Pokémon Pokopia isn't just possibly the best spinoff this series has ever seen, it also captures the spirit and fulfillment of those classic early entries in the franchise better than anything that's come our way in some years. This game is mechanically sound, technically rock-solid, and has a pinch of genuine creative inspiration and joy that you don't always get from modern Pokémon titles. While the game may start a bit slow for some tastes, I think most folks who give Pokopia a chance will find they Kanto get enough.
Marathon is a challenging, thrilling, horrifying, stunning, beautiful game that has wormed its way into my brain and will likely remain nestled there for a long time. It is exciting to see Bungie back in full force here, with confident gameplay and artistic choices that all come together to form what is easily one of the most intriguing games in the multiplayer genre yet. [Review in Progress]
With a much more serious and ominous narrative this time around, Monster Hunter Stories 3 manages to balancing the joy of hugging your Poogie with the challenge of besting an Elder Dragon in manual combat.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a hauntingly beautiful reimagining that successfully modernizes one of the series' most iconic entries with modern visuals and new mechanics. While the atmosphere and puzzles are masterfully executed, the experience is slightly dragged down by a combat system that can feel more frustrating than fun. However, the expanded story and atmospheric overhaul still make this a must-play for fans of the series and survival-horror fans in general.
WWE 2K26 offers a more well-balanced card than last year, including some welcome tweaks to core gameplay, fun new match types, and solid additions to most modes. As with most annualized sports franchises, a lot of the improvements feel rather piecemeal, and the addition of a grindy new Ringside Pass nearly pushes the game into the realm of NBA-2K-style over monetization, but this veteran franchise can still deliver thrills, for a price.
Resident Evil Requiem is the Every-Evil, as Capcom has taken all the things they've done with the franchise over the past decade or so and stitched them together into a towering monster of a survival horror game. Parts of this game are the best, scariest, and most intense this series has ever been, other parts are merely alright, but no part of the game is bad and it's all very distinctly Resident Evil. While it won't be everyone's new favorite, Resident Evil Requiem should hit enough right notes for most fans.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a perfectly fine Metrovania on its own, but it doesn’t live up to the Kratos lineage otherwise. Either temper your expectations for Kratos’ origin story, or go into this one with an open mind that it’s another generic Greek adventure, and you won’t find your time in Laconia to be a tragedy.
Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown is a text and story-heavy trek that follows the story of Voyager as it returns from the Delta Quadrant, but allowing you to change the events of the story in a game that has impactful choices wrapped around an FTL-style survival game and copious amounts of resource management. Not a masterpiece, the sum feels like more than the whole, though I will admit my view may be clouded as a fan of Star Trek, Voyager, and the genre.
Styx: Blades of Greed is the definition of a solid 'AA' game. It struggles under the weight of its own ambition and some Unreal Engine 5 optimization woes, but its charming main character and quality of its sandbox level design make it a game that those looking for an almost pure stealth experience will love.
ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a brilliant, fever-dream rollercoaster, made by Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture at their absolute peak. By leaving behind the empty-world of No More Heroes III in favor of a tightly paced, linear, almost "Soulslike on steroids" experience, the studio has delivered its most mechanically polished and visually eclectic experience to date, and a statement against the sanitized, risk-averse nature of modern AAA gaming.
