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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.
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.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment's ability to flesh out the past of the latest branch in the The Legend of Zelda series is immediately noticeable. Being canon in the existing Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom timeline makes Zelda's journey into the past a worthwhile experience.
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D is a testament to the enduring appeal of the Dragon Quest series' early roots. It combines familiar elements with refreshed lighting, expanded worlds, and improved user experience to deliver thoughtful quality-of-life updates while preserving the core game mechanics of the originals. You might ask why the Erdrick trilogy is the focus of the series over the last few years, and I can tell you it's worth sticking through to the end.
Shrine's Legacy won't change how you view games, but it's a nod to an era of video games that left a significant impact.
The Outer Worlds 2 is an odd game. It's bigger than its predecessor, more absurd, and fires on all cylinders, but it's also a game developed by a studio now run by a megacorporation. For all its inherent themes, it's bizarre seeing them transposed with the ongoing issues at Microsoft over the last several months. This is a game that is made by some of the best in the business, but you can deliver hit after hit and still face the chopping block. If The Outer Worlds 2 is Obsidian's swan song (which I doubt it is), then know that it's easily the studio's best game since Fallout: New Vegas and one of this year's best video games.
Ball x Pit is easy to understand, tough to master, and includes some great RPG-like mechanics that give it depth and a very satisfying gameplay loop.
PowerWash Simulator 2 isn't really hiding that much about itself. You know precisely what you are getting into, aside from its subtle story for those who wish to invest in it.