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Showcasing the expertise of developer Guard Crush Games and publisher Dotemu in the beat-’em-up genre, Absolum is an impressive fantasy side-scrolling brawler with a roguelike twist. Both companies were a part of the team behind Streets of Rage 4, and Dotemu has been responsible for publishing other successful revivals like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. But this time around, instead of creating a game for an existing license or franchise, they have decided to push the envelope by pursuing an original game. And on that front, Absolum is a creative and technical powerhouse that pushes the genre forward.
PGA Tour 2K25 is the result of 2K taking its golf-sim rivalry with EA seriously. After the EA Sports PGA Tour series made a comeback in 2023 after being a decade away, HB Studios made the calculated move of taking two years to develop PGA Tour 2K25, as opposed to 2K’s other annualized releases like NBA 2K. While both EA and 2K have a license to develop PGA Tour games, EA snatched The Masters away while 2K signed a long-term, exclusive deal with Tiger Woods. Suffice it to say, points have been scored on both sides, and this title is 2K’s first response to its competitor. Fortunately, it has come out swinging hard.
Pound for pound, Undisputed doesn’t yet have the chops to compete against the likes of Fight Night Round 3, but it’s pretty much the only game in town. This effort is far above other attempts at a realistic boxing game, and it mostly delivers on intense combat and solid animations. As it was with the game’s roadmap in Steam Early Access, Steel City Interactive is well-prepared and already committed to provide continual updates and improvements moving forward. Despite several weaknesses, Undisputed has a solid foundation for the developer to build upon. While it’s not a champion now, it is a contender worth watching out for.
As a modern blast from the past, Akimbot is an acceptable adventure that takes its cues from PS2 platforming classics but falls short of its own expectations. Its gunplay, platforming, and variety of mini-games are mostly adequate, and some levels show moments of creativity. However, the lack of character progression, uneven difficulty spikes, and unrewarding exploration hinder the effort. Ultimately, the original Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank have stronger level design and more interesting ideas, and those games came out over two decades ago.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the Souls-lite genre. The challenging combat, unusual lore, and well-crafted environments blend the new with the old in an original way. While the gameplay could be more refined, the game succeeds in making the genre more accessible. The story is rather quick on the draw at the start and the ending trails off suddenly, but the relationship between Nor and Enki is enough to carry the bulk of the narrative. As a first entry, Flintlock is off to a solid start, and I look forward to having more adventures with this unlikely pair.
Despite a few mishits, TopSpin 2K25 is well worth the wait. Though this revival doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, it gets the fundamentals right. Mastering the new swing meter is challenging, but once you get the timing down, it’s easy to get into the zone and spend hours strategically striking balls on the court without realizing how many hours have passed. The extensive MyCareer mode, while restrictive in spots, rewards consistent play and smart choices over the long run. TopSpin 2K25 is a promising reboot that shows plenty of potential for future entries in the series and gratefully brings tennis simulations back into the conversation.
After being in early access on multiple platforms, Inkulinati delivers a satisfying game with an original art style in its full release. The colorful, humorous character art and animations are impressive and entertaining. A lot of effort went into creating a dense and intense combat system. However, Journey Mode becomes predictable within a few runs and could have been more innovative. The lack of online multiplayer is unfortunate too, especially for a game based on dueling. Inkulinati is a fun page-turner, but it’s still in need of several revisions.
Ebenezer and the Invisible World is a run-of-the-mill Metroidvania with the wrong story and outdated design. Except for the beautiful background art and an interesting variety of enemies, the adventure is a short, stodgy, rudimentary affair with weakly executed ideas. On the Christmas table, it’s the dry and underbaked fruitcake that is still technically edible but is surrounded by far too many better options.
The Crew Motorfest is an acceptable reproduction of the Forza Horizon concept. If you focus on the thematic playlists and roam the colorful open world listening to the radio, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of the game. There’s enough content here to last you well over 20 hours between events and exploration. However, apart from the ability to change vehicle types on the fly, the game is unfortunately short on original ideas. The limited multiplayer, lack of compelling side activities, and restricted crossplay also hold The Crew Motorfest back from passing the finish line ahead of the curve.
Fae Farm is still an enjoyable farming sim where you can easily lose track of time, spending hours crafting items, petting animals, and spelunking in dungeons. The kid-friendly tone of the game makes it easy to recommend for all audiences, though the NPCs and thereby the town of Azoria lack depth. The main quests are more interested in having you explore dungeons than actual farming, and the game has more than several areas that need improvement. Still, despite its flaws, Fae Farm fits cozily among the rest of its farming brethren.