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The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon comes out swinging after a largely divisive previous entry in Daybreak 2, where so much of the story was tied up in time travel shenanigans. However, the main narrative is compelling despite a slow start.
For those governors who do learn how to play with productivity, Anno 117: Pax Romana rewards them with one of the most satisfying civilization growth simulators out there right now.
Renegades is competent, polished, and approachable—but cautious to a fault. It keeps Destiny functional and familiar at a time when the game arguably needs boldness and self-confidence. For longtime players, it doesn’t feel like a new course has been set, only that the ship has been carefully steadied.
Duskpunk is excellent, a dark and dirty story of revolution, choice, and ultimately, hope, if you so choose. It's a fantastic Citizen Sleeper-like that stands on its own merits.
Skate Story is brilliant and a skateboarding game like no other. Tight skateboarding, heady narratives, gorgeous graphics, and a banger soundtrack make it one of this year's best experiences.
With dozens of Metroidvanias and challenging platformers available each year, Constance could get lost in the shuffle. But I'd argue, it needs to be near the top of that pile. With creativity at its core and mechanics that offer a rewarding challenge, Constance is now one of my favourite Metroidvania games.
Octopath Traveler 0 is a good prequel with stunning HD-2D graphics that stands shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the series. Taking what made the battle system great and adding a back row of four more party members to combat provides a new level of strategy. However, a mid-game difficulty spike is uneven in the big moments, so farming for better equipment breaks the pacing up to that point.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond might not be a total reinvention of the famed series, but it's refined and faster than ever. Despite the prolonged development period, the campaign comes together to deliver an excellent outing for Samus as she explores an expansive world with new psychic powers that imbue the core of the game in fun, innovative ways.
Sleep Awake kicks off a bit groggy but then wakes up and delivers a memorable, unique, and bizarre experience. Katja’s plight might not mesh with many people, but it’s wholly unique and one of the heavier games I’ve played this year.
Marvel's Deadpool VR is a ton of fun, despite some pacing and technical issues. The action here carries the package, with every fight being a whirlwind of carnage that never gets old.
It's often hard to iterate and improve on a genre that's been around for decades, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion makes the most of that opportunity. It might feel like you've done this song and dance before, but with a deep and otherworldly story, a great cast of characters, and excellent visuals and music, it's an absolute blast to play.
GIGASWORD is a difficult retro action-platformer. It won't hold your hand and it requires focus. But the journey is a rewarding one and one that's built on a strong foundation of lore and hard-hitting action.
Kirby Air Riders shares a lot of the same DNA as its predecessor, and it's a sequel that belongs in this era. The simplistic controls might not be for everyone, but if you can look past that, you've got a competent racer that does its own thing instead of attempting to battle it out against Mario Kart World.
Demonschool feels like a love letter to everything that inspired it. The combat is electric and engaging; each fight is a tense, bloody chess match as you try out different team compositions and abilities.
Dispatch is fantastic. Packed with excellent writing, memorable characters, and beautiful animation, Your choices matter and lead to satisfying payoffs thanks to the weekly TV-like structure.
Where Winds Meet dazzles with its breathtaking landscapes and authentic wuxia feel, but struggles under technical hiccups and uneven combat. Fans of martial arts epics will find moments of true magic, yet the game’s pacing and bloated systems may test patience. A visually stunning adventure that excites as much as it frustrates.
Fellowship is an endearing but imperfect game. Its art style, progression system and focus on cooperation are strengths, yet it struggles with communication, mission variety and matchmaking stability.
Rue Valley is a fantastic time loop adventure, with a gripping narrative, great writing, and gorgeous graphics, despite some technical issues on Steam Deck.
Possessor(s)' gameplay is challenging, the environments are stunning, and the story is superb. You can't go wrong with this intense and interesting sci-fi action game.
Lumines Arise is sensational in every sense. It will wow you with its audio-visual cues and dance across your screen in a way that'll make you feel emotions. It feels almost otherworldly, and yet, it's one of the most calming and memorable experiences I've had with video games this year.