2024 is the year of the RTS, and Ara: History Untold is worthy of being among the very best of them. While it's not reinventing the wheel in terms of presentation, the simultaneous actions taking place in a more significant turn threaten to turn this game into a pure RTS strategy game; it allows for a game larger than anything that predates it.
Team ASOBI again perfectly demonstrates why they are a first-party PlayStation Studio with Astro Bot. While the DualSense implementation is lovely, Astro Bot delivers on its promise of something we rarely see: straightforward, linear games that don't promise the world but deliver an experience that's out-of-this-world, astronomical fun. Every time I zipped through its glorious galaxy, I was joyful and excited throughout the playthrough. It's rare to feel so much joy today, but that's precisely what Astro Bot has provided.
With a new engine, meta and new lighting and motion, Age of Mythology: Retold does a lot to reintroduce one of the real-time strategy genre's darlings.
With Stellar Blade, Shift Up shifts gears into overdrive to create an excellent debut console experience. However, the entry fee comes at being able to get over the surface level characterization.
After opening month with Sony San Diego's MLB The Show 24, things seem to be on track for another winning season online, but The Road to the Show is still a bit rocky.
While Rise of the Ronin looks a little out-of-date as a PS5 exclusive, its robust choose-your-own-adventure system and Team Ninja's best and fairest combat system to date make it a worthy addition to the PS5's exclusives catalogue.
Cities: Skylines II is a surface-level upgrade to a city-building sim leader that needs a little time in the community before it's truly a game to call home. But what's on offer is well worth the cost of moving in.
Little Goody Two Shoes is a gorgeous fairy tale brought to life. Elise's journey is dreary and filled with several exciting moments.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 feels natural, which is not always easy to do with a spiritual second game. The tagline "Be Greater Together" touches every part of this original adventure and lends an easygoing and natural experience when it gets over the few stumbles of pacing and trying to pack in various iconic characters with individual stories.
Skills and smarts are not sins in Blasphemous 2. This stellar spiritual successor to one of the best modern Metroidvanias uses them to strengthen significantly its overall spirit of play.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective deserves to haunt storefronts 12 years after its initial release. It is a haunting experience you will want to have at least once. But is there enough here to keep you coming back?
MLB The Show 23 is the lead sports simulator when it comes to presentation and design. But with greater focus being given to fantasy and history game modes, The Show 23 appears to be moving further from the single-player mode it's named for.
Rollerdrome is an easy recommendation because what you get is exactly what is advertised. In a world of skater arcade games with glossy gimmicks, this game takes that of gunplay and makes it a slick, ultra-immersive experience.
This tale of a ronin looks amazing with its warm and fuzzy film grain. But below the surface, Trek to Yomi suffers from repetition and a few tired mechanics.
True to the spirit of the West, Weird West is a masterclass in immersive combat and exploration that doesn't hold your hand or tell you where to go.
Infernax is quite the paradox. A quarter-stealing arcade game with sympathetic support for all players. Don't miss it.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human adds more than enough fresh content to keep it feeling like a necessary follow-up. Aside from a tepid story, you'll find a rewarding experience that will appeal to those coming back for seconds and the newly initiated.
While being as close to Left 4 Dead 3 as possible, Back 4 Blood differentiates itself with a card system and new zombies that make for a game you'll keep coming back to.
The Siege of Paris is some of Assassin's Creed's best storytelling and gameplay in the series' current generation. With greater attention to telling a story that isn't as large and complex as the main game, The Siege of Paris is a DLC that won't be the longest experience you've played, but it'll be one of your favourites.
Foregone excels in its boss fights, challenges and its fluid controls. And yet, it's repetitive enemy and platform types paired with a sparse and underwhelming story makes Foregone a premium-priced platformer that isn't anything special, but it's far from a bad game.