Nioh 3's consistently rewarding approach to open-world design, combined with its entertaining Ninja gameplay style, cements it as the best entry in the franchise.
High on Life 2 is the kind of game that you can put on, laugh at for a while, and forget what's troubling you, even though reminders might slip in through the pointed social commentary.
Reanimal is a simple game with a challenging subject matter, and neither great as a shared experience nor fun. But, it is thought-provoking and stimulating, and if you can stomach it, Tarsier Studios has created something worth wrestling with.
Though its narrative and level design sometimes get in the way, the entire package is still a setpiece-filled action romp and one of the year’s best shooters.
Its adorable aesthetic and wordless storytelling make this brief adventure one worth sharing with family or a friend, but its distant camera angle and visual filters were frustrating obstacles on an otherwise picturesque road.
Though many of the series’ core elements remain intact, Gearbox has refined and reconfigured them in such ways that Borderlands 4 rises beyond anything the series has accomplished to this point.
Hell is Us isn’t perfect, but it’s a bold and respectable debut that largely delivers on its puzzle-solving promise, despite middling combat and uneven storytelling.
If you’re in the mood for something that recalls games like Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, Cronos might hit the spot. But it’s not without its pain points.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance should serve as a blueprint for delivering a retro-facing experience of an absentee franchise while still leveraging modern technology and game design conventions.
Recent updates have eliminated the tedious grind for upgrades, but the lack of a strong foundation underneath leaves FBC: Firebreak with too little, too late.
Shadow Labyrinth is uneven, overstuffed, and often frustrating. It has decent moment-to-moment gameplay, but it fails to materialize into something coherent.
Across its 12-hour runtime, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound seamlessly blends gorgeous pixel art, inventive level design, and sublime gameplay to create one of the best retro throwbacks I’ve ever played.
When Eriksholm finally lays out all of its stealth puzzle pieces on the board two-thirds through the game, the entire experience sings, inviting playful and smart experimentation. I just wish I had access to all of these pieces sooner.
Like a standout freshman bursting onto the scene, College Football 25 was a pleasant surprise, but College Football 26 aptly demonstrates it wasn’t just beginner’s luck, delivering an equally impressive sophomore effort.
While Iron Galaxy has excellently modernized the gameplay and graphics of these classics to feel right in 2025, I wish it had done a better job of highlighting the influence these games once had in their heyday.
Overture is a victory lap, a reminder, and a worthwhile investment of time for anyone who enjoyed Neowiz’s first crack at this fairytale-inspired adventure.
Even though Nightreign's success comes with some significant caveats, it had me saying, “Just one more run,” over and over again, a marker of excellence in the genre.