Shaun Cichacki
This is a video game about flying around heaven, shooting and dashing through demons, flirting with your other neons, gathering cards that happen to double as weapons, and talking to angels that just so happen to be cats with comically large sunglasses. If any of that sounds even slightly interesting to you, you may have found your new obsession.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a game all about heart. A main character with a heart of gold, a story full of heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments, and a world that showcases the heartbeat of what makes the Like A Dragon franchise as special as it is.
No matter if this is your first foray into the world of Advance Wars, or if you’re a veteran of the franchise, this is easily the best version of the original games. If you even slightly enjoy strategy games and own a Nintendo Switch, this is a no-brainer to snag as soon as you can.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an essential play for anyone that loves the idea of a good murder-mystery game. The story that unfolds is unlike anything else in the medium, and damn near everything about it is perfect.
From the exquisitely designed stages that morph and meld as the combat reaches the highest points of the action to the revamped characters that you’ll find within this new version of the world, Mortal Kombat 1 may be my new personal favorite Mortal Kombat experience.
Forza Motorsport is not only a massive step forward in quality for the franchise but for racing games in general. It's a new benchmark for other games to strive toward, both graphically and gameplay-wise, and the team at Turn 10 should be proud of what they brought to the table this time around.
For a series that has been hiding in the shadows and deemed a cult classic franchise for quite some time, Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist Of The Mysterious Dream proves that even though it may be the underdog in a genre saturated with many, many entries, it can come out from the shadows and prove that it's a one of a kind experience.
From the gorgeous visuals that transport you directly to the field, to the stellar controls, you won't find another sports game out there that will captivate you quite like this one. Feeling the roar of the crowd swelling up as you continue to rack up points, to the way that your players will express their emotions on the field, this is a sports title that other developers of the genre should take notes from.
With a haunting soundtrack, great sound effects, a great visual style that stands out from the crowd, excellent commanding gameplay, and the plethora of options that you'll be able to take to achieve victory, you'll find yourself excited to try to take command of the Spice, even if you end suffering a crushing loss.
With a killer soundtrack, excellent controls, a great roster of characters, and more, you'll find that there is an excellent time to be had here by any gamer of any skill level. A few small problems hold it back from being the greatest beat-em-up of all time, you cannot go wrong with this shell of a time.
NBA 2K23 does a killer job of opening the floor to those that are new to the franchise, or those returning for their umpteenth time. With gorgeous visuals that help solidify this as one of the best-looking games of the generation so far, to controls that let you feel like a pro, there's very little to complain about here.
If you've never experienced the Taiko no Tatsujin franchise, this is going to be the perfect entry point for players. With the new Taiko Music Pass, you'll have access to more music than ever before, and with its abundant customization options for your character and playstyle, you'll become a master Donder in no time. You'll need the patience to learn and grow, but once you do, it's the best feeling around.
Bringing a fresh new art style to the franchise that we hope sticks around for years to come, this ain't your daddy's Need for Speed. And maybe, that's a good thing. With Heat pushing the franchise in a bold new direction, Need For Speed Unbound borrows almost everything that made that title special and improves upon it.
Watching the rise of John Cena was electrifying, and the general gameplay improvements have made this the most competent Wrestling game to come out in decades. With an almost overwhelming amount of content in this entry, it's going to be hard to find time for many other games coming out this year.
Lego 2K Drive is a near-perfect arcade racer that will have nostalgic fans, such as myself, finding it nearly impossible to tear themselves away from the screen.
Its internal parts are crafted with PlayStation 2-era design, brought together in an oven that can push out some of the most delicious Mech combat that I've experienced in a very long time. Its story is engaging enough to keep you pushing forward, and its variety of missions and boss battles can evoke a range of emotions from any player.
WWE 2K24 continues to build upon the incredibly solid and strong foundation of its previous iterations while adding some extra flair to keep returning fans excited about what's coming down the line.
Teslagrad 2 takes what made the first game a unique puzzle platformer and expands on almost every front of it. While there is a bit of room for improvement in the overall control scheme and physics engine, it stands out in a flooded genre.
WarioWare Move It! is a delight in its purest form. For those hungry to relive their childhood, to those who have been craving the madcap antics of Wario and friends over the span of some less-than-stellar titles, this is the return to form we've been waiting for.
Sifu is an incredible journey. Featuring top-notch animations, music tracks, and visuals that are hard to match by even a big-budget animation studio, you will find your jaw-dropping as you make your journey through this story of revenge.