The Forest Quartet is a nicely atmospheric puzzle game that is over a bit too quickly and doesn't live up to its musical inclinations.
Need for Speed Unbound has a few original ideas, and though some aspects needed tweaking, the core racing gameplay and a focus on car customization help the franchise keep drifting onward.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide offers an authentic representation of the 40k lore, and while the cooperative action gameplay can be occasionally satisfying, it lacks content, has a few strange design choices, and suffers from too many performance issues.
The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me has a promising start but ends up being a lackluster final game in the first season of this horror Anthology. Although the formula can still work, as demonstrated by The Quarry, with bland gameplay and uninteresting characters this sub-series clearly needs a facelift.
For a few moments, New Tales from the Borderlands captures the feeling of the series, but for the most part it's a rather generic and overlong trek that fails to excite, entertain, or amuse.
Somerville is a nice looking adventure game with a unique puzzle element idea, but narrative and performance inconsistencies leave the overall experience a bit muted.
Bayonetta 3 vastly expands its scope and has the biggest enemies and set pieces in the franchise to date, but in the midst of the bombastic action - along with some dubious gameplay and narrative choices - it loses a bit of its soul.
God of War Ragnarök is an innocuous sequel that continues on the path laid out by its predecessor. The writing and narrative leave something to be desired, but with solid gameplay and great presentation, there's plenty to see and do in these Nine Realms.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord continues to offer a unique mix of grand strategy and large scale 3D battles. The strategy aspect could have used more depth and variety, as well as a better designed campaign and a lot more tutorials. But it's the battles that steal the spotlight, with thrilling large scale encounters. While the developers couldn't deliver on all their ambitions, the distinctiveness of the gameplay still helps the sequel stand out.
Fans of the original game will find very little to be excited about, but ultimately Overwatch 2 is a solid free to play hero shooter with polished gameplay and enough content to be worth checking out.
NHL 23 is packed with modes and content that should impress almost any hockey fan, even if some of the technical elements could use a sprucing up. But in a world where NHL 22 exists, there are just far too few additions and improvements to recommend this year's game for returning players.
FIFA 23 is the final entry of this footballing franchise under its current iconic name, and it's not really one to remember. While the gameplay continues to strive forward, most of the other new features are rather undercooked and the overall package lacks a bit of polish.
Prodeus is a noble tribute to the original Doom with plenty of action, excellent stylized visuals, and great level design. However, the brief campaign grows repetitive as the mechanics don't evolve beyond the basics, and multiplayer is unfortunately empty.
Soulstice features decent combat with a few unique tricks, but it grows repetitive. With a dull story and lackluster presentation, it might mostly be of interest to DMC fans on a budget.
Metal: Hellsinger delivers a rhythm FPS with a killer soundtrack that does justice to the music genre; no more, no less. It sets the stage nicely for a stronger sophomore effort, but for now it's just an opening act.
Splatoon 3 continues to ride on its ink wave of success thanks to a solid gameplay foundation, with some minor tweaks, extra content, and an improved user experience. Whether or not that's enough, after years of development and another full price tag, will depend on what you're looking to get out of the experience.
Gerda: A Flame in Winter offers a somewhat optimistic glimpse at the lives of ordinary folks caught in the war. It will push players to decide where their loyalties lie, though the drama of conversation is often lost for the sake of an RPG point system.
For creator Sam Barlow and his studio Half Mermaid Productions, the push to eccentric cinematography continues with Immortality, as the video game elements fade further into the background. Some may find this odd collection of indie flicks enticing, but many will be disappointed by the lackluster interactivity.
The 2022 reboot of Saints Row manages to put together a decently engaging crew, but just about everything else is a litany of issues - from shallow and repetitive missions to unsatisfying action mechanics, poor presentation, and plenty of bugs.
Two Point Campus plays it safe and offers a different take on the familiar formula of its predecessor. It's a well-designed management game that has enough charm and content to draw you in, but staying engaged in the long run can be a challenge.