While Killsquad certainly has its shortcomings, I still found its gameplay to succeed in the end, offering a pretty enjoyable game when taking on its contracts with other players. Without a story to connect you to its world, your mileage may vary on whether its gameplay and customization are enough to keep you playing.

Dave the Diver combines the unpredictable nature of a rogue-lite with the hustle and bustle of working a sushi bar, complete with your own staff and dishes prepared from the ingredients you catch. This fusion works as well as its menu, a mixture of tastes and flavors as you also uncover a secret brewing at the bottom of the sea.

Trails into Reverie is the culmination of three individual sagas spanning nearly 20 years. While it certainly feels like a third entry in the Crossbell Saga, it certainly follows in the footsteps of Trails of Cold Steel, bookending various story and character arcs. It may retread some story ideas and falter in its narrative, but Reverie is still an impressive conclusion worthy of your time.

Aliens: Dark Descent captures the appeal and tone of the 1986 film in ways few have. The tactical squad-based gameplay is incredibly engaging, with a fantastic character progression system and a great story to wrap it all in. While Dark Descent excels in most areas, a host of technical issues can certainly get in its way.

Diablo IV was, in a lot of ways, under a great of pressure to perform, especially given that modern Blizzard Entertainment hasn’t had a much-needed win for years, especially given the reception of Diablo Immortal. Nonetheless, Diablo IV succeeds in providing a captivating story and enthralling gameplay, all designed around a long-awaited return to its bloody and gothic aesthetic.

Tears of the Kingdom does a lot to improve on nearly every issue I personally had with BOTW, creating a very sandbox-heavy experience that often results in a very satisfying game that does the best it can to offer the experience I had hoped for.

Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters is a spin-off, taking place after the events of Megadimension Neptunia VII, and while it can be fun, a barely there difficulty and bland level design sadly place this title as one of the more disappointing entries I've played so far. 

Redfall, developed by Arkane Austin, is the developer’s follow-up to 2017’s Prey. However, with development troubles and an unclear vision, Redfall is a game that not only fractured the studio, but shipped with a host of technical issues, bland design, and a lack of understanding of what it wants to be.

Layers of Fear is a reimagining of 2016's Layers of Fear, its Inheritance DLC, as well as 2019's Layers of Fear 2. It also contains two new additions in the "Writer's Story" which ties the events of each game together via a brand new character and the "Final Note" chapter which bookends the events of the first game. 

SENSEs: Midnight is a standalone sequel to Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story, and while it is far more ambitious than its predecessor, its reliance on frustrating controls and excessive backtracking, drains the soul out of this paranormal mystery. 

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a stealth platformer that follows the story of Gollum escaping his imprisonment within the walls of Barad-Dur. While the idea of playing as Gollum is an interesting one, this whole adventure is bland, often boring, and plagued with a host of technical issues.

While Bat Boy can often strike out with a few issues and some frustrating performance woes, it is nonetheless a fun action-packed take on a proven formula. 

Warhammer: Boltgun is a fast-paced retro shooter that brings the action, spectacle, and brutality of the Warhammer license. Unfortunately, a paper-thin story, repetitive enemy variety, and level design cause this title to overstay its welcome.

Showgunners is the perfect mix of XCOM meets Smash Tv. It’s a brutal game show where you’ll use a variety of skills, guns, and items to decimate your opponent. Survive a series of events run by the showrunner as he attempts to make your life a living hell. Showgunners is one hell of a ride.

Stray Blade is another in a long line of games to adapt the Fromsoft formula. While its world and characters can often be charming, Stray Blade is full of several undercooked systems, inconsistent mechanics, and is ultimately not fun to play.

Releasing day and date on Xbox Game Pass, Ravenlok is a charming and voxel-based adventure game, taking the titular character through an Alice in Wonderland-inspired outing. Despite its short 4-hour length, Ravenlok offers fantastic boss encounters, enjoyable combat, and is absolutely gorgeous to boot. 

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a fantastic if technically flawed sequel. It continues the story of Cal Kestis as he continues the fight against the Empire. Joined by a new ally, Bode Akuna, Cal, and his fellow companions now seek to discover a safe haven out of the reach of the empire.