IGN

Denshattack’s learning curve can be steep, and you’re going to make a lot of mistakes before you master its long list of input combos – but if you can get past that, it’s an excellent anime-inspired train-tricker, and I enjoyed every second I spent in its world. Hitting the track and chaining tricks together is a joy, a constant stream of new mechanics means it never runs out of steam, and its story is breezy and enjoyable, even if it does mostly just play the hits. We love to see a punk rock group of misfits take down a megacorporation with the power of friendship. Nothing stops this train.

The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is an entertaining co-op horror excursion that can sometimes feel a bit too oppressive.

The new Backyard Baseball is an overly optimized version of itself, capitalizing on nostalgic affection instead of paying full respect to why it was earned in the first place.

Moss’s world is stunning, its fairy tale nature is incredibly charming, and aside from a couple of minor issues with the camera (and one weird bug that briefly stalled my progress) this is a very smooth remake that doesn’t feel compromised by breaking free of its VR-exclusive origins. It may be simple, but its combat and puzzles are satisfying and amusing. But for me, Moss’s appeal comes back to Quill and her world, wondering what would happen to them and wanting to see this story through. Moss is a game about a mouse, but Quill has the heart of a lion, and this book is better for having her in it. I’m grateful to have gotten to spend time with her, and for the story we shared. High five, Quill.

Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations is not for the faint of heart. It demands mastery of the Slayer’s many tools of destruction, including exciting new options like the Chain Spear, and rewards that mastery with some of the most exhilarating combat rooms I’ve ever played fought my way through. The Dark Ages’ action was already among the best in the genre, and this DLC elevates it even further by fusing it with just the right amount of Doom Eternal to make the two feel similar, but still wholly distinct from each other. It’s a steep difficulty curve to climb, but it’s well worth the effort.

More than just a shinier version of the same game you remember, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced brings what was already one of the best games in the series up to today’s standards.

This season ain’t gonna knock anybody’s socks off, and both Dynasty and Road to Glory have leaned hard into spreadsheet management this year, but smart on-field additions to an already good game make College Football 27 worth suiting up for once again.

This season ain’t gonna knock anybody’s socks off, and both Dynasty and Road to Glory have leaned hard into spreadsheet management this year, but smart on-field additions to an already good game make College Football 27 worth suiting up for once again.

This season ain’t gonna knock anybody’s socks off, and both Dynasty and Road to Glory have leaned hard into spreadsheet management this year, but smart on-field additions to an already good game make College Football 27 worth suiting up for once again.

Sword Art Online games have mostly been decent, although never truly exceptional. Echoes of Aincrad is a half-step in the right direction with a novel story starring an original cast of characters without heavily relying on Kirito to help it stand out. However, the open zones and world design are big stumbles due to its restricted exploration, along with the lack of variety in both the environments and enemies. The fiery combat and the smithy’s hot iron coals don’t bring enough heat to thaw out the story’s glacial pacing, either. Echoes of Aincrad may seem like a hardcore Sword Art Online fan’s dream game, but divorced from the anime’s branding, it’s just a passable action-RPG.