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.