Bungie has been promising the world to us with Destiny 2: The Final Shape and has proven that competent and cohesive story writing is something that is no longer on the cards for Destiny 2. While the story is quite disappointing, there are at least steps in the right direction in a game design sense to make the game feel better to play.
Persona 3 Reload risked feeling like a Persona 5 mod with some of the proposed changes in its promotional material, however, ATLUS rose to the occasion and succeeded in bringing the series' seminal moment into the modern light.
Tekken 8 is as equally ridiculous as it is sensible. It makes crazy, entertaining choices for its story while also opening its doors to a more contemporary, wider audience through some systems that increase the game's approachability.
Does The Teal Mask redeem Pokémon Scarlet and Violet for the faults made last year? No, but that doesn't stop it from being an inoffensive, nice experience.
Turn 10 has displayed its technical proficiency and understanding of the sim-racing genre once more with this stellar entry into the Forza Motorsport series. It is a shame that an always-online requirement casts a shadow that looms over what is an otherwise genre-defining game.
Larian's mastery of RPGs is in full swing with Baldur's Gate 3 and at no point does the game pull its punches. This game is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Aliens: Dark Descent successfully adapts a real-time combat system to a genre of games that are traditionally turn-based. Tindalos Interactive has clearly put in a lot of love and care, and it shows.
Though it can be a relatively shallow and imperfect game, Minecraft Legends offers a fun and unique experience that feels befitting of a Minecraft spinoff.
From bizarre difficulty balancing to a poorly written story, Lightfall has a lot of misses. However, it also makes a lot of good changes that enhance the general gameplay like with Strand subclass and the accessibility of buildcrafting. It isn't the worst Destiny 2 expansion, not even close, but it is also far from being great.
Elderand feels like a game that would have thrived in a previous generation of gaming. It holds onto some mechanics that just don't feel that great compared to what the Metroivania genre offers in the modern day. It's not all bad, but there are better games in the genre that you can play.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer a unique and incredibly engaging experience that the series has desperately needed since its transition to 3D back in 2013. Unfortunately, it has also been released in an incredibly unoptimised state which sours the whole experience.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope expertly toes the line between Nintendo's penchant for accessible titles targeting younger audiences and Ubisoft's matured gameplay systems to create an experience like no other.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered swings onto the PC platform with grace. Its pricing is a little high, and its optimisation needs a little work but the customisation options encroach on setting a new standard for the PC gaming industry.
High Isle offers a number of fun, entertaining experiences. However, it focuses on mostly delivering more of the same rather than building and properly expanding on the game’s core ideas. It’s completely fine that it does this, but I just personally wish it strived to be a little more.
Salt and Sacrifice makes a number of changes to its general design and structure that are absolutely not worth the cost, and while the game is still enjoyable, it ultimately feels like a step backwards from the charming 2016 original.
The saying that everything deserves a second chance should not have applied to Elex. Elex II takes so many steps backwards from an already poor game, it’s astounding. Its writing, optimisation, combat, and game systems all stand as a new benchmark on what to not do.
Backed by an incredible and rewarding open-world design, Elden Ring is a masterclass in every facet that it brings to the table. Without a doubt, this is FromSoftware’s magnum opus.
It’s nice to play a Pokémon game that feels like it was made with love. Pokémon Legends: Arceus sure is not perfect, but it’s a loving attempt to take the series in a different direction, and it mostly nails it.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl take me back to a simpler time in Pokémon where Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and Dynamaxing didn’t exist. It’s a wonderful reminder of how far Pokémon has come and it feels like a love letter to arguably the most formative generation of Pokémon.
Forza Horizon 5 has carried the tradition of consuming my time inside a genre that normally doesn't interest me. Playground Games has displayed technical wizardry with this game and while it doesn’t change the formula to any significant extent, the experience found within Forza Horizon 5 is killer.