Esoteric Ebb may borrow heavily from some of the greatest games in its genre, but it takes what it borrows and shapes it, creating something that still feels unique and fresh in its own right.
God of War Sons of Sparta unfortunately failed to make me feel anything at all. The combat is sterile and not particularly deep, the Metroidvania elements are paint-by-numbers boring, and the story, while sometimes impactful, doesn't add much to the series lore in any interesting ways. I really don't know who this game was made for.
Fighting Force Collection is a faithful port of a long-forgotten PS1 series. Those who grew up with these games will find some nostalgic fun, but anyone else will struggle to find many positives to pull from this collection.
Nioh 3 offers some of the best action and boss fights in the series. However, it is held back by some open-world pitfalls that make the experience feel a bit bloated. Regardless, it is one hell of a ride.
Arknights: Endfield undeniably is a visual masterclass with an easy to learn but fun to master combat system and world to explore. However, it struggles with pacing by throwing tutorial after tutorial at you with its overly complicated base-building and factory mechanics.
Octopath Traveler 0 delivers the series’ most cohesive story yet, backed by its sharpest combat system and a surprisingly addictive town-building feature. By blending a focused narrative with a large, memorable cast and wrapping it all in gorgeous HD-2D visuals, it stands as both the strongest entry in the franchise and one of the best JRPGs in years.
Although I wouldn’t say I enjoyed a large portion of the games in this collection, I still think what Simogo has done here is important. Instead of letting its catalogue of games get lost to time, the team has found a way to preserve them for anyone to have access to. Too often, we see games abandoned with no way for them to be recovered or played unless you have access to the original hardware they were created for. How many games were made for mobile or Xbox Live Indie Arcade that are just lost now, either due to licensing issues or their stores closing down? Hopefully, other developers take notice of the work that Simogo has put into preserving its games and put together their own collections in the future.
Kingdoms of the Dump is a wonderful RPG held back by some glaring technical issues. Despite this, it still stands tall among other indie RPG throwbacks over the last decade, deserving the attention of anyone looking for a cozy game to envelop themselves in this Winter.
Tales of Xillia Remastered successfully brings the original title to modern consoles while maintaining its charm and warts. It won't change anyone's opinion who played it over a decade ago, but it is the best option for those who want to experience this title in the beloved Tales series for the first time.
Double Dragon Revive fails to deliver a much-needed shot of adrenaline for the Double Dragon series, falling flat in almost every regard. Only the most hardcore of genre fans will find anything to praise here, and all others should stay far away.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a triumphant return for the series, with Team Ninja and PlatinumGames uniting to deliver the most intense and fluid combat the franchise has ever seen. Its dual-protagonist story between Yakumo and Ryu is beautifully told, with jaw-dropping dynamic gameplay sequences for both characters. A stellar score ties it all together, making Ninja Gaiden 4 one of 2025's best games and firmly cementing the franchise's grand return in the modern era.
Keeper shows off Double Fine's beautiful art direction and creative minds, but fails to tell a compelling story despite its best efforts. Combine this with a largely uninteresting gameplay loop until the final hour, and we have a rare misfire by one of the best studios working today. Hopefully, Double Fine returns to this world in another capacity at some point, as there is a lot of potential here that could still be salvaged.
Dreams of Another is destined to be a polarizing title, but those who gel with its bizarre storytelling and gameplay will find an experience like no other. Q-Games continues to carve its own niche in the gaming landscape, and fans of the studio's previous titles will find much to love here.
Little Nightmares III marks a bold shift for the series, with Supermassive Games taking over from Tarsier Studios and introducing co-op. While the game’s atmosphere, art direction, and world-building are hauntingly beautiful, its lack of true scares and overly simple puzzles hold it back. The co-op mechanics feel underutilized, and solo play suffers due to overly helpful AI. Despite its flaws, the game’s strong visuals and collectibles make it a worthwhile yet uneven experience for fans of the series.
Consume Me is a game about eating disorders, family trauma, and religion, but its repetitive and monotonous mini-games make it frustrating to play. While the personal story is bold and vulnerable, the late-game religious shift feels jarring and underdeveloped. Ultimately, the game’s narrative and sensitive topics are overshadowed by tedious gameplay and an unsatisfying conclusion.
Super Robot Wars Y succeeds as fan service for those who want to see their favorite mech or pilot fight side-by-side, but fails to deliver a rewarding narrative to go along with it. Add on some subpar production value, and you end up with a game that is unremarkable in most areas but also inoffensive. Only the most hardcore of the Super Robot Wars series will get the most fun out of Super Robot Wars Y.
Team Cherry not only delivers on its much-anticipated follow-up to Hollow Knight but exceeds all expectations by constructing one of the most complete and coherent video games I've played in years. Hollow Knight: Silksong is an absolute triumph.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the definitive way to experience one of the best games in a series known for its excellence. Some technical issues can mar the overall package, but there is no denying how much work has gone into this remake.
Gears of War makes it PlayStation debut with a new remaster of the first game in the series, Gears of War: Reloaded. I'll admit, there is something surreal about seeing Marcus Fenix and Coletrain chainsawing through locusts on a Sony console. However, once the novelty of playing a Gears game on PlayStation wears off, you are quickly reminded that you are still just playing a nearly two-decade-old game with a few visual upgrades over the last time they remastered Gears of War back in 2015 with the Ultimate Edition.
SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance looks to revive the long-dormant Shinobi series after an almost fifteen-year hiatus. Developer Lizardcube brings Joe Musashi back into the limelight in one of the most stunning-looking games of the year, which is sure to make longtime fans of the series happy. Although there are a few stumbles along the way and design choices that I wish had been ironed out more, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is a great game that will hopefully kickstart this series back to life and work as a building block for future titles to come.