It’s better to be memorable than boring, and Shadow BANDARSOCCER Labyrinth certainly isn’t the latter. But the more Shadow Labyrinth actively tries to be cryptic, the less it actually is. There isn’t much room for imagination between constant lore dumps that go in one ear and out the other.
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Critics find it deeper, more varied, and more refined than its two predecessors. If a game was released on multiple platforms, we included only the version receiving the largest total number of reviews (usually, but not always, the PS5 version). Bananza is a great sign for where Nintendo’s heading with the Switch 2. It feels like a more evolved version of many Switch games of the past, but just like Mario Kart World, the other major Switch 2 exclusive, it takes the good ideas even further.
S era brought us 81 games that IGN awarded a review score of 8 or higher. The problem with the Landsraad is that if I hadn’t logged in that day, or even during those particular few hours, I’d have missed all that fun. Even on the medium population server I play on, the Landsraad bingo board was completed barely two days into the new week.
It never feels like a gimmick or the only tool you have to solve every problem, but rather one integral part of Bananza’s larger game design philosophy. I was rarely asked to create random tunnels underground with no guidance like you might in Minecraft, and DK’s upgradeable sonar ability helped me find buried collectibles hidden to the naked eye. And, Pauline helps out with the search, too, as using her singing ability reveals waypoints to collectibles marked on your map, making it easy to pick your next destination. That keeps the hunt for completion focused and fun, even if the camera occasionally struggles with the weird angles you force it into when digging yourself a nice hole. Of course, if you want to rip an entire level down to the studs for the fun of it, you can do that, too. Every breakable corner of DK’s world (which is most of them) is bursting with timeless Nintendo magic and equally fresh ambition.
Taking them down isn’t just about slashing them until they’re stunned, but also managing an ESP gauge that’s a stamina bar and MP system in one. Both dodges and collectible special attacks that can be equipped on the fly expend energy, so I always need to weigh the benefits of getting extra damage in or leaving myself room to escape. The Wear and Tear concept was one of my favorite additions to sports video games in 2024. I love to see EA building on it and also seeing the concept making its way to Madden this year. The pageantry and detail are augmented by the overall beauty of the game. I’m not overselling here—College Football 26 is the most visually attractive sports video game ever made.
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Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He’s also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he can make up his own. Of course, we have to talk about those remaining three games. Episode 2, which revolves around a twisted version of Hide and Seek, is one of the show’s strongest ever. It’s an intense, heartbreaking hour of television that thrills and horrifies in equal measure. The Jump Rope game, which takes place across the third and fourth episodes, is pulse-poundingly tense.
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Much of season 2 revolved around Gi-hun’s ideological battle with the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), and season 3 picks up that baton once more. Except, this time, the battle is less up close and personal and more the Front Man observing Gi-hun’s decisions from a distance. The season suffers ever so slightly from there being less of a focus on this duo when their dynamic proved so fascinating in season 2; their much vaunted face-to-face meeting is also disappointingly short. However, Lee Byung-hun still manages to leave a major impression with his performance, even if you don’t see him without the mask all that often. What he does with a brief, dialogue-less flashback is breathtaking.
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But as the game’s progress starts to wind up and down through sublevels, it begins to feel a lot more quest-y than any Mario game. Our reviews of the latest and upcoming games, movies, TV shows, and more. If you want to see our favorite video games, check out Polygon Recommends. We reveal the 20 best-reviewed video games (for all platforms) released in the first half of 2025, ranked by Metascore.
Stu relives the halcyon days when the RTS genre was fast, action packed and criminally addictive. Serpentcoil Island offers challenge and charm, but only for the most patient of wanderers. The team behind RPG Maker jumps into the world of pixelated side-scrollers and top-downs. Physical game enjoyers rejoice – the Switch 2 version of Sonic Racing CrossWorlds will have the full game on the cartridge, Sega confirms. One of the greatest strategy games ever is free right now.
That’s no easy feat, and it’s a testament to Hwang’s exceptional talent for crafting characters who feel like beloved friends, and his skill at constructing storylines that can shatter you, but keep you coming back for more. I was skeptical about subsequent seasons of Squid Game when season 1 was so superlative, but both installments have won me over so completely that I couldn’t imagine the series existing without them. Clocking in at a surprisingly lean 55-minutes (less without credits), it wastes no time in reaching its crushing conclusion.
I love the new depth with recruiting pipelines and unlockable abilities that affect Dynasty outcomes. Having the recruiting interactions happen with real coaches deepens the immersion. College Football 25 captured the vibe of its sport better than any sports game ever created, and this year’s game tops that. CF 26 brings deeper immersion with 34 new mascots, 88 band songs, unique runouts, and stadium traditions like the Sooner Schooner and Cockaboose. Critics think it one of the best puzzlers in recent memory thanks to its depth, intelligence, and unique design, though it can be difficult at times (and its randomness can frustrate).
This includes how it plays, its story, and how it looks. Whether you’re a fan of the Halloween franchise or horror or not, there is a lot of fun to be had in Emerson Matsuuchi’s homage to the original sequel. Check out our in-depth performance test for more details on how the game runs from our expert hardware team.
