Nomada Studios' sophomore release shows that lightning can indeed strike twice, as it's every bit as breathtaking as 2018's Gris.
Keep Driving is equal parts charming, compelling, inventive, and emotionally evocative, making it one of 2025's early masterpieces.
The Alters is a cerebral, thought-provoking, and beefy story-driven survival game, and undoubtedly 11 Bit Studios' magnum opus.
Squid Shock Studios lets loose an astonishing debut in the form of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, a silky-smooth metroidvania platformer.
Centum is a haunting, esoteric, and opaque game that begs constant examination, though its strengths as a video game are debatable.
Minor issues of pacing and controls aside, V Rising on PS5 is a more than worthy port. Its expressive customization options, unfolding combat mechanics, and flexible build options have made it a must-own for PC players, and now the same can be said for PlayStation players. If you're a fan of survival games, action-RPGs, and Gothic horror, you can't do much better than V Rising.
Banana Rumble truly understands what makes the Super Monkey Ball series tick, giving players the same sense of intense, exhilarating thrill and wholesome fun thanks to its no-frills chaos. With polished fundamentals, Spin Dash, and online multiplayer, it's easy to see Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble fostering a strong community of players for years to come.
Volgarr the Viking 2 is a worthy, brutally difficult, and endlessly addicting follow-up to its tough-as-nails predecessor from 2013.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered offers, in many ways, the same things that the original Soul Reavers did: a compelling, grand narrative, a unique world to dissect, incredible atmosphere, et cetera. For that alone, this remaster is worth purchasing, as it is essentially the "definitive" version to play these games.
Simple, sleek, and endlessly rewarding, Dynasty Warriors Origins is a huge improvement over previous entries, and the best musuo game of the decade.
Fatal Fury is back with a vengeance with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, a thoroughly entertaining, if slightly lightweight, return to form.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a fantastic revamping of the 2006 classic, putting it in conversation with contemporary ARPGs.
Hell Clock is a compelling, ever-expanding, surprisingly emotional ARPG roguelike that's well worth anyone's time, despite a few weak points.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a terrific, if not exactly revolutionary, remaster of one of the PS1's best TRPGs.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion soars with stunning visuals, slick beat-em-up gameplay, and an inventive lineup of diverse comic book characters.
These smaller issues pale in comparison to what Source of Madness gets right. The gorgeous 2D art style, atmospheric music, and crunchy sound design underpin a combat system that is deep and rewarding, and is sure to keep surprising players deep into their time with the game. For gamers searching for a gratifying roguelite filled to the brim with passion and creativity, Source of Madness is more than worth the cost of admission.
The Mana series is back with Visions of Mana, a steady, fun, and slightly by-the-numbers entry in the style of the Trials of Mana remake.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate doesn't quite reach the heights of its obvious inspirations, but it's a good time anyway.
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap has a few screws that could be tightened, but is overall a strong continuation of the series' action-strategy gameplay.
Blemished and imperfect though it may be, Afterlove EP is a moving, heartfelt story that has a lot to say about grief, love, and moving on.