Children of the Sun is a dark and engaging puzzle that successfully transports familiar mechanics into a fresh setting at the speed of a flying bullet.
South Park: Snow Day is an authentic adaptation that has a couple of decent ideas, but the drab combat and a short runtime leave it stuck in a snowbank, to be rescued only by the faithful fans of the show.
Rise of the Ronin is a case where more isn't always better. It's got varied and challenging combat, a wealth of content, and a wide variety of mechanics in a story that spans over a decade. But while most of the individual components work, many feel unrefined, and their sheer volume doesn't elevate the experience.
Minami Lane is a nice-looking, bite-sized town management game that offers an engaging slice of gameplay for a very low price.
Skull and Bones may have survived the turbulent seas of its long voyage to release, but the end result is a game that's barely kept afloat by its solid sailing mechanics, while the uninspiring content, underwhelming presentation, and poor multiplayer design punch far too many holes in the hull.
Helldivers 2 offers some chaotic and entertaining moments in the early stages, as you hop between planets with friends, call in devastating strikes, and spreading democracy. But as the hours begin to accumulate, increasing difficulty levels unravel some of the annoying design decisions, and along with persistent connectivity problems, it seems that the game could have used more prep time.
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank continues the criminal adventures of its root vegetable hero, and thanks to improved gameplay, visuals, and continued whacky jokes, the series is starting to create a rather enticing garnish.
Ready or Not successfully imports the moment-to-moment gameplay and intensity of the classic SWAT franchise, but without much innovation and a host of major AI issues this tactical shooter was seemingly not quite ready to breach out of Early Access.
The natural world of Pandora is the main star of this latest video game adaptation of the Avatar franchise. It's supported by the competent and familiar mechanics, but let down by the weak story and occasional lack of polish.
Last Train Home is a well-executed mix of two different gameplay genres that benefits from a unique setting and engaging mechanics. There are a few bumps along the track, but it makes for a memorable trip.
SteamWorld Build is a sufficiently well-designed management game that is initially engaging with a good blend of underground exploration, but it eventually becomes a bit repetitive and is over rather quickly, without much motivation to start up another town.
With a strong atmosphere, interesting story, and engaging but fairly simple mix of puzzle and platforming gameplay, American Arcadia makes for a memorable place to visit - and escape from.
Jusant is a distinct adventure with striking presentation, simple yet fun climbing mechanics, and an engaging atmosphere that's worth the hike.
Cities: Skylines II is a modest improvement on its predecessor, integrating a good amount of features and content to feel like a worthwhile sequel. The underlying design remains great and should eventually reach its full potential, but a lack of structure and poor technical performance mean that it's not yet time to make the switch.
RoboCop: Rogue City faithfully recreates the classic character, but gives him nothing to work with. The narrative is dull, presentation is poor, and too many lackluster mechanics are shoehorned in. With unsatisfying action, this title is an empty metal shell of a game.
Station to Station is a fairly novel puzzle game that has some charm to it, and will appeal most to players who enjoy freeform path optimization and experimentation through repeated attempts.
With familiar but still great gameplay that has a few new moves, strong presentation, and a mostly engaging story which gets better in the second half, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a crowd-pleasing blockbuster sequel that's worth playing for any superhero fan.
NHL 24 puts all of its pucks into the online play basket, so only players who fall into that category will find some excitement this year. The new controls and pressure mechanics leave something to be desired, and the complete lack of offline mode changes is baffling, as are the still incredibly slow menus.
EA Sports FC 24 may be a new name, but it contains the very familiar game. With minor improvements across the board, and thanks to a still solid foundation, it's the annual sports entry that you'd expect, no more and no less.
Forza Motorsport returns to the track with some high quality sim racing, a healthy amount of content, impressive presentation, and enough tweaks to make its familiar formula feel fresh again.