The game is relatively not punishing yet not easy, and it does have that Nintendo polish on it. It’s incredibly engaging as long as you accept this game for what it is (which is not Yoshi’s Island). In comparison to other games Good-Feel has done for Nintendo, this is one of their best and that’s because it’s not trying to be Yoshi’s Island or Kirby’s Dream Land with a cute aesthetic, but a new type of game using a familiar move set… and it’s much better than their last outing Princess Peach: Showtime!

My time overall with the charismatic James Bond was a very well written spy story that will have you guessing who the bad guys are and who are the good guys for many hours. The cinematics are outstanding and visually the game looks amazing albeit with a few glitches here and there. The gadgets were fun to use but could have had more variety. The driving sequences could have been tighter, and the combat could use a tweak. But for the most part as a first installment in a long time for this storied spy master, I think it hits its target. Hopefully they will continue and grow this franchise in the future.

At the end of the day Mina the Hollower is a good game that cannot get out of its own way. I appreciate the inclusion of modifiers so that anyone, regardless of skill level or patience, can experience the game from start to finish. It accomplishes what it sets out to do which is to marry the top-down Zelda experience with the difficulty of a Soulslike. In that respect it is extremely well made and if that sounds like your jam, this could be a game of the year contender for you. For me, I enjoyed my time with it in spite of itself. I’m curious to see where this franchise goes next.

The Adventures of Elliot is a great progression of the 2D-HD style. It brings a new genre into the mix with solid results. There are things here I would definitely change, the excessive dialogue being at the top of that list, but for a first effort, it stands out. If you are like me and craving that Zelda-style adventure, this is definitely worth a look.

Sudden Strike 5 is a fun RTS game that plays really well on console which fans know is a rarity. With some great graphics and effects that help to immerse players in the WW2 theater of war, this is a great experience on the XBOX Series X. I love that there was less focus on base building and more on the moment-to-moment action and strategy involved to win these games. I just wish there was better control and identification when it came to commanding your units.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is an outstanding return to the formula. Fans of the Dark Knight will be pleasantly surprised at all the suits, songs, and storylines included. If they could figure out how to cater to solo players a little more, it would be nearly perfect. As it stands this is a game you need to play if you have any affinity for Batman at all. It is just pure joy 99% of the time, and I cannot wait to collect everything it has to offer.

My time with Star Fire : The Eternal Cycle was, for the most part enjoyable. The game looks and plays very well, and for this being Ethereal Fish Studios first attempt at a game, I don’t think you could go wrong by picking this up and giving it a try. The title on the Microsoft store retails for $16.99 which is reasonable for a title such as this. There are a lot worse games you could sink more money into buying. If you enjoy the rogue lite genre and like side scrolling beat ‘em ups, then you will probably like this game. If you are looking for fast paced action, you’ve come to the right place. If you are looking for story… you might walk away feeling a little underwhelmed.

As a noob to UFC in general I really had a good time playing UFC 6. Coming in fresh I felt like the developers did a good job of kind of easing me into things. I do think it’s weird that the customization in this is a shadow of what is offered for players of the 2K sports games but it works. With some incredible visuals, and a dope physics engine that adds to the charm of the game, UFC 6 managed to land more punches than it missed with me. I may not be a full-on fan for life, but I will be coming back to this game to try my hands at some multiplayer.

The Rugrats Retro Rewind Collection is a novelty at best. The games included are nothing special and the extras are disappointing to say the least. I was really hoping for more with this one. I cannot recommend this to anyone outside the die-hard Rugrats fans who can look past its mediocrity and just enjoy it as a sort of time capsule.

Warhammer 40K Speed Freeks should be commended for trying to fill the enormous Twisted Metal-sized hole that the gaming industry has had for so many years. With an Ork faction who literally seems designed for this, some massive maps and plenty of over-the-top vehicles and weapons; one would think it would have made a bigger dent than it did. Sadly, though the game fails to bring something new and interesting to the battlefield. If you are a Warhammer 40K video game fan as I am, I’d suggest just waiting for a sale on this one.

As the content here feels more akin to a very generous demo than a complete package. I really like the idea of Thick as Thieves, but in its current iteration it has found it self stuck between its PvP past and its Co-Op future and try as it might, to me, Thick as Thieves is trying to cater to both audiences and in the end satisfying neither.

As much as I wanted to like going back to relive some of my childhood memories, this game just doesn’t quite hit the mark. And it made me question when did these types of games become so hard? With its hard levels and limited gameplay modes, I don’t think this is for me. And even if you are a super fan of the series, I would wait to play this till they work out a couple bugs and the game comes down in price.

I had an absolute blast revisiting this game and even did a bit more of the side stuff this time around. The Remake project has improved with each entry so far, and I really hope the final entry will continue this level of excellence. I do hope Square-Enix takes the time to fix this Xbox version though. It is really disappointing to see the state it is currently in. Fix the camera judder and the VRR implementation so we can enjoy the game as it should be. Still, I cannot recommend this game enough, it was my 2024 game of the year, and I am happy it is finally releasing on these two consoles.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 is an amazing upgrade for the series. Between improvements to the narrative and all the new mechanics this finally feels like a series that has come into its own. While it is not going to appeal to everyone, for fans of the monster taming genre; Monster Hunter Stories 3 has the chops to stand with the big dogs and shouldn’t be missed.

Ariana and the Elder Codex is a decent metroidvania and one fans of the genre who are desperate for another game to play might enjoy. However, due to its predictable story, uninteresting characters and some notable flaws with visibility/unbalanced difficulty, it’s also one that’s harder to recommend than some others in the genre.

Overall, Bubsy 4D had my attention and when it hits, it is fun to play. Sadly, most of the time it just isn’t. I tried very hard to love this game, and while it is the best Bubsy game to date, it still falls short to most similar platformers. Thirty plus years later I am still waiting for the Bubsy game that will be considered a classic, but at this point I feel it just might not be in the cards for everyone’s favorite bobcat.

I absolutely loved Echo Generation 2 and it will undoubtedly be on my Game of the Year list for 2026. Its narratives mix of charm, horror, comedy and heart is something delighted and kept me guessing as I played it. And with the game launching on XBOX Game Pass, I really hope a lot of players take the opportunity to experience what I am calling one of the year’s best RPGs.

Overall, Vampire Crawlers is a fun and somewhat addicting game that is easy to get into and challenging enough to keep you playing even if the content seems a little on the slim side. And in the immortal words of Leslie Nelson from Dracula: Dead and Loving It, “I’m drinking vine (wine) and eating chicken!” but in this case, its floor chickens.

Invincible VS is a great addition to the growing media empire for its source material. The arcade type endings for each character are hit-and-miss, but the story mode ends up being solid; if a tad short. Developer Quarter Up are to be commended on dropping a fighting game that eases players in with its mechanics and for having a solid roster, but most of all the love that this team has for the license can be felt in each punch and heard in all the voice lines. This one has been a long time coming, I just hope we get more.

The Forza Horizon series is still my favorite current racing game series, but the formula is starting to wear out its welcome. I was really hoping to see some more dynamic changes to the main career mode, instead for players who only engage with that aspect, it feels a lot like FH5 in a new map. If you are a creation junkie, this game adds a lot. Either way no one can deny the quality of this title. It is massive, has tons of content, and runs and plays like a dream. There is little to complain about in a technical sense. Add in the fact that players have access to the game if they have Game Pass and it is a no-brainer. Forza Horizon 6 is a quality video game that is just in need of some updates to its core formula.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is a phenomenal experience for newcomers as well as long time fans of the show. Like I said at the outset, I can’t think of a better fit for a roguelite game; a genre that is based on survival, risk vs. reward and more. Basically, the very definition of what the Battlestar revival series is; developer Alt Shift took that and has delivered a fantastic video game experience that emulates the shows high pressure tension as well as fits nicely in the lore. As a fan of the show, who can ask for anything more?

Overall, I did enjoy the game even though it seemed to be geared towards a younger audience with the visuals and simplistic story and characters. As far as value goes, you get a lot to do for a budget title.

I wish Pearl Abyss had focused in a bit more on Crimson Desert’s quiet moments. I enjoyed scaling mountains and finding ruins to explore or meeting randoms in small towns; these moments felt the most special to me. Sure, it’s nice to have the ability to do… well just about anything you can think of in a game but without a more meaningful narrative I felt like I was all dressed up with nowhere to go most times. Crimson Desert is an odd game for me to place, I enjoyed it for the freedom I had to make my own story and for all the combat and systems but I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrative; even though it did get better. If you are a fan of sandbox games that allow you to live out a fantasy then Crimson Desert is here for you, I just don’t know if I can recommend it for its story. If you are looking for a great narrative, well you will find that in another castle.

Directive 8020’s over reliance on stealth segments, cheap jump scares and jarring story transitions prevents it from being one of the best in the series. However, it impresses with strong performances, atmosphere and the addition of the Turning Point system that makes replaying the game to see new plot points more convenient than ever, making it a solid new entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology.

Call of the Elder Gods is a worthy successor to Call of the Sea in almost every way. Combining exploration with some stellar puzzles and gameplay the game manages to tell a wonderful story with a Lovecraftian twist. The fantastic soundtrack mixed with the wonderful job the voice actors have done really help to make Call of the Elder Gods stand out. This one is sure to be on my Game of the Year list for 2026.

Between the cost of the games separately on original DS hardware and all the changes Capcom has made to make the experience more enjoyable, there is zero reason to return to the DS originals. I won’t be and I own them. It’s another great collection in the Mega Man series and from one of their most overlooked renditions of the blue bomber himself.

Despite some hiccups here and there, People of Note deliver’s a rockin’ performance. There is a fun and engaging combat system here and a story that has no shortage of musical style puns. But I feel like the game is held back by the performance and rhythm aspects of its gameplay. I would have loved to see the attacks and abilities be more on beat with the background music. But despite those flaws People of Note delivers a solid game that has a lot of heart and soul.

It wasn’t all a flowery trip to Pottery Barn though; at launch there was some issues with matchmaking, but it was corrected pretty quick. Kiln actually performs quite well, aside from some longer loading times; I had really no issues with the gameplay or anything. In fact, my only real gripe is the lone game mode that is currently available. Not that there is anything wrong with quench because it is a lot of fun, but there is no variety outside of it and we all know that gamers get bored of things quicker than a babysitter’s boyfriend when a car pulls up. And even though the Kiln is on Game Pass I worry about the longevity of the game, especially since it’s multiplayer only. But I guess that’s tomorrow’s problem, for today we smash pots.