The Callisto Protocol aims its sights at being an uncompromising vision of terror, frequently succeeding through oscillating tension and stellar sound and lighting that toy with players' fears and expectations.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard crystallizes what made both the series and BioWare a force to be reckoned with over a decade ago. An emphasis on memorable characters and personalized combat allows this new entry to swell with magic, proving the developer still has stories to tell.
Much like last year's Exoprimal, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of The Goddess shows a Capcom willing to take risks. In this particular experiment, a tower defense/action strategy hybrid is bathed in Japanese culture with deliberate--sometimes slow--gameplay.
Despite veering into a number of dated tropes and choosing not to reinvent the wheel, Ghostwire: Tokyo thrives on its devotion to Japanese folklore, a cultural touchstone propelled by unique combat and a haunted city worth exploring.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds does what any arcade racer should do: provide the player with an absurd sense of speed on smartly designed courses. A clever world-shifting thrill and tight controls trump any shortcomings in this surprising genre heavy-hitter.
Players not fond of a nostalgic challenge may bristle at Infernax's devotion to the past but beneath a few rough edges is a gory romp that hits a lot of classic notes.
Dark Auction positions itself as a visual novel with one of the more intriguing premises tackled in the genre. Players comfortable with a rather straightforward pace and lack of challenge will likely enjoy the ride and some of the strange twists in store.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is a package that intends to preserve and update rather than reconstruct. While it remains a 20-year-old series, the improvements and bonus content only prove how forward-thinking Soul Reaver was.
Remnant II punches far above its weight class. Delivering everything players should expect from a sequel, Gunfire Games has created a thrilling, clever spin on a well-worn genre that boasts creative world design and satisfying gameplay that continues to evolve.
Loopmancer has difficulty committing to the hallmarks of better roguelites, making progression a chore. But past the questionable localization and writing is an action-focused platformer with personality and a few good ideas.
God of War Sons of Sparta is a surprising return to Kratos' Greek origins, showing players his time as a child soldier in Sparta. While the Metroidvania framing is fascinating, it does limit many of the series' strongest elements.
Deathloop brilliantly transcends its shackles as an amalgamation of "Arkane's Greatest Hits" by offering players a thrilling, stylish take on shooters. Combat puzzles involving webs of untruths and harrowing escapes turn Blackreef into a time loop you won't want to break from.
Minishoot' Adventures avoids being a shameless ripoff of classic Zelda by incorporating twin-stick shooter elements into its fluid gameplay. The result is a brisk adventure that constantly feeds rewards and surprises to the player.
Star Wars Outlaws captures the thrilling unrest of the criminal underworld players rarely get to see in a Star Wars game. Shepherded by the charming Kay Vess, the game has many open-world hallmarks but carves out an identity by allowing players to shape the action.
Taking cues from Zelda and Stardew Valley, Garden Story is a charming adventure packed with action and crafting that can often be oddly paced, dampening the fun of an otherwise delightful time.
Star Ocean The Second Story R may well serve as the blueprint going forward if Square Enix or any other developer wishes to remake games from this classic era of RPGs. An unquestionably gorgeous art style uplifts all modern touches, breathing life into a 25-year-old game.
Wayward Strand revels in its ability to funnel players' curiosity down multiple avenues of branching intrigue. Though light on actual "game" there is little excuse not to become easily transfixed by its whimsical, touching nature.
The Crew Motorfest is a wildly engaging arcade racer that excels through its diverse Hawaiian setting and unique vehicle playlists. Players who enjoy Ubisoft's dense open worlds will find plenty of activities to keep them satiated.
Romeo is a Dead Man is classic Suda51--an irreverent fever dream that constantly threatens to topple any notion of what a game can or should be. Like many of Suda's other works, it will be polarizing regardless of finding a method to the madness.
RoboCop: Rogue City is a gritty and fascinatingly faithful rendition of the 1987 Verhoeven film. It shirks trends of most modern-day shooters to deliver weighty combat in an imperfect, yet wholly entertaining, package.