There’s also the question of value. Following Black Ops 6 so quickly means you’re essentially asking players to commit to another year-long engagement with a very similar experience. The improvements are meaningful, but incremental. If you burned out on Black Ops 6, this won’t change things.
Make no mistake, with the patch that has been promised, Persona 3: Reload on Switch 2 has the potential to be the definitive version of the game I expected, but until then, it’s unfortunately a heavily compromised port that still just about succeeds on the strength of the core game underneath.
That being said, whether you buy now or wait for a sale, there’s no denying the quality on display here, with the Secret Trilogy remaining as brilliant today as it did when each instalment was released, and I hope shining a spotlight on what I consider to be a high point for the series results in the next brand new Atelier title takin a few pages out of Ryza’s book.
Gripes with side content aside, Digimon Story: Time Stranger is an incredible experience that has completely revitalised my faith in the monster-catching genre. With Pokemon seemingly stuck in a rut, due to what seems to be a complete refusal on Game Freak’s part to innovate within its mainline series, there is absolutely room for a deeper, more complex take on the genre for those looking for a more sophisticated alternative. Digimon Story: Time Stranger is that game, and I’m now incredibly excited for not only what comes next, but also to dig into the titles I’ve missed over the years in my ignorance.
It feels bad to end the review on a bit of a sour note, as Borderlands 4 is truly an incredible package. Gearbox did its homework, addressed complaints with Borderlands 3, and made significant changes to the core gameplay loops that have all come together to create what is surely going to be considered the new benchmark for the series in Borderlands 4. A mature, brilliantly written story, meaningful exploration, improved loot systems, and endless build variety had me losing hours every evening for over a week without even noticing. It’s a huge shame that, as it stands, Borderlands 4 isn’t as easy a recommendation as it should be due to the technical issues currently plaguing both console and PC players, but I have no doubt that Gearbox will continue to be reactive and get patches issued as soon as they can in order to maintain the good will generally being built up by what is otherwise a stellar release and one of 2025’s best video games.
For all its shortcomings in the combat and enemy variety departments, Hell is Us is one of my favourite games of 2025, and is sure to be close to the top of my rankings when the time comes. Hands down the most refreshing experience I’ve had on console in quite some time, Hell is Us takes years of tropes and bad habits built up by the industry and discards them in favour of player agency. It’s a game that I hope finds its fans, as while I anticipate it being an incredibly polarizing experience, we need more experiences like this to stand alongside the AAA junk food that is undoubtedly satisfying, but frequently hollow. If you’re like me and want to reprogram your brain to not instinctively climb a wall or squeeze through a gap that might happen to have yellow paint splashed across it due to years of being indoctrinated by video games, then please take the time to sample the delight that is Hell is Us this summer.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers perhaps sticks closest to the From Software formula than any other Soulslike I’ve played, with the way in which it approaches world design and its general combat balance. Rather than feeling like a cheap imitation, however, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers comes off as a classy homage, demonstrating a keen understanding of what makes these games work, while also putting its own stamp on the genre with its dodge-centric approach to combat and accessible magic systems. Its opening hours may frustrate you in how risk-averse those initial sections seem, but bearing with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers ultimately reveals a deep experience that proves there’s still room for more soulslikes when the quality is there.
Throes of the Watchmaker is a wonderful addition to an already fantastic package. While I’m not one hundred percent sold on the complete reset of skills, it does at least make narrative sense and allow for an admittedly needed power reset going into the new content, given that the expansion cannot be accessed until you’ve bested the mandatory content from the base game. That minor gripe aside, Throes of the Watchmaker is an exceptional package that highlights and builds upon what was so enjoyable within the base game. The new dungeons and biome are a treat to explore, stuffed with puzzles and engaging combat encounters that rival, and in many cases surpass, the quality already established by the base game, and if this is to be the last we see of Sea of Stars until what is hopefully an inevitable sequel, then this is a hell of a way to bow out.
Union of Gnomes is one of the most unexpected treats I’ve had the pleasure of playing this year. It came onto my radar out of nowhere, and while it won’t replace Monster Train 2 as my primary deckbuilder, it’s got enough creativity and replayability that it’s something I’m confident will remain in my rotation for the foreseeable future at least. While it may not be the most visually appealing experience, and its leveling curve could use a little fine-tuning, its robust deckbuilding and focus on resource management in the form of weiners is strong enough to overcome those shortcomings overall. If you’re tired of the heavyweights of the genre and want something a little quirky that really understands the fundamentals of the genre, Union of Gnomes is a worthy addition to any deckbuilding fan’s collection.
Sunderfolk’s attempt at bringing the tabletop RPG experience to the living room TV screen is difficult to find fault with. Its clever use of mobile devices does a great job at capturing the tactile nature of true tabletop gaming, resulting in a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the full game night experience. The story may be a little generic, and the standard difficulty option may be a little undertuned, relative to how successful Sunderfolk is in achieving its vision elsewhere. For anyone, like me, who struggles to find the time or motivation to unpack their favourite tabletop behemoth and endure the inevitable setup and breaking down phase, Sunderfolk is a truly wonderful alternative that works better than it has any right to.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a big step forward for the series, making massive strides in both the production values and the way in which it has built upon the already vast number of systems with its compelling town-building hook. There is still room to grow and add a little more depth in both the combat and dungeon design, but as one part of a much bigger whole, the lack of significant growth in these areas doesn’t take away from the overall experience too severely. Whether you’re holding out for the Switch 2 version, or jumping in on Nintendo’s current hardware, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a feature-rich package that fans are likely to lose hundreds of hours to, while also serving as a tantalising taste of the direction the series may be headed in the future.
If I were to score Captain Blood based on emotion, I would probably give it top marks based on the dedication shown by the developers and publisher in putting game preservation first to see this storied development cycle through to completion. Looking at this objectively, however, even in comparison to the games that would have been considered its contemporaries had it been released in 2010, Captain Blood is a barebones exercise in frustration that is difficult to recommend. There are faint glimpses at what could have been in the ship combat sections and the breezy narrative, and the short runtime does help mask some of the frustrations that plague the experience, but on the whole, it’s difficult to argue that Captain Blood wouldn’t have been better left in the depths it was salvaged from.
It may take a while for the true depths that Monster Train 2 holds to become apparent, but once you really dig into the minutiae of each deck, the options that present themselves in front of you seem almost limitless, and that’s my impression having only spent a substantial amount of time with two of Shiny Shoe’s fantastic new decks. For fans of the original, or newcomers who didn’t stamp their ticket for the first trip aboard the Monster Train, climb aboard Monster Train 2 right now. And, get comfy as I suspect you won’t be disembarking for a while.
Oblivion Remastered brings a Bethesda classic into the modern age with great success, while still retaining the core of what we all loved upon first adventuring across Cyrodiil many moons ago. Visually, it’s stunning, and creates a sense of immersion that just wasn’t possible on older hardware, and it speaks to the strength of Bethesda’s original work that all that was needed was a new lick of paint to leave Oblivion Remastered feeling like a wonderfully playable experience that I’ve loved dedicating hours of my life to all over again. The Elder Scrolls VI may be a while away yet, but for now, The Elder Scrolls VI fans rejoice, as you’ve now got a hell of a consolation prize to tide you over for the next few years.
While its gameplay is sometimes a bit too involved relative to its themes and narrative, Wanderstop is a wonderful experience that overcomes that flaw through its touching cast, fantastic writing, and engaging mechanics that are all set within an incredibly inviting and cozy world. Wanderstop is a shining example of how powerful video games are when utilized to address real-world problems, and if Wanderstop aims to encourage people to look inward and ask its players to shift their perspectives on life, then that mission has been fully accomplished in a heartwarming fashion.
The First Berserker: Khazan is a brutal, beautiful delight. Its elegant parry system, demonic boss battles, and flexible yet approachable take on character development have come together to create a package that may pull directly from many sources in the genre but ultimately delivers a standout experience that easily stands amongst the stiffest competition the genre has to offer. Its early hours may suffer from linearity, and its parry-heavy combat system may not sit well with everyone, but if you’re up for the challenge and willing to adapt to how The First Berserker: Khazan requires you to play, then you’re in for an absolute treat.
With its incredible roster, awesome selection of game modes both new and old, and huge improvements made across the likes of Showcase and MyRise modes, WWE 2K25 is, at its core, a Wrestlemania main-event-worthy addition to the series. The in-ring action is so good that when I’m playing, I want to do nothing apart from keep playing, and in that sense, this feels like the absolute pinnacle of wrestling video games. What a shame that it’s all held back by greed, then, and I hope that players send a message to 2K and voice their concerns, as The Island, being the first prominent new mode the series has received in years, has me seriously concerned for the future of the franchise. For now, though, it’s easy enough to ignore, given the quality on display throughout the rest of the package, and wrestling geeks like me can rest easy knowing we have a quality product to get us through the next 12 months.
With how uneven the core games are in Tomb Raider Remastered IV – VI, it would be incredibly easy to dismiss this and tell you to avoid purchasing, but it’s a lot more nuanced than that. The Last Revelation is a genuinely great game that is only made better by the improvements this package builds in, and Chronicles is a solid continuation of a formula that suffers from being a little too similar to what went before. Even The Angel of Darkness, though without much merit as a video game, serves as a fascinating insight into the eventual downfall of classic Tomb Raider. How appealing that is will depend on how much attachment you have to the series, or video game preservation as a whole and while I would advise casual Tomb Raider fans to avoid, there’s a lot to love here for anyone who does want to explore classic Lara and video game history in a lovingly put together package.
Rogue Waters is a fantastic entry within the rogue-lite and tactical-turn-based strategy genres. Rewarding meta-progression is supported by zany combat that promotes experimentation due to the generous undo feature, allowing for low-stakes trial and error that perfectly suits the slapstick nature of the pirate action. While the naval combat doesn’t feel like it’s fleshed out to its fullest potential, it’s easy to overlook with it being a small part of a much bigger whole that’s generally hard to fault, and if you’re a fan of either genre that Rogue Waters taps into, or, most importantly, a fan of pirates, then Rogue Waters is all but certain to get its hooks into you.
While its story may struggle to capture players due to time travel hijinks rendering what should be pivotal moments as low-stakes affairs, Trails Through Daybreak II is a fantastic slice of JRPG action that sings when focusing on its combat, progression, and exploration that rewards due to the richness Calvard presents in its world-building. On one hand, it is disappointing that the Daybreak arc seems to be struggling to move its narrative on in meaningful ways, but there’s no denying that the adventures of Van and his team continue to refine the series’ core gameplay loops in smart ways, even if uncovering the depths of its systems does require wrestling with a user interface that can be all too difficult to parse at times. Overall, Trails Through Daybreak II more than makes up for its narrative shortcomings in other areas to ensure that the Daybreak arc continues to feel like a great foundation to innovate on going forward.