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.
Crysis Trilogy Remastered brings a previously ambitious line of games into the spotlight of consoles. The "Can it run Crysis?" meme will live on in our hearts forever, but these remasters show that many things can now run the infamous shooter.
Monster Hunter Stores 2: Wings of Ruin has made me a believer that not all JRPGs will rub me the wrong way. Its charming, lovely story mixed with its wonderfully engaging combat and being able to kidnap monsters create a fantastic experience which also adds to the depth of Monster Hunter's world and lore.
Monster Hunter Rise shows a tremendous amount of progress in terms of game design and accessibility, even after the great strides that Monster Hunter World made in those fields, and continues to improve upon itself with interesting ideas like the new monsters and the Wirebug – this game is a must buy.
It is my sincerest of hopes that this shaky start is just an anomaly for Bungie’s new direction, but the game’s state ever since Shadowkeep also leads me to believe otherwise
Though it does a great job at making the isometric ARPG formula more accessible, Minecraft Dungeons ultimately falls short due to its shallow nature
Great storytelling, solid characters, impressive performance and subtle changes to the formula set by XCOM create the impressive spinoff title that is Gears Tactics
Final Fantasy VII Remake has converted this detractor into a believer. Even with its handful of issues, the richly detailed world and story are something to behold.
A few missteps don't stop Nioh 2 from being a superb sequel to one of the stronger Soulslike games around
A great deal of improvements for both campaign structure and engdame structure mark Warlords of New York as a great expansion to The Division 2, an already stellar game
While it does make a lot of good changes, Pokémon Sword & Shield make more mistakes compared to previous iterations in the franchise. Regardless, newcomers and Pokémon fans alike are bound to find enjoyment in the new region and those that inhabit it.