Pokemon Legends: Arceus definitely provides a great experience with a novel take on the classic franchise but I still feel that grinding is not needed in a Pokemon game which I've always felt should primarily be about simply having fun in a laidback world.
If you're a Pokemon fan and haven't played the original Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum then you're missing out. The Sinnoh region is an absolute joy to explore and it's super-fun trying to catch as many Pokémon as you can.
King's Bounty 2 features fun tactical battles while telling a memorable story as it immerses you in its high fantasy world. But, boy oh boy, prepare for a barrage of ridiculously long loading screens and plenty of other unstreamlined elements.
If you're a pixel enthusiast and enjoy classic games like the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, you're sure to love Arietta of Spirits. It has an awesome heartwarming story and tries to be like a classic SNES adventure game and it succeeds well at doing so.
Orcs Must Die 3 provides excellent orc-killing mayhem. With many imaginative traps and weapons, tower defense fans are sure to find something that catches their fancy. Plus, its gameplay is similar to the original so you enjoyed that, you're sure to love this, too.
ScourgeBringer is a fun but extremely difficult roguelike that'll appeal to a very niche crowd. If you enjoy a soul-crushing challenge then go ahead but be warned; it's one of the most frustratingly difficult games out there and it punishes you heavily for your mistakes.
I want to give Tower of Time a thumbs-up as I enjoyed the gear and leveling systems and the story has a strong impact. Unfortunately, it's not well-optimised for console and suffers from too many fundamental problems so pick it up for PC if you're feeling adventurous.
Moonlighter: Between Dimensions offers solid value. The Wanderer Dungeon took me 10 to 15 hours and Moonlighter is still a pretty good dungeon crawler that I appreciate for its graphics, music, and bosses. However, be wary of its more repetitive aspects.
Levelhead is one of the best platformers so far this year. If Butterscotch Shenanigans fixes some annoying issues that I had with the level editor then I'd consider it golden. Also, I wish there were a few more features like extra power-ups, backdrops, and a world maker with multiple levels but it's still an incredible game and I highly recommend it.
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a simple game about traveling the USA while listening to and telling stories.
If you like going deep into the lore of the Dungeons and Dragons multiverse then I can't think of a better game for you.
If you enjoy retro RPGs, strategy games, and Dungeons & Dragons, you'll likely have fun with Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne takes what was great about the base game and provides more of it.
Ignoring the huge hassle of powering your base and how difficult it is to use the industrial hotspots, I still enjoyed all of the changes in No Man's Sky Beyond.
I eventually enjoyed Ancestors Legacy but I wanted to quit many times within my first 20 hours and that's not a good sign.
Warhammer: Chaosbane is a cool ARPG that would have been better if it wasn't a current gen game but unfortunately, we're not in 2005 anymore.
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr is a fun ARPG with a lot of cool things going for it such as its story and multiplayer features.
No Man's Sky Next is a fun laid-back exploration experience and it has the unique honour of featuring the largest open world in all of gaming.
There's quite a lot that I like about Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered and some parts, not so much.
Anima: Gate of Memories - The Nameless Chronicles is undoubtedly a great RPG with little downsides.