It's a hands-on and involved version of its contemporaries, and a truly unique option for anyone who loves the genre. Don't expect jaw-dropping visuals or a tearjerker of a story. But the trade-off of epic gameplay is more than worth it here. In short, you'll have a ball. In fact, you'll have tonnes of them."
"Bye Sweet Carole is an ambitious game that shoots for the moon and ends up among the stars. The Disney-style presentation is damn near flawless and evokes a sense of childish nostalgia that hardly any game has managed to do before. Not to mention, it's a pretty competent puzzler that feels cut from the same cloth as LucasArts classics in many ways. However, due to a slew of technical issues and some of the most cumbersome and unsatisfying platforming, stealth, and action sequences I can recall enduring, the game undoes a lot of its fine work to ultimately end up being a unique, but rather average experience."
It's one of the most predictable, uninspired, and underwhelming action RPGs you'll likely ever come across. There is a certain level of cozy comfort that comes with that, but all in all, this is not worth your time or money."
The game doesn't have that lightning-in-a-bottle feel, and there's a genuine concern this game could be dead on arrival."
"In a space where Mario Kart has been the only kart racer worth talking about for what feels like eons, Sonic Racing: Crossworlds stands tall as a worthy competitor. Beyond the flashy dimension-hopping, the gameplay doesn't reinvent the wheel, but offers enough quentessentially Sonic-style fanfare to appeal to veteran fans, while offering accessible, chaotic racing that will appeal to casual fans looking for a cross-console alternative. The rather uninspired multiplayer modes, the lack of satisfying unlockables, and the focus on a steady stream of paid content make me doubtful that this game can achieve long-term success. But, as far as kart racers go, Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is right up there with the best."
But, in a genre where established games rule the roost, Bloober Team has just muscled into the conversation, as Cronos is good enough to rub shoulders with the horror greats."
My only gripe is that the story doesn't offer a grandiose message or hit as hard as I would have liked, relying more on pageantry and spectacle to get by. But, rarely does a game take me aback and thank my lucky stars that the medium of video games exists, and that's why we see this one as one of the standout performers of 2025 so far."
If you like action-adventure, and need a quick fix, this can scratch that itch. But, a game to rival the AAA goliaths, this is not.
I thought for all the world that this game would be a championship contender, but as it turns out, it's just relegation fodder.
The Alters is a unique and atmospheric survival game that riffs on the existing 11 Bit Studios blueprint in a meaningful way. Offering a superb sci-fi story that is equal parts somber, surreal, and silly. The economy, base building, and Alter Management are the highlights, which are somewhat dragged down by the rather mindless exploration that feels like a means to an end. But overall, The Alters is a brave and bold step forward within the survival genre, and one that will make you question your life decisions more than any other.
The visuals, score and overall presentation have been elevated beyond recognition, and yet, the things that made the original great remain intact. The abundance of gameplay mechanics and variety via the different islands and time periods is a standout feature that makes the endless grind paletable, and while every action in the game borders on basic, it never crosses the threshold to be considered boring.
Immersive Sims are incredibly difficult to create, and Atomfall deserves heaps of praise for going against the grain and presenting an open-world format that bucks almost every established trend. But even more so for doing this with aplomb and crafting an immersive, engaging, and breathtaking world.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is an unapologetically unique RPG that takes everything that was great about the original and takes it to the Nth degree. It's a cinematic, historically charged epic with a sublime open world to explore, a depth of systems to master, a wealth of meticulously designed quests to complete, and a sandbox survival format that makes simply existing in this world a satisfying and rewarding experience.
Symphonia is a sleeper hit that I can only hope will soon take the platforming genre by storm. The platforming mechanics here are refined, satisfying, and a joy to master. Which is only accented by the incredible art direction that serves as eye candy as you go. This symphonic-inspired world is a treat for the eyes and ears, with level design that walks the tightrope between challenging and satisfying with aplomb. And while the narrative present here hits a bum note, I can wholeheartedly recommend Symphonia to any platforming fanatic.
It's hilarious rhythm game action that doesn't take itself to seriously, but if you peel back the quirks and the ridiculousness, there is a competent rhythm game humming under the hood.
Metro Awakening is a VR outing that does the Metro series proud. With a story and setting that adds further depth to Dmitry Glukhovsky's magnum opus, incredible visual and sound design, and a wealth of mechanics that represent the Metro staples, this title is a tense, gripping and action-packed blast for VR fanatics.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a compelling new entry in the series, taking the franchise in a new direction with more RPG-lite ideals. This decision will alienate Die Hard fans but will undoubtedly win favor with new fans willing to embrace the series.
Neva is a game that builds on the platforming prowess of its predecessor GRIS, offering powerful pastel visuals, incredible use of color and flora, and sublime set-pieces to tell a powerful story where your bond is everything. The game offers a newfound dynamism, trading in the label of a puzzle platformer for a more traditional adventure platforming approach. Sadly, the game fails to hit the narrative heights of its predecessor, and also fails to truly get the most out of each mechanic presented. But despite this, Neva is a captivating, visually jaw-dropping indie that is simply too good to ignore.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a masterfully crafted JRPG that seamlessly takes all that was excellent about the Persona series and weaves a fantasy tale like no other. It's a tale with layers and levels that is wonderfully paced, offering a wealth of familiar mechanics and systems.
The Plucky Squire is both a familiar and predictable, and gorgeously ambitious and creative title. At its best, it's a dimension-hopping romp with excellent meta-writing, standout set-pieces and mini-games, and undeniably creative puzzle mechanics.