Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is the definitive version of this classic strategy game. The gameplay is simple to understand but challenging, and the formula holds up as much today as it did when the game was first released 16 years ago. The presentation is absolutely clean all around, and the number of modes ensures that it'll take some time before you can truly explore everything on offer. Having an online option would've been nice, but considering how nothing really valuable was removed from this iteration, the lack of online play at launch is fine. Longtime fans of the series will immediately be happy with this game, while newcomers will be in for a very fun-filled ride.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a darn function action game that unfortunately avoids the heights that one might expect, given the pedigree of the developers. The very fun core combat shines, but everything surrounding it feels underbaked. The rushed ending and lackluster second character keep it from shining as brightly as it should. It's still a fun character action game with some satisfying and meaty combat, and it's something that fans of the genre should enjoy.

You'll have a good experience with Arcade Archives 2: Ace Combat 22, provided you know what you're getting into. The gameplay loop is quite simple, and the experience seems short, at least initially, which might make it a tough sell for more casual players. When you start diving into the game mechanics and the various difficulty levels (and inherent differences), you'll find a title that appeals to both high score-chasers and completionists due to the various possible campaign paths. Those looking to add to their current arcade collection will find this game to be a great addition to that library, especially since it never received a home port before. Everyone else will find a game that has a surprising amount of depth, despite its quarter-munching roots.

Keeper is a keeper. The story is good, but the method in which it is told is memorable because few other games try to do it effectively. The gameplay is simple to grasp, with only a few puzzles that are challenging and only a few instances when the camera is a hindrance. Fans of adventure games will enjoy this short experience with good pacing and a solid presentation.

Arcade Archives: Super Dimension Fortress Macross II is a great addition to Hamster's lineup because it's such a distinct shooter. You normally don't see a caravan-style shooter, so the game immediately feels different when compared to the other shoot-'em-up titles for retro enthusiasts. The presence of different difficulty levels gives the game some legs, as does the fact that you need some actual skill to beat the game instead of using infinite continues. The game features a solid audio and visual presentation, so shooting fans will find a lot to like in this game.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a very good game and a distinct title for the Switch 2's launch library. The various mechanics blend together quite well — and in a way that doesn't feel like padding. The pacing does a good job of keeping you interested without using scenarios that overstay their welcome. With a solid presentation to back up everything, Kunitsu-Gami is an experience that will remain as intriguing as it does now. For those looking to bolster their Switch 2 library, Kunitsu-Gami is a wonderful title to have in the collection.

Absolum is pretty much everything you could want in a roguelike beat-'em-up. It's engaging, constantly varied, fun to play, gorgeous to look at, and it's pretty much a nonstop good time. The only way I can see a fan of the beat-'em-up genre not liking Absolum is if they don't like roguelikes. Even then, I could see it melting some hearts. It's a delight from start to finish, and the game is nearly impossible to put down.

Star Wars: Beyond Victory is a neat experience. The Adventure mode does a good job of mixing together VR and mixed reality while telling a good story in the beloved universe. The racing is novel yet forgiving when you consider the viewpoint, while the Playset mode is pretty neat if you're into posing action figures in semi-ridiculous ways. Unfortunately, the entire experience is fun but pretty short (even by VR standards), making this feel like a fleeting experience.

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is an excellent kart racer from start to finish. It's not just good for a Sonic game but arguably the best kart racer this year, and that's saying something in a year that gave us a new Mario Kart. It's easy to pick up, fun to play, packed with details for fans of the characters, and it remains accessible to newcomers. It's unbelievably fun to blitz around a corner, pop a boost, and rocket through a portal into a land of dinosaurs. If you're looking for a good racer, then Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is everything you could want.

Star Wars Outlaws is a very solid title for fans of big, open-world adventures. Although the Ubisoft open-world formula can feel a little too familiar, it still fits well in the Star Wars universe. Even if some of the systems feel half-baked, the combat and stealth feel good enough, especially if you strictly play on Nintendo consoles. An open world that doesn't go into the expected Star Wars tropes is always welcome. The presentation pushes the console without devolving into a broken mess, and it's a good showcase for the system's capabilities.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is the gold standard for a remake of a good game. It expands and improves upon the original without losing any of the charm that made the original game shine. Its flaws are more with the original work than anything the remake did incorrectly. In terms of basic gameplay, it's probably the most enjoyable and well-designed Trails game to date. It also marks the perfect entry point to the Trails franchise, and there's no better way to figure out if this series is for you.

Digimon Story Time Stranger is everything I could imagine a Digimon fan wanting. It's a fun adventure through a digital world, and all of your favorite collectible monsters are there for the ride. The combat system is fun and clear-cut, and it has just enough teeth to feel compelling. Customizing and creating your ideal Digimon is a whole lot of fun. The only real negative is that it feels a bit unpolished in places, and you need to have some of fondness for Digimon to get into the game. It's an excellent experience for fans, but perhaps it's one worth waiting until a few patches have rolled out.

Dying Light: The Beast is a big improvement over Dying Light 2 and avoids feeling like an expanded piece of DLC. At its core, it has the same familiar gameplay that the franchise knows and loves, but there's a degree of polish and flavor that its predecessor was missing. Only a somewhat lackluster plot and disappointing Beast Mode drag down the game, but they won't get in the way of a fun European zombie vacation.

As stated before, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is the best way to experience what is otherwise an average platformer. The game isn't challenging, but it remains a solidly constructed platformer with improvements and changes in the right places. The game looks and sounds as great as it plays, and while it is fairly short by today's standards, that doesn't detract from the overall fun factor. For genre fans, this is a good addition to the library, even if you already have the original iteration from a few console generations ago.

Ghost of Yotei is automatically one of my favorite games of 2025. It comes at a time when people just want to kick some ass in the most beautiful settings imaginable, and it's one of the more satisfying plays you'll find on the PS5. It's the most fun you'll have checking off a to-do list.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is perhaps the best version of an already amazing game. All of its strengths are front and center, and any flaws were present in the original game, even if they're amplified in some cases. Even if you dislike the changes, the classic version is still makes it still an excellent way to experience the game, assuming you don't miss the War of the Lions bonus features. Final Fantasy Tactics remains a classic and a must-play for any fans of strategy RPGs or the Final Fantasy franchise.

Your mileage with Baby Steps will vary greatly. The heavy use of physics and intentionally awkward controls make a game that is designed to be frustrating, even when you feel like you're starting to master the mechanics. This frustration has the potential to be absolutely hilarious if you enjoy misfortune. The absurdity of the cut scenes and how you trigger them only makes the game even funnier. The lack of expected quality of life features somehow makes the game feel more enjoyable. If you frustrate easily and lack the patience to deal with intentional jank, then this game isn't for you. If you are prone to laughing at silly mistakes, then you'll be rewarded with a distinct experience that's worth checking out.

Silent Hill f is a slow-burn horror game that doesn't put its best foot forward, but once it has its hooks in you, they're not coming out. The compelling and well-crafted story does a fantastic job of drawing you in and keeping you invested, even potentially through multiple playthroughs. The combat mechanics can feel a tad overdone. I think Silent Hill f is the best entirely new entry in the franchise in ages, and while it has its flaws, it shows that there's still plenty of life in Konami's franchise.

All that said, the biggest compliment I can give EA Sports Madden NFL 26is that I look forward to playing it again. That wasn't always the case. But for all its shortcomings, I still like seeing my created player running around on the screen as part of a beautiful and immersive on-field presentation. I enjoy the football being played. I like having the sense of control over the fate of my team, and I like all of the options Franchise Mode presents for me to exercise that control. I enjoy Madden again, and that's a start.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a great example of a game that might be inspired by something else but nonetheless manages to be darn fun on its own. It's easy to write it off as a Hades knockoff, but there's enough fun in this game to enjoy it on its own merits. The core mechanics can occasionally be a touch awkward, and the narrative never really grabbed me, but the moment-to-moment gameplay was plenty of fun. If you're looking for a different flavor of action-RPG adventure, Towa hits the mark.

There are two ways to look at Bubsy in: The Purrfect Collection. The games aren't that great. The first Bubsy game is tolerable, but each sequel has enough bad design decisions that you need the patience of a saint and a healthy helping of cheats and the rewind function to want to reach the end. As far as being an interactive historical archive, this collection is only matched by Atari 50 and the like. It's packed with enough extras and behind-the-scenes material to be fascinating — even for those who aren't fans of the series. Ultimately, it is good that this compilation exists, as even the bad games should be preserved for future generations. The chances that you'll actually want to play anything are very slim.

Losing game after game can be frustrating, but when you finally nail that perfect run, the endorphin rush is exhilarating. Ridge Racer is a game that inspired a legion of others, and it is also a game that holds up on its own. Sitting down to play today is just as thrilling as it was in 1993, and the new leaderboards ensure there is always a reason to take "one more lap."

LEGO Voyagers is an awesome co-op experience that lasts for just the right amount of time. In four hours of playtime, you'll get a delightful little puzzle platformer with good, simple puzzles and lots of heart, even if there isn't dialogue to drive things along. The presentation is fantastic, and even though the game has a few minor issues, players should give this game a shot if they're a genre fan looking for a new co-op game to play.

In the end, Dead Reset is a fun romp despite its limitations. The acting is quite good and does a good job of carrying a story that contains a few plot holes. The major branching points don't happen until the very end, but this game is enjoyable, and the experience doesn't overstay its welcome . While this isn't the type of game to change anyone's mind about the limitations of the interactive movie, it's fun enough that you'll want to complete at least one run before thinking about moving on to something else.

Katanaut is a perfectly fun but ultimately rather forgettable Dead Cells-style title. It's perfectly competent at what it sets out to do, and the strong presentation goes a long way, but at the end of the day, it doesn't manage to carve out its own identity. It's absolutely worth a shot if you're burned out on similar games, but don't expect quite as much replay value.

Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots is fine overall. The core gameplay experience remains unchanged, the performance is solid, and the modes are plentiful enough to keep you occupied for a very long time, even if that means that unlocking the roster can feel like a grind. However, the courses you play are merely fine, some of the mechanics feel dated, and the presentation lacks polish. Longtime fans may pick up this title anyway, considering how long it has been between entries. More casual fans will have a good time, but don't go in expecting the high standards of the previous titles in the franchise.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a weird sequel that doesn't manage to feel like an expansion on the first game, but it doesn't manage to be its own beast either. It exists in a middle ground between trying to reinvent the franchise and trying to keep what people liked from the first game, but I'm not quite sure it managed to meet either. It's not a bad game, but it feels disjointed and unfocused enough that it also lacks anything to strongly recommend it.

Cronos: The New Dawn feels like an average game coming on the heels of the amazing Silent Hill 2 remake. The reasonably fun gunplay is dragged down by a lackluster story and occasional moments of annoyance. It has a lot of cool ideas, but none of them quite hit the mark in the way I hoped. It's still a perfectly fun little survival horror romp but doesn't quite go anywhere above that. It's absolutely worth a shot if you're looking for something to fill the Dead Space-shaped hole in your heart, but it could've used a little extra punch.