Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot delivers a well-crafted, satisfying action/RPG, provided you’re already invested in the DBZ mythos — and ready to hear the same old story over again. The open-world elements aren’t as well-developed as they could have been, but the combat and gameplay variety help carry the game through some rough patches.
High On Life is an anarchic take on the first-person shooter genre, replete with improvisational, off-color humor and a bizarre tone that few other games can match. Even if you don't vibe with its comedy style, though, High On Life still offers tight gameplay, with plenty of ways to customize your playstyle.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns delivers satisfying strategic battles, as well as a full-fledged superhero social sim. The deckbuilding elements give players plenty of room to find their own strategies. The game has some graphical and technical shortcomings, but a strong story and cast should keep superhero fans hooked for dozens of hours.
Live A Live presents an interesting take on the JRPG genre, with seven separate stories to complete across wildly different genres. The premise deserves a lot of credit, as does its confident execution. However, some chapters are much better than others, and the combat isn’t quite strong enough to work as Live A Live’s central mechanic.
Bayonetta 3 takes what worked about the first two games and continues to refine it, from the balletic combat, to the diverse assortment of wacky characters, to the snarky sense of humor. Aging Switch hardware means that the performance is uneven, however, and the difficulty curve can sometimes swing a little too far toward “punishing.”
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a worthy sequel to one of the most bizarre games on Nintendo Switch
Grounded is an unusual take on the survival/crafting genre, with a clever premise and a decent sense of style. Tedious gameplay drags the experience down, though.
Diablo Immortal has solid core gameplay, dragged down by incessant and confusing free-to-play nonsense.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers brings a daring and unusual JRPG back into the spotlight, but doesn’t smooth over many of its rough patches.
Babylon's Fall is an ugly, clunky, incomprehensible mess, and gamers should expect better from both Platinum and Square Enix.
Elden Ring offers rewarding gameplay, a cohesive setting and gripping lore. Some of the open-world systems feel clunkier than they should, though.
Age of Empires IV may not redefine the real-time strategy genre like its predecessors, but it's still a deep and challenging dive into the world of medieval warfare.
Metroid Dread meets - and arguably surpasses - its lofty expectations, with demanding gameplay, clever level design and an ambitious story.
Diablo II: Resurrected recreates the best parts of the original game with a fresh coat of paint. However, the core gameplay design feels a bit dated.
Deathloop makes the most of its creative time loop mechanics and tight gameplay, but the repetition can wear thin after a while.
Tales of Arise doesn't exactly forge new ground in the JRPG genre, but a fast-paced battle system and a well-told story make it easy to pick up, and hard to put down.
Marvel's Avengers: War for Wakanda adds an interesting playable character, but the game's structure is as repetitive and unfocused as ever.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the best way to play one of 2020's best games, but the PS5 upgrade can be a bit pricey.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris provides more familiar gameplay, but doesn't add much to the well-worn series formula.
Neo: The World Ends with You is filled to the brim with style and charm, but actually playing the game can get tedious sometimes.