Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year.
Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is beautiful, nuanced, and deeply rewarding, but it's also tuned to be grueling in ways that aren't always fun in the traditional sense.
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.
Though I relished in each moment of discovery and lived for the run where I put together my learnings to complete all the goals in one run, Time Flies' lifespan is nearly as short as the titular character's.
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.
Donkey Kong and Pauline’s adventure is a showpiece for Nintendo’s new console, and it meets the incredibly high standard the developer has been setting for itself since the ’80s.
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.
This futuristic vibe and unrealistic speeds may not be for everyone, but I’m delighted to see this style of play still alive and kicking its way down the course.
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.
Death Stranding 2 is a game with faults and annoyances, but it also makes big, expensive swings and is trying to establish its own unique genre, often successfully.
A lot of thoughtful work went into Welcome Tour to make me understand and acknowledge its $10 price tag, but it’s just not a tour I would recommend taking.
I like when Nintendo tries something new in an attempt to give me something I didn’t know I wanted. It didn’t do that with Switch 2, but I am happy with that.
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.
Some of Blades of Fire's ideas around combat and its world are exciting. They just couldn’t overcome the parts that made me want to give up on the game.
The realm of indie roguelikes is competitive and crowded, but despite years of tough competition, Monster Train 2 has strongly reasserted its series as one of the leaders of the pack.
With the Shield Saw and other great additions, id Software gives us something we didn’t know we wanted, proving once again that this legendary series can still evolve in ways we haven’t even dreamed of.
