Skull Island: Rise of Kong, more than anything else, feels like a hollow attempt at cashing in on the Kong brand. The game has no real redeeming quality aside from the fact that it didn't accidentally set my PC on fire, and it can't even bother to be the kind of bad where it's interesting, rather, just being bad enough to be a boring waste of time.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 brings three classic stealth action games to a modern generation of players, and along with it, brings a host of goodies and books that are quite fun to dig through. The extra gameplay goodies, like different versions of classical games, are also fantastic additions.
Lords of the Fallen is an interesting new take on the Soulslike genre. While it isn't trying to reinvent the wheel with fresh new ideas, it instead acts as more of an evolution of the genre, refining ideas and concepts that have been tried and tested by other games. The game features excellent combat and fun exploration, which thankfully are more than enough to detract from its dull storytelling.
COCOON brings together its vibrant visuals, chill vibes, and minimalistic approach to gameplay and storytelling together to create one of the most interesting puzzle games in recent times.
Witchfire is a game rife with potential that will hopefully be realized throughout its stint in early access. It has an addictive gameplay loop that makes you attempt at least "one more run" thanks to its fast-paced melding of first-person gunplay and magic. The only real downside right now is the relative lack of content.
The console release of Gloomhaven continues the trend of making it one of the best board game-to-video game adaptations out there, and there are a lot of deep combat mechanics for players to sink their teeth into. Inconsistencies in the interface and being balanced around multiplayer are the only real downsides to Gloomhaven on the PS5.
Lies of P succeeds in almost everything it sets out to do. Not only do we get a wonderful new setting in the form of Krat to explore and dissect, but we also get some great gameplay to go along with it. While the story sets up some interesting things, it takes too long to get it rolling. The game ultimately relies too heavily on the gameplay to keep you intrigued. Not that we're complaining.
Daymare 1994: Sandcastle acts better as a period piece for the early 90s than it does a horror game.
Sprawl isn't trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to retro-inspired shooters, delivering a rather by-the-numbers fast-paced shooter experience.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is a wonderful return to form for a franchise that has been dormant for a very long time. Its unique mission structure that encourages experimentation, coupled with an insane level of customization is one of the game's major highlights, and while its story takes time to get started, no two missions ever really feel the same thanks to varied objectives and excellent encounter design.
30XX carries with it the legacy of the Mega Man X franchise in its aesthetics and general gameplay, but its more modern features like a level editor and its randomly generated levels add more replayability to the game. The core gameplay might seem simple at first, but its superbly designed levels and boss fights will quickly demand that you get familiar with its movement techniques as much as possible if you want to make any sort of progress.
WrestleQuest takes the classic idea of a video game based on pro-wrestling and flips it on its head, giving us an RPG instead of the typical fighting game. It also has tons of fan service for those who might be into classic wrestling, and tells a few interesting and heartwarming stories along the way, all wrapped up in a fun aesthetic.
While the core gameplay behind Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is still as fun today as it was when it first came out on the PS5 two years ago, the fact that this is the first time a game in the franchise has been playable on PC is definitely worth noting. If you can manage to jump over the proverbial hurdle of needing a decent gaming PC to play, Rift Apart is definitely worth your time and money.
Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening is a unique take on the strategy genre that chooses to focus more on the administration aspects of war rather than the battles. Coupled with in-depth mechanics for managing your economy, as well as a surprisingly deep political system where you have to pay attention to how well your officers are doing, you get a unique management-styled strategy game that is absolutely worth your time.
Blackout Protocol, despite being in early access, is already an incredibly fun game to play, with the caveat that you have two friends to play with or don't mind playing with random strangers online. If you're a solo player, you might want to look elsewhere.
Jagged Alliance 3 successfully taps into everything that made the franchise great to begin with, giving us a unique blend of genres that mixes turn-based tactical gameplay with some light RPG elements.
AEW: Fight Forever offers the perfect combination of simple, fun gameplay that can be learned in a couple of minutes, but has incredible depth. Pair that with an excellent roster, a fun career mode, and an incredible amount of match types and unlockables, and the game ends up being a dream come true for fans of the fun, arcade-styled wrestling games of the past.
Aliens: Dark Descent is one of the most unique takes on not only the strategy genre, but the survival horror genre as well. Despite a middling story and a terrible tutorial, it's one of the most interesting and rewarding games out there.
Trepang2 doesn't really care about its setting and story. Instead, it just wants to give you some guns, the ability to slow down time, and just set you loose on some corrupt corporations and a shady cult. It features fantastic gunplay and some excellent enemy AI to play around with, and despite the visual clutter, you'll quite likely find yourself having a good time.
We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is an absolute blast to play. Its gameplay is addictive, the story is hilarious, and the soundtrack features music that will end up haunting you for days.