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Time Stranger doesn’t always hit the way I was hoping, because I foolishly expected More Cyber Sleuth. I had to get used to a slower, more somber kind of energy, and for all the systemic improvements I found parts I didn’t actually love to engage with. But Time Stranger impressed me with its own vision and ambition to be more than just a sequel to the cult classic a bunch of weirdos love. It’s about time such a long wait between games delivered so cleanly. I’d gladly wait another ten years for the next one if that’s what it takes.
Whether you mastered gravity years ago or are venturing to Mario's outer space for the first time, you're in for a treat.
Like the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper used to say, when I thought I had the answers, Hades 2 changed the question. Heck, I might still discover something mind-blowing even after this review is posted. I look forward to seeing it. There's always something new to find in the House of Hades, a house that's eternal and yet never gets old.
Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian looks and feels cheap (I hate to go there, but it’s unavoidable) to play, and is full of what feel like kitbashed structural systems clumsily molded into a single player game that suffers from its connection to a failed gacha joint. It bums me out to say it, but that’s the vibe.
In Atsu, we have a haunted protagonist, someone trapped between two states of being. On one hand, the warrior who wishes only to feel the splash of blood upon her face as her blade finds its home in the heart of her enemies. On the other, the young girl who cannot help but wonder who she would get to be if the demons and the flames had never devoured her family on that faithful night. Perhaps, somewhere in the tale of the onryō, there is room for both.
Maybe, maybe not. But Final Fantasy Tactics is brilliant anyway, I reckon.
What we have at the end of the day is a strange, silly game that is a little too sure of itself to stick its landing effectively. It stretches itself too thin to be consistently funny and its story is clumsily told despite its put-on air of poignance. It has its moments though, and for as grumpy as I was by the end I still look back at its early hours with some fondness. Watching a dumpy nerd slide down a muddy hill is pretty funny the first few times; it just doesn’t stay funny as long as Baby Steps wants it to.
Silent Hill f enjoys getting under your skin. It’s a game that gives you objectives like “go on ahead” and “escape.” Every jump that the game elicited from me was usually followed by a wide grin. I loved the unique challenges that combat posed as I made my way from puzzle to puzzle, and the story’s overarching mystery is one worthy of the Silent Hill name.
I could have done without the numerous hours I spent on farming and other padded elements, but Silksong is still an enormously packed journey, and a tremendous payoff on a nearly decade-long wait. Just mind the challenge and don’t rush it. True endings won’t come easy, but that’s part of what makes victory feel beautiful in Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Given some of the recent marketing and with the way release windows worked out, CrossWorlds is inevitably going to draw comparisons to Mario Kart World. After spending time with both games, it feels like an apples and oranges (or F1 and NASCAR, if you prefer) comparison. CrossWorlds is good enough to stand on its own and even above previous Sonic racing games. Just put the car in gear and enjoy the ride.
A lot of the fun you can have with Dying Light: The Beast is what you make of it yourself. Exploring the world, unlocking the safe houses, finding cool new weapon modifications and crafting recipes, and generally getting lost. Nothing about the experience was groundbreaking, nor was it as enthralling or immersive as other open-world games. Instead, it was good fun you can enjoy in short or long bursts, whether you want to sink your teeth into zombie hunting or chilling as you wander the wilds and urban spaces of Castor Hills.
There’s no loot, score-chasing, meta-progression, or any of the nonsense that can make co-op games fumbly, bloated messes. There’s simply a nice experience to have with someone you care enough about to spend a few hours with. That’s all. And that’s enough.
Despite the early promise brought by its measured sense of style, interest in intellectual concepts, and distinct combat system, Varlet falls flat in almost every way. It’s still an eye-pleasing RPG experience with fun combat, but all of its surface elements are just that: surface elements. The whole game is dressed up as something it isn’t, which is a shame. I’d love to play the game Varlet presents itself as, rather than the sterile, conveyor belt production line version of a Persona-inspired RPG it feels like.
Reviews aren’t the place to weigh in on how to fix things, so I won’t do that here. Deep down I hope the developers who are making this are kicking down Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson's door asking for more time, budget, or anything really. Developers tend to be super fans who love making amazing games. I believe that about EA Vancouver, but this is not good enough and hasn’t been good enough for years. The players who return year after year deserve better.
Borderlands 4 is the best the series has been in decades and a testament to Gearbox’s ability to absolutely cook. Are you ready to taste the chaos?
NBA 2K26 is a good basketball game. It’s got a great on-court experience, and some of the rough edges have been sanded down. Still, issues that have existed for years persist. Philosophically, not a lot has changed. I’ve enjoyed my time with it more than I did 2K25 and 2K24, but I still yearn for a more well-rounded and fulfilling basketball experience.
Back to the Dawn is a fascinating game at first glance, due to its uncanny mix of prison, animals, and laid back music. But as you dive into its systems and figure out what your goals are, you run into a sort of identity issue.
Even with its faults, The Rogue Prince of Persia is another strong outing for Ubisoft's long-running franchise, still fresh off of last year's overlooked gem, The Lost Crown. Evil Empire continues to up its game and it'll be exciting to see what awaits the team beyond the Prince's Oasis.
Cronos: The New Dawn isn’t my favorite horror title I’ve played, but as far as original ideas go, it’s up there as one that will stay with me for how well its gameplay and narrative work off of each other.
The main saving grace for Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is that Wacky Golf is chaotic fun with friends, especially if you don't care about winning. If you're going into the game expecting this to be a next step in the evolution of the series, though, I hope you've got a pretty high handicap, as you're going to need it.