Pokopia succeeds in capturing the spirit of Pokémon's past without sacrificing its uniqueness, as one of the best spin-offs the franchise has ever seen.

Pokopia is an excellent life simulation game that takes the best bits from the champions of the genre and evolves into something that Pokémon fans, and cozy game fans will love. Some late-game grinding doesn’t dull an adventure that’s as full of discovery at 100 hours as it was at 1.

Pokémon Pokopia evolves the checklist concept beyond collecting gym badges and catching Pokémon, stripping conflict of any kind from the experience and instead giving you nearly endless tasks to improve your various towns and the overall happiness of the Pokémon therein. And it does so with a loop that mixes elements from Dragon Quest Builders, Animal Crossing, and Minecraft, resulting in one of the best laid-back simulation titles I’ve played in years. Though it maintains an emphasis on collection, it shifts the focus from battling to revitalizing a post-apocalyptic region and reforging our connections not only to the world, but also each other.

For as long as it lasts, however, Requiem is fantastic. It feels like the culmination of Capcom’s learnings from years of indecision over whether the series should be full-on horror or action, delivering the best of both worlds.

Resident Evil Requiem sets itself out with a hard task: wrapping all the best elements of previous Resident Evil games into one. Miraculously it succeeds, with very few moments which left me wanting more.

Capcom marks Resident Evil's 30th anniversary with a stellar return that's both a masterful bit of suffocating horror and a nostalgic, fan-thrilling victory lap for the legendary series.

Requiem's concoction of oppressive first-person horror and gory third-person action makes for a rip-roaring first half, even if its second can't quite match that energy.

In some ways, it acts as an incredible celebration of everything that Resident Evil is and has been up to this point, just in time for its 30th anniversary. In others, it feels like a retread that doesn’t live up to its inspirations. Resident Evil: Requiem is very literally a game of two halves, and while it’s a more cohesive tale than the likes of Resident Evil 6, its two distinct gameplay styles and protagonists can sometimes feel at odds with one another.

It is fantastic, a revelatory mix of terrifying survival-horror and action that stops just short of being too over the top to dip back into the sentimental humanity of these seemingly everlasting characters. It is goofy, schlocky, and excessive, but it is also a masterclass in refinement, a tour de force of gameplay that arrives only after 30 years of lessons learned. Requiem is Resident Evil at its finest.

Moreover, Resident Evil Requiem’s performance on high-end PC hardware and at the highest resolution is superb. Even without pushing Nvidia’s Frame Generation to 4x, the game runs extremely well, reaching 120 FPS or more depending on the scene. It’s worth mentioning that first person is a little less demanding than third person since the game isn’t rendering all of that up close character detail, but typically you’re only looking at a loss of 10 FPS depending on settings and whether you are using DLSS Frame Gen.

Resident Evil Requiem's gripping story and intoxicating gameplay blend are wrapped up in a perfectly-polished experience with eye-popping graphics and a blood-pumping soundtrack. Resident Evil Requiem is a horror gaming masterpiece and one of the best games Capcom has ever made. It's the ultimate Resident Evil game and will be remembered as fondly as the franchise favorites in the years to come.

Resident Evil Requiem is an intoxicating mix of the series’ DNA, blending exhilarating action and palpable horror to make not only one of the best Resident Evil games, but one of the best modern survival horror experiences.

Resident Evil Requiem is the most cinematic, bloody, surprisingly emotional moment for the franchise to-date. Its two protagonists complement one another for a balanced experience that feels more narrativized than ever before, with bombastic combat and strong set pieces amping up the nostalgia without feeling gimmicky. Requiem sees Capcom drawing from 30 years of terror to expand its lore, chart a path forward, and pay homage to a gilded survival horror legacy – one with plenty of life left in it.

Under The Island is a charming, puzzle-filled adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The balance between the game’s systems ensures that progress always feels meaningful, and while it would have been good to see some slightly more rounded out combat and extra polish, there’s enough substance here to make for a fun and memorable adventure.

After hitting credits and immediately jumping back in to further explore this black-and-white world, I’m questioning why I was ever worried, because Key Fairy didn’t just match my high expectations, it far exceeded them. As the titular Key Fairy, you arrive at an overgrown grove covered with thickets and vines that has been besieged by a deep-rooted corruption. Pirouetting through the plant life, this light little sprite seeks to bring harmony and calm back to the area through movement, conversation, and no small amount of persistence.

God of War Sons of Sparta is a basic entry in both the beloved IP and the Metroidvania genre, one likely to be forgotten by fans of both.

God of War Sons of Sparta struggles to deliver on the best of God of War or the best the Metroidvania genre has to offer. Combat is dull and lifeless despite a handful of nice ideas, and it's visually ugly and muddy. Even lacking in brutal finishers, this all feels quite tame.

Sons of Sparta doesn’t fill in any important narrative gaps. It does offer a worthwhile look at a point in Kratos’ life before the gods decided to put him through hell (often literally), but the gameplay is frustrating and competing in a genre where it is simply not up to the task.