Grid Legends achieves a great deal at nailing down the fundamentals of a modern racer, but not much else. While the roster of cars is fine, the upgrade system and process of obtaining new vehicles leaves something to be desired. Codemasters provides handling of most vehicles on the track and stable performance and visuals on PC to make up for the awkward feeling story mode and lacklustre AI in offline modes. In the end, Grid Legends doesn't quite match up to the competition but may be worth a look as a more straightforward title.

Endless Ocean Luminous caught a lot of attention amongst fans of the series when announced. Those who enjoy long, peaceful diving sessions may well feel at home with Endless Ocean Luminous. It's a formula that, on paper, had a lot of potential to have opened up the flood-gates (pun intended) for a comprehensive diving experience - especially with the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. Initially it's a bright and intriguing but drifts off into the mundane fairly quickly.

Stasis: Bone Totem's challenging puzzles may cause a headache and bring progression to a halt on more than one occasion, so it is best to be prepared for critical thinking and a little trial and error. The excellently written characters and superb voice acting really drive the desire to progress, and the sci-fi horror plot is backed up by immaculate prerendered backgrounds that sadly take a dip in quality on Switch, especially on the puzzle screens. Although not without its faults and the odd bug here and there, this point-and-click adventure has still transitioned greatly to console, and the effort to bring such a title to Switch is hugely appreciated.

The transition from single-screen pre-rendered backgrounds to fully realized 3D environments has breathed new life into level design of Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Edition. Stages wrap around each other, utilizing added depth creatively. The expansive vistas of Oddworld's alien landscape look incredibly realistic, showcasing the capabilities of the Unity engine, which has evolved from a budget choice for hobbyists to a platform capable of rendering imagery on par with AAA Unreal Engine 4 titles. The clashing tones with the storytelling and gameplay are regrettable. The developers should have leaned more into the silliness of the premise instead of take itself so seriously. Being able to fart on command was a crucial pillar of Oddworld and seeing it gutted is utterly depressing.

Marvelous have absolutely succeeded in making Rune Factory 3 Special endearing to newer fans despite some obvious differences compared with the newer Rune Factory titles. It remains a great blend of RPG farming and fighting, the latter can be focused on for farming aficionados, holding off main story progression until it is desired. The comprehensive post-game content that is not conditional on various requirements only adds to the experience. Let's hope Rune Factory 1 and 2 receive similar treatments in the future!

Forza: Motorsport 2023 is both a fantastic racing experience and an example of everything wrong in the genre at the moment. the driving is better than ever and the visual design is fantastic but the soundtrack, lack of local play and the small number of bugs did detract from the overall experience. It's got a ton of amazing content that makes up for the issues, however, so it is a hearty recommendation to all motor nuts.

Dementium: The Ward runs pretty short and has very little replay value. The puzzle solutions and bosses are identical to the prior versions, and the overall campaign takes place in only one location. Its value is a tad overstated, this is a recommended classic that does come highly polished and has some legit creepiness to it, thanks to the gritty and foreboding atmosphere. The controls feel very tight and it's incredibly responsive, though it could use more features like gyro or a weapon wheel. A survival mode or a randomiser would also add value and more of a reason to return to Redmoor. These are the kinds of additions Dementium: The Ward needed, not a 'retro' filter.

Persona 3 Reload does much to bring it up to modern sensibilities with a well optimized PC port in most cases, but more could have be done to shake off more of the baggage from the original release. The new menu systems and battle features carried over from more recent titles elevates the game the most and the new voice cast does an admirable job with largely the same script. The pacing still feels held back by the original story design and the main concept of Tartarus, but as a remake of what many consider a PlayStation 2 classic, it is a recommendation for JRPG fans.

Quantum: Recharged feels like a singular entry within a larger anthology or collection of retro arcade games harkening back to the early 80s. The game is highly responsive, and its polished, dazzling appearance indicates meticulous attention was paid to pay homage to the original Quantum. While it's commendable that the classic Atari game is receiving due respect, the extent of its acclaim appears to be overstated, primarily due to its excessively simplistic nature.

Princess Peach Showtime! is full of wonderful bits and pieces, all showcasing a staggering variety of extremely well implemented gameplay styles, which come together as a very fun full game. It stumbles a little in terms of performance (perhaps some irony there in relation to theatre) but pulls itself back up. A Stella(r) second outing for Nintendo's leading lady and one that comes recommended regardless of age or any other features people use to create target audiences.

The somewhat random nature of the AI in combat, along with the linear story and the short gameplay might sound like turn-offs. However, the feline-heavy adventure is oddly fun despite these issues. Seeking upgrades and winning levels makes this low price sci-fi release more enjoyable than some longer AAA titles, proving how strong the indie scene can be. You don't have to be infected with toxoplasmosis to enjoy Space Cats Tactics.

With a vast world to explore with varied stories and secrets to discover, Baldur's Gate 3 definitely shines. The cast is largely appealing and voice acting is top notch all-around, even if the storytelling and line delivery is varied in its pace. Character progression is somewhat weak in the opening levels but has a strong foundation for a great buildcraft experience, even if it lacks some on the fly experimentation seen in Larian's past efforts. Despite some performance woes in the later parts of the game and controller hangups, this is a journey worth taking for fans of Dungeons & Dragons or those new to the role playing field.

FM24 by its very nature is more of the same and that isn't in itself a criticism. Indeed, Sports Interactive would likely argue this final love letter to 20 years of the series is the culmination and last hurrah of what they have been building up to over the last number of years. Fans returning to the series will either find the presentation a comfort blanket or more of the same, depending on their point of view. Changes to the ageing match engine breathe new life into watching the spectacle play out while the emphasis on the greater power of agents in wheeling and dealing in the transfer market adds a layer of complexity that spices things up. There are also overhauls to set pieces and increased focus on player's individual targets and development. Despite all that though, it does feel like the natural stepping off point of the series to go in a slightly different direction before things get stale and it therefore isn't surprising that FM25 promises a 'new chapter'. It will be exciting to watch where the series goes in the coming years.

There's a fair bit to like about Diablo IV — best-in-class sound design, intriguing character classes, fantastic graphics and occasionally addictive gameplay all feel like the series in its prime. However, even the best parts are let down by an undercurrent of frustrating design choices: the cynical inclusion of a Battle Pass, a bloated open world, repetitive mission structure and progression that too often feels meaningless cast a long shadow that let the latest Diablo title down. Future Seasons may refine what's here, but many of its issues sadly feel baked into the core experience. All but the most die-hard fans may wish to wait for a substantial sale on this one.

The best Need for Speed title in a long time, Unbound has such a fun gameplay loop and funky style that it's hard to put down. It has a hard difficulty and slightly odd game feel, but most players of racing games will have a blast here and probably fall in love with the chaotic and frantic police chases. Pick this up!

Although sometimes a little rough, Alone in the Dark is a fantastic remake/reimagining that brings the series back in line with its most interesting events and timeline. This is essential for players looking for a semi-old-school survival horror title that has excellent world design, acting and a host of interesting mysteries to solve. A really great return to form!

Persona 3 Reload is surprisingly addictive and the story itself very intriguing. Sadly, it is not possible to play as the female protagonist or enjoy the expanded story from F.E.S, but updated graphics, battle mechanics and sound all help to still bring this title to greatness. Anyone who enjoyed the original will enjoy this remake, and new players picking it up will surely be drawn in quickly, as well.

There is an abundance of things to love in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It successfully provides players with an excellent linear critical path and a ton of side content which some players might call bloat, though it is entirely ignorable. It has absolutely insane production value, housing one of the most insane and interesting Final Fantasy VII stories so far, which strikes a perfect balance between incredibly silly, self-referential and very serious. It has a couple of slight technical issues but is otherwise the perfect follow-up to part one and the perfect setup for part three. Absolutely recommended!

One again WWE 2K24 is a positive move in the right direction. With fun gameplay mechanics and new match types that leave the door wide open for hilarity, this remains a no-doubt purchase for fans not only enjoying what is being put out weekly by WWE, but also thanks to the focus of Showcase mode this year, those who love a bit of history too. Just about Aweeee-ssssome.

Robocop: Rogue City is the very definition of a solid 7 out of 10 which is somewhat reminiscent of the PS2 era in the sense that there were more outliers released during a given year - the type that would be establishing a lot of the formulas that in a risk-averse mainstream market we find difficult to break away from now. It's a strange point to make as we reach a maturation point in what is likely to be a historic year for risk-averse mainstream video game releases but if it were not for a set of fairly prominent technical issues at the time of release and the writing which, while capturing the broad strokes of the Robocop appeal, isn't quite as sharp as it could've been, Robocop: Rogue City puts all of its efforts into all of the right places and does feel like an outlier because of this. It simply is some of the most fun that can be had in interactive media this year and because of the frame it finds itself in will be a dead cert for a future hit cult classic.

And to think how many ridiculed the comment that Gotham Knights was enjoyable. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League doesn't quite tarnish an excellent track record for Rocksteady in comic-book tie-ins, but it tries its hardest to. With a bland repetitive genre choice nobody wanted and a barely passable gameplay mechanic, the best advice to give is to wait for the cutscenes to be bundled together and watch a mildly enjoyable story without the hassle of a game ruining it.

Persona 5 Tactica is a game that offers tricky battles, an intriguing story and the comeback of beloved characters, which makes it a must-have for any Persona 5 fans. While there is a lack of exploration and some of the dialogue can become tedious, it is fundamentally a beautiful little title that is well worth playing.

Splatoon 3: Side Order is a refreshing yet familiar take on the Splatoon setup and well suited for short play sessions and runs to try and take on the lengthy tower. It's longevity, though, is very much grounded in whether rogue-like games and skill-trees appeal. As someone who didn't quite gel with the previous Splatoon single player modes, Splatoon 3: Side Order does tick a lot more boxes - mainly due to the compact, focused approach and that desire to keep pushing further.

From the soft pastel colour palette and catchy title song there is a lot to love about Sympathy Kiss. The true to life and often surprising scenarios uncovered through multiple playthroughs make it an engaging addition to any visual novel enthusiast's library, although a few elements may elicit slight aversion to some audiences.

F-Zero 99 scratches a very specific itch where gamers can get an intense and thrilling rush for a bit before moving on to something else. It will be very disappointing when Nintendo inevitably terminates the service for it because it is some of the best F-Zero content since F-Zero GX.

The asking price does feel disproportionate to what is on offer in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, even despite the host of additional levels that bring it past 130 in total, and its wonderful new presentation and cutscenes. Alongside 1994's Donkey Kong, though, this is the superior gameplay format for this series, which adopted more of a Lemmings approach in subsequent games, so interested folk should seek this one out at a more affordable price in the future.

An enjoyable Klondike Solitaire experience, with some nice anime cutes that make the view better. While there's nothing wrong with that concept, but Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire PLUS manages to ruin the fun by being way to short on content, be it the time to do everything that needs to be done here, or simply unlocking more girls and/or outfits. Nothing PLUS about this, sorry.

A gift to fans of Lara Croft's retro beginnings, Tomb Raider: I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is a masterfully beautified collection of the first three games, plus their extra chapters. It does what all remasters of super old-school classics should do, providing the whole experience, practically unchanged, but in a brand new coat of paint that offers quite the sight, without ruining the magic of the original. Whether most will like the titles included is a different matter altogether, because, while pretty good, they are far from flawless, but as far as upgrades go, this is one of the best of the bunch.