Though it’s rough around the edges, Sonic Frontiers is the best 3D Sonic game in years.
Overwatch 2 doesn’t flip the formula the way you might expect a long-awaited, numbered sequel would. But through various clever tweaks, it’s a well-rounded evolution of the experience into which I’ve poured more than a thousand hours since 2016. I may never recreate the magic of those first few years in Overwatch, but Overwatch 2 is a big step towards restoring the faith in the franchise and has me thinking it’s time to pour a few more hundred hours into my favorite team-based shooter.
Splatoon 3 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it need to. Instead, it improves nearly every franchise element in sometimes small but meaningful ways. With an already-robust set of content available at launch and at least two years of free and premium content on the horizon, Splatoon 3 is simultaneously the series’ best entry to date and its most promising.
Blossom Tales II is a better game than its predecessor, and I hope we continue to get more adventures from Lily, Chrys, and their grandpa in the future.
Whether you’re playing the goal-based scenarios or the open-ended sandbox mode, I still can’t stop thinking of ways to design a perfect dining hall. Though the frustration of failure sometimes got the better of me, I often couldn’t wait to get back in front of Recipe for Disaster to play through several more days of this enthralling restaurant simulation.
While the music changes and audio mishaps are disappointing, the Sonic Origins package is terrific overall. Having the best versions of the classic Sonic saga in one bundle is supremely satisfying, and Anniversary Mode’s enhancements make the experience of playing through them more enjoyable than ever before. Even in a gaming landscape where most of these games are already available to download on every platform, Sonic Origins is a worthwhile package.
Though it lacks content and features, Mini Motorways has consumed much of my gaming time since I downloaded it more than a week ago. The simple gameplay, clean interface, and satisfying difficulty ramp led me to say, “Just one more run,” several times a session before ultimately calling it quits. Mini Metro hooked me when it first came to iOS years ago and has remained one of my favorite games to enjoy in short bursts, and I’m glad to add Mini Motorways to that same gaming rotation.
Despite its multiplayer shortcomings, Gran Turismo 7 is a terrific racing experience. I love the emphasis on car collection and the respect paid to the history of automobiles and racing culture. Gran Turismo 7 provides some of the best driving mechanics available and gives you several guided ways in which to engage with it. While it sometimes spends too much time off the track, every long cutscene is clearly done with love, and that sentiment shines through even more on the track.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus charts an exciting new direction for the series, while still maintaining many of the core tenants that made Game Freak's franchise so beloved in the first place.
With fine-tuned gameplay, an undeniably gorgeous world brimming with fun activities, and some fun content creation tools, Forza Horizon 5 elevates the series' already-sterling reputation
Whether you grew up with these games or this is your first time partying, Mario Party Superstars is a fun way to celebrate the series
Whether you're pushing the mainline story forward or pursuing side missions, Far Cry 6 provides a cornucopia of fun and engaging activities, wrapped in the series' best gameplay and most beautiful setting
The atmosphere enhancements are welcome additions, and the on-the-field action is largely sound, but Madden NFL 22 suffers from technical issues that hold it back
Cris Tales is a solid RPG dragged down by a creative gimmick that never realizes its true potential
Whether you want to play 18 holes of traditional golf or blast your opponents into oblivion, Mario Golf: Super Rush is a fun package for both fans and non-fans of the real-life sport
At launch, Knockout City lacks in content, but it makes up for it with a strong base game and a ton of potential to grow in the future
The thrill of nabbing the perfect shot never dulls, but the repetition of traveling through the same environments sometimes grows weary
This package combines tried-and-true gameplay and level design with unique concepts (plus an all-new game) to earn its place among the elite games in the franchise
While Persona 5 Strikers disappointingly removes the mainline series' social links, it carries over enough familiar elements to feel like a true successor
Rewarding exploration, satisfying combat, and imaginative puzzles converge with endearing storytelling and well-executed humor to provide an excellent open-world experience