Exploring the mountains of the Scottish highlands and having bizarre encounters are at the heart of A Highland Song, packaging up everything into a cute side scroller with rhythm action and fun dialogue that feels very unique. Not only is the game a love letter to Scotland, it feels like a very personal project full of talented individuals and while the game has occasional slow moments it is overall a lot of fun. If an atmospheric adventure featuring a wee Scottish lassie is on yer cards then this comes highl(and)y recommended.

Filled with humour and mystery QV is a fine puzzle addition to Nintendo Switch. Quby's inquisitive nature coupled with her determination to make friends no matter how spikey the personality is makes playing as her a joy. This is accessible for all players no matter their puzzle ability, and there are hours to be spent figuring out how to get Quby to each gate, avoiding environmental traps, as well as enemies who will chase her. This isn't over once the story is completed. There are seventy nine achievements to unlock for completionists, an extra difficult level, and it is easy to want to re-experience levels simply for the fun of being with the charming Quby again. Apart from occasional levels that seemed set at the wrong difficulty for both the difficulty setting and the point in the game, QV is a must-play for all puzzle enthusiasts.

WayForward take advantage of capitalising on all of DS' limitations and have created a title that has genuine affection and impact.

Many will look at Pandora's Tower as being the weakest of the three Wii RPGs, with Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story easily making Ganbarion and Nintendo's effort seem unworthy of attention. However, such a judgement would be unjust, since this Action RPG takes a totally different slant, offering an almost 3D Castlevania and Metroid feel to proceedings, mixing in a pleasant love story and a brilliantly smooth battle system that will widen its appeal.

From the tight controls to the charming aesthetic, there's very little holding SpiritSphere DX back from being one of the best multiplayer titles on Nintendo Switch. The lack of online play is bound to disappoint most, but that's only because the core gameplay is just so strong.

Battletoads is a stunning return for both the toads and Rare, a team that hasn't had much output recently. While it can become a little tedious to play alone, this is an excellent game to try with a small group of friends on a Friday night. Humour, variety of gameplay, and local co-op make this a great addition to anyone's library.

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! is a faithful recreation of the PS1 gem that is going to welcome back fans of the original. With some worthwhile future proofing in the form of quicksaves and screen panning, the trip is that little more accessible. For new players however, there is a chance that the awkward controls marring the precision timing needed might alienate and frustrate. Give Abe a chance however and even with the wealth of platformers available on the Switch, this stands tall as a title worthy of the purchase. A delicious remake.

Strictly just as an expansion, this one is pretty good. The new race is just all around fun to play. The lore is played straight, and there is something undeniably fun about using these huge mechs to sword slash the evil masses apart. Planetfall remains a fun game overall, but a few lingering UI issues and design choices hold it back from being really great.

Far Cry New Dawn is a ridiculously well-polished and fun to play action game (AI issues aside), with an enjoyable if largely mundane story and villains. It's so hard to negatively criticise too much. It would be unfair to judge this individual game against the wider approach of Ubisoft that some could argue needs to evolve more going into the future. The freedom that this sandbox gives to just shoot things and have fun is clear to see, and on PC the world looks incredible, filled with vivid colours, rich explosions, lush grassland and shimmering blue rivers. The real question following this conclusion to the Hope County arc and all its DLC is where Ubisoft will go next with this franchise. Ultimately it is impossible to separate New Dawn from feeling like an expensive DLC for its predecessor.

Little Worlds has taken the idea of Picross and twisted it around, throwing a whole heap of colour into proceedings with great results.

The one-track, one-car options may seem weak, but spending over an hour trying to master drifting and making incremental improvements with every try is enthralling. The buttery smooth gameplay and bright visuals have kept Ridge Racer timeless, and while it lacks all the cool features and Reiko isn't around, it's hard not to be impressed by such an early 3D racing game that had such a confident vision for itself that still stays challenging with infinite credits.

Bleach: The Blade of Fate is a game that could be stripped of its anime roots and still be a great fighter.

Geared primarily towards the series' fans Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of The Throne is also the perfect match for newcomers to enter Suburu's world without being overwhelmed on where to start. The action parts are more infrequent than anticipated, and may not be enjoyed by all, but this excels in the visual novel elements. In the future it would be good to see the original visual novels brought to Nintendo Switch, until then this instalment of the series exploring Suburu's unusual ability and how it helps Emelia be a royal candidate will more than suffice.

A fantastic rally sim for newcomers and veterans alike, WRC 9 has only gotten better in its transition to the PlayStation 5. The next-gen console brings with it obvious visual and performance enhancements - pushing gameplay anywhere between 60 & 120 fps - but the real star here is haptic feedback. WRC 9 use of the DualSense controller is outstanding, utilizing sensations and vibrations to add another layer of immersion to racing. Players will feel the road underneath them, the weight of their brakes, and the subtlest shifts in terrain. A mix of addictive arcade gameplay and deeply immersive feedback, WRC 9 exceeds expectations.

Mario Kart Wii is definitely up there with the other installments. A fairly limited single player appeal is enhanced by a comprehensive online service and a slightly toned-down but throughly enjoyable and flexible offline multiplayer mode.

V5 Play has delivered a superb mix of differing puzzle styles, drawing from logic conundrums, rhythm-based efforts and even hidden object games to add a heap of variety, whilst also crafting a story that is laced with intrigue and dark humour at times, keeping the player's attention until the closing credits.

While this still retains the 'arcade' feel of racing, this is as fun as they come in terms of pure enjoyment from the thrill of tearing across dirt tracks, without track faults or graphical inconsistencies that hurt the previous titles. However, this does suffer from an "all eggs all in one basket" approach, in that there's not much in store here aside from career mode. If WRC 8 is the foundation of the franchise moving forwards, then it's safe to be anxious to see what Kylotonn has in store for the next title.

In Silent Hill f the F stands for fantastic. This unique story takes a daring stance and presents a thrilling psychological horror adventure. Gameplay hits that traditional Silent Hill design language, while also supporting a fast, difficult and interesting combat system, with puzzles in the world that require real mind bending. With multiple endings to achieve, its relatively short runtime is perfectly pitched for multiple plays. A slightly rough-edged horror gem.

While it starts slow and simple, Teslagrad grows into something worth mentioning and definitely worth playing.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is at times frustrating, but is mostly a fun, light-hearted, and immediately and consistently enjoyable videogame.

The detail to which you can customise the cities in here is astounding, and Mass Transit is not only adding more to the plethora of options already in Cities skylines, but also tweaks some of the more frustrating elements, easing up the controls, and letting the player really get into the nitty-gritty of the road and traffic networking. While it's not an essential purchase, the additions make a vast difference to the building of roads, and the management of city transport systems. All in all, it's a fantastic feature-full expansion that gets a hearty recommendation for fans of the base game.

Playing this excellent port of Resident Evil Village - Gold Edition in handheld is transformative. The whole experience is here with all of its fingers intact, though the same can't be said of the protagonist. For Nintendo fans who haven't had a chance to play this Resident Evil instalment, this is a fantastic entry point. With a few performance patches, it could well be one of the best ways to play bar none. Successfully following RE7, Village is a good jump off point for people looking for a less concentrated experience than RE: Requiem. Highly recommended horror gaming!

Citizens of Earth may not have had the nuanced artistry that Earthbound had, but, in spite of its limitations, it owns what it has available and runs with it.

Control is an amazing experience that is befitting of the next gen consoles. It has killer Ray Tracing features, unfortunately hampered by their implementation, and a rock solid performance mode which feels amazing. The truly twisted dystopian world of the FBC is one that will persist in player's memories for a long time with its strange otherworldly places, alongside its humanising story. Highly recommended to all PlayStation 5 owners looking for an action-adventure with some real depth and fun combat!

The carefully crafted atmosphere of the game using the plot, music, and sound effects is balanced against the sometimes rather poor English translation and simplistic menu UI, which could benefit with some refinement to make it easier to use. Despite knowing how it ends, the replay value is high because of the desire to experience such a tragic tale once more, and see what else can be revealed from the immoral crew that may help or hinder the protagonist. There is Japanese voice acting, which makes it a good way to practice some language skills if Japanese is known by the player, but it isn't constantly voiced. It is a measure of how engaging the story is that despite the translation issues it remains a compelling play.

With the fantastic theming, all the options and fantastically challenging puzzles, Picross S Namco Legendary Edition is a must-have for puzzle fans and Namco fans alike. A great way to relax while still keeping those little brain cells occupied for a bit, this title is a great little addition to play for relaxing or while travelling.

The sheer density of content in the main quest means it will take a staggering amount of time to complete. Compounded with some entertaining and charmingly written side-quests, this journey breaks the 100 hour mark easily. There can be a few too many instances of catering to the lowest common denominator that even the hard mode modifiers can't fix, but if it means more people can enjoy this amazing game, then so be it. The only thing holding back what could be almost a masterpiece for the genre is its terrible soundtrack.

Skylanders SuperChargers is the best in the series yet and proves that LEGO Dimensions and Disney Infinity still have a yardstick to reach.