Sand Land is a charming ARPG romp thanks to its madcap cast of vehicles that manages not only to faithfully adapt Akira Toriyama’s vision, but to expand on it in his trademark style to create something that will delight newcomers and old-school manga-heads alike.
The Thaumaturge shows plenty of promise, but lets itself down somewhat by failing to play to its strengths. Warsaw and its history and culture is a joy to experience when the game properly engages with it, but an insistent focus on a comparatively dull main story ultimately detracts from this for a fun yet frustrating experience.
Tekken 8 is the ultimate Tekken game. A glossy veneer of modernity encases a strong foundation that builds upon its predecessors to great success. In every regard, Tekken 8 matches and surpasses the very best that the series, and the fighting game genre as a whole, has to offer.
House Flipper 2 takes the tedium of everyday chores and successfully turns it into a fun and deeply satisfying experience, with enough variety and modes to make it the ideal game for when you just need to kick back and relax.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet take the long-awaited step into a fully open-world, but one poorly implemented and marred by frustration. A compelling story and characters are a saving grace in what is ultimately a fun game, but Pokemon's attempts at modernising continue to fall disappointingly short.
Super Mario RPG is unapologetically fun. While a simple combat system and lack of challenge may not appeal to hardcore RPG fans, brilliant writing, iconic characters, and a world bursting with charm make it a delight to experience all the way through, and a perfect example of a remake done right.
RoboCop: Rogue City is a game dripping with love and appreciation of the source material, made by RoboCop fans, for RoboCop fans. But frustrating late game combat and clumsily resolved story beats raise questions of whether it's for everyone else, too.
Immortals of Aveum has the potential to be great, with its fun and varied combat, but is ultimately let down by a lackluster story, poor writing, unlikeable characters, and dull side content. The game frequently introduces interesting concepts, but repeatedly fails to capitalise on them, leaving behind an underwhelming mish-mash of underdeveloped mechanics and uninteresting story beats.
Remnant 2 successfully evolves on its predecessor, isolating and expanding upon the best aspects to create a cohesive and challenging shooter experience, supplemented by stunningly designed environments and a unique story system. A cooperative game at heart, its single-player campaign takes a hit, but never enough to substantially detract from the game’s successes.
Tears of the Kingdom is a tour de force. A consummate masterstroke of game design and worldbuilding, unrepentant in its pursuit of player freedom, well-deserving of a place among the greatest games of all time.