Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty suffers from a lack of focus, but it's plenty enjoyable if you can meet the game on its own terms. It's also got forgiving co-op that can make its fights far more approachable. If you like this kind of fluid and occasionally punishing action game, Wo Long may be just the thing to tide you over until the Elden Ring DLC drops.

The problem lies in its mediocre story and downright bad writing. I already grew weary of its big-mouthed protagonist just a few hours into Atomic Heart. [Review in Progress]

All in all, Pharaoh: A New Era is still a rewarding city-builder complex enough to have you running to your mummy, even if it fails to honor the original.

Lackluster writing notwithstanding, Octopath embraces the best parts of old-school JPRGs. The art direction stands out, evolving 2D graphics to push the limits of the genre. [Review in Progress]

While the game's design may feel dated, (with frequent backtracking, no fast travel, and saving restricted to specific save rooms,) Metroid Prime Remastered is still an amazing shooter, and a fantastic puzzle-platformer.

Beyond interacting with the locals, there were plenty of immersive puzzles which far outweigh the game's minor annoyances. I took my time exploring and completing The Excavation of Hob's Barrow in about 8 hours. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries or story-focused games.

Like other rhythm games, what starts as frantic button-mashing turns into rewarding jam sessions. As you learn to time your strikes to the beat, you'll face an escalating range of robot foes that fight back (also on tempo, of course). It's a dance paired with an amazing soundtrack, and — funky as it sounds — I promise, it works.

Engage never surprised me the way the preceding Three Houses did. With few exceptions, its characters never revealed the depths I had come to expect from the series. But I still looked forward to every support conversation and every jaw-dropping cinematic, right up until the end. It may be dressed up in anime fluff, but the core mechanics are solid enough to keep you coming back.

A Space for the Unbound rotates between visual novel scenes, fetch quests, quick-time-event fights and increasingly complex puzzles. It moves along at a steady pace, but gives space for the player to breathe when things get heavy. There's always a stray cat to pet if you need a moment to recover.

Company of Heroes 3 deserves a spot in any WWII buff or real-time strategy aficionado's game library. Multiplayer games are as sharp, intense, and addicting as ever, while the new sandbox mechanics of the dynamic single-player campaign give players a fresh (if sometimes frustrating) experience.

Despite some clunky combat, Like a Dragon: Ishin! offers a top-notch narrative, memorable characters, and an overall experience worthy of the Yakuza franchise.

While far from perfect, Wild Heart's still has the building blocks of a successful franchise. Its exciting take on monster hunting is a roaring success, especially for newcomers to the genre.

There have been movie tie-ins and LEGO games but until Hogwarts Legacy, out Friday, no studio had attempted to make a big-budget, prestige experience based on the franchise. It was well worth the wait — developer Avalanche Software exceeded expectations.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line celebrates over three decades of music from the beloved 'Final Fantasy' series. It evokes the best kind of nostalgia, and will make you feel good when playing it.

Season: A letter to the future has style to spare and some captivating story elements. Exploring its little world is rewarding, but it's so frictionless as to lack the drama of other exploration-focused games like The Witness or Journey.

The Dead Space remake proves that a timeless game built on a solid foundation can feel as fresh in 2023 as it felt in 2008.