DualShockers
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Forza Horizon 6 is as good as you hoped it would be. Japan has quickly become my favorite location, and the in-game map really does it justice. There's so much to see and do that even after spending the past week with the game, it feels like I've barely scratched the surface. While again, there isn't much in terms of new ideas or innovation, the Horizon series didn't need it. There's already a well-established formula in place, and Playground Games did well to continue delivering one of the best racing experiences you'll ever have with Forza Horizon 6.
Starbites is that JRPG that stays true to its promise, delivering exactly what is on the tin. Its turn-based gameplay borrows some formulas and mechanics from other JRPGs, which may feel uninspired to some fans but can be a novelty to others.
Directive 8020 is a good addition to the Dark Pictures anthology and a solid start to its second season. Its story ranks among Supermassive Games’ best work, marking a much-needed step forward for a studio that has struggled to release standout titles in recent years.
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes feels like a genuine, honest extension of the cult favorite 2004 television show. It perfectly captures the dark, unrelenting tone of hopelessness that the TV show became known for. The hectic space combat has a fun, brisk pace to it that never overstays its welcome, and it is brilliantly balanced by more human moments with the crew on your ship. It doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel for the roguelite genre, but if you're a fan of the franchise, this is going to be a game that will make you quite happy.
Call of the Elder Gods is a beautiful, haunting and sometimes funny first-person puzzle game. It has a strong focus on its world and characters, with fabulous writing and lovely voice acting. The puzzles are clever, offering a mix of subtle and more grandiose brain scramblers. If you're a fan of cosmic horror or the Lovecraft mythos, Call of the Elder Gods is going to be a game you'll want to dive into immediately. This is one of the most outstanding games of the year so far, and it's not one you're going to want to miss.
Everything is Crab combines Roguelike gameplay with Spore-like evolutions to create something that feels wholly unique. That doesn't stop the game from falling into the trap of having a bit too much RNG. It's visually interesting with a fun art style that showcases those evolutions well, but gets weighed down by some of the more pressing issues. All in all, Everything is Crab is a good game that is hopefully well on the way to becoming a great game.
Mixtape is a coming of age tale that hits all the right notes from beginning to end. While it's a short game that you might only play once, that does not take away from how special the journey is along the way. Witty, hilarious writing, incredible voice performances, gorgeous art direction, and consistently creative gameplay beats are paired with a flawless soundtrack that serves as the backbone for every single scene perfectly in a '90s period piece that knows exactly what to drive home. The result is a wholly unique gaming experience that's loaded with nostalgic charm, great humor, and many poignant moments that will make you reframe how you think about your own personal memories of youth. I cannot recommend it enough.
Wax Heads is a fun, but short, cozy narrative sim that puts you into the world of physical media via selling vinyls, which is actually seeing a resurgence in the real world. What starts as a charming new job with friendly coworkers turns into the story of how hobbies have to be balanced with real-world obligations and the reality of how corporate practices often hurt small businesses the most, taking away beloved features from towns. It's cute and a bit of a puzzle game, but I wish it lasted longer and gave me more options when speaking to characters, especially to ask follow-up questions regarding record requests.
Dead as Disco doesn’t just flirt with the beat-em-up formula; it remixes it into something effortlessly stylish and easy to pick up, even in its early-access state.
Saros stands tall as a bold evolution for Housemarque, proving the studio wasn’t content with simply recreating the magic of Returnal.
Gambonanza is a Roguelike that absolutely feels like a team taking what made Balatro incredible and applying it to chess. This might seem derivative at first, but it's pulled off so well in the end that it ultimately feels like its own amazing thing entirely. Initial pacing at the beginning can feel a little slow and repetitive, but once you start unlocking new items via progression and simply learn the game, it becomes a deep and surprisingly intense loop of incredible and different-feeling chess action. Imitation or flattery, I don't really care. Gambonanza rules.
Bus Bound is the type of game that you'll love if you love simulators, but you might enjoy how peaceful it feels even if you don't usually play this style of game. It's a polished game that delivers what you expect and more. The world alone is beautiful to look at, and the number of pedestrians and other cars makes it feel alive. Aside from a few issues with handling and passenger feedback, the only complaint I have is that I didn't get to try the game with multiplayer or while using a steering wheel controller.
Invincible VS is a brilliantly brutal extension of the comic and Amazon Prime cartoon, offering up visceral, fluid battling and a genuinely entertaining single-player mode. The AI feels incredibly smart, adjusting its strategies mid-fight and creating a fluid pace for combat. It is missing a few key actors, but everyone does such a wonderful job, it doesn't hurt that badly. If you're looking for a way to pass the time until season 5 of the show hits in 2027, Invincible VS is a bloody good time.
Neverness to Everness delivers a stylish, lively city packed with plenty to do, and its generous gacha system makes it easy to enjoy everything it has to offer without constant frustration. But beneath all that charm, the bloated gameplay formula starts to show, especially in its story and combat, which struggle to stand out in an already crowded field of other known gacha giants.
Aphelion is a cinematic masterclass in storytelling. From the very beginning, you can tell that every moment of the game will be important. While it can't seem to keep up that same sort of engagement in the moment-to-moment gameplay, it works well enough to keep driving you forward. A short and enticing space-age mystery thriller that can satisfy from a story standpoint, but leaves a little to be desired in terms of gameplay.
MotoGP 26 continues on the legacy of this series being the best racing sim on two wheels, and yet it's also more approachable than ever with its refined and tweaked "Arcade" options as well as a shift in focus to a rider-based handling system. The racing itself is thrilling, straightforward enough, and has a high skill-ceiling that feels rewarding to work towards. An overall presentation package that isn't quite as good as some contemporaries is really the only "blemish" on another exciting and slick MotoGP experience. Oh, and the bikes look awesome in Photo Mode.
Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth does what it came to do: criticize the injustice of winter existing at all. The game makes you reflect on existential dread, dedications to your partner, chores, and the adorableness of life as a whole. Some controls and mechanics could have been explained better, but this is a great, snowy, cozy game that adds some variety to a genre that's oversaturated with farm life.
The large maps give you plenty of tactical flexibility, unit pricing is well-balanced, and the new smart management features are a lifesaver for anyone allergic to micromanagement. This is not a revolutionary release, and I have some gripes with durability and effectiveness of certain unit types, but Sudden Strike 5 remains a welcome take on a winning formula.
It's been a smash hit in the Valentine household, and that won't change for quite some time. I never thought we'd see another Tomodachi Life game, and I'm so happy that we did.
With the innovative Social-Link system, there's a real opportunity to create a new sort of way for players to interact, but it hasn't been perfected just yet. Tides of Tomorrow isn't the next big game, but it is a game that will stay with people long after they finish it.