Frostpunk 2 is cold and dark. And I don’t mean cold and dark like your fridge when the door’s closed. I’m also not talking about the black soot and white ice of its 19th-century ice age setting either. What I’m saying is that Frostpunk 2 is emotionally cold and dark.

During your tenure as the “Steward” of a small population of survivors struggling to survive the mother of all cold snaps, you routinely have to make decisions that, whichever choice you make, result in the suffering, misery, and death of thousands of people. And it’s all just a part of the job.

Harry Potter Quidditch Champions is a heartfelt love letter to the most iconic sport in the witchcraft and wizarding world. But while soaring above it all should be freeing and spellbinding, the feeling of being trapped on a broom is inescapable and gets old faster than Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.

It’s as clear as a sunny day on the Quidditch pitch that Unbroken Studios understands the sport and knows how to make it wildly entertaining at first. The problem is that Quidditch Champions‘ novelty wears off quickly when you’re confined to the pitch and can’t explore the world beyond. 

One of the big issues plaguing sports sims in video games today is whether fans should expect companies like EA or 2K to reinvent the wheel—when they’re the only ones providing the wheel.

This dilemma has troubled fans of the ever-popular—and equally loathed—NBA 2K series because everyone loves a good basketball sim but hates to break the bank for what feels like a reskin. With NBA 2K25, similar fears reared their ugly head for many enthusiasts who have been burned before by purchasing a glorified roster update with slightly improved graphics.

I am not a Warhammer 40K fan. As someone who does play tabletop wargames, I’ve passively looked at it, but the sheer amount of money you have to put into the hobby quickly pulls me away. After my time with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and how much I enjoyed the gameplay, universe, and gigantic marines cutting through aliens, I’m glancing at the tabletop hobby and reconsidering my financial choices.

Not only is Space Marine 2 a good Warhammer 40K game, it’s a genuinely fun title that blends tactical, cooperative gameplay with hordes of enemies. It’s brutal. It’s bloody. The gunplay and abilities are delightful. Although I thought the campaign was fine and the narrative partially forgettable, the core gameplay and multiplayer modes kept me glued to the screen. I frequently said “one more mission,” after having said the same thing two rounds before. It’s a great formula that I hope thrives with the cooperative shooter community.

Team Asobi’s 10-year journey comes to a head in 2024’s outstanding Astro Bot. Humble beginnings began with 2013’s The Playroom on PS4—a basic tech demo introducing audiences to the loveable bot—before moving onto the immersive Astro Bot: Rescue Mission on VR and Astro’s Playroom on PS5.

Astro Bot is now well and truly cemented as one of PlayStation’s most iconic mascots. The series’ latest entry demonstrates all the desirable qualities of a platformer and is not only a Game of the Year candidate but a deserved winner.

I was looking forward to Supermassive taking its refined horror narrative chops to The Casting of Frank Stone, a tale strongly inspired by Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight universe. The result is messier than I expected, though. Much of my experience in Frank Stone wasn’t scary, and the only thing that hooked me was my curiosity to find out how everything comes together at the end.
Frank Stone is rough around the edges. It’s entertaining, but Supermassive proved itself a stronger storyteller in previous games. The studio might feel weighed down because it’s trying to tie everything back to the Dead by Daylight universe, and can’t help but consistently remind you throughout the story. Still, the game needs more polish and is tough to enjoy when there are bumps in the road.

The making of Frank Stone

We can’t discuss Frank Stone’s plot in too much depth, but timelines are an important aspect of the story. The game begins in 1963, and we’re introduced to serial killer Frank Stone and Cedar Hills officer Sam Green. Sam takes down Frank at the town’s mill and saves a baby. After that, most of the game is split between two parallel storylines in 1980 and 2024.

Age of Mythology was originally released in 2002, and now you can return to this real-time strategy classic with the fully remastered Age of Mythology: Retold.

Not only has the development team provided a thorough graphical update to the game, but there are multiple modern gameplay tweaks for point-and-click fans and several modern features that make small changes to an already excellent finished product. 

Smack, smack, smack—squeak! Smack, smack, smack—squeak! 

You may not know it, but that’s the harmonious sound of one little black cat as he sweeps up the afterlife. Did he deserve to be banished to the underworld as its eternal janitor, forever cleaning up infinite piles of garbage? No, and that’s why he’s secretly plotting to overthrow the powers that be by uniting hell’s suffering souls and storming the golden gates.

Star Wars Outlaws is the first open-world game in the franchise’s nearly 50-year history and a different slice of pie to the main Star Wars stories orientating around the Jedi Order and the Sith. But with such a vast galaxy to explore, it’s a shame it feels so empty.

Massive Entertainment’s story follows street-rat scoundrel Kay Vess and her Merqaal companion Nix in a much more grounded story than the usual Jedi space-wizard Star Wars affair, and it’s a refreshing step away from the norm.

The rapid approach of the new NFL season means it’s time for a new entry in EA Sports’ flagship series with Madden 25—and I’ve got a serious case of déjà vu.

Releasing a month after the critical success of College Football 25, there’s a high bar for Madden 25. However, after years of treading water, it’s fair to say that optimism for the title has been lacking.