Chained Echoes: Ashes of Elrant is a DLC made for fans of the game, especially for those who enjoyed the gameplay. It mostly expands on certain characters’ backstories and builds on top of its existing gameplay systems, which is what the game is known for. That being said, the DLC feels like it's a few years too late, as it solves issues that exist within the base game. The additions are welcome, but most of them don’t feel as impactful or as massive as initially advertised. Also, don’t expect any resolutions to many of the story’s plot holes here, as it mainly serves to support the worldbuilding and add context rather than answer many of the questions.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a spinoff that revitalizes the series and the genre with its callback to its original side-scrolling gameplay. With well-crafted levels, dynamically engaging combat, and gorgeous pixel art, it uses the simplicity of the side-scrolling gameplay to its maximum potential. It has a few flaws here and there, like its short runtime and balance near the end, but is otherwise a great way to keep the hype for the series’ upcoming title.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a bona fide Soulslike that has deep combat mechanics and unique progression systems that synergize perfectly to create one of the more satisfying gameplay loops in the genre. This is further reinforced by giving the player the power to freely experiment with builds and create their own unique way to play. There are some nitpicks here and there, as well as the difficulty spiking in certain areas, but all that is moot with how well packaged everything is.
Long-time fans of HUNTER x HUNTER have waited for a video game adaptation that does the franchise justice. Sadly, it seems they’ll have to wait a little longer, as this one is plagued by numerous modern fighting game pitfalls and its unjustifiable price.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is nostalgic fever dream that is an upgrade in more ways than one, despite it not being completely faithful to the original games.
REMATCH is the ultimate arcade soccer game out there when it works. With network issues and game-breaking bugs, Sloclap has to resolve these issues before they can score the golden goal.
Dragon is Dead combines the enjoyment of collecting loot and creating your perfect build in a side scrolling action roguelike fashion. It has its flaws with a lot of aspects, but is undeniably fun with the seemingly limitless builds that you can make.
Mindseye was supposed to be an ambitious entry from IO Interactive. What was delivered is a bug-filled, unoptimized, and less-than-desirable mess instead. Almost to no one’s surprise, MindsEye needed a lot more time to polish its core aspects and mechanics.
While dark fantasy open-world RPGs are nothing new, Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is an ambitious open-world RPG that backs up its comparisons to the greats and is a worthy newcomer in a saturated market.
Blades of Fire is a fun action-adventure game that boasts its unique features well but unintentionally shows off its many flaws.
Capcom is back at it again by re-releasing eight classic arcade fighting games to current-gen systems along with huge quality-of-life improvements and online matchmaking functionality.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree struggles to find its identity with its lackluster combination of both Soulslike and Metroidvania influences.
Once again, SNK has consistently shown their improvement in audiovisual presentation while creating an amazing and engaging sequel that was highly anticipated for more than two decades.
WWE 2K25 is the refinement of every aspect that they’ve already built on. It may as well be the perfected version of their intended design, as not much has changed in the actual gameplay and only adds a couple of new things here and there. Hopefully, the new online game modes are not a sign of things to come since pay-to-win live service game modes have been 2K’s thing in their other sports releases.
Monster Hunter Wilds improves on everything that the predecessors have to offer and then some; it's everything you want out of a sequel and surpasses the high standard set by the likes of World and Rise.
Undeniably fun and appealing to all ages, Big Helmet Heroes follows in the footsteps of great co-op beat 'em ups that isn't afraid to be fun for the sake of it.
With its final balance patch and the addition of rollback netcode, SEGA is making a clear statement—Virtua Fighter is back, and it’s here to stay.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is an amazing and much-needed reboot that the franchise needed while keeping its whole identity and foundation intact.