With everything that Street Fighter 6 includes, it's set the bar incredibly high for future fighting games. Online matches played flawlessly during the review period. The Battle Hub is an example of how online multiplayer game lobbies should be with a space where players can interact and even play other games together. A well-balanced roster of characters and new control options helps Street Fighter 6 stand tall as an excellent entry point for fighting games, while also containing the depth and precise gameplay that pros expect.
Many may see No Man's Sky coming to Switch as one small step towards entertainment, but making the game work as well as it does on the Switch is one giant leap for Nintendo fans, especially for those wanting to explore something much more extensive and varied than Breath of Wild's Hylian ruins. The port may need some updates to add multiplayer and increase its loading speeds in the future, but No Man's Sky on the Switch manages to fit its updates and addictive gameplay onto Nintendo's on-the-go console well enough that it's immediately one of the best ways to play the game.
The Dead Space Remake severs the bar to raise it.
Tekken 8 is jam-packed with modes, story, and customizable options that should allow players of any skill level to have fun. Battling against veteran players in the multiple online modes will likely be a punishing experience for new players. Still, the latest installment offers the best tools in the franchise yet to master each of its 32 playable characters. Despite being more accessible than ever, Tekken 8 is challenging to master, and continues to make a case for itself as one of gaming's most complex and rewarding fighters.
Like 2009's Brütal Legend, Metal: Hellsinger is a love letter to heavy metal gamers rather than a game being made to pander to a demographic. Hellsinger is a lot of fun for any casual FPS player with even a vague interest in metal music. Even though the game feels on the short side, The Outsiders have achieved a beautiful hybrid of sound design and fun FPS gameplay that will hopefully inspire more combat rhythm games in the future. The music will get stuck in the player's head, and the levels are more than fun enough to warrant replaying.
Both its asymmetrical multiplayer gameplay and story are so enjoyable and well-constructed that big fans of either will find a lot to enjoy in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. It's not perfect, but it is an earnest and succesful attempt to bring the spirit of the movie's best qualities into a video game, and it just so happens the game is also strong enough to create some satisfying feedback loops, too.
With Darktide being more of a live service game, there isn't necessarily an ending to its narrative to speak of. Players will rank up and be treated to short cutscenes reflecting the increase in trust and standing the spaceship's NPCs hold for the player. However, each character feels rooted in the dark sci-fi future the Warhammer series takes place in, as they deliver hints of its complex lore. More story will likely be introduced over time, with hopefully new locations to explore, because players may be left hungry for more narrative and beautiful levels to look at. Still, mowing down enemies with friends has rarely felt as satisfying as it does in Warhammer 40K: Darktide.
Still, for Embers' first game, this is an especially impressive showing. Strayed Lights is a visually pleasing game with epic bosses and intense combat that any fan of action-adventure platforming games should check out, even if it's over before it really manages to create something unmissable.
Endgame content in the form of Ancient Rifts open up to send waves of enemies at players who can unlock legendary weapons and gear with unique properties if skilled enough. Even when playing on Easy mode, missions can be difficult and often challenge players to readjust their approach to each battle with consideration. Taking on tough missions with a friend would be a satisfying addition to the game. Still, Everspace 2 contains enough gameplay variation and fun space combat to scratch the itch any wannabe pilots has been hoping to find in a sci-fi space shooter.
Nightdive Studios' System Shock remake is the definitive version of the classic 90s PC title whose influence is still felt in today's sci-fi shooters.
Remnant 2 is compelling as a single-player journey, but feels much more rewarding to play with others. To that end, the game does a solid job in making that a possibility, even for those without friends interested in the title at launch. Adventure Mode allows players to join a random quest with others, providing a quick and easy way to enjoy the cooperative multiplayer experience Remnant 2 excels at. With a large variety of playstyle customizations and a seemingly endless amount of levels on vibrant alien worlds to discover, Remnant 2 is a multiplayer shooter that'll keep players blasting enemies for a while and is well-worth a look in spite of its flaws.
Both the Quality and Performance Modes of Atlas Fallen sport incredible visuals and gameplay, especially with Performance Mode's 60fps. Atlas Fallen's photo mode was also a distracting highlight, especially when finding a rare glitch in the game and being able to have the main character express disappointment while pointing at said visual glitches to take the above screenshot. Developer Deck13 promises updates at launch will further improve the game, which did not suffer from any dramatic performance issues like other open-world games tend to release with. In its current state, Atlas Fallen is an excellent showcase of modern gaming that features some exciting mechanics that other action games could benefit from.
Despite the game's pacing issues and ability to enrage its players, Ghostrunner 2 can be a challenging game to put down. The game's exciting synth-wave tracks and well-written supporting cast pair well with its visuals and outstanding boss battles to keep players interested. Ghostrunner 2 improves on the first game in many ways, but if the sequel were an anime, a lot of it would feel like filler material between its more engaging, epic boss battles.
Naruto Storm Connections introduces great upgrades to its addictive arena combat & a story that welcomes new players while tantalizing long-time fans.
Ironwood Studios' debut game accomplishes to be an immersive survival driving adventure. Its intense treks through mind-bending obstacles are balanced with humor and relaxing moments provided by crafting and upgrading useful tools and car components, along with Pacific Drive's catchy alternative rock soundtrack. It's an incredibly impressive debut game that should put the new studio on the map: "there's no peace of mind or place you'll see, like riding on Pacific Drive."
Multiplayer is also a fun addition to Need for Speed Unbound that allows players to bet other players and unlock cars that become available in both the game's story and multiplayer modes. Racing other players feels satisfying but would be more interesting if Unbound's world was more interactive and had a larger variety of activities. While Criterion has successfully returned to the genre, it feels like the developer is being held back from delivering a truly colorful and over-the-top experience it's previously achieved in games like the Burnout series. The team should take the driving mechanics and the cartoony visual flairs from Need for Speed Unbound and turn those features up to the next level in their next arcade racer.
There is a lot to enjoy with Arkane's latest, even if some aspects don't feel as fleshed out as they could be. The game looks and plays great on PC with several graphics options, including performance and ultra-performance modes. Although the gameplay could use more variation, the locations and enemies in Redfall are a lot of fun to experience with friends. Redfall does more right than wrong in a gaming genre filled with multiplayer shooters competing for limited screen time - and it's worth a try, especially for friends who've dreamed of forming a group of vampire slayers.
Fans who have continued to play Overwatch over the years grew hungry for the new maps, modes, and heroes that Overwatch 2 delivers on. At this point, it feels like the bare minimum fans need to keep enjoying Overwatch. As more maps and heroes are introduced, Overwatch 2 may start to feel more like a full sequel rather than a hefty much-needed update. If Blizzard had charged sixty dollars for what the game currently is, fans would be disappointed. The ten-dollar Battle Pass gives fans lots of content to unlock with the game's improved multiplayer action. Even though it will require some play time to unlock heroes behind the Battle Pass, it's an excellent time for new players to see what makes Overwatch as fun and charming as it is. Still, veteran players anxious for something new may want to wait until Overwatch 2 feels more complete.
Sonic Frontiers takes many steps in the right direction for Sonic games. Still, its biggest fault is that it tries to do so much, with how well it accomplishes everything varying greatly between interesting and frustrating. Longtime Sonic comics writer Ian Flynn penned parts of the story, and its narrative and music are some of the game's highlights worth mentioning. The moments that work in Sonic Frontiers can be fun and captivating, but as soon as players start to feel a groove, they're thrown into something different, changing what they're doing and creating a choppy flow to progression. The foundation for a consistent experience in the next 3D Sonic game is here, but Sonic Frontiers feels more like a test than a proper renaissance for the series quite yet.
Toys For Bob set out to make a unique multiplayer experience with Crash Team Rumble that's supposed to be more of a strategic multiplayer platform brawler than a MOBA. And while they succeeded in doing so, CTR feels more like a multiplayer mode for a more feature-rich game rather than an entirely new game with a Crash Bandicoot title. With more characters and modes planned for the future, Crash Team Rumble may become a bash worth playing. Still, as it stands, it's a rumble that struggles to stay fun for long.