Super Mario Party Jamboree has a lot to offer in terms of new ideas and replacing those disliked in the previous Mario Party game with updated sharp graphics. Nintendo appears to have taken on board what fans liked from Superstars and merged the gameplay for those who like an even playing field, while still finding new and creative ways to engage its players and keep them busy. There is certainly still a lot to discover.

Enotria: The Last Song is a faithful recreation of the original Souls games with a fresh new coat of Italian paint, and it brings with it enough personality and mechanics to stand on its own two feet. Unfortunately, the experience is held back by performance issues, bugs, and a lack of enemy variety for difficulty.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice proved to be an interesting experience that I both loved, and at times grew bored of. The story is dark and deep. It forced me to really look inward and think about everything I was witnessing. Yet the gameplay leaves much to be desired.

For those seeking an authentic simulation, NBA 2K23 delivers. For those who couldn’t be bothered to invest into either MyTeam or MyCareer, you will find plenty else to occupy your time. At the end of the day, it’s all about what you’re willing to check at the door. There will always be things players take or leave. On the whole, it very much feels like a big step in the right direction. Underneath, I continue to let myself imagine ‘What if…’ which is why personally, it’s difficult to look past the ever-present elephant in the room.

Let It Die feels pretty damn polished for a game that costs nothing to play. In spite of the terrible menus and potentially broken PVP aspects, Let It Die is still very much a fun roguelike action RPG you can easily sink hours into.

Where the heart leads is a victim of its own ambition.

The controls of Anthem are intuitive and engaging. Flying through the world of Bastion is a sight to behold, and coordinating with your team on higher difficulties like Grandmaster is rewarding. Despite some questionable design choices and shortcomings, Anthem has a strong foundation that has potential to be a genre leader, but isn’t quite there just yet.

At its core, While The Iron’s Hot doesn’t necessarily break the mold when it comes to such adventures, although its focus on blacksmithing does bring a more involved perspective that works pretty well for those that like to get their hands dirty in that manner. The art and music make for fine companions, especially as there is an extended amount of time being spent toiling away, but its plot and side quests are nothing spectacular. Just like a masterpiece, this is a game that has potential, but there is still work to be done in order to hammer out all the kinks.

Ultimately, none of the flaws in Crackdown 3 are deal-breakers but they hold it back from being truly great. If you can look past them, and just enjoy Crackdown 3 for what it is: a game that gives you a wacky toolset to blast enemies away for 10-20 hours or more, then you'll definitely find value and fun here.

Switchback VR delivers what it sets out to do with an on-rails shooter that is low on the story but high on the shooting action. While the fun may not last for a long time and the genuine scares are few and far between, it is still a good demonstration of what the PS VR2 brings to the table. Just like Until Dawn: Rush of Blood set the stage back in 2016, hopefully, this will only be the beginning when it comes to exploiting the full potential of PS VR2.

While its platforming and shooting gameplay was fun, if not a tad basic, the story is there to do little more than drive things forward, and the environment it all comes in is dull and not enjoyable to explore. When combined with the need to do exactly that, some crashes causing you to exit and reload, and painful load times, ReCore becomes more of a drag, the more you play. If you’ve got the patience to put up with its load times, and technical blips, there’s a fun and interesting take on the platforming genre here. Just don’t expect the most polished or groundbreaking experience, though.

It serves its purpose and delivers on what it advertises, giving players a power fantasy experience where they can tear through waves of enemies with the touch of a button. It’s an enjoyable Musou title which will keep fans entertained, and takes some small steps forward that future installments could use to great effect.

I can’t recommend New World to anyone who isn’t already 100% invested in the idea of faction politics and PvP, but there’s a solid foundation here. Give it an expansion or two, and this could turn into something truly special.

While it may not hold the same appeal to new players, returning fans can revisit this classic and find themselves transported to a different era. With Age of Empires IV currently deep in development, time will tell whether this venerable series can truly make the jump to the modern age.

Your mileage with Funko Fusion hinges on your interest in the worlds it pastiches, but there’s enough charm here that even if you’re tangentially invested, you’ll have a good time.

When Maskmaker shines, it shines bright to the point I had a beaming smile on my face. It’s just a shame these moments only tend to pop up towards the very end. If you’re looking for a circa five-hour VR adventure with some magical moments, you could do worse. Just don’t expect a groundbreaking VR experience.

Despite these issues, Evil West will most certainly become a better experience with some fine-tuning and a patch or two. As far as I am concerned, its core formula is an entertaining one, bringing players on a linear ride into the wild west and unleashing the darkness of vampires for good measure. For those seeking a pleasant time of vanquishing evil for 10-15 hours using your fists and guns without the stress of needing to do too much, Evil West should firmly be in your sights as your next call of adventure.

Despite my issues connecting to servers and the poor graphical performance on PS5, I’ve quite enjoyed my time on Solar Crown’s Hong Kong Island. The driving mechanics are easily the best the series has ever had, and the cars sound and feel viscerally dynamic. It’s a shame that a game that places such a strong emphasis on realistic immersion and map detail is dragged down by poor graphical performance and always-online server issues. Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown has the potential to overtake its rivals but it has too many faults slowing it down in its current state.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is exactly what you’d want from a remastered Wii game. It gives the visuals the contemporary sheen worthy of its unique art style, adds important control improvements to make it palatable to modern audiences, and also knows when to let the gameplay speak for itself.

I’m just not sure if Telltale has the chops to pull every story development and important character (Tiffany Fox is still largely ignored in this episode too, by the way) and tie them together neatly and coherently.

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows shines a brave light to eschew some genre conventions, but not all. Though the lack of sound and solemn streets are sure to please anyone who loves horror, the abundance of save points makes death inconsequential, removing some terror that the atmosphere instills. Despite that, this is a horror game that is still very much worth your time, if only for a rainy weekend alone in the dark.

Steelrising is a fantastic video game held back by its adherence to other giants of the genre, and a lack of polish, whether that was due to time constraints, budget limitations, technical hurdles, or myriad other reasons. Whatever the case, the developer’s passion for the setting, and the ambitions of a studio on the cusp of the big-time shine through. While nothing revolutionary, Steelrising is well worth your time and attention.

If you fancy samurai mythology with a Japanese ink brush aesthetic and/or you’ve just been looking for a 2.5D style, weapon-based fighting game, I think Samurai Shodown is a very solid choice.

Depending on your taste, Disgaea 1 Complete can offer hours upon hours of gameplay filled with team building and grinding. With its gorgeous graphics and updated animations, this is hands down the best and “complete” version of the first game.

While Banishers boasts an interesting world, it’s not a game that’ll live long in the memory. I mean, what can you expect from a game whose main characters aren’t determined to save even themselves?

While I cannot really recommend Omensight to everyone, fans of hack and slash games who don’t mind a rigid fixed camera, or those who are truly invested in what the story has in hold can look past its faults to see the good inside of it.

The Furious Wild provides even more reason to return to Three Kingdoms and to lose yourself once again for a score of hours engaging in some of the most rewarding gameplay modern strategy games have to offer. But maybe wait a while, until the bugs are ironed out and some of the games rougher edges are smoothed over.

Ultimately, I would recommend High on Life, but if you do, go into it with the mind that it’s a video game with a sense of humor that may fall short on you. Despite feeling a bit dated and some jokes missing their mark, I’m looking at you alien “fluids” seller, the game works despite how dated the actual gameplay is. Plus, its inclusion on Game Pass is reason enough why you should play it. Worst case scenario, you turn it off and only spend a few hours learning about how your nameless protagonist and Morty, I mean Kenny, saved the human species with a bunch of talking guns.

There’s a great game inside of Hood: Outlaws & Legends. When it comes together properly, it’s one of the most interesting titles I’ve seen in a while. As it is now though, there’s not enough content available to truly show off its potential, and early adopters will be left waiting for it to grow into something truly exceptional.

The best thing that can be said of Atelier Ryza is that it is accessible. Down to its core it is meant to be enjoyed by new players or by series veterans who might be looking for a nice light addition to the franchise. This is the ultimate distillation of what makes Atelier so great in one package, with better combat to boot. Any previous notion of the best jumping on point is erased in favor of Ryza and the enjoyable journey that the game presents.

Monster Slayers is a solid, easy to pick up and play kind of game. While it may not be as mechanically complex as other deck-builders, the variety and ease of gameplay make it a ton of fun to jump into.

Even with its issues, Foretales has been an entertaining ride, especially when it comes to the writing and the smart way in which cards are used during the non-combat sequences. The way the story expands and changes based on decisions means there is much replayability and more great writing to enjoy, and as long as you can avoid too much combat, Foretales has every reason to be a game to look out for when compared to contemporaries like Inscryption or Voice of Cards, or its real-life counterparts like Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will serve as a great game for welcoming series newcomers into this vast and vibrant universe, but it might not be your cup of tea if you're already invested in the mainline series.

Despite some persistent technical issues that dragged down the experience, Monster of the Deep is surprisingly ambitious, and one that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did.

Resident Evil 6 continues down the divergent path of shaping the series into more of a third-person shooter game than survival horror, but there’s so much content here that’s actually fun to play through it’s difficult to criticize it too much.

It may not wow PS4 owners in terms of looks and mission structure, but there is plenty to be enjoyed here.

There are plenty of nostalgic aspects present in this crisp and beautiful high-definition title, reminiscent of games gone by. At the same time it shakes things up with some drastic changes to the game play that can be too jarring for some to want to put up with, making it a bit of a black sheep to many. For those who take the time to master the play style, however, it is incredibly rewarding and satisfying.

Superhot VR is a unique experience in virtual reality. Very few games give you the heart-pumping thrill that Superhot does and the issues that come with the tracking capabilities of the Move Controllers and PlayStation Camera do not stop it from being a game that every PlayStation VR owner should pick up.

All in all, Yacht Club Games‘ return to the role of publisher for other developer’s games is a bit of a mixed bag. Cyber Shadow delivers good action platforming, stunning art, great music, and incredible boss fights. Regrettably, the story, pacing, and exploration all drag it down. In the end, the positives are strong enough to make Cyber Shadow a fun adventure for indie platformers fans, NES Ninja Gaiden fans, or even gamers who just like tons of challenging boss fights.

Transference certainly showcases the potential of VR storytelling in the style Spectrevision are attempting. Even if its short story isn’t always effectively told, and some of the puzzles distract, the atmosphere that’s been created through detailed world design, incredible lighting effects, and intense sound design makes for a terrifying experience.

It feels so much like the original that even its few new additions like new Digimon and Dominion Battles start to slowly but surely feel less impactful over time. All the same charm, quirks, and missteps of the original game are captured all over again in Hacker’s Memory but for a full $59.99 price tag it just feels like this sequel could have, and should have, brought more to the table.

American Truck Simulator isn’t just a fun game, it’s one of the best simulators out there.

Yet with all of that, you still cannot shake those microtransactions.

If you’ve access to a PC capable of running it, I’d wholeheartedly recommend that version over any of the console ports, but if you’re looking for a fun little strategy game to take with you on-the-go that’s not overly punishing for every slight mistake you make, The Colonists has you covered.

F1 24 is definitely an upgrade over the 2023 version, but not a big one. The single-player modes are getting the biggest overhauls, and if you’re a fan of those, you’ll love them. Everything else, though, looks fairly similar to what it looked like in F1 23, but with a new logo taped over it.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have their flaws and are not particularly ambitious remakes, but they’re somehow still fun. I don’t regret the 25 hours I spent with the main story of Brilliant Diamond, and there is enough post-game content to keep me interested for a while longer. I just can’t help but wish that these gems shined just a little bit more brilliantly.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have their flaws and are not particularly ambitious remakes, but they’re somehow still fun. I don’t regret the 25 hours I spent with the main story of Brilliant Diamond, and there is enough post-game content to keep me interested for a while longer. I just can’t help but wish that these gems shined just a little bit more brilliantly.

There is a lot here to recommend. Moons of Madness delivers, and like the best horror experiences doesn’t outstay its welcome, or let you become too comfortable with your surroundings.

Clocking in at about an hour and a half, episode four did what it had to do to drive the story along without overstaying its welcome. While I would have liked a little more explanation from one of the plot points that was skimmed over way too quickly, Guardian of Gotham was otherwise a prime example of Telltale’s character development and relationship expertise.

While its plot, setting, and navigation are as subpar as its predecessor, improvements to combat and equipment, as well as other small touches, make this a title worthy of grabbing if you’re into games with a heavy focus on exploration and stamina-based combat.

With its beautiful art, curious level design, and numerous challenges, Volvox is an appealing and fascinating game for both established puzzle fans and curious outsiders. For a reasonable $7.99 on Steam, players will certainly get their money’s worth simply from the number of levels to take on, not to mention the brain-testing difficulty within them, though a bit more variety to the puzzles presented would kick this game up to another level.

There’s a lot to love about Dissidia NT, especially once you really get a feel for its systems and multiplayer. The game can be an absolute blast when everything clicks, but when it doesn’t, boy can it be tough to enjoy. The story mode has some really questionable design decisions, and the summons battles are frustrating.

If Remedy just let Control get a little bit weirder, and fully leaned into its Metroidvania inspired gameplay, it could have been something really special. Sadly that never happens, but in spite of itself Control still winds up being an enjoyable unique feeling action game that isn't like anything else on the market right now, and won't take up a ton of your time.

Its combination of the English language, beautiful orchestral score from Curry, and picturesque environments create a perfectly moody and melancholy escape.

Tiny Metal is an admirable return to the traditional turn-based strategy genre. There’s enough of a challenge both in the campaign and skirmish mode to keep players happy for a good while, but the lack of any sort of multiplayer at launch hurts its overall score.

If you have kids around the ages 10-15, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a great Christmas gift, but only if your kids are okay with sharing or you’re willing to shell out $200 for two sets. It’s expensive, so maybe make sure they’re actually willing to build a course every time they want to play if you’re not okay with it being left around the house for long periods of time.

Batman: The Telltale Series is still firing on all cylinders in terms of story, and is introducing new and more complex dynamics to character relationships with Bruce and Batman, as we should know to expect from the studio. Due to this, I find myself less enthused about pulling off slick combos as Batman, and more about watching how he and his human side tackle this sticky situation and the consequences of their choices.

For those who were expecting the next Dead Space, I’m sad to report that The Callisto Protocol just isn’t quite it. Instead, Striking Distance Studios has crafted a largely by-the-numbers horror-action title with terrific presentation that could’ve been something truly special. Unfortunately, while your journey across the titular dead moon is a sporadically fun and entertaining ride, it fails to authentically push the genre forward in any meaningful way. Still, despite all that… at least you get to stomp on stuff, right? Phew!

Luigi’s Mansion is a game that didn’t necessarily need a remake, but I’m glad this exists. The writing and mechanics hold up and it’s still mostly a joy to play. I only wish the controls would have been refined a bit more to catch up with modern standards.

A sometimes frustrating and often fun experience.

When all the pieces slide perfectly into place, Absolver truly shines as one of the best action experiences I’ve had in some time. But with all the pressure hinged on solely the combat, it takes only one hiccup to throw it all off (and there is definitely more than just one in the game).

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a lot of fun with Exoprimal. With its satisfying shooting, well-designed co-op, and unique yet lighthearted narrative and tone, Capcom’s team-based shooter can often be a genuine thrill, especially when your team synergises together in unison. Sure, it may be big, dumb, turn-off-your-brain fun, but, sometimes that’s all you really need, right?

A well designed game with satisfying mechanics that is brought down by performance issues and some lack in enemy variety.

Some things are better, some things are the same, some things are still broken; it’s a guessing game each year what will be up or down, and in the end, it all ends up at the same result: a passable but uninspired football simulation.

If you’re a history buff or into interesting sim-style games, Painters Guild should certainly be on your radar. Outside of that, it’s a pretty interesting take on a time period that I’m surprised hasn’t been more represented in video games. If micromanagement isn’t your cup of tea, you may not find it to your liking, but it still gets a hearty recommendation from me if only for the growing pace and highly-addictive gameplay.

A solid start. While I’d definitely like to see Telltale take their foot off the gas when it comes to driving the story along in future episodes in favor of more quality time with the characters, the high-tempo introduction to the series is sure to keep players hooked. Unfortunately, Telltale’s trademark decision-based gameplay isn’t quite as strong as has been so far in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, but if you’re a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, you’ll likely still enjoy following the story.

Minecraft Dungeons is undoubtedly entertaining, and despite all my gripes I find myself being pulled back in, drawn to take on ever-more difficult challenges as I grind toward better gear. In particular, I’m eagerly awaiting my friends to join me. It’s just a shame there isn’t more content for us all to dive into together when the time comes.

For those looking for more of the same, Call of Duty: Vanguard does exactly that. It’s the same, great-feeling FPS with a fresh lick of WWII paint complete with all of the weapons, locales and caveats that come with it. It’s not a revolutionary entry for the series, but it’s not a particularly poor one, either.

Given how novel and interesting Splatoon felt during the time of its release, I can't help but view Splatoon 2 as the least innovative sequel to one of the most unique games we've seen in years. There's still plenty of fun to be had here, but just don't go in expecting anything that drastically refines or improves upon the Splatoon formula.

There's no doubt that fans of the franchise will enjoy jumping back in. The promise of a gradual release of new content will likely keep diehards of the series drawn in with each new announcement. Overall, Mario: Strikers Battle League is a good game that needs more to do. It may be a much better game a year from now, but right now it is noticeably lacking content.

While the experience is almost always better when playing with friends, the poor friendly A.I. wasn’t frustrating enough to ruin my experiences trekking across Bolivia. If you can look past the rather thin story and characters, there’s a smart, engaging shooter that begs for players to try new weapons, gear, and approach options. While this isn’t the definitive Ghost Recon experience, Wildlands is still an entertaining title for those looking for a more tactical experience.

When you finally get over the initially steep learning curve and find fellow like-minded players that you can group up with, ARK: Survival Evolved becomes a truly enjoyable sandbox game where anything goes. But not even the impressive dinosaurs and cool tech can cover up just how repetitive the game really is, and how you’re forced to sink in hours and hours of grinding before you can finally start to get to the ‘good’ stuff.

Despite having some wonky A.I. and lacking a coat of polish, the moment to moment gameplay is engaging. This is not only thanks to the massive roster of officers to pick from, but the wonderful variety of missions offered to players.

Ultimately, if you don’t mind paying for what could be only an hour of gameplay to experience the excellent story and compelling characters of Rocksteady’s Arkham games, except this time in virtual reality, then Arkham VR will probably be perfect for you and for showing off your new kit to friends and family.

The systems are surprisingly complex, given the cartoonish presentation and focus on enjoying yourself. While mastering it isn’t easy, it’s plenty forgiving if you want it to be, and the replay value alone easily makes it worth the $19.99 price on Steam.

Its addictive beat-based combat is satisfying and truly unique, and while it shows its age in some of its systems, it is something that should be experienced by every self-respecting PlayStation fan.

Casual and hardcore fans of My Hero Academia alike will still find something to enjoy in the game, and those looking for a fun arena brawler could still do far worse than this sequel.

Strange Brigade’s serviceable but flawed gameplay and forgettable story make for an incredibly generic third-person shooter, but its charming personality, great level design, and well integrated puzzles make for a B-movie romp that’s a lot more fun than you might initially expect, even if you plan to play alone.

Exactly what it needs to be. Its farming sim systems are well balanced and easy to use, and fans will have everything they need to zen out for hours of play. By all other counts, it’s a rough entry point into the genre for newcomers and not the kind of game most people would enjoy as much as the more accessible titles seen in recent years.

Concrete Jungle is solid in its execution, especially considering the apparent mismatch of genres at play. There’s a lot here for those who love unique strategic play. The amount of content and available randomly-generated maps certainly helps fill out its total content. It may not do enough to draw in those who aren’t already strategy fans, but it’s a great pick-up for those who are.

While it wasn’t at all what I expected, I found myself enjoying it more than I probably would have, had it been the brawler I anticipated.

Ultimately, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal is a competent remake with all of its graphical fuel poured into the main characters, while environments and enemies could have certainly been done better.

Considering my entire knowledge of the series before this installment was all based around memes, I’d say Battletoads far exceeded expectations. That said, the shortcomings it does possess keep it from joining the ranks of brawlers, like Streets of Rage 4, as a genre-defining title.

Fans who want more combat without all the interrupting dialogue can test their mettle against other players at the online coliseum, so I’d highly encourage series fans to give this one a go. On the other hand, if you’re looking to play a Final Fantasy game for the first time and are wondering if this is a good entry point, it is not. Newcomers will have a far better experience playing one of the classics instead.

Despite it bringing classic issues along with it that can lead to a rather inconsistent difficulty, I quite enjoyed my time with Super Rad Raygun, although it could have been a bit more fine-tuned and polished.

At its core, Outriders: Worldslayer does bring to the table enough enhancements when it comes to the actual gameplay of this looter-shooter. That entertaining combat coupled with new Apocalypse Gear, Tiers, and more are what makes the game truly tick, even if the narrative beats can be hit and miss. There is certainly room for People Can Fly to explore other parts of the world in future content, but for now, we’ll make do with a looter-shooter experience that has become even better than before.

Aside from a few crashes at startup with the PC version, Mankind Divided is very much an enjoyable role-playing experience. The game’s characters aren’t all that memorable, and chances are, you won’t even remember their names after you’re done with your journey, but hey, at least playing around with the augmentations is cool.

For the most part, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is an improvement on the original. The fun, over-the-top, and easy to understand gameplay returns and the online options make it a more complete package. However, while it should be the perfect game to pick up and play for a couple of matches, the player pack system means you need to grind a lot if you want to fill out your roster, unless you’re willing to part with some real-world cash.

Though I wasn’t sold on the futuristic setting for the campaign, it still showed promise for the future of the franchise when it comes to storytelling and character development. And while its multiplayer feels far safer than the disappointing experience to be had in Ghosts, Zombies in Spaceland is one of the most enjoyable incarnations of the mode since its inception both when you’re playing with friends and alone. It’s not the quantum leap fans may have hoped for, but it’s a solid starting point for future expeditions.

Adios’ fantastic, profound narrative offers an interesting glimpse from a rarely-covered perspective. It’s only elevated by a pair of fantastic performances from its leading cast members, that lend an authentic feel to the tale. While the superficial gameplay may not be to everybody’s tastes, if you’re looking for a short and bittersweet story, Adios is a solid choice.

Full Body is still a very fun, enjoyable romp through Vincent's romantic life, and it's a great first-time experience for anyone in their late 20s to early 30s. That said, the game really didn't need a brand new character to keep things feeling fresh; in fact, that only detracted from the original experience and somehow made it worse.

You’re not going to see Miitopia listed as a game of the year contender anywhere, but it’s a decent game for a console that has not seen many first-party releases over the last year. It’s absolutely worth picking up if you’re just looking for a silly game that can last you a while.

Despite my flat first impressions of the game, I’m very happy to have seen it through to the end.

Eternal Threads is still a solid game, though. I commend the writing team for nailing the characters’ behaviors and how they all balance each other. Moreover, the time manipulation mechanics are easy to use and not complicated to sift through for specific events. But it does falter in the gameplay department a bit, becoming repetitive and not all that engaging outside of opening the occasional locked door.

As a remake, Pac-Man World Re-Pac definitely ticks plenty of boxes when it comes to transforming an older game into one that fits into the present gaming landscape. The platforming is solid, the presentation is up to snuff, and there is no beating nostalgia sometimes. The game is unlikely to garner a new following save for a curious bunch, and is purely aimed at hardcore Pac-Man fans who are looking for something new yet old to enjoy, yet, that is not such a bad thing after all.

This is to date the best and most definitive Jason Voorhees simulation that has ever been released, and for some, that alone might be worth the price of admission.

While it definitely isn’t Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, Little Dragons Cafe manages to stand on its own and offer a simple, charming experience that’s easy to love in spite of the technical issues.

Despite me thinking that the port doesn’t live up to its PC counterpart, I cannot recommend it enough if you’ve yet to experience the latest entry in the iconic series.