Game Rant

It missteps here and there with a few undercooked ideas and the steep $70 price tag versus the amount of content available, but Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is otherwise a solid puzzle platformer that's fun more often than it's not. It's oozing with charm and stands out as one of the more unique and memorable Yoshi-centric adventures Nintendo has released to date. Hardcore Yoshi fans will find it delightful, and Switch 2 owners can claim another high-quality exclusive.

007 First Light is one of the more content-rich James Bond games we've ever had, and it should only get better with future updates. What's on offer at launch is a solid, polished James Bond adventure with a memorable story and exciting action that should please most fans of the franchise.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is arguably the best entry in the entire franchise, so a remake makes the most sense. But if you’ve played the title already, it really comes down to your affinity for Kenway’s adventures and your curiosity about the new content that will dictate whether this remake is appealing. If you haven’t played Black Flag, though, this feels like the definitive Assassin’s Creed experience, and one that has been handled with love and care. [4-Hour Hands-On Impressions]

Forza Horizon 6 is more of the same, but when the "same" is some of the best open-world racing ever produced, it's hard to be mad about it. Racing game fans will easily lose dozens if not hundreds of hours exploring Forza Horizon 6's open world Japan and competing in its many campaign and multiplayer events, and while what's here at launch makes the game worth the price of admission by itself, chances are there will be some fantastic post-launch support that makes the game even better. Simply put, Forza Horizon 6 is a safe investment for racing game enthusiasts and even those who typically don't vibe with the genre.

Directive 8020 left me far more invested in its crew than I expected to be. Turning Points is a smart addition that could use more support, and the Destiny system gives even smaller choices a bigger sense of consequence. It may not land every idea as strongly as it should, but Directive 8020 still delivers a tense, entertaining, and surprisingly character-driven sci-fi horror story that pushes The Dark Pictures Anthology in the right direction.

If you fall head over heels for Invincible VS’s moment-to-moment gameplay, then you’ll wind up having a sweet spot for the game as a whole. Invincible VS is a content-lean, $50 3v3 fighting game that’s based on a popular franchise but ultimately feels optional for fans of that franchise, trying to stake a hold in an especially competitive genre with entrenched leaders. There is definitely a target demographic for Invincible VS, but it might not be a big one. Here’s hoping it’s big enough to keep the game alive for the foreseeable future.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream's gameplay isn't meaty enough, and it's disappointing that there are some features missing that were present in the 3DS version, like the Concert Hall. But the game is undeniably bursting with charm and is a decent distraction for a little while. Playing it in short bursts is the ideal experience, and while I don't feel the same kind of pull to never stop playing like I do with more well-rounded cozy games, I still plan on checking in on my Miis from time to time. $60 is too steep of an asking price for what's on offer, though.

Saros is an excellent, heart-pounding action game that is easily one of the PS5's best exclusives. The combat is exhilarating and Carcosa is a blast to explore. The quality-of-life features make it more accessible than Returnal, and while that might upset some purists, it helps Saros avoid some of the frustrating pitfalls that roguelite games sometimes fall into. Saros is one of the year's best releases and a must-have for PS5 gamers.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lord of Hatred and think it goes a long way towards improving the Diablo 4 experience as a whole. While I could nitpick a few issues here and there, the package in its entirety is an impressive expansion that offers tons of welcome features and challenges to keep Diablo 4 players engaged in endgame content for hundreds of hours more. I can easily see Lord of Hatred becoming one of the most beloved expansions in the Diablo franchise.

There's something special about engaging with a piece of work that is a labor of love, as Vampire Survivors was before it. Vampire Crawlers doesn't try to be something it's not. It doesn't try too hard to be different, because it doesn't need to. Poncle has found his niche, with his retro Castlevania-inspired world and frequent dopamine hits making me a fan of his work in mere minutes, yet again.