RuneScape: Dragonwilds strikes a respectable balance between a fantasy RPG and survival crafting game, but could use a better balance between fun and tedium.
Gears of War: E-Day innovates in all the right ways while keeping the core and heart of the franchise intact, stamping the series’ return with one of, if not its best, entries to date.
Combining classic fantasy brawler mechanics, top-notch art and music, and a roguelite progression loop add up to an incredibly fun cooperative adventure.
The absolute glut of content is impressive and intimidating all at once, and NBA 2K26’s on-the-court performance is so good that it’s worth the annoyances that come with the franchise.
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 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.
While I wouldn’t wish the plight of And Roger's protagonist on my worst enemy, I would happily recommend this experience as another strong example of video games' strength as a storytelling medium
Shadow Labyrinth is uneven, overstuffed, and often frustrating. It has decent moment-to-moment gameplay, but it fails to materialize into something coherent.
It’s not a game I see myself booting up on my own, but as a means to get a party going with players of all skill levels, I am glad I have it on the metaphorical shelf.
