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.