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Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap takes a now-established idea and gives it new life via a roguelike progression system. Whilst the foundation of the idea is still solid and provides many an hour of fun, the implementation is needlessly grindy and imperfectly scaled. Deathtrap is not the evolution of the series we wanted it to be. It's still a good amount of fun but falls short of its ultimate potential.
Everything that I loved about Citizen Sleeper is present here in Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. The music and art are as stunning as they ever were, the quality of the writing is exceptional and there is no shying away from complexity when it comes to the questions posed and the sometimes painful, but often beautiful conclusions drawn from them. While it doesn't engage with its core theme as extensively as I might have liked, I found myself enjoying every moment I spent in the Starward Belt, and I was captivated by everything I saw through the Sleeper's eyes.
SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada has some neat ideas that separate it from other extraction shooters on the market, but it can't fully shake off its repetitive nature and half-baked concepts. The fun loop of exploring a dangerous world, gathering resources and trying to survive the numerous threats trying to take you down goes a long way initially but eventually loses steam as monotonous grindy objectives rear their ugly head on maps without much variety. For now, SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada doesn't quite live up to its ambitions; but with its decent foundations and a bit of time to add, improve and tweak its interesting universe, it could grow into something special down the track.
The Roottrees Are Dead is a triumph of investigative fiction, offering a compelling yet grounded family mystery within countless articles, websites, and archives waiting for you to uncover. The game has been much improved over its original iteration on itch.io, and the extra content "Roottreemania" adds a cool follow-up mystery to the main one. Any fan of investigation games will have a great time with The Roottrees are Dead.
Though Sniper Elite: Resistance ranks somewhat lower on the scale of games in the long-running franchise thanks to small bugs and a milquetoast campaign and protagonist, engaging in some sandbox Nazi-killing is still as fun as it's ever been. From every viscerally satisfying shot that can sail through a Nazi's skull to the hectic gunfights that hectically erupt across the battlefield, what remains as stellar as ever is the high-octane action. The game is bolstered by the emphasis on replayability with the quality of additional game modes and the fact it's a side-offering to the main Sniper Elite narrative, leaving it a fitting venture for newcomers and veteran Nazi slayers. No matter who you are, Sniper Elite: Resistance is an action shooter game worth your time because, and say it with me, all Nazis must die.
Eternal Strands delivers a slick, action-packed fantasy adventure with tonnes of heart and a whole lot of elemental fury to play with. Despite a little tedium creeping into its late-game grinding missions, it manages to weave an unbelievable number of mechanics into a cohesive gameplay loop that feels very satisfying. On top of that, its vibrant and imaginative world is gorgeously realised and full of delicious lore for fantasy nerds to devour. An incredibly strong first offering from new indie studio Yellow Brick Games.
The Stone of Madness feels like an admirable gamble of a new direction for The Game Kitchen, and one that mostly pays off. Besides the frustrations with the stealth, sanity system and inconsistent tone, its core prison break loop remains a satisfying one, and the monastery's environmental design and artistic direction make it a compelling playground to explore.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins puts you in a unique outsider position to influence Romance of the Three Kingdoms to your liking. It gives nuance to characters and lets you see parts of the story in a new light. The visuals are gorgeous and the experience is more immersive than before. That said, it's still the familiar musou combat and you shouldn't encounter many surprises. If you haven't touched a Dynasty Warriors game before, or haven't played one for a while, this is the perfect opportunity to jump in.
STAR WARS: Jedi Power Battles is a galactic disappointment. While some technical updates like faster load times are nice, the force is not strong with its outdated mechanics, frustrating platforming, and missed opportunities to fix core issues. A mediocre game from 2000 with no substantial changes simply doesn't cut it in 2025. It's a Womp rat of a re-release that fails to live up to the legacy of the Star Wars saga.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is an excellent follow-up to the first game, and a great game in its own right. The addition of elemental spells and overall rebalancing of a few features feels like an intuitive expansion of the original, and the new locations and characters introduced in this sequel were great additions, buoyed by Doug Cockle's iconic narration. That said, it still doesn't feel quite as good as it could be, with its preponderance of annoying flying bosses and Arlo's disappointingly limited moveset. That said, Odd Bug Studio has a good thing going so far with the Tails of Iron series, and I look forward to what they have planned for the future.
As a huge fan of the Tales series, Tales of Graces f Remastered is the ultimate way to experience one of the more thought-provoking and emotionally intriguing stories in the franchise. The quality of life improvements of this remaster not only serve to keep the series relevant, and greatly make up for some of the game's bigger shortcomings, such as its slow opening act, and a padded-out end-game, but it is also an exciting study into what the franchise's next remastered project might look like.
ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist offers an impressive Metroidvania experience, featuring hauntingly beautiful visuals, an evocative soundtrack, a unique story and a wonderfully genuine Homunculi cast that offers an exciting challenge for both seasoned Metroidvania fans and newcomers alike. While Lilac's fragility and the few navigational issues may hinder your progress temporarily, stay persistent. It's well worth seeing it through to the end to uncover the secrets of the Land of Fumes.
A lot of love for the survival horror genre has been put into Dead of Darkness, which shows in every aspect of the design. However, repetitive combat, constant inventory management, and frequent backtracking undercut the competent puzzle design and solid narrative. As a game so beholden to genre tropes and classic design, Dead of Darkness feels like it never quite knows how to play into its strengths. If you are a die-hard survival horror fan you might get some enjoyment over the throwback vibes-but otherwise, it may be better left in the dark.
Tyrant's Realm charms with its PS1-inspired visuals and creative level design but falls short on challenge and polish. The combat and boss battles show promise, but a lack of difficulty and clunky elements like the HUD hold it back. Fun for a nostalgic dungeon crawl, but not a true Soulslike contender.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great title to rescue from the Wii's library, allowing a new generation of gamers to enjoy this masterful platformer. It didn't need a total overhaul, so it makes sense that it's just an HD rerelease rather than a total remake, but the problem is that it's priced the same as a brand-new 2025 title, which doesn't seem fair no matter how HD it is. If you don't mind the cost, you'll have yet another amazing game on Switch, but if you don't want to drop the full price on a 14-year-old game, I wouldn't blame you.
Ys Memoire: Oath in Felghana may be far from the most ambitious port or rerelease, but it is another example of Nihon Falcom catching the West up to speed across all modern platforms with their beloved games. Featuring a bite-sized story with a charming cast of characters and just enough of a rich world filled with twists, I found myself enamoured with this version of Adol Christin's third adventure. On offer is joyous fast-paced action RPG combat where you really move about everywhere around a dungeon or arena, especially in the delightfully sweaty boss encounters. Though the new additions and 'upgrades' aren't all that substantial, Oath in Felghana is a wonderful foray to finally have on Western consoles. Long live Ys and long live Adol Christin!
If you're reading this and thinking 'Gee, that sure doesn't sound like a particularly great game', well, you're right, it's kind of not. The Thing: Remastered so gloriously channels the vibe of something you'd rent from the video store on a Friday night and binge across the weekend that I can't help but love it anyway. Level layouts are often uninspiring, what few puzzles there are tend to be mildly annoying in their design, companion and enemy A.I. alike are completely wretched, and from start to finish it filled me with childlike delight in a way that no new game has in years. I've always had a soft spot for earnest B games, and The Thing: Remastered is the most earnest B one I've played in a long time.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is probably the most ambitious title this franchise has ever received. It mixes classic side-scrolling beat-em-up action, with varied other retro-inspired styles of gameplay. It is hit-and-miss; playing by yourself feels brutal and at times unfair, and the non-beat-em-up sections, whilst initially exciting, can be tiresome. But with hand-drawn SNES-style graphics, a pumping soundtrack and nostalgia coming out of its ears, it still manages to be fun most of the time.
I want it to be known that I really wanted to like The Spirit of the Samurai. I am a massive fan of stop-motion animation, and any piece of media that utilises or seeks to evoke or pay homage to that style has earned my respect. That said, as well put-together as the cutscenes are, The Spirit of the Samurai is just not very fun as a game. From the clunky and unresponsive controls to the linear and murky levels filled with oddly placed traps and pitfalls, it can often feel like a slog to actually play. If you are a fan of stop-motion animation, then you may get something from the experience, but it is unlikely to be too satisfying for just about anyone else.
Aspyr continues their recent but crucial work of restoring legacy games with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, and it's arguably their best work yet. The visual fidelity and style upgrades are meaningful, only touching the fundamentals minimally so the twenty-plus-year-old cult classics remain the historic ventures they always have been. Though the untouched level design will feel at times dated with players, it's a janky and charming pair of games that are dripping with edge. Nostalgic fans and lovers of 2000s broodiness and creative design won't want to miss this one.