Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana was clearly designed to bring the remake of the third entry in the Falcom series to modern consoles, and in this regard, it fully succeeds. The game delivers a fast-paced, no-frills experience that remains engaging from start to finish, enhanced by new features, improved visuals and quality-of-life improvements. However, compared to more recent entries in the series, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is a more straightforward game with a relatively simple story and combat system, which may not appeal to those who were introduced to the series through its modern installments.

Infinity Nikki is a fantastic game, and you can play it while avoiding most of the gacha elements. It's a great gacha game that doesn't require you to pay any money to it to be able to succeed. It's a game full of whimsy, wonder, and most importantly dressing up and being able to customize Nikki to your liking, depending on the outfits you collect.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is a game that undoubtedly required way more time in the oven. While its engaging story, captivating presentation, and the charismatic pirate captain James Flint pull players into the adventure early on, the experience is marred by a horrendous interface, clunky controls, poor tutorials, and the subpar execution of several mechanics. As a result, the game is hard to recommend except to the most dedicated tactical role-playing game enthusiasts willing to overlook its many glaring flaws.

The Thaumaturge is a touch underdeveloped and rough around the edges in some respects, but it delivers where it counts, serving up a unique, immersive world, affable cast of characters, and a satisfying amount of freedom to chart your own course. The Thaumaturge bodes well for the upcoming Fool's Theory remake of The Witcher, but it's no mere audition. This is a memorable RPG that casts a strong spell all its own.

Adapting the final explosive story arc of the original story, Fairy Tail 2 is a game that goes straight to the point, featuring charming characters and a well-crafted combat system that makes fighting the forces of the Alvarez Empire incredibly fun. The lack of any involving side activity, lackluster world design and very short length, however, limit the appeal of the experience only to fans of Hiro Mashima's works, as there simply isn't enough for those who are already in love with Fairy Tail to justify a purchase.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an excellent adventure/action game that features one of the best Indiana Jones stories, great level design that rewards exploration, and awesome ray traced visuals. This might just be the best game dedicated to Dr. Henry Walton we've ever seen, and I'm certainly hoping for more.

In a year brimming with amazing JRPGs, FANTASIAN Neo Dimension stands out as one of the best, thanks to its charming characters with well-developed backstories and interactions, emotional story moments, solid combat system, and a very distinctive visual style. While these elements are the evolution of what Hironobu Sakaguchi did with the Final Fantasy series, their execution makes the game a must-play for both longtime fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Overall, my experience with Wayfinder was pretty average. Unfortunately, nothing about the game stuck out, and there wasn't much that felt unique or groundbreaking. While the dungeons were a lot of fun, and the combat was the main thing that drew me in, it wasn't enough to keep me playing. Hopefully, as the game continues to get updated, new content and features will be added to improve the game.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a worthy successor of the original in every regard, good and bad. The vision is the same: an uncompromising game that will often frustrate you, but also offers a unique experience that can hardly be found anywhere else. It's the classic example where the total is more than the mere sum of its parts. Bugs and balance issues are still very much an issue, but they shouldn't stand in your way of playing, especially if you're willing to wait a while for developers and modders to fix them. If you enjoy open world games and shooters and don't mind a challenge, there's no reason for you to pass up on this game.

Treyarch has arrived guns blazing with this year's Call of Duty entry. All three pillars of Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies are among the best they've been in years. While some players might lament the addition of Omnimovement to the gunfights, there's a dynamic feel to the new mechanics that make Call of Duty feel more like a personal action movie.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, while not the definitive edition that includes all of the previous side content, embodies the perfect version of Erdrick's adventure that both old and new fans can appreciate as if a brand new adventure from Yuji Horii.

Lego Horizon Adventures carries over a lot of the things previous Horizon games did well, offering lush visuals, a likable cast, and a wide range of robo dinos to take down. Unfortunately, not everything survived blockification, with an overly-simplified story, sometimes-unsatisfying core gameplay, bland level design, and an overall lack of content resulting in a Lego game that’s a few bricks shy of a load.

Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms is one of the most intriguing role-playing games released in recent years. While some design choices, such as the Soulslike combat system that doesn't work too well with Diablolike enemy encounters in the current version of the game, impact the experience, Gamera Interactive blended elements of both traditional and modern RPGs rather well, creating an experience that is more than worthy of any RPG fan's time.

While Life is Strange: Double Exposure was a lot of fun and had a lot of great moments between using her powers to swap between timelines to be a murder-mystery detective, conversations dragged on and significant choices being made didn't feel consequential at all. It's a great experience, with a lot of twists, but some of it feels a bit too drawn out at times.

Slitterhead is an experience that's fantastic in still shots or in story trailers but the actual gameplay becomes a muddled mess when the player is forced into repetitive chase and combat sequences.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership brings back one of the plumbers’ more underappreciated series, offering plenty of visual pizazz, an impressive array of inventive maps, and a solid amount of RPG depth. It’s not a perfect relaunch, as Brothership’s writing lacks the snap of the best entries in the series and some unfortunate padding results in a game that arguably overstays its welcome, but overall, those still on board the aging Good Ship Switch ought to find this a charming-enough twilight cruise.

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has largely returned to its roots, casting aside the temptations of open world and/or live service games. Instead, Veilguard is a great mission-based RPGs with a memorable story that will leave Dragon Age fans enthralled by the revelations, an awesome combat system that perfectly blends action and tactics, and lots of loot and secrets to uncover through its 80-hour playthrough.

Maybe the hidden message of the game is "patience is a virtue", but I don't need five to six hours of trudging through extremely littered forests and streets telling me that. Maybe you will like A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, but I sadly didn't.

As a remaster, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered leaves something to be desired, offering minimal visual improvements, no graphics options on PC, and no gameplay enhancements. However, it's still a worthwhile purchase for fans of Suda51, Shinji Mikami, and third-person shooters., as the quality of the original experience still shines through, with its relentless pace, engaging story, memorable characters, and a dark humor that's hard to find in games today. Garcia Hotspur's war against Fleming to save Paula remains just as captivating now as it was in 2013.

If Alan Wake 2: The Lake House was priced reasonably, it would have been a much better proposition, as it is a worthy continuation of the base game in terms of story, themes, and atmosphere. As the only way to get the expansion is by purchasing the Deluxe Edition, however, I don't think it offers quite enough to upgrade to the more expensive edition of the game for all but the most die-hard fans of the base game and the Remedy Connected Universe.

One of Akitoshi Kawazu's most experimental titles from the Super Famicom, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven shows that a classic JRPG can be given a complete overhaul to turn into something brand new while still retaining its unique quirks and charm.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is undeniably one of the best games based on Akira Toriyama's series. With an engaging story mode that includes intriguing what-if scenarios, a combat system that's easy to learn but challenging to master, a massive character roster, and impressive attention to detail, Spike Chunsoft has created a must-have for Dragon Ball fans. If you've ever wanted to be Goku and scream your heart out before unleashing secret techniques, this is the game for you.

Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t bring anything overly surprising to this well-worn series, and not every mode and minigame will put you in a festive mood, but overall, the game offers plenty to celebrate. Jamboree may not entice those who have had their fill of Nintendo’s shindigs, but those still down for a good button-mashing bash should appreciate just how much they’ve stuffed into this goodie bag.

Ys X Nordics stands as one of the best entries in the series, second only to the excellent YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. With a cast of charming characters, an engaging story, and fast-paced action gameplay powered by some interesting mechanics that force players to balance offense and defense, the franchise by Falcom has taken a decisive step forward, delivering a highly polished and satisfying experience.

The Starfield Shattered Space expansion leaves a lot to be desired. While it introduces a more focused and engaging story compared to the base game, the average map and quest design, along with the lack of new features, turn the adventure in Va'Ruun'kai into a bit of a slog rather quickly. Although the tighter focus is welcome, the Starfield experience as a whole needs something more substantial to reach its full potential.

Those who harbor an innate distaste for the social systems and time limits of modern Persona titles will find no solace here, but those who are willing to embrace what very well could be the sixth Persona title in all but name alone will experience one of the most stylish Japanese roleplaying games of 2024.

For now, though, Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred is a solid expansion that is perhaps not heavy on content but more than makes up for it with many systemic changes that will elevate the whole game for years to come. [Review in Progress]

Silent Hill 2 is the best game Bloober Team has made. A faithful reimagining of the original, bringing it to the modern day without losing what made the original the best horror game ever, using modern game mechanics to improve where they could, and expanding on what was already an engrossing world. Without any shadow of a doubt, a resounding success, one that will likely come as a surprise to many.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom brings some new ideas to the table, but in the end, the game is more about modernizing the classic 2D Zelda experience. The attention-grabbing echo copying mechanic has its pros and cons, but where Echoes of Wisdom consistently hits is in the tried-and-true design of its world and dungeons, which are as good as any the franchise has delivered in the past. This may be Zelda's first starring adventure, but past Legends still echo strongly here.

Disney's Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a solid remaster that enhances the original experience with some nice improvements. Unfortunately, the experience is still carried by the setting exploring Disney's forgotten history, as the remaster does little to address dated level design, lackluster combat, and underdeveloped features like the morality system. Despite these shortcomings, Mickey's journey in the Wasteland remains enjoyable, especially for hardcore Disney fans eager to see some of the company’s long-forgotten characters brought back to life.

Ara: History Untold is a highly ambitious 4X game that looks to branch out and add even more depth to an already detailed genre. In many ways, it succeeds, bringing in a map and city-building system that far surpasses others in the genre and successfully interlinking practically every area. However, with some successes come issues, with the added depth in the supply chain making it a bit of a micromanagement nightmare; it tries to alleviate some of these issues with a user-friendly UI, but it could be a sticking point for some. The AI also seems to go on the fritz and break the game's rules.

Frostpunk is an excellent-looking, excellent sounding, and great playing organic growth and succession from the original. Spreading further along the wasteland, you have to balance more as you deal with politics, resources, factions, and ever more challenges, often including settling and building in new areas. Still a challenge, but more approachable, this is yet another city builder that will shine out amongst others.

Although the game was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the actual gameplay elements of it, the story just didn't grab me. Initially, I was also deterred by the massively contrasting art styles and the finicky menus. Overall, the game is a pleasant experience, appropriate for gamers of all ages. If the story had some more flashy dramatics, it may have pulled me in earlier. The Plucky Squire is very evidently a product made with a lot of love, and you can tell that from the level of polish it has.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a solid remaster that enhances the original game with some welcome gameplay and quality-of-life improvements that go a long way to make the experience more enjoyable than ever. However, the remaster falters in the visual department, with dull colors that pale in comparison to the vibrant visuals of the original. Still, there's plenty to like in the Deluxe Remaster, as Frank West's journey to Willamette remains as engaging as ever, though the mostly faithful recreation of the original gameplay feels a little dated compared to its sequels.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown offers some solid fundamentals in terms of driving mechanics and course design, to the point the game might have been worth a qualified recommendation despite its surprisingly-bland recreation of Hong Kong, so-so visuals, and spotty performance, but ultimately, the game’s egregious always-online requirements make that impossible. Persistent server issues and a completely unreliable cloud save system send this racer careening off-track and it’s going to take some serious elbow grease to get this Solar Crown shining like it ought to.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a decent game, but one that becomes repetitive quite quickly, though fans of this sort of action combat could find it enjoyable.

The MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a fantastic celebration of the series, showcasing some of the best fighting games released by the Japanese publisher in the late '90s and early 2000s. Although the lack of cross-platform play reduces the collection's appeal, the additional options and extras are welcome enhancements that make playing these timeless classics on modern hardware even more enticing, especially on consoles.

The expansion was so close to perfect. If it wasn't for the update that Blizzard released where they went from undertuning everything to overtuning it, the expansion would have been perfection. The quests are fun, Hero Talents provide lots of cool options, and the music really makes the areas of Khaz Algar magical and threatening, all at the same time. Admittedly, the story for this expansion could have done with being a little longer, as it felt quite short overall compared to previous expansions. However, there is still time for them to add more in future patches.

A platformer that's intended to be accessible for players of all skill levels, Astro Bot brings a celebration of cameos and heroes from forgotten Sony-related franchises together in a title that shows off the unique potential of the PlayStation 5 and its DualSense controller.

Age of Mythology Retold brings back a classic, with new - great - visuals, a new UI, and a few new gameplay features. While it does, for the most part, feel more like a remaster, there's still an incredible amount to love here, and the few new features the army of developers have added bring a whole new level to the game.

The Casting of Frank Stone is yet another hit from Supermassive Games, delivering an engaging horror story deeply rooted into the lore of Dead of Daylight equally enjoyable by fans of the original game and those with no knowledge of the multiplayer game created by Behaviour Interactive. While its short length and limited gameplay may slightly hinder the experience, the game remains a worthwhile purchase for those who appreciate well-crafted supernatural horror stories.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club really sneaks up on you. For much of its runtime the game is a likable, if somewhat by the book, throwback detective visual novel, but Nintendo swings big in terms of narrative in its final hours, ultimately delivering a story that’s much more daring, dark, and affecting than anything this franchise has delivered before. Whether you’re a visual novel nut or just in the mood for a good mystery with some teeth, Emio will leave you grinning.

Visions of Mana is a fun JRPG for the first thirty hours but the continuous backtracking and overall padding left me feeling like my time wasn't being respected by the time Val's journey came to a close

Black Myth: Wukong stands out as one of the strongest debut games released in recent times. While not groundbreaking in any way, it masterfully blends elements from several popular franchises to deliver an engaging action RPG experience that ranks just below the very best in the genre. Although stuttering issues and minor gameplay flaws hold it back slightly, these shouldn't deter any action RPG or action game fan from picking it up. The Journey to the West has rarely been this enjoyable.

Overall, it was enjoyable to watch the relationships between the characters unfold. However, the prologue soured it early on for me, as it felt a bit too overexaggerated. The conversations and getting to explore new environments were some of the best parts of Dustborn, while I unfortunately found the combat system to be a little lacking in places. Still, the idea for this game is incredibly unique and one that I really enjoyed.

The Sims 4: Lovestruck does do a good job at sprucing up the game and trying to make it a little bit more dynamic, the same way Growing Together did. However, some of the features were incredibly lacking, and I felt that there could have been much more added to make it worthwhile. I really liked the new interactions that they added to the game, but aside from that, the expansion was still quite flat.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an enjoyable and highly accessible Soulslite. A44 created a great entry point for the genre, not to mention an exciting fantasy setting that mixes black powder, magic, and influences that go beyond the usual European medieval style. The combat is fun and won't cause you to break any controllers. The story is also worth following, although the game perhaps end up too soon, leaving narrative and gameplay possibilities to be explored by a sequel.

While Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess may not be the best action game or the best tower defense game around, Yoshiro and Soh's journey is undeniably compelling. Thanks to great map, scenario, and enemy design, along with plenty of viable tactical options and a wide arsenal of abilities, this new IP from CAPCOM stands out as one of the most surprising titles of the year, held back only by minor issues, such as a shallow narrative and a low challenge level.

With its three entertaining scenarios showcasing Remedy Entertainment's narrative and visual design prowess, the Alan Wake 2: Night Springs expansion is a more than worthy DLC for all fans of the base game and the Finnish developer, provided they can keep their expectations in check. The expansion's short length, a little over two and a half hours, and its stripped-down gameplay will inevitably disappoint those looking for something more substantial.

It’s easy to see why Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD stood out in its original form on the 3DS, and even today, there’s plenty of reason to like the green guy’s spooktacular sophomore outing. That said, limited efforts to update the original material, particularly some of the game’s more frustrating structural and design choices, makes this Mansion feel just a bit creaky.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expands the base game by offering more of what made it one of the best open-world games ever. It features a well-sized map dense with secrets to discover, new masterfully designed dungeons, and introduces new, fun tools to help the Tarnished tackle some of the most challenging enemies in the game's dark and brutal world. While the lack of new gameplay mechanics may disappoint some, don't let this deter you. Shadow of the Erdtree is every bit as good as the base game, and it is an essential purchase for all those who loved FromSoftware's amazing action role-playing game.

While Still Wakes the Deep offers up its fair share of thrills, railroad-style level design, a short runtime, and a surprisingly superficial story result in an experience that may entertain in the moment, but will likely be forgotten rather quickly. Still Wakes the Deep may well float your boat at a discount, but there are better, scarier fish in the sea.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space serves up a sum total of five maps and a single game mode of launch. Those maps are a decent size and feature some randomization, but after only 4 or 5 hours, I felt I’d pretty much mastered them. I give IllFonic credit for not stuffing the game with microtransactions at launch, but with the lack of content on offer, $40 is a big ask, particularly given how thin the source material is. While IllFonic has vaguely promised some post-launch content is on the way, I question how many scarves they can pull out of their sleeves.

While the new Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door preserves the gonzo charm that made the original game a cult classic, not a lot has been done to deal with its padding and other design quirks. If you’re a hardcore Thousand-Year Door fan, worry not, you’re going to love this spiffy new version. If you’re new to the game or weren’t entirely sold the first time around, you’re still likely to find plenty to enjoy here, but you may also notice a few tattered edges.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps virtually the same scope and structure of the independent triple-A game made in 2017 by Ninja Theory. The story is just as poignant, the visuals are stunning, and the experience is one that every Game Pass user should check out for themselves. However, those hoping for a more traditional game in the vein of the God of War reboot will inevitably be disappointed, and this is unlikely to have nearly that level of success, which is what Microsoft still desperately needs.

Solid core mechanics are not enough to make Die by the Blade the compelling spiritual sequel of the Bushido Blade series fans have been waiting for a long time. Bland character design, clunky animations, horrendously slow progression system, extreme lack of content and mediocre visuals are only some of the issues that mar an experience that is very hard to recommend to anyone in its current state.

Homeworld 3 marks a successful return to a long-revered series. Bringing back the successful space strategy series, but improving the combat by a large amount with a more tactical approach, Blackbird Interactive has successfully made their mark. With exceptional tactical combat, made all the more important by the fact that everything carries over, and one bad mistake could cripple you much further down the line. The additional War Games mode only enhances this, making for a very engaging title.

Animal Well is a fantastic breakout title from both a new developer and publishing studio. Fans of Fez and Tunic will feel right at home jumping into this well.

V Rising may not have the deepest survival game mechanics around, but that is hardly a problem. The game crafted by Stunlock Studios masterfully weaves mechanics from very different genres to provide an experience like any other on the market. While solo players may find the experience becoming a little stale over time, everyone else will find plenty of reasons to remain in this world, whether it's to perfect their characters or build the most haunting vampire castle ever seen.

Endless Ocean Luminous offers some agreeable laid-back moments, but a lack of depth and complexity, even compared to the 15-year-old Wii entries in the series, waters down the game’s appeal. Endless Ocean Luminous was always destined to be a niche product, but even the diehards may find the game’s narrow focus on procedural generation and unexceptional online play over almost anything else a bit fishy.

Sand Land is a fitting farewell to Akira Toriyama as the game elevates itself above most digital adaptations of his work, delivering a well-presented story, solid action, and satisfying exploration. Some aspects of the game’s design may be a bit overfamiliar for open-world veterans, but newer players and fans just looking to explore a fresh world from the master will likely enjoy burying themselves in this sandy adventure.

Taking a step back from Kim Hung Tae's character designs for a moment, Stellar Blade is a phenomenal action RPG that evolves from the framework of NieR Replicant and NieR Automata to become one of the next cult classics.

The Dead Island 2 SoLa DLC is a much better expansion than the previous one, featuring the same enticing blend of wacky characters and explosive zombie slaying action of the base game. The new additions, however, don't expand the core gameplay significantly, making the expansion a worthy purchase only for the most die-hard fans of Dambuster Studios' rendition of zombie-infested Los Angeles.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU proves that innovation isn't always necessary to craft a compelling experience. With its heartfelt story, compelling protagonist, and solid metroidvania gameplay featuring excellent pacing, Zau's journey is one that resonates, especially for those grappling with similar grief to the young shaman.

So far, I'm having a lot of fun with Top Spin 2K25, though there are some obvious shortcomings, like the lack of online doubles and custom matches, the very limited roster of pro players, and the too-long rallies. I'll reserve final judgment after proper testing of the 2K and World Tour modes when they go live.

While its premise, story beats and main characters echo Suikoden II a little bit too much, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes manages to stand on its own with a compelling tale, excellent characterization, classic JRPG gameplay and great presentation, which make it easy to look past some of its shortcomings, such as balancing and minor gameplay issues. The world of Allraan may never get into the spotlight again due to the unfortunate departure of its creator, but it is undeniable that it couldn't have been introduced to JRPG fans in a better way.

Harold Halibut is an extraordinary accomplishment in a lot of ways, presenting a gorgeously-realized handcrafted world and a story swimming with unique sci-fi ideas and affecting emotional beats. Unfortunately, a lack of stimulating puzzles or gameplay results in a title that delivers quite nicely on a surface movie-like level, but doesn't dive as deep as you might expect.

REVEIL feels like a game that tries to be like its inspirations but fails to deliver on what makes them stand out. The game doesn't appropriately do much with the potential it has and the atmosphere and tension it builds doesn't really go anywhere. The twist at the end also comes out of nowhere and exists only to deliver a shock that really isn't deserved.

South Park: Snow Day! is a roguelike shooter experience that is short and extremely mediocre to the point of being bad. While it isn't incredibly broken, it still fails to provide a meaningful experience, especially compared to the games that came before it. The shift from 2D to 3D isn't important at all. Rather, it's the incredibly repetitive and boring approach it takes alongside its formulaic plotline that makes it feel like one of the worst episodes in the series.

Rise of the Ronin struggles to find its identity in ways that hinder what would otherwise be one of Team Ninja's finest works. A compelling story told against the backdrop of the 1850s Bakumatsu Period is instead overshadowed by a vapid and uninspired open-world setting and a narrative that rarely feels like the player has agency.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is a treat, offering fun, approachable, and excitingly diverse gameplay as well as the most appealing (and downright cool) version of Nintendo's heroine to date. The game is fairly brief and has some performance hiccups, but its target audience of younger players, and those just wanting to see Peach ditch the damsel role, will likely be too busy applauding her latest turn in the limelight to care.

This review may read quite negatively, but it's only because of the lofty expectations that surrounded Dragon's Dogma 2. The original game was an amazing foundation to build upon, and yet CAPCOM seemed content with keeping the same strengths without improving much on the weaknesses. Twelve years later, though, the effect cannot be the same. Still, make no mistake: Dragon's Dogma 2 is a highly enjoyable fantasy action/adventure with RPG elements that will provide you with about 40 hours of pure fun. Its peerless sense of exploration, meaty combat system, and stunning visuals will motivate you throughout the entire playthrough. Just don't expect to find a fantasy world simulator or, indeed, a narrative worth remembering.

Alone in the Dark is the best entry in the franchise in over two decades, although there wasn’t much competition for that title. So-so combat, technical issues, and a frustrating lack of consistency sometimes cast a shadow over the game, and yet, there’s still something enticing here. The game’s intricately-designed Derceto Manor hub, thick Lovecraftian atmosphere, and surprisingly-varied level design ought to be enough to light a spark of enthusiasm in some hardcore survival horror fans’ dark hearts.

Outcast - A New Beginning is a missed opportunity, abandoning the unique elements of its predecessor for a conventional open-world design that doesn't work well. With uninspired open-world exploration, clunky movement, lackluster combat, and mediocre quest design, it's a hard sell for everyone but Cutter Slade's biggest fans who wish to know how the character's story continues, as there are far superior titles on the market that have executed similar concepts much more effectively.

With its excellent level design, challenging gameplay, and twists on the classic formula, Contra: Operation Galuga offers a compelling reimagining of one of the most beloved arcade games ever made. However, despite its strengths, the game's short campaign length, limited amount of content and lack of online multiplayer may deter some players, especially considering its price. While the inclusion of extra characters and a Challenge Mode adds some variety, they fail to provide a good reason to continue playing the game after having gone through the eight stages multiple times.

While The Outlast Trials is a game that can be completed, it has many issues that currently keep it from being a fun experience. The game is very repetitive and cumbersome while the balance that it has is all over the place. Unfortunately, these issues seem to be only fixable with a lot of reworks and massive patches. Even then, it still won't address the boring gameplay loop and the lack of actual challenge outside of modifiers that only exist to make the game even more frustrating. This is a game that only hardcore Outlast fans can be invested on and thus, it is hard to recommend.

With the release of WWE 2K24 this series no longer feels like a carny outcast amongst the other big sports franchises. While the game’s core action could stand to be even further refined, fun new mechanics, match types, and a fully-developed suite of modes, including significantly improved Showcase and MyGM offerings, are worth cheering for. While maybe not quite the total package just yet, WWE 2K24 feels like it’s ready for the bright lights.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes the second chapter of Cloud Strife's struggle to save the planet he calls home and surpasses the highs of Final Fantasy VII Remake in every way.

It can be difficult to square the decade-plus Skull and Bones development cycle with its lack of features in some areas, but this isn’t the wreck many expected it to be. The game’s naval combat is simple yet engaging, its world is striking, ship customization is satisfying, and there are plenty of varied things to do, even if most of them don’t involve getting off your ship. Skull and Bones can be repetitive and it doesn’t exactly capture that devil-may-care pirate lifestyle, but keep expectations in check and there’s fun to be had sailing these pleasantly predictable seas.

Helldivers 2 is broken at launch. That much is almost unquestionable. The game has many high highs and also abysmally low lows. While I can recommend it for players who are seeking a good time due to the physics and the wacky situations a group of players can find themselves in at lower difficulties, it also is a tough recommendation for players seeking thrills with challenging yet fair content. That may change in the future if the developers can fix all the bugs and connection problems.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong may lack the razzle dazzle of its stars’ more recent games, but this remake still has the power to hook players with its tried-and-true retro platforming and a finely-tuned difficulty curve that culminates in some challenges that will truly test your mind and reflexes. Those who have played the original Mario vs. DK to death may not find quite enough new content here, but lapsed fans and new players are in for a barrel of fun.

There's little doubt Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is Don't Nod's finest action game yet. I would also venture to say it's one of their best games, period, and it's also a great action RPG in its own right thanks to enjoyable combat, a big world with lots of content to explore and interesting stories to experience, and particularly for the amazing couple of lover protagonists.

Persona 3 Reload marks an excellent return to the game that really started the love for the franchise. Bringing in many of the elements that made later games great, modernising the original, it makes for an excellent way to introduce yourself to a classic, or to go back and re-experience the classic in a new way.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has a sprinkling of that classic Rocksteady charm, delivering polished visuals, fluid traversal and combat, and some snappy repartee, but the whole experience is bogged down by dreary, repetitive mission design, empty live service elements, and a feel-bad story that’s mean-spirited to the point of feeling oddly resentful. Perhaps most damning, not even the thing promised in the game’s title – fighting and dispatching the Justice League – ends up being particularly fun or memorable. Those who really want to see what becomes of the Arkhamverse may not be able to resist picking this up, but I suggest waiting for a steep discount before subjecting yourself to this tedious team-up.

With a unique twist that gives it a puzzle-game feel, Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior is a solid title that definitely stands out in the hack-and-slash genre. The emphasis on combat, the absence of RPG-like mechanics, and reliance on trial-and-error impact the experience slightly, making the game a worthwhile purchase only for die-hard fans of the genre who are tired of the constant grind for better loot.

Granblue Fantasy Relink offers plenty of options for players to engage with in terms of content. It's an action RPG that is easy to pick up and difficult to master when it comes to its character roster choices and mechanics. However, when you get to the deeper aspects of it, it doesn't offer much of note compared to its peers. Still, the way the game delivers its narrative as well as how impressive and tough its boss fights are is definitely worth bringing up. Overall, this is a solid game that could have been a bit more intricate.

An 80-plus hour rollercoaster of emotions and crime drama, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the perfect way to send off Kazuma Kiryu's lineage and pass the mantle on to the self proclaimed hero Ichiban Kasuga.

Featuring cutting-edge visuals for fighting games and exceptional learning tools, Tekken 8 stands out as one of the best releases in the fighting game genre over the last few years. While the netcode is generally acceptable, regrettably, it falls short of replicating the seamless offline experience. This drawback significantly affects the overall experience, way more than the limited amount of single player content, and somewhat diminishes the effectiveness of the game's outstanding learning tools, particularly for those unable to engage in offline multiplayer matches.

The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings some of the most divisive entries in the series with some needed improvements to the aesthetics. While it doesn't do much to improve on their flaws, it is still the definitive way to experience each of these games and relive the next chapters in the story of the original Ace Attorney trilogy.

Another Code: Recollection may seem a bit quaint compared to some of the visual novels and narrative adventures that have come along since Cing’s games helped reinvigorate those genres, but there’s an undeniable easygoing charm to these stories, characters, and world. This collection also completely revamps the original games’ puzzles, usually for the better, meaning even Cing veterans are in for a fresh experience. Another Code: Recollection may not break much new ground, but it satisfyingly evokes memories of a simpler time.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown couldn't have brought back the series after its more than a decade-long hiatus in a better way. With an engaging story, well-crafted Metroidvania mechanics, and a touch of character-action games features in its combat system, Sargon's adventure will be remembered by fans for a long time, even with its minor issues.

Would I recommend UNDYING? You know what, I would. I've got to hand it to developers Vanimals; they have a strange studio name. More than simply being a good game, UNDYING has a decent amount of replay value due to multiple endings, random events, and the time limit, meaning it'll be impossible to see everything. I'll go back to it, which is rare.

With its roguelite take on the base game's formula, engaging story, decent amount of new content and excellent accessibility, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is a great expansion that is worthy of any God of War's fans time. The focus on combat may turn some players off, but it's only a minor issue in an expansion that could have been easily sold as paid DLC.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora pulls you in with its dazzling world, then pushes you away its frustrating combat. After a play session I 80 percent enjoyed, I’d leave with a sour taste in my mouth after repeatedly banging my head against some maddening RDA outpost. If you can handle this push and pull, there is plenty to enjoy here. Frontier of Pandora’s main campaign will take you around 20 hours, more if you’re easily distracted, and 100 percenting the game is at least a 40-hour effort. Whether you’ll actually want to explore until your face is blue is up to you.

The Lamplighters League is an interesting and ambitious, albeit flawed, tactical adventure which invokes the fantastical elements of Indiana Jones (plus you're fighting Nazi's). The blow by blow gameplay is well developed and features interesting and varied characters, in both gameplay and narrative, but is let down by a large amount of repetition. A few technical flaws also let the game down in a market where stronger competition has already done the game thing. It's a decent game, and you could have a good time with it, but one to pick up on discount.

With the great amount of love for the setting that was poured into the game evident from every line of dialogue and every little detail, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is one of the best games based on the universe created by Games Workshop, and a solid tactical turn-based role-playing game that can provide hundreds of hours of fun. However, while the lack of innovation isn't a major setback thanks to its high-quality campaign, the presence of bugs and frustrating mechanics prevents it from being a must-have for all RPG enthusiasts, limiting its appeal beyond Warhammer 40,000 and Owlcat Games fans.

Parking Tycoon: Business Simulator is exactly what you expect it to be. It's a functional "quick" simulation game in the same vein as so many releasing now. It's not bad, but with a very narrow focus, it loses steam incredibly quickly. With a reliance on time-wasting to pad the playtime, this is one that you could pick up cheaply and enjoy.

A weak campaign with an unsatisfactory cliffhanger resolution, a Zombies map that's little more than rebranded DMZ, and a selection of multiplayer maps taken straight from Modern Warfare II (2009), Modern Warfare III barely stands up on its own merits, especially if you've thrown countless hours into last year's entry and have plenty to carry forward.