Renegades does a good job of bringing some fun back to Destiny 2 with some great campaign missions and new hub area. The Star Wars elements are close enough for you to spot the homage, but not so conspicuous as to pull you out the world of Destiny. Enjoyable while it lasts, but Bungie still need to do a lot more work to rescue the game as whole.
Octopath 0 maintains the series’ gorgeous pixel-art aesthetic, while its adapted and evolved take on Champions of the Continent’s gameplay ensures that it feels like a worthy console release.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Nintendo Switch 2 retains all of the core experience of Ubisoft’s premier open-world game, but it is a cut-back version compared to its more powerful rivals. While it doesn’t reach the same heights as the Star Wars Outlaws port, it's still a decent way to experience Naoe and Yasuke’s epic story.
Metroid Prime 4 is a great return and new beginning for a series which has spent far too many years away. It's not the strongest in terms of narrative, but the new psychic powers add a refreshing layer alongside familiar abilities and the general feel and tone that makes this series so beloved.
Duskpunk is an easy to grasp dice-based RPG with a good story to carry you along. It does make your character, who starts off with nothing, into someone that's far too important for too many factions very quickly, which undercuts the simple struggle to survive, but this does provide for some good story beats. If you enjoyed Citizen Sleeper, then you will probably enjoy Duskpunk.
Having found Tribute Games' previous release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, to be one of the best scrolling beat ‘em ups I’d ever played, I had high expectations for Marvel Cosmic Invasion. How could Shredder’s Revenge with Marvel characters go wrong? Sadly, Marvel Cosmic Version is entirely OK but fails to be anything more than that.
Cross Blitz is a beautifully made deck builder that feels not only incredibly inventive, but also mechanically dense, and just very satisfying to sink into. On top of that, the looks are exceptionally charming, the music is good, and the vibes are just on point. If you love a good deckbuilder, then you’ll love this, but the campaign modes also mean that this could be the one that grabs you if you’ve only ever bounced off of others due to the roguelike focus.
Ultimately, Sweet Surrender is too repetitive. It's fun shooting and slicing up robots with a wide variety of weapons, but the environments and upgrades quickly become repetitive and it lacks the variety and meta progression that roguelites use to entice you back into another run.
Arc Raiders reminds me of Destiny at launch; the core gameplay is excellent, and there's a heartwarming sense of community, but there are many aspects that need refining and expanding. Managing your stash on consoles is a chore and there are not enough in-game events to spice up each run.
GigaSword is a monumental achievement, proving that a one-person studio, with the support of a passionate fanbase, can deliver one of the best metroidvanias of 2025.
