You probably already know if you are the target audience for Dread Templar. The game skillfully captures the spirit of classic FPS’, for better and for worse. The challenging gameplay with a large arsenal of crazy weapons is there, along with deep, secret-filled levels. However, it has all been done before, and while Dread Templar is a very competent and enjoyable shooter, it doesn’t do a whole lot to carve out an identity of its own outside of being a homage. Still, if you’re into classic FPS games and want a modern title that strongly evokes the era, you could do a lot worse than Dread Templar.

iRacing Arcade is an impressively well-made and fun little game. It features cute, shrunken-down models of real race cars, tearing around equally shrunken and cute versions of real-life tracks. The career mode features a fun world builder on the side, which has practical impacts in the form of usable perks. The gameplay is tight, and you can tell they have implemented a nibble of their physics engine in the mix as well. If anything, some additional content would have been nice, but as a snack-sized arcade racing game, this hits the mark.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet represents the power struggle between innovation and execution. There’s so much promise in the idea of a fully integrated, cooperative Pokémon game, yet the final product I experienced with Pokémon Violet falls short of those aspirations. There’s still a lovable structure found within the game, driven by a more immersive world design and a new generation of adorable mons. Though the polish is lacking, failing to completely realise the ideas put in place and falling short of expectations.

Somerville relies on its fantastic animations and settings to tell a story of a father trying to reunite with his family. But without important story fundamentals such as exposition, you have no idea what is going on. Coupled with the fact that the adventure consists of simply solving puzzles while walking around, it is hard to immerse yourself in the story or even care about what will happen. Solving puzzles can also be difficult because you are expected to fumble around and discover what can be interacted with. There’s no guidance or assistance, which leads to frustration when you have no idea what to do next. There’s a good attempt at telling a story here, but it’s difficult to find yourself wanting to reach the end.

Rainbow Six Extraction ran the risk of being labelled as an expansion or an unnecessary spinoff, but confidently proves that there is more than enough room in this universe for a survival horror tactical shooter built on the foundations laid down by Siege. With a mixture of enjoyable objectives, a diverse range of Operators and a compelling gameplay loop filled with aggressive enemies and intense action, the addictive nature of the experience shines through with a constant struggle between playing it safe or risking it all for greater reward. Rainbow Six Extraction is full of truly exciting and memorable moments, continually testing your skill and perseverance around every dark corner, which makes it an incredibly gripping experience that doesn’t let go easily.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree brings a unique roguelike experience where you can experiment for hours. It’s not easy to learn the new concepts, and it is tough to adjust in the beginning. But give the game a chance and you will discover what it has to offer as a satisfying and solid adventure, as you spend hours figuring out how to make your characters shine.

Possessor(s) is hauntingly beautiful. It’s a stunning world that begs to be delved into with curiosity. Luca and Rhem’s dynamic is an absolute standout, with an excellent balance of snark and heart between the two. It’s almost to the game’s detriment, as every other NPC (besides the antagonist and one of the eye holders) falls flat in comparison. Movement feels great, as does combat, for the most part. Some unfair enemy design and stun issues drag the experience down, alongside moments where progression stalls, especially if you miss the unclear whip skill interaction. Despite this, though, Possessor(s) still manages to shine with genuine merit and contains a beautiful story well worth seeing through to the end.

Samba De Amigo: Party Central isn’t quite the revitalisation of the licensed music rhythm game, but it is a decent, weird and charming little title. It’s a big deal that the franchise is returning after fifteen years and to celebrate is a fun enough and grooving adventure that celebrates both a wide range of excellent songs across multiple genres and even the SEGA name as a whole. Playing in multiplayer, competitively or co-operatively makes for dastardly sabotage or harmonious pairing fun. While this lets up somewhat in motion control movements not being as responsive as they should, button prompt inputs make for a rhythmic good time as you work up a finger cramp or two gliding your fingers across the face buttons. The Streamigo campaign mode may offer a nice setting but will test players with its grindy nature and artificially bloated length. Still, for every shortfall, there’s enough whimsy in Party Central that it will be certainly worth picking up those maracas and shaking it all out to a moving, grooving time.

All in all, Goat Simulator 3 is a wonderfully wacky experience that is sure to delight, whether you’re playing on your own or with friends. Its gameplay mechanics may get a bit old if you’re playing solo or looking for a layered gameplay story, but if you’re keen for a ridiculous and hilarious casual game to dip in and out of occasionally, Goat Simulator 3 will be an excellent fit for your library.

Arcana of Paradise – The Tower is a decent addition to any roguelike deckbuilder fan’s library. With its real-time gameplay adding tension to what is generally a slower, more tactical affair, it’s a refreshing twist on the formula. The inventive combination of card-based gameplay and puzzles also incentivises experimentation in an interesting way. Unfortunately, despite its gameplay strengths and gorgeous presentation, the shallow setting and lack of sufficient encounter variety cause the experience to become repetitive after only a few hours.

House of Tesla lets down a promising premise with boring execution. The narrative is uninteresting with low-quality execution. While puzzles fare slightly better, the most memorable moments of my time with House of Tesla will be the frustration and confusion while I wait for the hint button to give me guidance on where to go next.

While I do have a few complaints with Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, overall I really enjoyed the time that I spent with the game. The actual meat of the gameplay is really satisfying with a lot of more modern gameplay ideas to freshen up the already well-loved franchise. The characters are very sweet and lovely and the cows are so round and adorable.

Shadow Warrior 3 is an excellent FPS that fans of retro-style arena shooters are sure to have a blast with. Lo Wang's quips might not land with everyone, and fans of the previous game's RPG mechanics might resent the stripping down to basics with the gameplay, but Shadow Warrior 3's efficiency is its greatest strength. By ramping up the over-the-top action with new traversal abilities and Gore Tools, Shadow Warrior 3 is the series' most enjoyable instalment yet, and a strong recommend for shooter fans.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet represents the power struggle between innovation and execution. There’s so much promise in the idea of a fully integrated, cooperative Pokémon game, yet the final product I experienced with Pokémon Violet falls short of those aspirations. There’s still a lovable structure found within the game, driven by a more immersive world design and a new generation of adorable mons. Though the polish is lacking, failing to completely realise the ideas put in place and falling short of expectations.

Operation Tango gets the look and feel of being a secret agent team absolutely right, with a cool soundtrack to boot. But it’s held back by its hit-and-miss gameplay, which can range from super cool to frustrating. A longer campaign may have let the gameplay expand and deepen, but with only 6 short missions and little replay value, it ends up feeling a little shallow. The upside is, this makes the game a perfect candidate for some DLC.

If you are looking for a new game to chill out with, Cozy Grove is definitely going to scratch that itch. It has enough in common with other life simulation games to make you feel comfortable, whilst still being different enough to have its own identity. I can’t speak to how much longevity this title has, but I do know that every moment for me has been a joy. So put on your Spirit Scout sash and head to the island, you’re going to love it!

Even though Button City is the feel-good game I absolutely needed right now, it’s not at the level of polish it should be. I love the atmosphere and the magic captured in the game’s writing and setting, but performance issues and weak minigames hold the title back. Despite some cute and cozy moments experienced in saving a closing arcade, a lot more refining is needed to make this wholesome adventure all the more worth it.

Circus Electrique is truly a unique experience compared to the range of games on offer today. With a mix of several different genres, it somehow manages to blend them together in a way that makes logical sense and create seamless gameplay. However, the caveat is that there is a lot to learn as it isn’t a simple casual game. Both management and tactical RPG systems require a lot of strategic planning and knowledge which can become overwhelming quite quickly if you aren’t careful in following all the directions. Despite this, Circus Electrique delivers a gorgeous environment to play in alongside a diverse range of performers to pick from. If steampunk is your aesthetic and you enjoy a challenge, Circus Electrique will give you an experience you won’t soon forget.

High On Life 2 is a sequel that took the concept of the first title, scrunched it up into a little ball, threw it in the bin and said “we can do better”. It smartly does away with the over-the-top edgy humour of the first game and replaces it with genuine funny moments, witty banter and charming personality. The addition of the skateboard for movement adds a super fun dimension to the gameplay and, in turn, helps combat to feel fast-paced and exhilarating. The extensive cast of characters, both old and new, is so full of personality, and even the smallest conversations feel meaningful. High On Life 2 is a vast improvement from its predecessor in every way, injected with fun from every angle.

Playing out and reading like incredibly poor fan fiction, Life is Strange: Reunion is a return to Max and Chloe’s roots that fundamentally misunderstands the series’ themes, rules and strengths. Less of a triumphant one last hurrah and more of a reanimating of a dead, soulless corpse, it’s an incredibly missable and disappointing regression in storytelling for the franchise that doesn’t trust its audience’s intelligence. The mystery fizzles with plot holes and limp writing, while the second ill-advised jaunt of Max and Chloe doesn’t offer anything substantive or better than its predecessor, instead throwing as much limp nostalgia baiting as it can at a wall, hoping something will stick. It doesn’t matter how much Square Enix and Deck Nine try to embalm the Life is Strange (and Max and Chloe) name; it’s still a dead, hollow husk that was better off left in the ground.

Trek to Yomi is, for me, just shy of a veritable masterpiece. Looking at it purely subjectively, I think this game is bloody brilliant, and certainly one of the finest non-AAA games I have played in a long time. Rich combat, striking visuals, a gritty narrative, and dynamic audio experiences blend together to make this game a true stand out of 2022 so far. Unfortunately, I feel the hyper-stylised tone and fixed Japanese language setting may prove a turn off for some and cause this game to be overlooked. However, if you have even a passing interest in Japanese culture, cinema, or just plain solid gameplay, then I implore you to give Trek to Yomi a look.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a fun title that harkens back to older console generations whilst taking advantage of today’s technology. It makes for a visually appealing experience but one that may be a tad too shallow for anyone besides the younger side of the sponge’s fanbase. Amusing lines and colourful costumes can only do so much to shore up an ultimately “okay” game, one which does everything it sets out to do surprisingly well, but isn’t really doing enough to be as great as it could be. With all that being said, your kids may end up loving this game to bits, and if that’s who the game is for, then who’s to say they’re wrong?

Whether it was through lack of resources or lack of effort, Syberia – Remastered woefully falls short of the modernised experience it promises. Beyond the improved 3D environment that brings justice to Benoît Sokal’s imaginative world, there’s very little to recommend to returning Syberia fans and new players alike. Awkward controls and bare-bones UI makes it difficult to see what made the game so beloved to so many in the first place.

Developers Messhof have created a cycling utopia with Wheel World; they’ve created a universe that celebrates the art of cycling and includes a pumping soundtrack to go along with it. It’s a game that I’m honestly surprised hasn’t been made sooner, due to how prevalent cycling is as a mode of transport and how cyclists love their bikes and the freedom they give them. This is one that I would recommend to my non-gamer cycling mates, as it’s so easy to pick up and will provide them with an immersive world that I know they’d just love to be a reality.

Super Meat Boy 3D isn’t the grandiose translation to 3D as fans were perhaps hoping for. Though there’s competent enough level design and plenty to see and do with its many challenges and unlockable characters, it quickly goes back into old habits, be it with its immature and dated humour or its penchant for the 2D. Featuring generic Unreal Engine 5 3D work and level design that doesn’t quite prop itself up on its own, Super Meat Boy 3D is challenging and quite ugly to look at, but not in the ways I’m sure the developer intended. Not the worst platformer ever made, you could do much worse with Super Meat Boy 3D, but you could also do much better.

There’s nothing quite like wiping sweat off the floorboards in your living room after a thorough workout, and Knockout Home Fitness manages to deliver high-octane thrills with its intense exercise routines. However, an unintuitive user interface with no customisation options, a lack of substantial unlockable content, and imprecision in its motion controls hamper the experience for players seriously committed to getting fit. Time-poor fitness enthusiasts will appreciate the ability to jump into a quick workout, while those looking to replace their regular routines while gyms are closed might be better off elsewhere.

Just like any night market, one is never quite sure what will be on offer. Nimeko’s Night Market is a spin on the cosy genre with a sure footing and loads of potential. With such an interesting cast of characters inhabiting the island and a nifty protagonist, the game is definitely a successful narrative life sim. Where Mineko’s Night Market fails to sell itself is in the menial grind. The idea of constantly crafting until you’re onto the next objective falls a little flat even when you are invested in helping Nikko find their way home. If cosy games make your heart swoon, then the time needed on this one will be worth the investment. If you aren’t a fan of the grind, order in and save yourself a trip to Mineko’s Night Market.

Hoa is one of the only games I’ve recently played where my 70-year-old, non-gamer dad felt comfortable enough to play. It’s because of its simplicity and how approachable it is that makes Hoa the kind of game that anyone can enjoy and feel the calmness wash over them. The platforming can be a little clunky and the game may not challenge seasoned gamers. Although Hoa definitely brings the wholesome content we need right now – a simple story about a little fairy that just wants peace in this crazy world we live in.