The cryptic Lorelei and the Laser Eyes may very well be the greatest puzzle game ever made.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is one of the best Nintendo Switch packages money can buy. The Wii U classic hasn’t aged a day and remains a delightful romp that contains some of the franchise’s most creative ideas. Meanwhile, the new Bowser’s Fury mode is a superb standalone adventure that plays like a short, but sweet Super Mario Odyssey sequel. It’s a joyful duo of games that celebrates Mario’s past, present, and future all at once.
It Takes Two is a charming co-op adventure that combines the best ideas from Nintendo and Pixar.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is as gorgeous and elegantly crafted as a big budget game, making it a statement debut for Ember Lab.
Metroid Dread sharpens everything that makes Metroid enjoyable, while more fully realizing its horror ambitions.
Immortality is an astonishing work of interactive fiction that's every bit as unsettling and unforgettable as the films that inspired it.
Though its visual upgrades feel superfluous, The Last of Us Part I makes key innovations in accessibility that'll allow more players to enjoy an enduring classic.
Hi-Fi Rush cracks the rhythm-action genre wide open to deliver Tango Gameworks' most confident, stylish, and surprising project to date.
Resident Evil 4 finally gets the remake it deserves: a total reimagining that's every bit as bold and unpredictable as the original.
So long as you’re willing to meticulously survey Hyrule like an archaeologist digging for fossils, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an engrossing sequel full of mysteries to solve and experiments to conduct. It’s a digital laboratory that I imagine will still be producing unbelievable discoveries 10 years from now.
Venba delivers an elegantly nuanced story about cultural identity through sharply written dialogue and meaningful cooking interludes.
Chants of Sennaar is an ingenious linguistic puzzle game that takes the right notes from genre greats like Return of the Obra Dinn.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 delivers a personal story about two busybodies struggling to find balance in their lives, while all webbed up in larger-than-life comic book arcs. That’s a perfect match for Insomniac’s winning action-adventure formula, which is improved in almost every conceivable way here. Its expansive narrative and open-world checklists may feel overwhelming at times, but that effectively drives home its ultimate point: Great power isn’t a cure for great responsibility.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a phenomenal second chapter of what's shaping up to be an all-time great game trilogy.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a razor-sharp debut from developer Microbird that tackles the complexities of the tourism industry from every angle. From its impact on politics to how it backs local businesses into a corner, the action-adventure game delivers a nuanced dissection of a quiet town turned global attraction. And like any good tourist trap, it hooks players in with wondrous entertainment, from ingeniously designed dungeon puzzles to magical powers that turn its natural landscapes into amusement parks. It may not be the slickest action game, but it contains one of 2024’s most vital stories.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity sets the bar for both Nintendo spinoffs with A+ storytelling that enhances Breath of the Wild’s world and deceptively varied, character-driven combat. It’s still a Dynasty Warriors game at heart, for better or worse, but the game makes that feel like less of a backhanded caveat and more of a fresh start for a polarizing genre.
Returnal takes full advantage of the PS5's features to give players a fast and furious sci-fi spectacle.
New Pokemon Snap is a worthy follow up to a beloved classic that's loaded with charm and a surprising amount of content.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a pure superhero spectacle that takes full advantage of the PS5's hardware.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a much friendlier introduction to the complex franchise, anchored by excellent turn-based RPG combat,