The Surge 2: Kraken is a good addition to the base game because it adds an easy way to level up.

Despite an extended stay in Game Preview, Ooblets' 1.0 launch has been plagued with glitches. Still, the charmingly quirky game developed by a small indie studio is hard not to love.

Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a facelifted update on a last-gen hack-and-slash favorite. While the updated graphics to add to the flair of the game, it's repetitive and simplistic gameplay may be a turn off for some gamers. If you enjoyed the original on Xbox 360, then this is a great game to play for nostalgia value.

Astria Ascending's 2D puzzle platforming blended with turn-based combat and stunning art style does all the heavy lifting to keep players interested as the game's writing feels a bit generic.

Shenmue III is a good game, but feels quite dated.

FIFA 22 adds some big improvements to the way the game functions, and better yet, makes the game feel even better as you play. Add to that some big changes to modes like Career Mode, and FIFA 22 is a huge improvement from past entries.

The Siege of Paris takes us to a brand-new location and brings back the wonderful black box assassination missions from Unity, but mostly fails to provide a compelling narrative to back that up. Like Wrath of the Druids before it, a few new gameplay mechanics don't prevent The Siege of Paris from being more of the same.

If you're looking for something easy and simple to pick up and play with your friends, Strange Brigade is definitely worth considering...However, if you're interested in something more challenging and intense, or simply want something with better presentation, Strange Brigade isn't the title for you.

A great addition to any city management gamer's library, Buildings Have Feelings Too! uses limited resources and space to craft complex puzzles wrapped up in a charming setting.

The Viking setting and Norse mythological themes make for a perfectly interesting alternative to Diablo's standard holy-warriors-versus-demons setting.

For more casual fans there's much more on offer there albeit without the real-life licensing. It's got more modes, more vehicle types and ultimately, more longevity before you have to think about the multiplayer option. It also doesn't implement any artificially bad handling.

The narrative genre often takes a closer look at human emotions, something we don't often see in other genres. Blackwood Crossing takes a bold leap into examining emotions and family dynamics, tackling subjects such as love and grief, separation and moving on. It's a topic that lends itself well to the genre, as the minimalistic gameplay places a magnifying glass over the narrative the game competently weaves.

This year's WWE game has a lot to love, from the huge roster to the revamped MyCareer mode. But it also suffers from the same old issues, such as the lack of a proper comprehensive tutorial, stiff and unintuitive controls, rough character models, and a general lack of polish.

Though there are some glaring flaws in the gameplay systems, it's still a fun title, and the enjoyable visuals and music help make it worth your time.

Journey to the Savage Planet is full of breathtaking alien environments that you're encouraged to explore. I loved solving all of its puzzles and scanning each new flora and fauna I came across, but the shooting mechanics and world-building could use some more work.

Wizard with a Gun from Devolver Digital and Galvanic Games successfully builds an enthralling apocalyptic world with unique time and magic-based mechanics to power its addictive, roguelite gameplay loop. Some rough performance and visual edges detract from the magic, though.

Star Trek: Infinite is a fun strategy game and a great entry point to the genre for newcomers that doesn't cost as much as many big games, but a plethora of bugs bog down the gameplay and mission design.

For the first time in years, NHL 24 feels like a brand-new hockey game made for a modern generation. The addition of some much-needed gameplay features makes for a great time, but relatively unchanged game modes make this more of a small leap than a big jump.

Scorn presents one of the most visually striking and untouchably atmospheric game worlds in recent memory. Ebb Software also admirably challenges horror gameplay conventions and profoundly examines humanity's insatiable desires. Unfortunately, the crawling pace might deter players from seeing it through.

A tough as nails puzzler that in some ways blows Portal out of the airlock for its brain-bending antics. Those familiar with Pneuma: Breath of Life will find The Turing Test very much in the same vein. You'll explore and you'll work out puzzles in order to progress, all with some kind of social or humanistic undertone such as the meaning of life — or whether AIs will one day overthrow humankind and we will all be fleshy meat-slaves to our new robotic overlords.

Black Desert is a great MMORPG, but it needs more technical polish on Xbox One. Even on Xbox One X, it's far from perfect due to its lighting and performance problems. Unfortunately, it also lacks a lot of the content found on the PC version. Pearl Abyss has promised a series of updates which will bring over new regions and features, but it's unclear how long that will take.

This episode feels significantly shorter than episodes from other franchises, but it isn't. Three hours just flew by and you won't miss any achievements because they're all chapter based.

World of Warcraft: Midnight is the middle act of the Worldsoul saga. Xal'atath has succeeded in her plan to subvert Azeroth's champions once again, potentially leading the planet to ruin. But hey, at least you'll have a cozy house to wait out the apocalypse in. Midnight is potentially one of the most pivotal expansions in recent WoW history, but the expansion is creaking under the weight of its sheer ambition. A variety of bugs, gameplay disruption, and polish issues hold back what is otherwise a very solid expansion.

New Tales from the Borderlands is a solid narrative adventure game, but it fails to live up to the standards set by the original. Even though it has great gameplay systems and presentation, the story's disjointed structure, lack of adequate character development, and spotty comedic writing left me feeling disappointed.

Zau's journey with grief is compounded by his desire to be a valued member of his society, and to fill the empty footsteps left behind by his father's death. Surgent Studio's efforts to twist the heartbreaking experience of a son mourning his father with metroidvania style gameplay gives homage to how one person's time with grief is not always linear. Just as grief presents new challenges, we learn new tools to cope with the obstacles. It is an excellent juxtaposition that is marred with some frustrating technical issues and the need for just a bit more polish.

Mafia 3 isn't without its problems, but they should be overshadowed by the depth of the story of the game. It is really carried through its use of narrative cut scenes, which unfortunately lets the gameplay elements of Mafia 3 down by a wide margin.

WWE 2K22 adds some big improvements to core functions like gameplay and combat, while also introducing new modes like MyGM that make the game feel much fresher. Add to that a big graphical overhaul, and WWE 2K22 is a major step forward for this franchise.

Combat and platforming controls remain unchanged, which benefits Soul Reaver 1 but hinders Soul Reaver 2 and its clunky movement tweaks. Both games flaunt lavish character upgrades and stunning re-renders of the original's cutscenes. Still, environment texture upscales are often unnoticeable, and the lack of video options is a sore point, especially as the all-new map screen misbehaves on 16:10 screens at launch.