Despite a full year since the launch of the new console generation, FIFA 22 doesn't offer anything groundbreaking, on or off the pitch. The changes are largely minor and exclusive features are not worth fretting over. It plays a solid game of football, as always, but we're still left waiting for a true next-gen leap.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a title of high artistic value, but one that stumbles in gameplay. It's got charming characters and setting, a decent story and great looking cutscenes, but actually playing through the experience is largely underwhelming.
Deathloop is able to break the cycle of repetitive AI encounters and uneven performance thanks to an interesting story, strong characters, and enticing exploration.
Song of Iron starts off as a promising minimalistic Viking adventure, before running out of steam and dipping in quality the longer you play - which isn't long, thus also putting its asking price into question.
The Artful Escape is a joyous intergalactic trip with an electric guitar and vibrant visuals. Like a good solo, if you get swept up in the experience, you'll forget all about its flaws.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite does no favors to the franchise's reputation in video games. It's a mostly functional, but very repetitive and bland shooter that may only grab the interest of the most hardcore Xeno enthusiasts.
Humankind is a decent 4X entry for fans of the genre looking for something different - and yet very familiar. Newcomers are probably better off trying Civilization and giving Humankind some time to address its issues.
Lifeslide offers decent value on paper, pun intended, and yet the brief run time and wonky physics prevent you from fully enjoying the colorful but repetitive levels.
The Forgotten City succeeds at drawing you into a mystery and using time travel mechanics very effectively. As a narrative adventure, its strong cast and engaging setting help bring the city to life. The game may not always look great and some of the endings are rather abrupt, but it's a trip back in time worth taking.
Aery - Calm Mind sets the bar very low for itself to begin with, and yet still manages to deliver some annoyances. This casual flight game is little more than a tech demo, and while some may argue if it's worth the price, it turns out to be not worth the time.
Death's Door is a streamlined action adventure experience that finds a groove and sticks with it. With a low asking price and high level of polish, fans of this genre should find the little crow's soul reaping journey quite endearing.
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game is comprised of a very watered down collection of minigames that offer just a few fleeting moments of fun. Fans looking for something casual might as well pick up the Mario & Sonic spinoff instead - and even so, temper your expectations.
Dark Alliance is a dull and unpolished multiplayer action RPG with repetitive and glitchy combat, broken online connectivity, unbalanced solo play, and more than enough technical issues to put off anyone even slightly interested in checking it out.
Agent Intercept offers a surprisingly thrilling action-adventure, but even with some improvements over the mobile version, the shallow and repetitive gameplay ultimately holds it back.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart delivers some fun action and great looking visuals with a charming art style, but it doesn't really push the gameplay boundaries of the familiar franchise formula.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a safe sequel that doesn't address enough issues from its predecessor, while diluting the improved and exciting stealth infiltration missions with uninspiring extreme-long-range assignments.
Biomutant bites off more radioactive waste than it can chew. It's an action game with a multitude of ambitions, but none of them are fully realized. The very dated presentation and poor performance only further hamper its already weakened potential.
Papetura is a charming but very brief puzzle adventure, and one that will most strongly appeal to fans of unique art and abstract worlds.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends features an engrossing setting and some good competitive play when two well-matched, coordinated teams collide. However, there are balancing and technical issues that need addressing, and despite the lower asking price, there seems to be a lack of content for long term play.
As is sometimes the case with comedy films, the premise and promotional material for Turnip Boy ends up being funnier than the end product. This brief and mostly shallow adventure is rarely amusing, but it at least looks charming in the process.