It’s evident NHL 27 is a leap year for the franchise as it doesn’t innovate on the modes and immersion already present. Instead, it soft-launches patches that barely pass as a winter update.
Insomniac once again captures what works about a famous comic book superhero, but that makes this a very different game from the studio's prior releases in the genre.
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.
Donkey Kong and Pauline’s adventure is a showpiece for Nintendo’s new console, and it meets the incredibly high standard the developer has been setting for itself since the ’80s.
When Eriksholm finally lays out all of its stealth puzzle pieces on the board two-thirds through the game, the entire experience sings, inviting playful and smart experimentation. I just wish I had access to all of these pieces sooner.
This futuristic vibe and unrealistic speeds may not be for everyone, but I’m delighted to see this style of play still alive and kicking its way down the course.
While Iron Galaxy has excellently modernized the gameplay and graphics of these classics to feel right in 2025, I wish it had done a better job of highlighting the influence these games once had in their heyday.
A lot of thoughtful work went into Welcome Tour to make me understand and acknowledge its $10 price tag, but it’s just not a tour I would recommend taking.
