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Metro Awakening is a VR outing that does the Metro series proud. With a story and setting that adds further depth to Dmitry Glukhovsky's magnum opus, incredible visual and sound design, and a wealth of mechanics that represent the Metro staples, this title is a tense, gripping and action-packed blast for VR fanatics.
Black Ops 6 is to Call of Duty what Battlefield 3 was to its series, something new that finally offered an alternative to a repetitive formula. Now, it is up for Activision and Treyarch to build on it. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is not the best Call of Duty release. Depending on who you ask, it may not even be the best Black Ops game. That said, in a world where the series has become synonymous with overpriced, cheap multiplayer combat and vapid campaigns, Black Ops 6 is a breath of fresh air. This game will go down in history one way or another. It is either the last good Call of Duty made, or the first of a new era with good titles again. Treyarch has a long way to go if a sequel is to be called great, but for the first time in a decade, Call of Duty may have a future again.
Rivals of Aether II gives fans of the genre a lot to love, with the promise of even more on the way, and the game is constantly getting patches and improving. If it offered a proper story mode and slightly more intuitive mechanics on top of cleaning up the skins for clarity's sake, it would be up there with the best fighting games ever. It feels incredible to play, the music is awesome, and the visuals are some of the most unique in the industry without feeling like they're compromising for frame rate. If you're a fan of Smash Bros. gameplay, you owe it to yourself to give Rivals of Aether II a shot, but you should know that it's still a work in progress, even after release.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a compelling new entry in the series, taking the franchise in a new direction with more RPG-lite ideals. This decision will alienate Die Hard fans but will undoubtedly win favor with new fans willing to embrace the series.
Despite its shortcomings, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a promising gift for fans. Its dark mystery narrative requires you to keep track of two separate timelines at most intervals. But there's enough breathing room to enjoy the usual heartfelt moments of the series. Although the final chapter parallels the first game's events in a way, it sets up an unexpected follow-up sequel, leaving much to be desired from its characters. On the plus side, the series' staple elements, from the soundtrack to the puzzle-solving sections, are executed perfectly. Deck Nine could've handled the Max and Chloe dynamic more appropriately, but there's still enough fan service that most Life is Strange fans will adore this game.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent party game, and compares well with previous titles in the franchise. While remaining true to the nostalgic formula, minor tweaks, improvements, and new game modes help it rise above the series' modern releases to shine as a Super Star. Even if you have either of the previous Mario Party games for Switch, Jamboree is worth considering.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake very much feels like a 2000s game, which has been respectfully updated with improved presentation. Unfortunately, its gameplay has not withstood the test of time. Built upon an engaging turn-based gameplay loop, this game quickly becomes repetitive—even tedious—because it plays the same scenes over and over. Compared to the variety of events in modern grand strategy games, it's difficult to recommend this one. However, if you're a history enthusiast or a Dynasty Warriors fan curious about the strategy genre, this game may be for you.
While Aeternum doesn't do anything to avoid the pitfalls inherent to the MMORPG genre, it lessens their impact with flexibility and smart multiplayer mechanics. The Grind falls to the wayside while dynamic, fast-paced gameplay takes center stage. Married with a setting that diverges from MMO predecessors, New World: Aeternum offers an experience that will keep players invested, and enjoying the whole ride.
Alongside a lovingly remastered Sonic Generations showcase, Shadow Generations is a dark and broody triumph that not only pays homage to the cult classic outing of yester-year for the troubled hedgehog, but also irons out all the aspects that fans didn't quite take to, effectively giving Shadow the do-over they deserve. It's a fast-paced and fluid Sonic title with great new mechanics, a tonne of replayability, and just the right amount of challenge. The fact that this is a short experience will irk a few, as will the lack of crossover between the two games, but all in all, Sonic x Shadow Generations is yet another strong Sonic outing that proves the dark days for the franchise may well be behind us.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a great horror game in a vacuum, but it is held back by trying to double as a quasi-adaptation. The brilliant mechanics and environment can distract you from its shortcomings most of the time, but it periodically reminds you that this could have been so much more. The foundations are well laid out though, and if Stormind can improve the storytelling and optimization, any sequel to this would earn an easy 9/10 rating.
Neva is a game that builds on the platforming prowess of its predecessor GRIS, offering powerful pastel visuals, incredible use of color and flora, and sublime set-pieces to tell a powerful story where your bond is everything. The game offers a newfound dynamism, trading in the label of a puzzle platformer for a more traditional adventure platforming approach. Sadly, the game fails to hit the narrative heights of its predecessor, and also fails to truly get the most out of each mechanic presented. But despite this, Neva is a captivating, visually jaw-dropping indie that is simply too good to ignore.
The Silent Hill 2 Remake is a masterclass in psychological horror with an unforgettable atmosphere. The improved graphics, acting, and soundtrack create an authentically horrifying experience that brings pride to the original. Despite some performance issues, new and veteran fans will genuinely love the Silent Hill 2 Remake — it's absolutely stellar.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a masterfully crafted JRPG that seamlessly takes all that was excellent about the Persona series and weaves a fantasy tale like no other. It's a tale with layers and levels that is wonderfully paced, offering a wealth of familiar mechanics and systems.
Shattered Space is just more of what Starfield couldn’t deliver. Although its focused, single-location experience and engaging quests provide a refreshing change, its overall lackluster quality proves that no updates or expansions can truly transform Starfield. While moments of brilliance remain, and Shattered Space does add some memorable moments to the pile, it's a DLC that ensures that Starfield doesn't go out with a bang like a Supernova, but rather fades into the vacuum of space without so much as a whimper.
Drawing on decades of inspiration, Beyond Galaxyland is a heartfelt love-letter to the JRPG genre. Although the game can't quite escape its predecessors' long shadow, it shines more brightly than many of its peers. The synthesis of gameplay elements from Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy to Paper Mario and Pokémon makes this a must-play for genre enthusiasts, and worthy of consideration by other gamers. Increased difficulty in New Game Plus adds to Beyond Galaxyland's replayability, while an interesting story helps it stand out from among other JRPGs.
#DRIVE Rally by Pixel Perfect Dude delivers a fun arcade-style rally experience with electrifying music and easy to understand controls. It also features four maps taken from the following countries: Germany, the U.S., Finland, and SE Asia. Players can unlock and customize cars as they progress through championships, and the game runs smoothly even on low-end setups. While it offers an enjoyable ride, repetitive gameplay and out-of-sync audio cues (with no minimap) can make navigating tricky after a few hours.
This is an honest entry into football gaming, the kind you can buy this year and enjoy for two, or three seasons, or however long it takes for EA Sports to add new features worth checking out. Career Mode remains a far cry from Football Manager, and the licensing situation might as well have changed the series name to "European Football 25". Odds are it will not get better for a while. FC 25 is like watching football: a mix of great moments, frustration, and occasionally asking yourself "Why did I put two hours into this". The answer is that FC 25, like football, is just good fun.
The Plucky Squire is both a familiar and predictable, and gorgeously ambitious and creative title. At its best, it's a dimension-hopping romp with excellent meta-writing, standout set-pieces and mini-games, and undeniably creative puzzle mechanics.
The Last Song is a Souls-like experience that takes a lot of big swings, and while there are a few hiccups along the way, many of these risks pay off.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a surreal and mysterious puzzle game that executes perfectly on its vision. A potential all-timer for fans of the genre.