Bravely Default II can get frustrating at times, but it more than makes up for that by being endlessly charming and endearing, and remains a joy to play through from start to finish.

Worms W.M.D. is a return to the classic recipe and it never tasted so sweet, but you can’t help but feel as though it wouldn’t be as effective had the series not been messed around with as much as it has.

The Enemy Within starts off strong, even if it does stumble a little here and there. Thankfully, the new story arc seems a lot less bloated and self-involved than the one we got last season, and the new characters are rather well-written, too.

While it’s not the new Kingdom Hearts game that many may have wanted, it’s much more than just a simple collection of old titles or some cheap cash-in. It’s a bridge to what awaits, and I can’t help but feel excited after watching the credits roll for the umpteenth time.

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.

If you’re in the market for a fascinating narrative and an intriguing space station to lose yourself in, you could do a heck of a lot worse than Tacoma.

The beauty of Gundam Breaker is that you don't need to be a fan of the larger Gundam franchise to get plenty of enjoyment out of it. It scratches the itch of an action game and a loot game all in one, and I can't seem to get enough. At heart, it's still a game all about making the wackiest robot you can that still absolutely shreds through enemies, and I think that's amazing.

Tchia is easily one of the most exciting games of the year. Its vast open world and spot-on physics-based gameplay are immediately immersive and utterly addictive. It reminds me of an approachable, family-friendly version of huge games like Skyrim and Assassin’s Creed.

Fans of the series will still be able to glean some enjoyment from seeing a classic title brought into the modern age, but everyone else won’t have much reason to dive into this flawed remake.

Dancing All Night looks like it’s set to be the final game before we have to say goodbye to our favorite cast of characters in Persona 4, and I’m perfectly fine with that. The Investigation Team solves one more mystery, and they’ve once again reminded us never to lose sight of our ‘true selves’. I’d say that’s a job well done.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is proof that Ubisoft doesn’t need an expansive open-world to create a compelling Assassin’s Creed game. I don’t need a laundry list of neverending chores to knock out, or endless quests and question mark icons to explore in order to level up. All I need is my hidden blade, a cool hoodie and some darts, and I’m good to go. Mirage is Ubisoft’s most focused Assassin’s Creed game in six years, and a much-needed revitalization of the series.

Its messages certainly resonated with me but its gameplay lacked the variety to truly keep me hooked for lengthier sessions. If you're looking for a chill experience and can overlook any performance issues that aren't quite resolved by the time you pick it up, then Sable will deliver. I just can't help shake the feeling of missed potential here.

Wizard of Legend succeeds in creating a setting that’s just full of so much mystery and awe. It’s hard not to feel so completely enthralled by the game’s charm and delightful magical spells.

Golf – and therefore EA Sports PGA Tour – is not a simple game, but my feelings towards it can be expressed simply. It feels like playing the sport, and it’s hard to ask for much more than that.

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.

What could have been just a run-of-the-mill Metroidvania is transformed into a tale of growth and resilience in Tales of Kenzera: ZAU that is well worth the investment. With Kenzera being an utterly beautiful place full of mysteries and wonders, joining Zau and Kalunga as they fight and platform their way across delightful biomes in a bid to let go and move on became a therapeutic journey that I never knew I needed. We don't need actual loss to remind ourselves that things can be difficult, but having a reminder goes a long way in keeping us all on the right track of focusing on joy instead of grief.

Embrace the jokes, revel in the puns, and do all you can in order to stop Starro’s horrifying plot while keeping Superman’s annoyance to a minimum. Heck, maybe even do all that in the order its written. Above all else, enjoy your stay in Happy Harbor. In a world that always strives to go bigger, it’s more of an escape to remember when superheroes got to be silly too.

What Imperator: Rome does, it does impeccably well. Like Paradox games have been doing for years now, it will devour hours and whole days of your life, and you will give them willingly. But you will have to work for it, learn it like a foreign language. But it is worth it, and the more time you put into learning it, the more you will come to appreciate it. Even Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood proves that a little new blood is what was needed to keep the Wolfenstein series alive for many years to come.

I enjoyed my HD revisit of Mario vs. Donkey Kong quite a bit, even to the point of earning every badge in the game. While there's not a lot here that will appeal to those who weren't attracted by the original game, it's still a solid remake that adds fun new stages and HD polish.

10 Second Ninja X is best described as a fantastic podcast game. That is to say, it’s the perfect game to play while you might be doing other things, like watching a show or listening to music.

All in all, Luckslinger is a fantastic retro-styled game with just enough innovation to make it worthwhile.

It’s tough at times, there no denying that, but figuring out how to use each sector’s layout to your advantage will soon make you appreciate the subtly implemented progression system and impeccably designed rooms, adding to the pinball hack and slash gameplay that feels fantastic in all its forms from the moment you step foot in the mountain.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is everything you could want from a farming simulator, whether you are a beginner or a longtime player. After all these years, Marvelous Inc. and XSEED Games maintain their ability to capture the audience by making you feel like a farmer, regardless of your real-life personal experience.

If anything, Clustertruck is a simple, novel idea fleshed out and turned into a viable game. At its current price, it’s also worth every penny, and I can see myself using this for study breaks, a filler game for listening to podcasts, and that’s not counting my current strive to get to the top of the leaderboards.

At its core, FIFA 23 is a solid game that offers a whole lot to experience. Sure, some passes won’t go where you expect them to and yes, too many gameplay tweaks will inevitably unbalance things from time to time. Yet you’ll have plenty of opportunity to find the balance of your choosing—because at the end of the day, finding that perfect balance is a frivolous exercise. So experience it however you like doing so. Get out of it whatever you wish to get out of it, and look forward to what’s next.

Just like skipping out on watching the Pro Bowl, you're not missing out on all that much.

From the expertly crafted combat mechanics to the wildly different contenders to the stages and customization options to unlock, Pokkén Tournament proves itself to be another excellent addition to the Nintendo Wii U’s library for fighting game fans, Pokémon fans, and everyone in between.

Castle in the Darkness proves itself to be worth way more than the price of admission with hours of good ‘ol fashioned platforming action for only $5.99 on Steam.

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.

Party Animals brings a unique and adorably new experience to the table in the world of online multiplayer brawlers, helping contribute to a niche of that genre that is growing increasingly popular. While not absolutely groundbreaking, the game definitely brings a clever formula of its own making that is well-curated, clearly made with love, and incredibly enjoyable to play. There are plenty of laughs that get thrown around with just as many punches, and whether you want to be top dog (or cat, or goose, etc) is entirely up to you.

The various stories told through Yo-Kai Watch feel like they’ve been written to impart life values and lessons most of the time, which may not exactly jive well with a mature audience.

Sushi Striker is pure ridiculous fun, and while it leans heavily on its core gameplay loop, it manages to keep things engaging. Nintendo has proven they have a knack for the absurd, and Sushi Striker definitely feels like it could be the foundation of a new series.

Overall, Deponia Doomsday is an expertly-crafted point and click that holds itself to pretty high standards.

Wild Bastards is a sequel that tries to mod some of the gameplay mechanics of the original, but loses steam along the way

I enjoyed my time with Dying Light 2 and found it an entertaining open-world experience that I want to keep playing beyond the 30 or so hours I put into the main storyline.

On the court, TopSpin 2K25 is brilliant. It's realistic, satisfying, and feels great to play, especially as you get to grips with the timing needed for every shot type. It's just a shame that such good tennis gameplay is housed in such bland modes that have you grind for very little sense of progression.

LawBreakers doesn’t necessarily offer anything new or groundbreaking, the weapon and character skins that you can unlock as you level up aren’t exactly very enticing either, and at this point, it’s difficult to say whether the game will be able to keep its player base engaged in the long run. However, if you’re simply looking for something new, LawBreakers is a solid enough arena first-person shooter game to get into.

In the end, however, despite the flaws, there’s enough charm, compelling storytelling, and immersive atmosphere to see it through.

Ultimately, the lack of a gripping story or any standout characters strips a bit too much from the experience. It’s a solid effort that opens up more possibilities for first-person action, but without the highs a strong narrative could have afforded the game, it is left feeling a bit bare.

The Evil Within 2 is held back by a forgettable story and annoying AI issues that would probably put a serious damper on your gameplay experience if you were playing on Nightmare difficulty. And yet, it also does exactly what a horror game should do, and it does it well. Despite its flaws, The Evil Within 2 is a thoughtfully constructed horror rollercoaster ride that strikes a delicate balance between giving the player the power to fight back, and also making them realize that sometimes, all those guns and gear won’t save you from the terrors you can’t understand.

Twelve Minutes is bold in its artistic choices in every aspect of the game. From the top-down camera perspective to the deliberate lack of instruction from the very beginning, Twelve Minutes wants you to figure everything out for yourself and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. There are drawbacks to this, as exemplified by my own shortcomings when it comes to puzzle games, but it’s also elegant in its simplicity and minimalism. Twelve Minutes is a deliberately introspective game that doesn’t waste its breath on unnecessary exposition or dialogue. Wanting to see all it has to offer may take some effort on the player’s part, but it’s well worth the hard work and investment.

Rise of the Ronin is not only a terrific soulslike, but it presents a possible turning point in being the first high-profile entry in the genre to give difficulty choices. Even without that, it is still a fun game that anyone can get into and enjoy, as the combat is worth mastering because nothing beats the feeling of a perfectly timed Counterspark. Plus, this is an excellent way to learn about an important time in Japanese history if you didn't already know it.

I’m not going to give much away here about the story because it is best to enjoy it as it unfolds. Let’s just say it is camp, surprising, and so much fun! It is clear Persona 5 Tactica was created for both old and new players alike, and I for one am grateful for that. I look forward to seeing what else the Persona series has to offer.

Surviving Mars is a fantastic simulation and strategy game. Again, it might be off-putting inexperienced players, and advanced players will likely need to find their own fun in the long term by creating obstacles for themselves to overcome or to seek out mods, lest it gets repetitive. Those small, potentially limiting gripes aside, Surviving Mars is a very enjoyable sim game that effectively mashes together individual sim micromanagement with larger macro concepts seen in games like RTSs.

The story is excellent, the art is fantastic, and a lot of people are going to relate to its message. However, if you’re going into the game thinking that it is going to be the next big breakout indie of the year, then you might come away a little disappointed.

I did hope for a little bit more from this Switch title; WarioWare: Gold for the 3DS seemed to have better value with 100 more microgames, full voice acting, and a lower price tag. The Switch game just feels like it's missing something. However, WarioWare: Get It Together! is simply fun. It's an entertaining game to play in short bursts when you have some downtime or when you're in the mood for something a little zanier.

Klaus is, in a word, brilliant. While it may not exactly win the hearts of those who don’t like the 2D platformer style, it’s an expertly-designed addition to the genre that creates a challenging experience without ever seeming insurmountable. With intuitive controls and a seamless integration of its parts, it easily creates an experience worth the $19.99 price on the PlayStation Store.

This pack has a ton of content, personality, and encourages you to experiment and explore, so I urge you to check it out, especially if you’re a creative person.

Who knew the classic formula of Pac-Man could be reinvented in such a way? Despite the steep learning curve and the hubbub about single-player paywalls, the pure enjoyment of every new Pac-Man 99 game stands tall above all. Whether you are itching for one short session or a marathon of close calls and satisfactory victory, this battle royale cannot come recommended enough.

Fight the Dragon offers a quick, approachable play with a nice element of customization and community involvement that keeps things interesting.

With the wacky challenges and amazing location, I can’t deny that Motorfest is not just a fast ride, but a good ride. With your car stereo blasting, and your engine roaring, you will most likely find at least one thing to enjoy about the game. It may not end up being game of the year, but it is a game worth your time.

If you’re looking for a great way to kill a few hours with a story-focused psychological horror, you could certainly do worse than Distraint.

A game that any fan of Mario should play. It’s an incredibly fun experience, where the strong points of the game more than make up for its shortcoming.

The Wild at Heart is a stunning escapade that is brought to life with beautiful hand-drawn art, delightful uses for its Spritelings, the interesting characters from start to end, and a place worth revisiting constantly with the Deep Woods. If you are in search of an indie game that is full of charm, life, and an intriguing mystery to keep you occupied, The Wild at Heart is the perfect adventure for you.

Though Firewatch hiccuped and jerked its way to a rather flat ending, I’d recommend it all-the-same to anyone who just wants to get lost and explore a beautiful environment, meet a great cast of characters, and escape from the real world for a few hours.

There will be work to do to ensure that Beyond Light’s content remains interesting for an entire year and that Stasis is kept in check, but overall Destiny 2: Beyond Light is a solid effort from Bungie and is a worthwhile expansion to pick up for anyone that enjoys the series.

Most of Paranormal’s additions should have otherwise been found in the other similar packs or at the least been enhanced as a stand-alone pack. The grammatical errors encountered didn’t help the pack feel any less rushed, either.

Midnight Fight Express wants you to be the actor, director, producer, and choreographer of your own action movie all at once, and it absolutely nails that aspect. As I made my way through the city, I found myself wishing the night would never end. But you know what they say, all good things must end and all that. At least I’ll always have neon blue hair Babyface.

If you love video games and musicals, then you should march to the beat of Stray Gods to immerse yourself in this canorous world filled with mystical elements. Even players who want something different in choice-based games can change the tune through the unique lyric mechanics. I could definitely see more musicals within the industry in the future, and maybe games like Stray Gods and Hi-Fi Rush could help open the door a bit more.

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

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.

It’s well worth a look from die-hard fans of the series, and newcomers will find plenty to love about the game and its source material.

For fans of the series or those who are already in love with Nocturne, this won’t be a problem. But for newcomers looking to get into the series, I must warn you that there is a pretty high barrier to entry here. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is still the best of the bunch, and if you’re willing to put in the time to learn its various mechanics, you’ll get a lot out of it. The problem is, that’s a pretty big if.

With so much to offer and such a great presentation, it’s hard for me not to consider Armello a must-buy for anyone with even a passing interest in digital board games or innovative RPGs. Deep gameplay and a wide variety of characters, victory conditions, and more, there’s a ton to dive into that’s all wrapped in a gorgeous package.

Fae Farm feels consigned to simply being the hot new thing in the cozy community, rather than an experience that’s as memorable and beloved as the games it has done so much to build upon.

There are foundations here to build upon in future versions. So despite the greed and eye roll-inducing commentary, we’re feeling cautiously optimistic about the future, and that’s a strangely unfamiliar feeling.

While I think this is better than 2019’s entry, charging $70-$100 for a game that’ll be good in a few months is not a gesture that I appreciate at all. If you can, I’d recommend waiting until massive changes come to flesh out this experience and iron out all the bugs. Right now, 2022’s version of Modern Warfare is bigger and slightly better, but going big without proper execution doesn’t translate to a winning formula.

It’s another terrific addition to modern Lara Croft’s adventures, albeit a safe one that doesn’t seem to want to take too many risks outside driving the series’ iconic protagonist through a dark and grisly story.

If you loved Outlast for its story and the fact that it stripped away any sense of viable defense, then there's something special waiting for you. The story really does sing. But if you were hoping for something a bit more fresh and different in a genre that has started to become one-note, then you may be disappointed by what Outlast 2 has to offer.

The story, despite being on the short side, was warm and heartbreaking at the same time, and it all comes to a head when an epic ending reveal sets up what could be an impressive and unexpected springboard for the story in Life Is Strange 2. It’s good to be back in this strange universe.

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.

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.

I have a feeling that NHL 18 suffers from its lack of competition. While, as always, its gameplay is strong, its presentation is pretty much perfect from in-game to the menus, and there is plenty of enjoyable modes for all standards of players to sink their teeth into, the lack of substantial new features and innovation mean that it is a step behind even some of EA’s other marquee sports titles.

Does The Crown Tundra completely reinvent Pokemon Sword and Shield and right everything that has dragged the series down in recent years? No, it doesn’t do that. In fact, at its core, it’s still just more of Sword and Shield. However, it does at least augment the core gameplay experience of Sword and Shield in some really interesting ways through Dynamax Adventures and with Wild Areas being packed with more things to do and see.

Mario Tennis Aces offers up plenty to keep single-players busy, but playing with friends takes everything the game does well up a big notch.

The interior of the tenement building is a fantastic nest of voyeurism, and the game injects the awful things you’re doing with a sense of tongue-in-cheek wickedness. It may not be beauty that lives in the eye of this one, but Beholder does have some intelligent moral conundrums to levy at you. Unfortunately, the repetition and dull play leave a big hole in the middle where the game’s heart should beat.

If you’ve been looking for the next great cyberpunk RPG with some added flair, look no further than Satellite Reign.

There's a great game hidden somewhere in Visions of Mana. It's a blast to play so long as you focus on the gameplay, and its more cartoonish aesthetic helps it stand out from the pack of more realistically rendered JRPG fare. It's just a shame the story is handled as poorly as it is, and that so much of the game is dedicated to its narrative by virtue of it being a story-driven JRPG.

Strangely enough, the game manages to convey a wealth of emotions through its wordless narrative and faceless cast. After the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but think about how far we would personally go to save someone who was important in our life. With its simplistic puzzles, captivating narrative, and amazing art style, Last Day of June is definitely a game you’d want to pick up.

If you, like me, occasionally need a rest from fast-paced, action-first gaming, I truly cannot recommend Seasons after Fall enough. The art alone is sufficient to offer a unique and worthwhile experience, and the light yet engaging gameplay offers a wonderful way to experience it.

When it all clicks Killing Floor 2 is a fantastic, thrilling experience that delivers tense gameplay moments in a brilliant bloody display.

The Expanse isn’t the best Telltale-style experience ever made, but it’s a commendable return outing for the studio. Longtime fans of the studios’ work or The Expanse’s source material will find enough to be excited for what’s to come, while newcomers can get a solid look at what the studio can offer moving forward. With any luck, they’ll be able to build off of this to finish the series strong and set about starting a new age that surpasses the heights of their previous works.

Contemplation certainly doesn’t let up in terms of action and horror. The increased variety in enemy types and game mechanics is certainly welcome, and with the story picking now too, it will be exciting to see how the mystery unfolds.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 isn’t a groundbreaking game by any means. It is a noticeable step forward for its series as a whole though, and boasts some worthwhile high points and potential that fans of the One Piece series and Musou games alike will be able to appreciate.

Memories of Celceta is a perfect onboarding point for anyone looking for something more exotic than the ATB system, but with the look and feel of a classic game of that bygone era. It’s engaging, satisfying, and perhaps most telling of all has me excited to check out other entries in this storied franchise.

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.

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.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is 40-or-so hour JRPG experience that’s well worth the time invested. Although its storytelling likely won’t inspire anyone but diehard fans of the comics, it has enough clout to keep franchise newcomers motivated, and importantly, it’s accessible enough for those unfamiliar with the source material to jump in too.

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

Star Wars Outlaws is a truly fun action-adventure that lives up to the name of its franchise with its interesting story, awesome cast, and unique criminal syndicate reputation system. Its open-world appeal is stretched thin by the vices of its own ambition, filled with a lot of optional padding, but its core offering is more than enough on its own to be worth a dive in.

Through its celebration of both the art and intricacies of driving and the cars that make it such a joy, GT Sport is a stunningly classy racing experience. It handles wonderfully and does all it can to make you a better driver through its campaign’s structure. If you’re looking for a more traditional Gran Turismo experience, however, one that is solely single-player focused, GT Sport may feel more like another prologue experience than the winning entry you’ve been waiting for.

It is a deep experience, entrenched in mystery, and doused in activities and hunts for fans to get into. Bethesda wasn’t lying when they said they had something big in store, and this visit to a faraway land shows that the team went above and beyond.

While it didn’t quite deliver the emphatic finale that Batman and Bruce deserved in terms of pulse-racing content, it did resolve the overarching issues plaguing Gotham and set things up for the seemingly inevitable sequel. And it’s thanks to Telltale’s dedicated efforts in creating a believable, unique, and unpredictable story, that I’m eager for its arrival.

Stikbold may not be your typical sports game, but it’s got a solid backbone of fun and wackiness.

An action game that is fun in the moment, but is quickly forgettable thanks to a poor story, one-note characters, and mixed visuals. While the actual gameplay itself is incredibly enjoyable, there just isn’t enough new content to justify this game’s existence.

Although the game only features four planets, all the maps available are tremendous amounts of fun.

Despite some performance issues and awkward camera controls, I would recommend Wild Hearts not only to long-time fans of monster hunting but to players like me who never quite understood the hype before. Wild Hearts will make you understand as it made me understand. From its immersive world to its unique building system, this is one big release you will not want to miss out on.