lee-esque destroyer of worlds, strips it down to people made out of lines and circles, and creates an addictive gameplay loop that becomes impossible to put down.

Like a Dragon: Ishin is a near-perfect package for fans of the series. It weaves an intriguing tale founded in historical events that has you hooked from the very start and eager to learn more at the very end. There’s a wealth of lighthearted substories, minigames, and slice-of-life gameplay, which offer a nice change of pace from the dark storyline. The weapon-based combat is a much-needed reinvigoration for the series that offers fast-paced, bloody carnage in style. The only real letdown was the few graphical issues I experienced, which hopefully a patch will soon resolve.

Outside of several standout missions, however, I wasn’t impressed with the campaign, but I’ve begrudgingly come to accept that campaigns just don’t matter to the wider community at this point. The real value is in the multiplayer and Zombies; in that regard, Black Ops 6 is a strong return to form.

If the worst complaint I can come up with is there isn't enough, then that sounds like an overall win. Nostalgia will be the key determining factor in whether or not this becomes your favorite entry, but Streets of Rage 4 is, without question, a great game.

Slitterhead is an incredibly inventive game with a brilliant, novel idea at its core. It’s the exact kind of release we should be uplifting, a new IP that pushes graphics and trends aside to try something fresh.

Slay the Princess is a fantastic, fascinating journey, and anyone looking for a game that keeps them on their toes, explores the dark side of heroism, and throws up some more cerebral scares (so, anyone who liked Alan Wake 2) needs to check this one out.

If nothing else, Fabledom fills the need to build a thriving fantasy kingdom without an over reliance on war and conquering. You can lead a cozy life in a peaceful kingdom with minimal (read: no) defenses. You can also choose to attack everything in sight and see where that takes you. I’m sure Sir Payne would appreciate a fellow warmongering monarch in an otherwise peaceful world.

This is still a musou title, and it can only achieve so much within that framework without awkwardly bursting at the seams. With those restrictions in consideration, however, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a triumphant prequel that Zelda fans are going to adore.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a fantastic platformer with a lot of ideas hidden inside of its barrels, but falls short of the perfection it aims for by playing a little safe. Though still a great experience for Nintendo fans, I don't think its shadow will loom as large over the Switch 2 as Super Mario Odyssey did for the original console. It's just a good honest video game, and sometimes that's enough.

Yakuza Kiwami remains one of the best stories that RGG has ever told, and showing its age a smidge doesn’t diminish that. Showcasing Kiwami on another platform to welcome new fans into the fold can only be a good thing, and it’s impressive just how well it runs on Switch. Most importantly, now Majima Everywhere can really be everywhere as he just became portable.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar takes an older title that is far from being a series favourite and refines it into something that fans are sure to enjoy. Unrestrained from the restrictions of the Nintendo DS and with a new lease of life thanks to new features, refinements, and an overhauled presentation, Grand Bazaar finally manages to live up to its full potential.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will probably be the last Mario game to release (solely) on the Switch. While I’d have loved a new Mario game, porting this cult classic means that a new generation of players can experience it. New fans will have a ball, laughing along with Mario & co., even if their experience will be slightly marred by the backtracking and pacing. Old fans will enjoy the quality of life improvements and some new additions. Whether you’re a Paper Mario veteran or this is your first time entering his origami world, this is the definitive way to experience The Thousand-Year Door.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the asynchronous horror game fully realised. It weaves the horror of one of the slasher genre’s most guttural and unsettling movies with the thrill of Dead by Daylight’s action beautifully and stands a chance at finally offering a true competitor in the genre.

It’s a shame that Invasions and the snail’s pace progression drag Mortal Kombat 1 down a little because, if it wasn’t for them, this would easily be the best Mortal Kombat to date. Even with those problems, MK1’s excellent gameplay and story mode make it a much-needed breath of fresh air for the series and a great first step into an exciting new timeline.

One Step From Eden could be my go-to wind down roguelike at the end of the night. The progression isn't quite as rewarding as I would like, but experimenting with spells and trying out new things isn't going to get old anytime soon. Even if you aren't a Battle Network fan, give One Step From Eden a try. You've got nothing to lose except dozens of hours of your life.

While Resident Evil 3 remains in the shadow of the far superior Resident Evil 2, this reimagining of the action-oriented RE3: Nemesis manages to capture the series' best qualities and deliver an experience far more memorable than the original.

For new players, this is the perfect entry point. For veterans, it's a nostalgic and thrilling homecoming. This release stands as a testament to the enduring power of both the tactical RPG genre and the unique storytelling of Ivalice, and it has me more hopeful than ever for its future.

At its core, it might be ‘Arkham for kids,’ with an open-world that takes the best from Arkham Knight, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and even a smidge of GTA 4, but it’s also TT Games through and through. It’s because the studio’s personality shines through the unabashed inspirations that it all comes out on top.

You will lose all of your friends playing this game. Learning how to become a compelling liar is necessary to winning as the imposter, and sometimes that means showing a side of yourself that others haven't seen before. If you're too good at it, they'll never trust you again... but in Among Us, that's all part of the plan.

Broken Roads is an ode to the cRPGs of old, but it’s also a step forward for the genre, showing that the ‘90s approach still has a place today. The turn-based combat is punchy and responsive, the art style is gorgeous, and the roleplaying capabilities brought about by its revolutionary morality system lift Broken Roads out of the shadows of its inspirations and into its own spotlight.

Every group of friends will have their favorite games in the Jackbox Naughty Pack, like all the other Jackbox packs. We probably won’t go back to Let Me Finish, but Fakin’ It and Dirty Drawful both got lots of belly laughs. Some of the people in our group were meeting for the first time, and nothing bonds new friends together quite like having to justify why you picked a trumpet emoji when Fakin’ It asks about your sex life. The game will go over well with some folks, and I did enjoy my time with it, but if you’re friends with people who already find ways to make every Jackbox pack into a ‘naughty’ pack, then being forced to do so may sometimes feel a little constricting.