The Texas Chain Saw Massacre presents a distinctive virtual house of nightmares unlike any of its asymmetrical contemporaries. Every match feels like a bite-sized, three-act horror flick packed with gripping tension, genuine scares, and gratuitous murder. Technical problems and limited content variety put a damper on the overall package, but there’s ample twisted fun to have with friends and foes in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Street Fighter 6 is an exceptional entry in the franchise that reminds me why I love fighting games. Freshly introduced mechanics shake up the familiar dance of previous titles and notably improve the moment-to-moment gameplay. Capcom continues to demonstrate precisely how a team can triumphantly transform established IP. The blood, sweat, and style pouring from nearly every moment in Street Fighter 6 will delight newcomers and veterans alike.
On the surface, Dragon Ball: The Breakers is a homely spinoff with confusing controls and an apparent lack of budget. However, the more I play, the more I adore its fascinating ideas and glowing peculiarities. In spite of its notable shortcomings, this asymmetrical multiplayer title commits to outlandish gameplay mechanics and delivers a charming, absorbing Dragon Ball experience unlike any other.
Resident Evil Re:Verse is a baffling multiplayer experiment that fails to deliver compelling gameplay, general balance, and meaningful reasons to play more than a handful of matches. From a technical standpoint, this action-focused shooter presents occasional visual treats for fans, but it’s hard to imagine the shallow Re:Verse experience establishing and maintaining a dedicated player base.
Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose provides yet another compelling excuse to return to the gorgeous locations from the base game. With a tangible sense of heart and meaningful character development, this campaign expansion establishes Rose as a standout figure in the world of Resident Evil. This delicate story of growth and self-identification is viciously contrasted by psychological horror visuals that will unquestionably haunt players for quite some time.
Scorn presents one of the most visually striking and untouchably atmospheric game worlds in recent memory. Ebb Software also admirably challenges horror gameplay conventions and profoundly examines humanity's insatiable desires. Unfortunately, the crawling pace might deter players from seeing it through.
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed immerses players into the treasured universe of paranormal extermination like never before. The moment-to-moment gameplay is nothing short of enchanting, and the emphasis on authentic squad-based ghostbusting stands as the best video game interpretation we've been treated to so far. However, the fun is dictated entirely by the number of friends you play with.
While the comparisons to Super Smash Bros. are impossible to ignore, the team at Player First Games has quickly established MultiVersus as a platform fighter that's a force to be reckoned with in the competitive community. The title’s focus on gripping 2v2 matchmaking that rewards careful collaboration elevates MultiVersus above nearly every other sub-genre contender.
Evil Dead: The Game expertly represents all the key pillars of a damned good asymmetrical horror multiplayer title. Gorgeous visuals, excellent gameplay, and a fascinating core loop make this a must-play for fans of the genre.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a promising taste of what players can expect from the visual presentation of this captivating franchise. What it's lacking in enemy variety and mission diversity, it makes up for in style and flashy combat.
Bugsnax is a captivating game filled with clever catching mechanics, hilarious creatures, and loads of complex relationships.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin isn't the strongest outing from Team Ninja, but players will likely enjoy the compelling job system and engaging combat... when performance issues aren't hampering them, that is.
Elden Ring is a masterclass in open-world game design. FromSoftware has poetically fashioned a gorgeously haunting universe that begs to be explored. It's a quintessential action RPG and an obvious contender for game of the year.
Rainbow Six Extraction delivers consistently engaging and satisfying gameplay that fans of tactical shooters will undoubtedly enjoy. However, its longevity and overall appeal seem uncertain.
Halo Infinite multiplayer delivers the most impressive Halo sandbox we've ever seen with gorgeous stages, satisfying gunplay, and perfect moment-to-moment action. It's an absolutely stellar accomplishment from the team at 343 Industries.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water suffers from some dated design decisions and redundancies in level design, but the unique combat and evocative environments make this a worthwhile adventure for horror fans.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is brimming with fantastic characters, fun combat, and legitimate potential. However, limited content and a laundry list of bugs keep it from thriving as a platform fighter right now.
Tales of Arise sets a new gold standard for traditional action JRPGs. This stylized adventure's presentation and lavish production is a treat for anime fans and RPG enthusiasts, and it brings new life to the long-running Tales series.
Despite its earnest attempts to deliver Rocky and Creed fans a fun and arcade-like fighting experience, Big Rumble Boxing sadly cannot stand up to the heavyweights or even middleweights of the fighting game genre. Suffering from repetitive mechanics, a shallow content offering and an art style that has great character models but lifeless fight presentation, Creed Champions falters under the softest of hooks.
The Big Con delivers a heartwarming story set in an iconic time period filled with beautiful characters and stunning environments.