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Only sickos would want to come home after a long day at their place of employment to go to their PC or console to do more work, but you know who you are. Across the 15-hour campaign, you'll get to see and do things that become second nature and you feel your skills improve in tune with your progression. The lack of co-op doesn't feel lacking, this is a different kind of game that's focused and deliberate. Docked is a contained experience that makes a splash by balancing challenge and reward equally.
iRacing Arcade has a few issues, but what it gets right is racing and worthwhile career mode that’s too fun to put down. The career is the heart of the game, and offers a new level customization and team building not other racing games ever explore. All of the other modes and features bolster what Original Fire Games has done so well, and builds upon that. iRacing Arcade is great for all ages, to be an introduction to racing or a way to unwind after a long day.
Over the past seven years, I’ve played about 35 soulslike games (in case you’re curious about how saturated the genre is); Code Vein II is not among the worst of them, but it’s one of the most disappointing.
With the introduction of a seamless open-world and the brilliant dual shogun and ninja playstyles, Nioh 3 offers a level of depth and tactical freedom that few other Souls-likes can match.
If the previous game didn’t grab you, I do think High On Life 2 is superior in every way that makes it worth playing. Squanch Games largely plays it safe, but still manages to introduce new ideas never before seen in other games. Comedy is very subjective, but I think the humor in this game is right up your alley if you enjoy the likes of Tim Robinson. High On Life 2 is more High On Life, but in a more polished, focused, and refined space adventure where it’s crass humor is befitting the universe it exists in.
Cairn is an early contender for one of the year's best experiences, with an exhilarating adventure that has players scaling a mountain in a way never before seen in gaming.
Overall, Space Chef is a cozy game with a mechanical backbone. Its open-ended structure, layered systems, and emphasis on discovery make it more demanding than most games in the genre, but also more rewarding for players willing to engage patiently. While directionless design choices and time cycles can be frustrating, the exploration and crafting are quite fun and create an entertaining experience of being a Space Chef.
The Jackbox games consistently shine when played with friends who understand each other’s humor and social boundaries. The experience improves significantly when players are comfortable engaging openly, or teasing each other intentionally. Party Pack 11 reinforces Jackbox’s strengths and maintains the series’ high standards. The writing remains sharp, host performances are lively, and the overall presentation reinforces the sense of a curated game night rather than a loose bundle of minigames. Ultimately, The Jackbox Party Pack 11 is a satisfying entry, one that offers fresh content for veterans of the series while remaining accessible to newcomers. It confidently reinforces why Jackbox remains the go-to choice for laughter-filled game nights.
By shedding its mobile origins – or at least most of it – and revamping what Champions of the Continent already did great, Octopath Traveler 0 wraps my 2025 by leaving me in complete awe. It is not only a memorable RPG, but it is also one that reminds me that a story is a good story regardless of the way it is told.
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is such a blast, it also serves as an introduction to Marvel, beat’em ups, arcade games, and so much more. Tribute Games has done so much right here, nails the superhero landing with ease to please fans, and even make new ones. There’s a richness of value to be found with its unlockable characters, modes, palettes. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion with an impressive display of talent and execution on what’s to be the last don’t miss recommendation of the year.
Straight4 Studios has a game that’s been cooked properly to temperature, but it lacks flavor. Project Motor Racing boasts an impressive roster of cars and tracks, but no real personality to bring it all together. It’s not very welcoming, but if you put in the work, it can be rewarding. The best thing about the game is its career mode, where clawing your way up the ranks makes each victory feel earned. Project Motor Racing is a rookie in the space, but this is a solid entry that those looking for a game geared towards realism and simulation will find plenty of that here, but not much else.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is ambitious but aimless. It’s just so forgettable, in a year with so many other great games, is not the year for there to be a bad Call of Duty. The Co-op Campaign is aggressively against solo players, Zombies is recycled, and Multiplayer has barely enough things to keep you going. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a big swing and a miss for a series that should have been a home run.
In a better timeline, “Where Winds Meet” would be an amazing open world RPG, one I would easily dish out $80 or more to play it. One with a more constrained scope, better pacing, voice acting and translation. Sadly, we live in the bad time line. And my time with it ends here.
ARC Raiders is an exhilarating, tense, and streamlined extraction shooter with tremendous accessibility. Embark Studios have captured lightning in a bottle with this, and it’s truly remarkable how good it is in every way. This is not “just another Tarkov clone”, it’s unlike anything else you’ve played before, and that’s why it’ll be successful. ARC Raiders is not a gateway drug to other extraction shooters, it is the drug.
NASCAR 25 is a strong comeback for the series. It captures the thrill of stock car racing while introducing a long-overdue, structured career experience. There’s still room for improvement, particularly in management depth and customization tools, but it’s a promising foundation. NASCAR games have been slippin’ in the marbles for a while now, but iRacing has steered the franchise back in the right direction.
If you are looking for some fun/creepy vibes to cap off Spooky Season, Little Nightmares III is at least serviceable in this regard. If the technical issues have been resolved, so much the better, and it’ll be at least a decently fun shared experience with a friend or sibling or significant other, although even at $40 it’s tough to look you straight in the face and say you’ll feel that your money was well spent.
At the bare minimum, at least these venerable classics (particularly the arcade versions of MK1-4 as well as Mortal Kombat Trilogy & Mythologies) finally got well emulated re-releases. But there are things that probably should have been here at launch that are missing (like online private rooms/matches), and quality of life things that could be better (having to hold a button for 1.5 seconds to pause, lack of visual filter options, etc.). If you absolutely are a Mortal Kombat die hard, and you want easy access to play these games on modern consoles, or don’t mind only playing random online matches, this collection is for you. Otherwise, you may want to wait for the promised update and/or a sale before jumping in.
Overall, I did enjoy my time in Slime Rancher 2, but if I had a choice between the original and the second one, I would choose the first one every time. The original felt warm and cozy. I could jump in and tend to my fields or my slimes. I could choose to go out in the world and explore or find materials. I never felt like I had to scrounge around the world like a hungry squirrel to get a small nugget of something to bring back and find out that I now must do it 20 more times. Slime Rancher 2 rewards those that explore and grind which is great, except it comes at the price of alienating those that want to farm and just chill. I feel a multiplayer aspect of the game could help alleviate this issue by having one person searching for materials and resources while the other maintains the Conservatory. This is however assuming one likes exploring and the other likes farming. If you liked the first game as it was, this might not be the upgrade you are looking for.
Wreckreation is the realization and culmination of what was being built with Danger Zone and Dangerous Driving, to be a competent and capable arcade racer with boundless creation tools. The opponent AI lacks some consistency, the world could feel more alive, and the menu system could use some work. The overall presentation, vibe, and heart is in the right place to be an open-world racing nirvana. If you never interact with the creation tools, there’s still a lot of game to enjoy. While this isn’t a game that lives up to its potential or pedigree of its inspiration, Wreckreation is the closest we’ll get to a Burnout Paradise 2.
Obsidian Entertainment continues to make better sequels, even to their own games, and The Outer Worlds 2 surpasses the prior game in every way. Obsidian has honed in on the tone, and the anti-capitalist dark humor is much more even, and full of laugh out loud moments. Compelling companions, better combat, and rich quests makes everything feels so reactive and symbiotic to your action, or inaction. Decisions are presented to you around every corner, and with so many branching paths, it encourages experimentation and ensures you’ll replay it. The Outer Worlds 2 is a stellar sci-fi RPG to be an instant classic.