Life Eater is a game I’m a little sad I can’t rate on concept and premise alone. Snooping through timelines of activities of potential targets and investigating tidbits to try and correctly take down those requested is good on paper, offering the same highs of franchises such as Hitman. However, its execution is a little underbaked. The qualifiers for targets are equally too vague and too simple with little variety, leading to friction and distrust about whether or not you’re on the right track. There is quality design in the way you’re managing meters to avoid suspicion and maximising your time, along with some stellar returning performances from the likes of Xalavier Nelson Jr. However, Life Eater needed a little more time bunkering down, taking notes, and just getting every little thing right. The perfect hunt it is not.

Reverie Knights Tactics is a decent turn-based strategy RPG that fans of the genre will likely enjoy… for the most part. The Order vs Chaos system and optional side-quests provide additional depth to the game’s plot. Furthermore, the strategy gameplay fundamentally works very well, encouraging thoughtful planning and smart use of stage hazards. However, its balance issues, primarily the lack of post-combat recovery and limited character customisation and re-spec options, can lead to Reverie Knights Tactics’ gameplay wearing on you over time. It’s an imperfect game, but there are enough neat ideas to be worth checking out.

I liked Spirit Mancer well enough as an arcadey 2D hack and slasher with a fun monster summoning twist, and you might too. The addition of a monster collection element is a pretty fantastic inclusion, and the simplicity of sealing a weakened monster into my deck and then pulling them out at the opportune moment always felt satisfying. Unfortunately, the boss fights are mostly a bit of a letdown, feeling surprisingly slow-paced and often frustrating, and while the narrative doesn’t take itself too seriously, it doesn’t quite end with the impact that it should. That said, if you just want a fun 2D hack-and-slash game with a unique twist that you can play with a friend, you can do far worse than Spirit Mancer.

Lords of the Fallen may be better than its predecessor in many regards, but it isn’t quite worthy of standing among the genre giants yet. However, this isn’t from a lack of trying. Excellent and varied biomes are on offer that are truly striking and immersive to be beheld to. There are quality improvements to make the experience smoother. Still, balancing for builds, boss fights… the whole gambit is a little all over the place so far. Consider this with some of the bugs currently experienced in-game and it’s not quite smooth sailing yet. Hopefully, before long Lords can be patched into a state where it stands solidly amongst the genre giants.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series feels like a fairly decent return to form for Telltale Games after its temporary closure. As a fan of The Expanse, I can attest that this Telltale series represents the show, and the character of Camina Drummer in particular, very authentically, and it was a joy to return to that setting and explore it from a different perspective. Despite those positives as a fan, the series also suffers from feeling especially short, linear and low-stakes. While The Expanse: A Telltale Series certainly has its high points, diehard fans of The Expanse or Telltale Games’ previous output are likely the only ones who would get much out of the experience.

Tyrant’s Realm charms with its PS1-inspired visuals and creative level design but falls short on challenge and polish. The combat and boss battles show promise, but a lack of difficulty and clunky elements like the HUD hold it back. Fun for a nostalgic dungeon crawl, but not a true Soulslike contender.

Impaler is a good time for shooter fans looking for an instant nostalgia fix. The gameplay, music, and visuals achieve the ideal 90s aesthetic with a gothic twist. While it is limited in content, short, and a little too easy for the genre, the cheap price tag is appropriate if you want to give the game a stab.

A number of cool cephalopod-themed abilities and a focus on stealth set Darwin’s Paradox apart from other linear platformers, though it’s let down by imprecise controls and sluggish loading states between deaths that lead to much of its gameplay feeling frustrating. Its focus on a satirical hyper-capitalist world is engaging, but its bleak environmental design leaves its dystopian world feeling bland rather than enticing to explore. Despite this, some neat puzzles that make clever use of the unique traits of the octopus still make this a decent adventure for mollusc-maniacs.

Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed is like a younger, more immature sibling of the original. Gameplay wise, it is bolder and more logically put together, but overall it lacks the comedic intelligence that the original presented. Sure, Destroy All Humans! wasn’t exactly an intellectual experience, but it did offer discussions on social commentary that had a lot to say about society as a whole and problems with 1950s America. It seems as though the developers spent more time on improving gameplay than they did on developing a script and story that would offer the same elements of satire and intellect as the first. Although the original was released in 2006, a very different time socially and politically, this remaster could have ironed out a number of the narrative problematic edges. Unfortunately, by sticking with the “nature and soul” of the original release, the world of Destroy All Humans! 2 Reprobed doesn’t quite feel right in this more progressive world of 2022.

Thanks to the way Suicide Squad – and every game following the live service model – is structured, this review will probably be obsolete a year from now. The current (base?) version of the game is pulling its punches for now, to dole them out seasonally over the coming months and years. Based on player retention, there’s no way to know if it’ll be worth your while in the long term to jump into Suicide Squad at launch. But there’s the kicker, you can get a lot out of it already, just not in the ways live service models are known for. A genuinely compelling narrative, a huge city to play in, and the prospect of playing with friends are a solid foundation to grow from, even if the repeatable mission design needs some work.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is exactly what it claims to be: an interactive manual with a few bells and whistles. It’s the Wii Sports of the Switch 2 era, helping users understand the console, its features, and how it all fits together. While charging $15 for something that feels like it should’ve been bundled might be a turnoff, the level of detail and interactivity makes the price somewhat justifiable. It’s not a must-have, but if you want a fun way to explore your new console, it’s a decent way to spend a few hours. Just don’t rush through it; enjoy it for its charm.

Varney Lake tries to be a compelling thriller that obviously wants to keep its players guessing. The narrative lacked in its ability to keep me entertained and wanting to know what actually happened during that summer. What kept me interested was the way it looked, sounded and made me feel. It pulls off the “pixel” elements but very much fails to live up to the exciting, suspenseful narrative of the pulp fiction genre. If you’re into game and audio design, or love the pixel artstyle , you may be able to forgive this, but if you’re looking for a narrative that will have you clicking your mouse for more, best look elsewhere.

Dead Reset is a confined, blood-stained, interactive movie with some appealing practical effects and a unique atmosphere. What’s there is a very solid FMV game carried by a story that greatly benefits from its leading characters, as well as its superb sound design. But it suffers from frequent freezes and crashes that drastically ruin its pacing, a lack of weight in player decisions and variations in the story responding to them, and an ensemble cast where half the characters are forgettable, and even worse, forgotten within their own narrative.

Ultimately, Rue Valley is a frustrating experience, with too many loose ends and unresolved arcs at the end of the game. It’s unable to make the most of its excellent setup, faltering in the mid and late game stages as you’re forced between slow montages and extremely specific puzzle sequences. It’s a game with great writing and some truly fantastic ways of exploring depression and mental health, but it mechanically falls flat.

Slender Threads is an easily digestible adventure narrative, featuring great voice acting and a dramatic, spooky story. The sinister dream motivating Harvey’s actions adds some good tension to the unsettling town of Villa Ventana, but the big reveal at the end fails to impress. Seasoned veterans of adventure games may miss the lack of creative, out-of-the-box thinking, though the game’s simple puzzles will probably work for a casual playthrough, or for genre beginners.

Touting a unique brand of offbeat humour and some absolutely beautiful pixel art, Artis Impact is a labour of love that mostly hits the mark. While its combat system lacks depth and it could use a stronger core narrative, it presents a gorgeous world filled with charming character moments that surprise and delight. Despite a few rough edges, this is a bite-sized RPG full of heart.

In moments where you can dive into the mechanics on offer, Ritual of Raven really shines. Tinkering with the automations is fun and rewarding, providing a fresh spin on a well-worn genre. But the game doesn’t encourage these moments, instead pulling you through a narrative in a world that doesn’t feel fully realised. There are some excellent ideas here, but they don’t form a compelling whole.

FAR: Changing Tides is a stunning atmospheric adventure that makes you feel the ups and downs of sailing through a world that has been destroyed by unknown reasons. It excels at making you feel a connection to your vessel as it develops into something bigger, faster, and stronger throughout your time with it. However, opportunities for a deeper narrative and more rewarding exploration weren’t taken, so this intriguing world never felt fully realised. The tranquil atmosphere and art of FAR: Changing Tides is superb, it’s just a shame the somewhat repetitive gameplay loop wasn’t able to match those same standards.

Leaning more into visual novel territory than detective work, Urban Myth Dissolution Center firmly guides you through some of the spookiest stories in contemporary folklore. Its striking pixel art and emphasis on social media as a tool for investigation lend it a unique charm, though it’s let down by repetitive gameplay and awkwardness in its narrative pacing. Worth a look for fans of creepypasta, but those keen on a more fleshed-out investigative experience may be left wanting.

Rooftops & Alleys builds an incredible foundation with its dynamic and exciting parkour & freerunning. Although it can be very difficult to learn and is rife with inconveniences, slowly understanding how to navigate across rooftops becomes such a thrilling time. What holds the game back is how few options the player has to test their new abilities. Despite some solid foundations, a notable lack of interesting missions or enticing exploration makes Rooftops & Alleys feel a bit too empty.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed succeeds when it suits you up as a Ghostbuster for the first time. You relish the thrill of capturing your first ghost and learning how to hunt them down. Playing as a ghost is equally fun, learning how to haunt and scare everyone out of the building. Unfortunately, playing this game by yourself will quickly become boring, as the single-player experience grows dull quickly. With friends or other players, the true fun of the game comes out. But even that will be short-lived if played too often, as a lack of variety and objectives to achieve will dull the fun.

Sonic Superstars is packed with classic sonic charm, gorgeous visuals, and fun, fast-paced levels that we love from all 2D Sonic games. But the two big ticket selling points, the chaos emerald abilities and battle mode, are sadly its weakest links. The story mode is still largely enjoyable, and some better implementations of the new abilities but make a sequel to this game legitimately great. If you’re a fan of classic Sonic, you’ll likely still enjoy this title.

Sonic Origins is a bit of a disappointment. As a massive Sonic fan, it kills me to say it but it’s true. Sure, the games collected here are undeniably great titles in their own right. But they are no better than the originals which can be found for little or no cost elsewhere already. Sonic 3 and Knuckles is considerably worse both in gameplay as well as its new soundtrack and most of the unlockable content in the Museum can be found easily via other means. For gamers that have never played Sonic and are averse to obtaining these titles on other platforms, you likely will not be as disappointed as I was, but I think SEGA and Sonic Team could have gone a little further and given these titles the proper Sonic Mania treatment. In fact, if you are new to Sonic go for the Mania instead.

GRAVEN’s shortcomings will hold you back from really enjoying it. Although the design and atmosphere are great, it’s not enough to overcome the frustrating gameplay loop. Fans of the genre will find plenty to enjoy, but for most, the overall experience is likely to tip more into the frustrating than the exciting.

Without the titular brand figures, there’s nothing that stands out for Funko Fusion. It’s a platformer with collectibles, enemies to fight, and the occasional puzzle to solve. There’s an adventure to be had and an overarching story, but nothing you wouldn’t find in any other adventure game. The experience is ordinary unless you are in awe of the Funko recreations and want to see the figures come to life.

Biomutant is full of creative ideas and unique thoughts that, when combined with such a gorgeous and compelling environment to explore, could have made for a top-tier experience that is easy to recommend. However, the fact that it has so many ideas crammed in that it almost feels like too much, and an open world that can feel very by-the-numbers, makes Biomutant a solid game that misses the mark almost as much as it hits the nail on the head.

There’s a lot to love in Nice Day for Fishing, but it’s marred by repetition. By the time you’ve cast your line a few dozen times or run about the map from end to end to fetch whatever the wizard Baradun needs, the magic fades. What works well in the short NPC Man skits doesn’t entirely hold up across the course of a full-length game. Still, even though it might not be the legendary catch you’re looking for, Nice Day for Fishing is far from a throwaway, especially so if you’re a Viva La Dirt League fan. In short bursts, it’s a very enjoyable time. It is indeed a nice day for fishing… but not a nice week.

Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse is a gorgeous-looking roguelike that presents some fun gameplay elements over different stunning backdrops and challenging platforming locations. Some of its elements, like the possession system, are fun, but the devs needed to put more time into making other gameplay elements work and flow throughout. It leaves Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse as a mixed bag, but it’s a fun experience if you don’t care too much about clunky basebuilding or rich environmental lore.