Avowed is an impressive release from Obsidian Entertainment, showcasing a strong RPG that shines in both combat and exploration. The Living Lands offers a delightful environment to explore, filled with hidden corners that provide satisfying rewards for discovery. Additionally, encounters with enemies are exciting, thanks to the engaging and intricate combat system. Sadly, it falls short of being something great, as the game has stripped down its RPG systems to an almost bare minimum, negatively affecting the immersiveness of its beautiful world. Cities and towns feel lifeless, and this sense of emptiness also extends to your companions due to the absence of systems that enable you to build meaningful relationships with them.
Eternal Strands is a surprisingly fun and creative experience that encourages players to think and find ways around a situation before engaging. Creativity is greatly rewarded, and players have much to consider before approaching situations. And with a reasonable retail price, it surely is tempting! Despite the great use of its physics-based systems, combat feels slightly dull and weightless, and controls are somewhat finicky. Switching between weapons and strands is unintuitive and counterproductive to the game's goal of having players test every skill and how it affects the world around them.
Dynasty Warriors Origins is an excellent addition to this long-running series, introducing valuable improvements that revitalize its core gameplay. The combat and progression systems have been refined, resulting in a much better overall experience compared to its previously criticized predecessor. Battling as the amnesiac Wanderer against hordes of troops remains an exhilarating experience, with powerful attacks that send enemies flying to the next town. Running smoothly on capable hardware, including the Steam Deck, Dynasty Warriors Origins is sure to satisfy your cravings for action and hack-and-slash gameplay.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a fantastic outing from Machine Games, further solidifying them as not only masters of the first-person view but also of punching Nazis in the face. The sense of adventure that the game conveys is stellar, and when paired with Troy Baker's superb performance, fans of the fedora-wearing hero are in for a treat. Expecting an action-filled affair is setting yourself up for disappointment, as the game prioritizes adventure over anything else. Combat is simplistic and might be the weakest link, but the game makes up for it with interesting yet rather simple puzzles, locations, and discoveries. There's a good story to be had here, but just don't expect something too explosive or heart-racing!
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl is an unforgiving and uncompromising affair that's not for everybody. For its target audience, it could quite possibly be the game they've been waiting for the past decade and a half, heralding the return of this beloved cult classic. The game is tough and will beat you down if you're not attentive enough, requiring a commitment to immersion. The key to the game is to simply keep at it. The journey to get there may be painful and frustrating, and many players will certainly tune out in the process. Players who persevere will find a rewarding title and a living world filled with possibilities as time goes by, despite a number of bugs and rough patches.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn't quite a full return to form, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for BioWare, and is a win that the studio definitely needed after a series of demoralizing releases over the years. The game, with all its positive points, always seems to trip over its own feet - fantastic environments but divisive character design, engaging story but overly cheesy dialog at times, and more. There's always a give-and-take that holds it back from being a great game.
Overall, the Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion is a worthwhile trek that provides players with more Diablo IV but wrapped in a package of highs and lows, with its biggest miss being the unexpectedly short story that leaves players wondering how it’s already done when the good parts were just getting started. This is quite unfortunate because the rest of the expansion hits the right notes with its additions and new features, chief of which is the new Spiritborn class that excels in providing players unparalleled versatility. With a new endgame cooperative activity, a level cap reduction, and much more, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is an exciting expansion that offers players more reason to grind for more loot, which, in the end, is what Diablo IV is really all about.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a dream come true for fans of the series, bringing back the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series in all its glory to modern platforms. Fights are flashy and fun, while its immense roster of characters is enough to satisfy players looking for a fighting game fix. It's not without its faults, and the game's story mode could have used a bit more love. While the story arcs of Dragon Ball have been replayed and retold to death, the rushed retelling of important events misses an opportunity to onboard newcomers. That said, this is the best Dragon Ball title we've had in a long time and is a definite pickup for those looking for an arena fighter that's not your typical anime offering. Akira Toriyama would have been proud.
It wasn't easy, and after facing a lot of uncertainty and criticism months before its release, Bloober Team has delivered a fantastic remake of a definite horror classic in Silent Hill 2 Remake. The pressure to overcome the odds must have been crippling, but the team has successfully captured the soul of the original and has modernized it with care, resulting in a must-play entry for the series that has been long dormant. From the stunning visuals to the haunting atmosphere and even the immersive audio design, the Silent Hill 2 Remake is a definite addition to gaming libraries everywhere, as its psychological spin on the genre is a testament to the legacy it left behind.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a fine example of Capcom's understanding as to which aspects of a game to improve without tampering with what made it good in the first place. There are substantial improvements here, almost blurring the line of being marketed as just a remaster.
NBA 2K25 is still the premiere basketball game, which is an undeniable fact. With best-in-class gameplay and stellar visuals rooted in extremely strong foundations, basketball fans and aspiring rookies need not look elsewhere for their hoop fix. Sadly, the game’s reliance on VC is more noticeable this time around, and with MyCareer still a middling mode, players are offered a package that’s less enticing than before, despite fantastic additions like ProPlay and Signature Shots.
The Plucky Squire is a creative triumph and certainly lives up to the hype ever since it was first announced. The full experience is wonderful, often employing a change of mechanics from one level to the next, keeping players on their toes with fresh gameplay. The Plucky Squire deserves a spot on anyone's list of titles to look forward to this year. It is a refreshing game amidst the barrage of AAA titles, and certainly a reminder that falling back to depend on a creatively fun and polished experience can do no wrong.
PlayStation has once again worked its magic, delivering a confident GOTY contender and one of the best experiences this year. Despite its simplicity, the game is supremely fun, and perhaps the highest compliment I can give is that you’ll play through the entire game with a smile on your face. Astro Bot proves that games do not need extremely bloated budgets and development times to succeed when you are laser-focused on fun and quality.
Overall, the Castlevania Dominus Collection is an easy recommendation as it compiles three fine entries in this legendary series. While they aren’t exactly new entries, experiencing Order of Ecclesia, Portrait of Ruin, and Dawn of Sorrow in modern consoles with fantastic upgrades is an offer we would never refuse.
Black Myth: Wukong is an amazing and impressive debut effort from Game Science, and while it has a few missteps, it lives up to the hype. From the gorgeous visuals to the dynamic and intense combat system, few games can replicate the satisfying feeling of conquering a challenging boss, only to face another one a few moments later. Interestingly, the game can be played on the Steam Deck, but there are concessions you'll have to make, especially in the visual department. You're losing out on a huge chunk of the experience because the game is gorgeous, but it's better than not getting to play it on the go, which in itself is a remarkable feat.
Star Wars Outlaws is a surprisingly good time, and I have to say that I enjoyed the game more than I thought I would after playing it early in previews. The scoundrel's life is well realized, and playing Kay Vess through her escapades was a pleasure because of her charm and character. Massive Entertainment has delivered the goods, making Star Wars Outlaws the open-world Star Wars game you are looking for.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing is an awesome shmup that goes a bit light on the innovation but goes hard on visual quality. That’s not to say that the game isn’t good, but it doesn’t introduce mechanics or systems that revolutionize the genre. For some, switching resources between shields and weapons while in the middle of everything may be a bit too much, but when you add the weapon direction presets on top of that, you’ve got another thing going. Despite its layers of systems, the game is mostly fair and manageable, and Cygni impresses with fantastic visuals and a responsive shooter that is a good and reasonable recommendation for fans of the genre. While gaming on a portable device works, Cygni is best played on current-gen consoles and a capable PC that can show off its stunning visual flair.
Anger Foot is exactly what you'd expect from a Devolver Digital game. It's fun, quirky, hilarious, unapologetic, and simply a damn good time. With a straightforward premise and easy-to-learn mechanics, the game is given depth with its inventive use of sneakers and replayability to give it a much-needed kick.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is quite reminiscent of other similar From Software DLCs like Bloodborne’s The Old Hunters, which adds meaty content and elevates the overall experience even further. Shadow of the Erdtree is a triumph for From Software, and if you thought that the Elden Ring experience could not be elevated, you are deathly wrong. Between all of the additional content here that the DLC provides, there’s so much to see and do that can easily run you tens of hours, even hundreds, simply because of the difficulty level alone. That said, the content does not feel tacked on at all, and, true to From Software tradition, is weaved into the basic fabric of the game, consequently enriching the experience.
Hellblade 2 is a triumph in masterful storytelling and impeccable audio design for Ninja Theory. It is an emotionally powerful experience that depicts a sensitive subject that is hardly talked about in the medium. To achieve this, the game stripped out several features and systems like combat and exploration in favor of a deeper narrative affair. This is not for everyone, but it is something I would encourage everyone to try at least try out.