Pokémon Pokopia is a massive love letter to the series, one that fittingly hits in the 30th year. It’s the gold standard of Pokémon spin-offs, letting you live in a Pokémon playground.
Marathon (2026) has me locked in, sitting in my brain until my next run. The barrier to entry is high, but it’s rewarding, with each death being a lesson learned.
Esoteric Ebb is incredible. Saturated with fantastic writing and memorable characters, its systems blend CRPG and TTRPG in clever ways.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a decent upgrade that needs some tweaking.
With a sea of new, genre-defining games constantly coming in, God of War: Sons of Sparta gets lost in the tide.
Mario Tennis Fever is a blast, easily one of Mario’s best sports games in recent years.
Whether you’re starting a fresh island on the Switch 2 or hopping back in on your OG Switch, it’s never been a better time to get back into the daily swing of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a strong technical showcase for the Switch 2, and a promising indicator for more third-party titles in the future.
Big Hops is an enjoyable platformer that nails level design, creativity, and a sense of momentum.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon comes out swinging after a largely divisive previous entry in Daybreak 2, where so much of the story was tied up in time travel shenanigans. However, the main narrative is compelling despite a slow start.
Duskpunk is excellent, a dark and dirty story of revolution, choice, and ultimately, hope, if you so choose. It's a fantastic Citizen Sleeper-like that stands on its own merits.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is just fine—a whiplash of an experience that has some really memorable moments and others that are just grating.
Skate Story is brilliant and a skateboarding game like no other. Tight skateboarding, heady narratives, gorgeous graphics, and a banger soundtrack make it one of this year's best experiences.
Marvel's Deadpool VR is a ton of fun, despite some pacing and technical issues. The action here carries the package, with every fight being a whirlwind of carnage that never gets old.
Kirby Air Riders is a fantastic follow-up to a GameCube classic. The racing is deceptively complex with a high skill ceiling.
Demonschool feels like a love letter to everything that inspired it. The combat is electric and engaging; each fight is a tense, bloody chess match as you try out different team compositions and abilities.
Dispatch is fantastic. Packed with excellent writing, memorable characters, and beautiful animation, Your choices matter and lead to satisfying payoffs thanks to the weekly TV-like structure.
Possessor(s) is like any solid pact with a demon—a good time, but with its own drawbacks.
Pokémon Legends Z-A is a welcome change of pace in a series that’s been running for almost 30 years. Here’s hoping the Legends games continue to serve as testing grounds for new ideas, and that the core mainline games can bring some learned lessons in exciting ways.
Sonic Racing Crossworlds is everything a kart racer should be and the best kart racer of the year.