Wccftech's Reviews
Both frustrating and intriguing all the same, Mortal Shell II vastly improves on the original title with a world filled with secret dungeons about while routinely kicking the player's teeth in without mercy.
The Sinking City 2 is a far tighter, story-driven game - still with exploration and investigations, albeit more limited - than the original. Only really let down by the smallest of niggles, the game features excellent world-building, supported by challenging survival-horror combat and gameplay, decent exploration and puzzles, and a story that is genuinely interesting until the end, with a small but strong cast of characters. Fans of the original may be missing the open-world and detective focus, but the trade-off and direction of this stand-alone sequel feels right, and performs brilliantly.
With a compelling, NieR-meets-Princess Mononoke narrative, solid level design that makes the most of its linear world, and a hybrid combat system blending Sekiro-style parrying with turn-based mechanics, Beast of Reincarnation is among the most interesting action RPGs of the year. While a slow start, technical shortcomings, and other flaws may be off-putting, action game fans shouldn't be deterred from experiencing what is, overall, a very solid title.
Splatoon Raiders sets its sights on inking Salmonids to such a singular degree that the game can sometimes feel a bit one-note, but a solid array of different mission variants and a gratifying dopamine-dispensing progression system has that “just one more raid” effect. While Splatoon Raiders doesn't offer as much variety as earlier entries in the franchise, it does its one thing quite well, and those who jive with this new looter-shooter approach will likely find themselves caught in this game's net for some time.
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is a strong entry into the FTL-like collection of games. While text-heavy, the tension of the BSG universe and fleeing the Cylons does come through, only amplified by excellent audio and a surprisingly fitting dark pixel-style art. There is some repetitiveness in the side-stories, but the strong gameplay and between-game upgrades can keep you coming back for more.
While there is a glaring omission to the content in this package, Black Flag Resynced feels like the definitive pirate adventure that Ubisoft Montreal wanted to tell more than a decade ago. All of the improvements make this one of the best looking (and playing) Assassin's Creed adventures to date.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok is an excellent expansion that makes the game even more fun, while improving the brutal endgame grind. By introducing a brilliant single-player roguelite mode alongside the most challenging content to date, game-changing character traits and giving Lyria an active role in combat, Cygames has exceeded expectations once again, delivering a must-get for newcomers and veterans alike.
Rhythm Heaven Groove delivers a double album's worth of content, including a bumpin' new collection of minigames, a fully fleshed-out multiplayer option, mini RPG mode, and various other quirky odds and ends. The game's idiosyncratic approach to the rhythm genre means your experience may be somewhat uneven -- you'll like some minigames more than others -- but most folks will find plenty here to get their hearts beating.
Copa City is a genuinely promising game that, through updates, could be great. The unique setting and interesting mechanics (once you figure them out) are let down by various bugs, poor - sometimes zero - explanation of objectives and game mechanics due to shoddy translations and poor design, and what does end up being a lack of replay value due to the one-match nature of the setting. Were this an early-access launch, it would be laudable that it's in the state it is. As a full launch, at £30, this is a wait and see.
Star Fox’s combination of tried-and-true N64 mission design, stunning new visuals, and technical polish results in a game that feels both nostalgic and surprisingly fresh, exciting, and fun here in 2026. Yes, perhaps more fully original content could have been added to the package, but this new Star Fox did a surprisingly adept job of barrel rolling past my concerns and should satisfy veteran and newcomer wingmen alike.
The Gate Must Stand is a passable tower defence game with reasonable gameplay and decent replay value, though it can be undermined by poor pacing, UI and item descriptions that need improvement. While not a bad game, it's also not great. Reasonably cheap on a launch offer, it will sufficiently pass time and be fine doing it.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales serves as a charming love letter to the golden age of top-down action RPGs. While its narrow world design fails to capitalize on its time-travel setting, the experience is heavily elevated by snappy and surprisingly deep combat and a flexible character customization system, making the game one worth experiencing for fans of the genre looking for a modernized take on a classic formula.
EA Sports UFC 6 is a bit of a second wind for this veteran franchise, delivering impressive visuals, refined action, and new ways to play, including a series-first story mode and a flashy Hall of Legends celebrating the accomplishments of some of the biggest names in the sport. The series is still a bit stuck in its ways in some aspects -- grappling could use an update, and Career Mode is still a grind -- but overall, UFC 6 punches things up more than you might expect.
007 First Light is one of the greatest James Bond games ever made. IO Interactive crafted a great third-person adventure game that mixes linear and open-ended levels and delivers an Oscar-worthy narrative to support it all. There's still room for improvement in the already-confirmed sequel (the credits close with 'James Bond will return'), but Bond's origin story is already a must for genre fans.
Luna Abyss is more than the sum of its parts, with individual pieces that will all feel familiar, so much so that you've likely played a dozen games just like it. But it's standout character design, environmental storytelling, performances, writing, level design, first-person shooting combat and 3D platforming that ends before it has a chance to outstay its welcome make it a must-play for single-player shooter fans.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book may be a bit pokey for some, but it requires more brain power than you might expect, serving up a large and varied array of beautifully detailed stages and some surprisingly impactful moments. If you're looking for something approachable for a young family member, or just a laid-back read for yourself, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is well worth adding to your library.
Phonopolis is the most beautiful and artfully-constructed game yet from Amanita Design, a studio that knows a thing or two about making such games. Phonopolis perhaps doesn't venture quite as far outside the point 'n' click adventure box as it could, but fans of the genre who don't mind the occasional obtuse puzzle and a short-ish runtime will likely find themselves singing the game's praises.
Forza Horizon 6 brings together everything from previous Forza Horizon titles and fine-tunes them to a perfect shine, set in a compressed Japan that is both gorgeous to behold and pure joy to race around.
The Dark Pictures might be missing from the title screen, but Directive 8020 is a return to Supermassive Games' formulaic design with some new twists and frights.
The appeal of Pokémon Champions is narrower than you might expect, as hardcore VGC vets or those hoping for a Pokémon Stadium-like experience will likely be disappointed by the game's small Pokédex and other limitations. The real target audience is clearly newcomers curious about competitive play, and the game does a fairly good job of welcoming them in without emptying their pockets. The nitty-gritty of PvP Pokémon battling has worked for 30 years, and it's not broken here, but a lot more could have been done to support the experience. Of course, plenty can change with updates, but as is, this game is a Pokémon Contender at best.