Mahi Araf
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced may not completely replace the original for every longtime fan, but it doesn't need to. Instead, it's a respectful reimagining that updates one of Ubisoft's most beloved adventures without losing the heart that made it so memorable. If you've been waiting for an excuse to experience Edward Kenway's story again—or for the very first time—this voyage is still well worth taking.
DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Last Round is ultimately more of a transition than a true revival. It keeps everything that has always made the series fun: snappy combat, varied fighting styles, interactive environments, and plenty of content for solo and competitive players alike. At the same time, it falls short of being the complete comeback many fans had hoped for.
SAND: Raiders of Sophie knows what it wants to be as a game. Instead of spreading in all directions, it focuses on its strengths and builds a surrounding experience. That focus helps it stake out its own niche in a crowded genre where many games struggle to find their own identity.
Kioku: Last Summer is a charming yet technically unstable cozy island adventure that shows strong potential but needs more polish to fully deliver its vision.
EA Sports UFC 6 is a game that clearly improves the moment-to-moment fighting experience, especially in striking and tactical engagement. Still, it doesn't fully escape the limitations of its previous entry. You're getting a more intelligent, more deliberate combat system wrapped in familiar modes, recycled elements, and uneven progression systems. It succeeds most when you're actively fighting. Outside the cage, it still feels like it's catching up.
NBA The Run is a decent arcade basketball game. It's not trying to replace simulation basketball games but rather provide an alternative experience focused on style, speed, and creativity. It fills a much-needed gap in the genre and shows great promise for future updates and expansions.
The Switch 2 eFootball Kick-Off! is a curious case of nostalgia and limitations. It's obviously inspired by the golden era of PES and Master League, but it just doesn't have the depth that made those experiences so rich. What it does offer is good, responsive football gameplay at a bargain price of around £15.98 / $19.99. That said, the core on-pitch experience is actually fun for that price, especially in short bursts or local multiplayer sessions.
Bus Bound is different because of the driving and the way the city changes as you play. Your actions are always changing Emberville, which makes a loop that feels more real than other route-based simulators. There are some small technical problems, but the overall structure works well. It has a unique identity in the genre because of how the city changes, how the routes are built, and how the driving mechanics work.
007 First Light shines brightest when it leans into its hybrid identity. It doesn't try to be Hitman all the way, nor does it try to be a linear action game all the way. Instead, it constantly moves between both identities, creating a rhythm that feels distinct in modern action-adventure design.
Luna Abyss ultimately feels like a game built around ideas rather than scale. It doesn't overwhelm you with systems or branching paths. It gives you a confined structure and asks you to learn how to move, shoot, and survive within it, all while slowly uncovering what lies beneath the moon.
Forza Horizon 6 feels like a version of Forza Horizon that finally understands what it wants to be without trying to reinvent itself. It’s fast, polished, and consistently fun in a way that makes it easy to sink hours into without thinking too hard about it.
Mixtape feels less like something you played and more like something you experienced. It's introspective, personal, and deliberately constructed around emotion, not mechanics. It doesn't try to be everything, everywhere, all at once, and it's that focus that makes it stand out.
Saros is clearly made for people who liked the way Returnal was set up but wanted something that was more flexible and forgiving without losing the intensity. It keeps the core identity of Housemarque’s design philosophy intact—fast combat, tight controls, and high-pressure encounters—but layers it with systems that reward persistence rather than perfection.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a game built on strong ideas rather than flawless execution. Its puzzle systems and investigative mechanics all show that it wants to make Lovecraftian stories more modern by letting us interact with them and explore them using logic. When everything works, it has a satisfying loop of finding things out and making sense of the world that feels like it was made with love by Big Bad Wolf.
Ground Zero doesn’t try to modernize survival horror by stripping away its old systems. Instead, it leans into them and expands on them with modern replayability design and layered progression systems.
Windrose is a great pirate survival game with great sailing, exploring, and base building, but it has some problems with solo combat balance and the user interface.
GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- is a confident evolution of a long-running fighting game series that chooses accessibility and clarity over overwhelming mechanical depth. You’re getting a game that is easier to understand, visually stunning, and supported by one of the best online netcode systems in the genre. At the same time, you’re also losing some of the expressive combo freedom and legacy mechanics that defined earlier entries.
Modulus: Factory Automation is for people who like to plan and mess around. This factory game is calm and methodical, rewarding patience, creativity, and attention to detail. This game is for you if you like the satisfaction of a well-oiled machine and the challenge of designing it yourself.
Super Meat Boy 3D on PS5 is a good follow-up. It keeps the franchise's history alive while making the core gameplay work in 3D in a way that feels natural and fun. It's worth getting if you liked the first one or challenging platformers in general. The game is punishingly fun, with fair progression and a playful look that makes failing over and over again funny instead of frustrating. It's a fun game with optional Dark World levels, character unlocks, and the excitement of mastering stage after stage. I highly recommend it.
Screamer is a triumphant return that honors the arcade roots of its franchise while introducing modern innovations in story, combat, and gameplay. It's loud, flashy, and crazy, but underneath it all is a surprisingly deep racer that requires careful planning, quick thinking, and skill. The story, full of anime references, and the complex, layered driving and combat mechanics work together to create an exciting experience.