Familiar issues with storytelling and loot aside, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is another great entry in Team Ninja's growing collection of action RPGs that features some of the best combat in the soulslike genre, even though those battles start to lose their tension due to a distinct lack of enemy variety to fill out the 20+ hour runtime.
Shovel Knight Dig is a wonderful melding of the mechanics and feel of Shovel Knight and the ever evolving roguelite genre. It stumbles a bit on its roguelite progression mechanics, and its a bit on the short side, but none of that stops Shovel Knight Dig from being a blast to play.
Shredder's Revenge more than lives up to the legacy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade games that inspired it. It's fun, yet simple gameplay, excellent coop for up to six players online, and charming pixel-based art style will surely have 90s kids riding the wave of nostalgia all the way to its end.
If you've got a like minded friend who loves puzzles and escape rooms as much as you do, We Were Here Forever is a very special game with a 12 hour co-op campaign full of some of the most clever puzzles around.
WWE 2K22 is a tremendous leap forward compared to 2K20. The action is faster, more pick-up-and-play friendly, the roster of 160+ wrestlers has never looked better, and the addition of MyGM mode rounds out a well rounded offering of modes for just about every type of wrestling fan.
The King of Fighters XV still feels left in the past when it comes to its single player offerings, but what it lacks in ambition, it makes up in solid fundamentals and great netcode that make the online experience the best the series has ever seen.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a wonderful spin-off that combines block-falling puzzle and roguelite mechanics in remarkably clever ways, resulting in yet another excellent entry in the Shovel Knight series.
Mario Party Superstars is an amalgamation of some of the best boards, minigames, mechanics, and quality of life improvements from the whole series, resulting in the best Mario Party has been in a very long time.
With its elegantly simple combat and beautiful world, Kena: Bridge of Spirits harkens back to the days of the N64/GameCube-era Zeldas, Okami, and Star Fox Adventures, while also adding modern sensibilities and a distinct personal touch.
Intermission serves as a tantalizing tease of Yuffie's inevitable meeting with Final Fantasy 7's core cast, and an excellent reason to return to Midgar to experience her new exhilarating style of combat and entertaining side activities.
The new content introduced in Sonic Colors: Ultimate is unremarkable, but the base game still remains one of the best examples of how a modern Sonic game should be, even nearly 11 years later.
Iki Island doesn't do much beyond just offering more Ghost of Tsushima, but the new content is extremely worthwhile, thanks to a story that dives deeper into Jin's past, a few new combat wrinkles, and plenty of secrets to discover.
Scarlet Nexus' combat is thrilling and its story surprisingly deep, and while it's let down by limited enemy and stage variety, the strength of its characters is enough to lift it high above your average anime inspired action RPG.
Its roguelike runs are too long and it needs a way to save in the middle of them, but Returnal's third-person shooter action, clever story, and atmosphere are excellent.
Improved visuals and smoothed out combat go a long way in Nier's update, but it's the story that's the star of the show
Cyber Shadow's excellent gameplay, level design, variety, and music make it a great modernization of the classic Ninja Gaiden formula.
Ghostrunner's lightning-fast gameplay makes for a short-lived but memorable action game with some incredible moments.
EA Sports UFC 4 is great, with an improved career mode and clinch system, though its ground game still needs work
Fantasy Strike is a tightly designed 2D fighter with approachable mechanics and an entirely free-to-play roster.
Them's Fightin' Herds is an exceptional fighting game by any measure, only held back by its tiny roster of six characters.