We reveal the past year’s best and worst video tip4d game publishers (based on their 2024 releases) in the 15th edition of our annual Game Publisher Rankings. (Updated April 2025) We rank every live-action film adapted from a video game—dating from 1993’s Super Mario Bros. to this month’s new A Minecraft Movie—from worst to best according to their Metascores. These platforms not only showcase exceptional game coverage but also foster a sense of community. They empower gamers to make informed decisions and discover new titles that align with their preferences. In short, these leading sites offer a mix of expertise, thoroughness, and honesty. Their commitment to gamers has won them respect and loyalty.
To help you find out, we are compiling reviews of the Switch 2 console hardware itself from dozens of publications. Act 2 of The Alters is much more challenging than the first, pitting players against more anomalies and blocking progression with difficult terrain. Xbox looks to be teaming up with the one of the biggest names in the VR space to launch a specially-branded headset, that too quite soon. “When I was offered the chance to play Zero Latency’s latest game, Space Marines VR Threat Lethal, I jumped at the chance,” writes Steve. Mario Kart World is out now, and Stevivor’s got a head start on our review thanks to hours of hands-on time provided by Nintendo Australia.
After initially releasing on PC and consoles, Balatro is now also available on mobile, which is where I’ve been playing this twisted little roguelike. While the bones of Balatro will be familiar to anyone with a cursory knowledge of poker, the ingenious modifiers and ways players can hit higher scores makes the lizard brain light up in delight and deserves all the praise it’s received this year. 2024 was another banner year for video games thanks to a slate of big releases, strong remakes, and surprising hits.
Loretta Review
The best GBA games have stood the test of time as landmark 32-bit titles that are as playable now as they were at launch. And that’s a look back at the best reviewed games of the year. For more from the IGN Awards, check out our full list of winners in all of our different award categories for the year. One big name that snuck in at the end of the year is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. MachineGames’ first game since finishing up its Wolfenstein reboots is another rollicking, nazi-punching adventure that brings the film hero to the AAA games era. It’s not only a big win for Indy fans, but for Xbox Games Studios that finally has a bonafide hit.
The Switch 2’s Joy-Con 2 controllers simply feel like larger versions of the original ones on the first-gen Switch. Nintendo’s new console is thin and light, and if you don’t like the feel of it digging into your palms, you need to consider other accessories that add more grip. The Switch 2 is a device that lends itself to handing off a controller for quick and dirty multiplayer, exemplified by Nintendo’s premier first-party title, Mario Kart World, which was the perfect launch game. We’ve played more than a dozen hours in the game with various groups of friends—all of whom were jonesing to try the ultra-hyped handheld—and they all left with smiles on their faces. The Switch 2 is running a custom Nvidia chip, and it’s ostensibly as powerful as some of Nvidia’s lower-end Ampere-era GPUs from four years ago—or about equivalent in power to consoles from the PS4 era.
A sort of cross between Final Fantasy and Animal Crossing, the idea is that you lead a relatively mundane life in a fantasy world, taking the role of not just mercenary and mage, but also a cook and woodcutter. There are only three reviews on Metacritic, for 80, 90, and another 90. If nothing else, this wins the award for the longest game name this year, and the Switch 2 already has a number of contenders for that accolade. We’ve not played these particular remasters but we imagine they’re identical to the ones released last year. Suikoden 2 in particular is an all-time classic and we’ve reviewed it many times before, as it’s one of the best role-playing games of the PS1 era, with some interesting strategy elements. The frustrating thing about all this is that there’s no master list of available titles for the Switch 2 and Nintendo has made no effort to highlight third party titles, so it’s been difficult to even draw up a list of titles that were released on June 5.
“The Switch 2 gives us exactly what we wanted,” Ben writes in his review. “A more powerful Switch that delivers a handheld-console experience like only… On the whole it’s a very well done Batman story, and the dialogue is generally strong except for a few very on-the-nose lines where Batman bluntly declares “I will find the Rat King; I will stop his night of wrath! ” or when Barbara Gordon acts like an annoying tween fangirl. There’s also a very conspicuous loose end left dangling at the end of the story that concerned me until I was told it’s intentional, so we’ll just have to see where that goes.
Promise Mascot Agency Review
One episode follows Teen’s dog investigating a gut feeling that something isn’t right, his interview subjects ranging from a ladybug journalist to a weight-lifting penguin. I’m loath to say even that much (this is one of those games where it’s in your best interest to read as little about it as possible), but To a T only truly takes off when it moves past the initial premise and into the absurd. We finally, after years of waiting, saw Capcom’s Pragmata, but does it look as exciting as you’d hoped it would? We’ve not seen a second of it, but it is being developed by Bloober Team, who knocked it out the park with its Silent Hill 2 remake.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is back for a third time on a new console and proves that the right blend of puzzles and level design can make a game stand the test of time even 15 years after its initial release. [newline]Hyper Light Breaker, a multiplayer open-world rogue-lite, launched in Early Access to mixed player reviews. Back in 2015, Xenoblade Chronicles X was a huge RPG that strayed away from the usual formula of the series. This Definitive Edition cleans up some of its shortcomings and lets a new generation of players experience it for the first time. Sunderfolk, the latest game from Dreamhaven and Secret Door, is a tabletop RPG where your phone is the controller and your screen is the TV. It’s one of the most fun multiplayer experiences I’ve had in years. Sandfall Interactive’s debut game is a masterclass in presentation, storytelling, and gameplay.
Instead, it gives the impression of a game released in early access with many problems. Inspired by old-school RTS games, Tempest Rising has its own unique style that manages to shine through all the nostalgia and comparisons to classics of the genre. With its impressive visuals and solid performance, Sonic x Shadow Generations feels right at home on Switch 2. Street Fighter 6 is fantastic on Switch 2, with only reduced performance in World Tour mode really letting it down.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless takes inspiration from previous headsets in the brand’s lineup and transforms them into a budget-friendly, cozy gamer dream. Sloclap has stripped away the generous auto-targeting found in EA’s series, and instead asks you to deliberately aim where you’re launching the ball with your foot. Has this led to me flubbing several “should-score” chances? Of course, but the moments where I have pulled off a top-corner curler have been immensely satisfying. Not to keep circling back to Rocket League, but Rematch shines brightest during tightly contested games.
Their unbiased reviews have won the trust of gamers everywhere. We also found acclaimed video game journalism portals loved by gamers. Sites like Polygon, Kotaku, and PC Gamer are known for their honest, deep critiques. They explore the games’ creative and technical sides, offering fresh views. It wasn’t as smooth a ride as I’d have liked, but I did see the ending and was pleased with it.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S adds new features exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, and it’s the best way to play the game yet – especially against others. Designed with younger players in mind, Disney Illusion Island is a colourful Metroidvania that’s devoid of combat. The color scheme comes from video games, where “orange” loot is often best, with purple, blue, and green tiered loot following.
So long as there’s no drought of big game releases—like there were in the dark GameCube and Wii U days—Nintendo may just “1-Up” itself with the Switch 2. Nintendo wanted GameChat to be such a defining feature on Switch 2 that it put a “C” button on all its first-party controllers. The button allows you to quickly send or receive calls and change video settings without going to the main menu. You can only send calls to friends over Switch Online, and you need to provide a phone number when you first try the feature.