Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption is an experiment that was inevitable. Somebody was going to eventually make a boss-rush anti-soulslike, and Darkstar Games did a great job realising the potential by perverting traditional RPG character building and betraying achievement conventions. It may wear the skin of a "soulslike," but in actuality there really is nothing quite like it. With an unbelievably high difficulty, and with a small pool of unique bosses, Sinner has cult gem written all over it, and only those who desire something totally different should even dare take this challenge.

It is so difficult to recommend Warriors Orochi 4 right now when the series has made a name for itself through re-released games with added story content, characters and modes. Why would this title be any different? The main story is an enjoyable enough ride for hack and slash fans, but that's really all there is to it (unless you have an online subscription and want to battle with friends). Just wait for the inevitable ultimate edition in a year's time.

The biggest thing holding Warden: Melody of the Undergrowth back is its reliance on old school sensibilities that might push away new players or frustrate people who didn't enjoy the likes of Zelda and Banjo-Kazooie, among many other titles. It does offer a lot of its own charms, though, and they are among some of the best reasons why this developer's first game should be in many peoples' Steam libraries. This is a thoroughly recommendable indie purchase for any and all Golden Era gamers.

The first few hours into this amateurish, loot-gathering dungeon crawler make it pretty clear that, while this is far from great game, it sure can be fun. After those, though, it soon becomes even more clear that Battlepaths simply doesn't have what it takes to last for more than an evening or two.

A massive improvement over the previous title, this ARPG doubles down on the strengths of its predecessor, namely story and setting. However, like the former, the action in Anima: Gate of Memories - The Nameless Chronicles is in many ways lacking due to its repetitive nature, bad platforming, and occasionally atrocious camera angles. Despite these harsh words, it is an overall solid dark RPG that should be played mostly for the story.

Sparkle Unleashed is a good enough puzzle title that delivers exactly what is expected. The mechanics work the way they should without any bugs or hiccups, and the five different power-ups do offer great help when the going gets tough in most cases. However, apart from that, 10tons colour-matching affair is no different to other hit titles, such as actionloop! or Zuma, and without any real point of difference to separate them, the temptation to try this out may not be there in favour of free versions available elsewhere. If these puzzle games sound ideal, though, many hours can quickly fly by.

Woodle Tree Adventures Deluxe is not one of those extremely broken, still-in-alpha kind of indie games, but it's definitely a surprisingly low effort one. Those looking for a very cheap 3D platformer should probably look elsewhere... and not wait on its sequel.

Onrush does well to fill that racing void as a non-serious arcade, destruction-derby type of vehicular mayhem experience. However, as enjoyable and heart-pounding as the matches can be, the novelty eventually begins to wear thin and, once that happens, there is little else that can reignite the flame in this racer. The foundations, though, have been laid for a bright and positive future, and who knows, a sequel with additional gameplay mechanics can allow for the series to grow into something bigger. Onrush, as it stands, is a great vehicular-destruction game that focuses less on winning races, and more on wrecking opponents, and that's really all that matters.

Other than the amusing boss battles, Nefarious is barely competent. Controlling bosses from various genres is a novel spin on the concept of the boss battle and if this was just a series of battles, like Cuphead, there could have been something worth playing here. Everything else, which is about 90% of the game, is just soul-crushing. It is the kind of title that feels like work, and continuing is just exhausting because of how poor the playbility is.

Sure, the lack of a campaign is a minor disappointment that will dissuade some from making that purchase but the addition of the addictive Blackout mode more than makes up for it in many ways and anybody with more than a passing interest in the Battle Royale genre would be foolish to pass up on the best 'last man standing' experience the current generation has to offer. Get to it, specialist!

After the rather lacklustre LEGO The Incredibles recently, Tt is back on top form with LEGO DC Super-Villains. This is a real joy for fans of DC Comics, absolutely stuffed with Easter Eggs and inside jokes that cater to every type of DC fan. From the DC films, the Arrowverse TV shows, to the classics, the cartoon series, and, of course, most of all, the comics. Along with containing some really great designed stages and areas, it also has the best story and cast in any LEGO title to date. It's this high quality across the board that will make this more than just another LEGO game.

Dark Souls remains a magnificently designed title with a strong visual and narrative sense of self. There was no reason to fix what wasn't broken, and Dark Souls Remastered on Switch understands that perfectly.

Although Yakuza fans are certain to notice its imperfections, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise still exceeds expectations. The fighting system is so good that even the battles with the lowliest of lowlifes are entertaining. Every boss fight ranges from great to fantastic. They are exactly what long-time fans of the anime and manga franchise deserve. Then again, some gamers might just be happy to get a Fist of North Star game that's actually satisfying. It's been far too long since the last remotely decent one.

While there's one more chapter left to play, Episode 4: Burning Bridges puts the final nail in The Council's coffin by bringing along the same mistakes, plus some new ones, and with the quality of the storytelling taking a big, sad plunge.

Witch Thief understands the importance of working with 3D space in a difficult genre. Beyond that, however, it's hard to look at as anything more than an interesting curiosity. The randomness of something as essential as an extra life makes every attempt feel like it is being influenced by outside forces. It's also hard to get excited about fighting the same dolls over and over again. Then there are the bosses, which are either destroyed in seconds, or chased around the room for several minutes. There's no solidly enjoyable middle ground.

With gameplay best suited for a mouse and keyboard, a frankly unflattering aesthetic, and truly dreadful presentation, Unexplored: Unlocked Edition comes off mostly unengaging. To put it bluntly, the core gameplay loop simply isn't strong enough to carry a procedurally generated adventure. On top of that, the procedural generation, while fairly extensive and capable of leading to genuinely unique sessions with each playthrough, isn't enough to make up for how lacklustre Unexplored feels overall.

Not only is Exorder's campaign and storytelling uninspired, and even annoying at times, but, in its attempt to be an extremely simple TBS that can be enjoyed by everyone, it just ends up being bland and forgettable.

SoulCalibur VI certainly has plenty of issues, like a lack of extra modes, a few visuals blemishes, the somewhat unimpressive Reverse Edge move, and the usual greedy attitude towards DLC. Nevertheless, it's also a highly entertaining, high-octane fighter that can be enjoyed by greenhorns and veterans alike, as well as being a more than decent revival of the franchise.

With few major changes from the core formula, fans of the series will feel right at home with Valkyria Chronicles 4. The game changes enough for the better and offers some degree of fresh air to the experience even after four entries. Any flaws that were present in previous titles still exist to some extent, holding it back from true greatness, but the general formula is more than solid enough and stays fresh despite the '4' in the title.

Easily the best Assassin's Creed title to date, Assassin's Creed Odyssey takes everything Origins overhauled and improving on it, adding in fan favourite gameplay elements, introducing an amazing, huge world, and, most importantly it's a heck of a good time… but… the shadow that hangs over it cannot be ignored. Ubisoft has purposefully handicapped the gameplay, tuning it to be slow and, at points, making the grind horrendous, all to try and sell a micro-transaction, and that is absolutely revolting.

At a meagre price, Surf 'n' Turf brings a lot more to the table than might be expected. It may only be a handful of stages, but they are well-crafted and provide a challenge that fans will salivate over. This sets very high standards for the future inbound DLC of Overcooked 2. Get your island gear on!

There's some cross-country joy to be found in Dakar 18, but it could have been much more rewarding and successful considering the unique brand of rallying it represents. It is fun endlessly launching over sand dunes, hopping out of the car to be sporting by towing a competitor out of a jam, and finding one's way back on track after getting lost. Unfortunately, the fundamentals are out of whack.

While Race Arcade does a good job of recreating the arcade racing style of old, with the top-down fixed camera and basic vehicle and track set-ups, as well as featuring time trials and local multiplayer, it is otherwise an uninspiring experience.

Presentation wise, the Switch remaster both looks and sounds great, improving upon the original mobile remaster wherever it can, but the gameplay is severely neutered when compared to the original Nintendo DS release. Combat will never be as smooth with the Joy-Con setup as it is with touch controls, and the modifications made to the partner system in order to make gameplay work on one single screen remove a great deal of the original battle system's charm. Final Remix is a good game as it is still, at its core, The World Ends with You, but it is a deeply flawed, deeply disappointing reimagining of the DS classic.

Where Adventure of a Lifetime really shines, however, is in its sound design. The entire read is scored by a nautical sound that genuinely brings the Ogasawara Islands to life. Adventure of a Lifetime could have done with a tighter script, but it nonetheless makes for a solid, if a bit light, read with just enough to take away.

An odd combination of automatons and a reflexive sport turns out to make for a pretty fun and addictive experience, overall. Disco Dodgeball Remix on Nintendo Switch doesn't quite have the player count necessary for a truly chaotic time online, but more than makes up for it with competent AI foes, a boundless list of modes and parameters to choose from, and sufficient offline options to enjoy.

If looking for a simple port, as well as a bundle of the Shenmue duology, you are in for a treat, despite the fact that the enhancements of this version are underwhelming. Those expecting an action-adventure that is as good as it is popular, though, get ready for a rude awakening, because, nostalgia, and pioneering innovations aside, this just isn't fun anymore.

Without the problems that stem from the, evidently, rushed production, The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep is a mediocre-to-good dungeon crawling RPG that's reminiscent of the genre's humble beginnings. With those problems added, however, this is downright annoying, and even unplayable.