Space Marine remains a must-play for WH40K fans, but the Master Crafted Edition would've been better as an upgrade to the existing edition.
Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is another bare minimum, overpriced remaster hoping nostalgia will encourage fans to turn a blind eye to dated problems.
Bluey: The Videogame is a promising thesis of a game, but all the easter eggs in the world can't make a rushed product complete.
Jackbox Party Pack Vol. 8 is a rare miss, the most mixed bag for the series since its second entry.
Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms isn’t much to write home about, but it offers young fans a slightly more substantial experience than most of its mobile peers without overwhelming them.
Pokémon Unite's potential is undermined by its balancing, and might not have enough to offer either of its target audiences.
Dark Alliance lacks compelling narrative and gameplay variety, despite being steeped in lore from its source material.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is another bare minimum remaster from Aspyr, which doesn't give Lara or the Switch 2 the attention they deserve.
The Edge of Fate feels a little stale in the gameplay department, but plants some interesting seeds for Destiny 2's ongoing narrative.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition revives a classic adventure for acquired tastes, but didn't roll high on its "enhancement" check.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 lives up to the original games and the previous remaster, but doesn't nail the landing quite as well.
Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered excavates the back half of Lara Croft's first era, but how do they hold up today?
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered feels like it wants to be a loving tribute to the franchise's origins, but comes across like a half-effort instead.
A Rift in Time sets a solid course for Disney Dreamlight Valley's second year by building rich new biomes, yet larger balancing issues remain.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons revives a fundamental beat-em-up dynasty, with variable paths and multipliers making it a worthy multiplayer investment.
Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg brings the series’ original entry out of the shadows with a charming, thorough aesthetic glow-up, yet retains some of its more archaic touches.
Longtime Sonic fans should scoop up the physical edition of Sonic Origins Plus if they missed out last year, but the new content may not be worth a paid upgrade for existing owners.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a solid JRPG that straddles two worlds in more ways than one, resulting in a worthwhile yet middling adventure with decent replay potential.
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny is simultaneously cliche and transgressive, offering refreshing takes on genre conventions while still reliant on them. Its expanded gameplay systems can be mind-numbing to newcomers, but longtime franchise fans will find an unrivaled buffet of content to grind through.
Chocobo GP does some things that Nintendon’t, offering a Story mode and a more stimulating item system than the untouchable Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. However only Final Fantasy veterans (and their kids) need apply, as it relies heavily on nostalgia—and season pass grinding.