Doom: The Dark Ages is a brutal, strategic, and satisfying shooter that dares to try something new without abandoning what fans love. It’s another classic in the making, and a clear sign that the series has a lot of room to grow.
A stunning surprise hit—Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 blends rich storytelling, surreal visuals, and deep turn-based combat into a modern RPG classic. This game doesn’t just deliver a fantastic RPG experience—it leaves a lasting emotional imprint that’s hard to forget.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows greatly blends the classic Assassin’s Creed stealth with the RPG elements of recent entries. Its dynamic world, seasonal changes, and improved stealth mechanics make exploration a joy, but Yasuke’s restrictive gameplay, overall story, and a half-baked notoriety system hold it back.
Despite its aging personality, Two Point Museum is the strongest entry in the series yet. The improved gameplay flow, deeper simulation mechanics, and museum theme provide just the right level of creative freedom and challenge.
Guilty Gear Strive is not only a miraculous 60fps port that makes the most minimal of sacrifices, keeping the 2021 masterpiece’s crisp animated effects and characters, but they managed to bring over every one of the game’s features to the aging Nintendo Switch with minimal loading times.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii reuses the Infinite Wealth setting that still feels fresh and exciting for many and is packed with an absurd pirate theme that reminds us that the Yakuza series can go anywhere it wants and still find ways to entertain. Goro Majima is liked for many reasons and his latest adventures just reinforce why he’s one of the most cherished characters in the series.
Even with a few fumbles on the game’s online netcode and matchmaking, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. still delivers an excellent fighting game for newcomers and Virtua Fighter fans alike. And with this being an online-focused endeavor, it can only get better through patch updates.
Synduality Echo of Ada has potential, but its flawed economy, tedious grind, and lack of meaningful story incentives make it hard to recommend in its current state. Without drastic improvements, it risks being forgotten before it ever finds a steady audience.
Even in its current state, Path of Exile 2 overshadows much of the available ARPGs in the market today both in terms of quality and replayability. It sets a precedent, proving that the ARPG genre can still be improved. Grinding Gear Games are the tip of the spear that’s taking the ARPG genre into a new age of gaming.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has the potential to be a favorite for fans of the franchise, delivering an authentic Indiana Jones experience with its story and cinematic presentation. While the game shines in its exploration and puzzle elements, the combat and stealth mechanics’ lack of gameplay variety holds it back.
This will be music to the ears of kids who grew up on the series, but for the uninitiated, there’s nothing quite like the Mario & Luigi games. Mario & Luigi Brothership does its best to appeal to a wide range of players with charming presentation and a strong new Battle Plug system, but not everyone will be enamored with its reflex-testing gameplay.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure brings back Max Caulfield with new time-manipulation powers, but struggles to capture the original’s emotional weight. While the dual-timeline mechanic is engaging, the story’s weak twists, forgettable characters, and technical issues hold it back. A nostalgic revisit, but not a standout entry in the series.
Lego Horizon Adventures transforms the serious world of Horizon Zero Dawn into a playful experience geared towards younger gamers. With a lighter story, fun character twists, and familiar machines recreated in Lego form, it serves as a charming introduction to Aloy’s universe. While hardcore fans may find it a bit basic, it’s ideal for friendly, family-oriented play with loved ones of any age.
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a hefty game, yet the clear omissions make it feel like a lesser product compared to a title from nearly two decades ago. And while that may disappoint a lot of players, what is present is a great action fighter that looks and more importantly feels awesome to play.
Sony revisits the 2017 classic with Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, aligning it visually and technically with its 2022 sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. While the remaster provides cleaner character models, enhanced lighting, and improved animations for NPCs, it doesn’t add new content.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is now my favorite title from the Persona team by far. It’s one of those rare games where its main pillars work harmoniously, and you get lost in its charm. It’s a pristine JRPG, with enough style and substance to satisfy hardcore JRPG fans, Persona fans, and even those who rarely touch JRPGs.
Sonic X Shadow Generations blasts into the stratosphere by delivering a flashy, Shadow-centric epic with high-energy Doom Powers, excellent level design that strikes the right balance between fun and challenge, and a lot of heart in its short story. The fact that the timeless classic Sonic Generations comes with this package is more than just a cherry on top.
Of the Switch’s three Mario Party titles, Super Mario Party Jamboree not only provides the best value and the most content, but it’s a refinement of many of the series’ most iconic elements, with a variety of modes for every mood, skill level, and age group.
Ballistic Moon’s Until Dawn remake polishes the 2015 horror classic with impressive visual upgrades and little additions. However, beyond the sharper visuals and slight changes, the core experience remains the same. Fans seeking a fresh take may find little reason to pick this up over the original, as the gameplay and story haven’t evolved beyond minor improvements.
While it’s a worthy entry into the hallowed series, for Zelda fans who love action and playing with Link’s many toys, Echoes of Wisdom will be an overpriced slog.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered is a fun but flawed revisit to a zombie classic. It stays true in delivering its quirky and chaotic spirit, and was given a fair amount of polish to make it more appealing to modern players. While it’s a treat for longtime fans of the series, newcomers will feel the game’s age through its flaws.
While Visions of Mana doesn’t do enough to propel the series to new heights, many can find comfort in knowing that what we have here is another solid JRPG that can easily reiterate why you fell in love with these types of games, and that it’s a comfort to know that in 2024, there are still new adventures that can transport you to the good old days.
Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 is a fantastic third-person shooter that I highly recommend not only for fans of the franchise, but anyone who’s curious about it. It’s one of the more solid shooter campaigns released in recent years, with co-op features that make it a real treat with friends.
Astro Bot is a phenomenal 3D platformer that elevates the PlayStation 5 experience with its charm, creativity, and engaging level design. From vibrant worlds to clever nods to PlayStation classics, every moment feels like a celebration of gaming. This is one adventure you won't want to miss—a true gem among PlayStation's recent offerings.
Metal Slug Attack Reloaded is a fine addition to the storied series, but it’s definitely made for a niche audience. I personally couldn’t put the game down for over two dozen hours, so despite its clunky menus, tedious upgrade system, and repetitive grinding, it’s doing something right.
With over 20 hours logged, I've traversed vibrant planets and chased after the promise of the ultimate big score. But as the novelty wore off, a harsh truth emerged: beneath its polished surface, Star Wars Outlaws is a missed opportunity, bogged down by repetitive gameplay and a narrative that struggles to find its footing. It’s a game that tantalizes with potential but ultimately leaves much to be desired.
This is one of the meatiest expansions I’ve ever encountered in a video game. All of the additions Shadow of the Erdtree makes are everything a soulslike fan could hope for, as they’ve delivered a challenging experience with fresh ideas not only in the boss encounters, but in the environments, enemy variety, and even new items that freshen up the co-op and even player versus player space. If you love Elden Ring, you should definitely not skip Shadow of the Erdtree.
It has been slim pickings for Nintendo fans recently in terms of first-party content. Even so, I would only recommend Endless Ocean Luminous to fans who are already madly in love with marine life and to whom spending countless hours swimming and scanning sounds like a relaxing evening, and not simply a meaningless grind.
While Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has much to recommend it, especially for newcomers, in many ways it is a literal downgrade of a twenty-year-old classic.
Despite some lingering quirks, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a solid reintroduction to one of the most influential RPGs of its era. Virtuos and Bethesda have delivered a remaster that respects the original while adding just enough polish to make it worth playing in 2025.