While it has plenty of rough edges, Pieces Interactive's take on horror royalty is the best the series has been in decades.
While the games themselves may vary in quality, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy still presents a pretty solid case for purchase.
Reigns: Three Kingdoms adds plenty of new ideas and frustrations, but anyone looking for a bit of regicide on their Steam Deck could do far worse.
While it has some novel ideas, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's extremely repetitive quest design, underwhelming progression, and wholly monotonous gear system make it one of the most forgettable open world games of 2023.
Football Manager 2024 refreshes the formula just enough ahead of its biggest overhaul to date next year, allowing players to become the digital Alan Curbishley with the most depth of any FM yet.
The Metal Gear Solid games remain as masterful as ever, but the same can't be said for this rather rudimentary compilation.
Rough combat and simply serviceable story aside, Assassin's Creed Mirage trims the fat while also adding plenty of promise for future entries in the series.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is the final stop on the game's redemption tour, and what a redemption it is. If you were still cynical about CD Projekt Red as a studio, it's time to start believing again.
Aliens: Dark Descent marries its inspirations with reverence for its source material to create arguably the best Aliens game of all time.
Layers of Fear 2023 really isn't the most necessary remake ever and those who didn't like the original games certainly won't be converted, but this is a pretty compelling package for psychological horror fans.
Amnesia: The Bunker is one of the most terrifying horror games ever made, but those looking for Resident Evil 4 levels of length and replayability are going to be left seriously disappointed.
Refreshingly brainless and made with a lot of heart, Dead Island 2's repetitive quest design and disappointing conclusion don't stop it from being a whale of a time.
Terra Nil is a charming and deceptively deep strategy game with a lovely aesthetic that flips conventions in a compelling way.
Resident Evil 4 is a worthy companion piece to survival horror royalty that's sure to go down as one of the year's best games.
Company of Heroes 3 doesn't nail absolutely everything and sometimes gets in its own way, but there's no denying just how good it is when firing on all cylinders.
The Cosmic Shake can be a fun collectathon with some charming moments, but the lack of original ideas and finesse make it feel more like an expansion than a brand new game.
A supremely dense hybrid of many different genres and styles, Marvel's Midnight Suns is an absolutely smashing time and one of 2022's best.
With that said, Melody of Memories is still somewhat enjoyable and the IP it represents is doing the game a lot of favors. Fans will be able to sink several hours into it and I think it is better played in short bursts anyway. I’ll definitely fire the game up again for that couch co-op — even though both parties have to be at the same difficulty level — or to play against my wife or AI to see more of the mechanic that lets the player throw extra hurdles and tricks at their opponent. It isn’t the best game in the rhythm genre (that’s Gitaroo Man), but Melody of Memories is going to entertain a lot of people, make a ton of money, and get fans playing through the whole series again.
A missed opportunity to build upon the better elements of its predecessors, Tennis World Tour 2 is a frustrating experience that will leave players feeling like John McEnroe after a missed line call far too often.
An all-consuming epic, Crusader Kings 3 marries its grand strategy with more involving RPG elements to create one of the best games of 2020.