Nomada Studios' sophomore release shows that lightning can indeed strike twice, as it's every bit as breathtaking as 2018's Gris.
Keep Driving is equal parts charming, compelling, inventive, and emotionally evocative, making it one of 2025's early masterpieces.
The Alters is a cerebral, thought-provoking, and beefy story-driven survival game, and undoubtedly 11 Bit Studios' magnum opus.
Squid Shock Studios lets loose an astonishing debut in the form of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, a silky-smooth metroidvania platformer.
Centum is a haunting, esoteric, and opaque game that begs constant examination, though its strengths as a video game are debatable.
Planet of Lana 2 won’t tickle the dopamine centers of your gamer brain, but there’s a very strong chance it will pull on your heartstrings. More than this, it will engage your imagination like few other games can, presenting its one-of-a-kind world with the utmost confidence and panache. And with best-in-class art direction and arresting musical composition to boot, Lana 2 is more than deserving of a spot on the narrative-platformer Mount Rushmore, right alongside the likes of Inside and Gris.
Minor issues of pacing and controls aside, V Rising on PS5 is a more than worthy port. Its expressive customization options, unfolding combat mechanics, and flexible build options have made it a must-own for PC players, and now the same can be said for PlayStation players. If you're a fan of survival games, action-RPGs, and Gothic horror, you can't do much better than V Rising.
Banana Rumble truly understands what makes the Super Monkey Ball series tick, giving players the same sense of intense, exhilarating thrill and wholesome fun thanks to its no-frills chaos. With polished fundamentals, Spin Dash, and online multiplayer, it's easy to see Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble fostering a strong community of players for years to come.
Volgarr the Viking 2 is a worthy, brutally difficult, and endlessly addicting follow-up to its tough-as-nails predecessor from 2013.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered offers, in many ways, the same things that the original Soul Reavers did: a compelling, grand narrative, a unique world to dissect, incredible atmosphere, et cetera. For that alone, this remaster is worth purchasing, as it is essentially the "definitive" version to play these games.
Simple, sleek, and endlessly rewarding, Dynasty Warriors Origins is a huge improvement over previous entries, and the best musuo game of the decade.
Fatal Fury is back with a vengeance with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, a thoroughly entertaining, if slightly lightweight, return to form.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a fantastic revamping of the 2006 classic, putting it in conversation with contemporary ARPGs.
Hell Clock is a compelling, ever-expanding, surprisingly emotional ARPG roguelike that's well worth anyone's time, despite a few weak points.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a terrific, if not exactly revolutionary, remaster of one of the PS1's best TRPGs.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion soars with stunning visuals, slick beat-em-up gameplay, and an inventive lineup of diverse comic book characters.
Although its flaws are rather obvious, Romeo Is a Dead Man is an unforgettable and ultimately successful sci-fi romp through spacetime.
Continuing the Stories RPG spin-off franchise, Monster Hunter Stories 3 introduces better, deeper gameplay systems befitting of a JRPG giant.
Replaced, the debut from indie developer Sad Cat Studios, is every bit as stunning as its trailers have made it out to be, and it's pretty fun, too.
These smaller issues pale in comparison to what Source of Madness gets right. The gorgeous 2D art style, atmospheric music, and crunchy sound design underpin a combat system that is deep and rewarding, and is sure to keep surprising players deep into their time with the game. For gamers searching for a gratifying roguelite filled to the brim with passion and creativity, Source of Madness is more than worth the cost of admission.