While its narrative aspirations and desire for immersive role-playing seem to aim at the Hollywood tradition of the Western, Weird West ends up feeling more like a disposable dime novel.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals brings the same level of charm and creepiness as its predecessor, and though its new perspective doesn’t quite push narrative or gameplay elements far enough into the unknown, it’s still an excellent scary story for a dark and stormy night.

Despite its faults, Bear With Me has a lot of charm and heart. It likely won't blow you away, but there is enough content with The Complete Collection to warrant your attention.

Pathologic 2 does a fine job of capturing the feelings of a town under distress, though it can feel like a painful chore to play with technical glitches and loading times hindering the experience overall.

Layers of Fear 2023 really isn't the most necessary remake ever and those who didn't like the original games certainly won't be converted, but this is a pretty compelling package for psychological horror fans.

While we've seen the story of Goku and the Z Warriors before, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot offers enough detail and fun gameplay to warrant a purchase.

A simple but engaging action tactics game with solid presentation and a neat setting that’ll easily make you want to take up your sword and go questing.

Iron Danger won’t change your world, but it’s a wholly unique game that may appeal to dungeon crawling fans.

PES 2021: Season Update is a great football game if you’re new to the series, but veterans should just update their existing copies of PES 2020 with this season’s squads and kits.

The Switch version offers little to make this port worth shelling out for.

Sonic Superstars is full of ideas, and while not all of them land (especially the co-op), the inventiveness on show and core gameplay makes it worth checking out.

Marvel's Iron Man VR might not be without issues, but it’s hands down the most complete VR experience I have had to date.

Blades Of Fire gets in its own way sometimes with busywork-heavy quest design, but the unique combat and enjoyable weapon crafting save it.

There’s Norway you won’t be engrossed in this beautifully crafted and well written Scandinavian mystery.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is an enjoyable look at two and a half great games, but not in their best forms. It has much of the DLC and extra bits thrown in, but nothing new that makes this collection worthwhile, except to new fans.

No Straight Roads is one of 2020's most interesting, quietly ambitious games and a pretty straightforward recommendation for anyone who dreams of the Dreamcast days.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered feels like the ultimate fan tribute to the series.

Kosmokrats’ Soviets-in-space setting and the story hit some good notes, but it’s all let down by the gameplay. I really wish I could recommend Kosmokrats, but this is one to avoid as it stands, comrades.

The Serpent Rogue is a unique and rewarding roguelite experience that puts the player fully in control of how they explore and purify its dreary, corrupted lands.

While Zombie Army 4 won’t win any awards for its story and doesn’t represent a massive revolution alongside most of Rebellion’s third-person shooters, it’s still some completely unpretentious fun with plenty of value and depth.

Battlesector may attempt to give Space Marines a human face, but the game ends up being an incomplete suit of power armor.

Exoprimal has good ideas, and feels like a genuinely novel and fun concept, but the asking price is simply way too steep, leaving the player to feel like extinction might be inevitable.

While it has some novel ideas, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's extremely repetitive quest design, underwhelming progression, and wholly monotonous gear system make it one of the most forgettable open world games of 2023.

While Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix is a much improved and enjoyable sequel, the lack of voice acting stops the game from feeling like an authentic Nickelodeon experience.

Despite featuring an interesting gimmick, Spellbreak is hindered by a weak setting and repetitive combat that feels too standard for such a crowded genre.

A solid first lap for a racer that might need a bit more time to hit top speed, LEGO 2K Drive is still worth playing whether you’re young, old or somewhere in between.

On the track, there’s a decent little racer in Hot Wheels Unleashed. Everything else feels like a bit of a letdown.

There is more content to play with here than a thousand Dragon Balls could ever wish for. Simply put, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission is a gigantic bounty of arcade and card-based fun and creation that keeps on giving.

If you don’t have a PC that’s up to standard or just want to suffer consecutive panic attacks from the comfort of your couch, They Are Billions is one of the best RTS games you will find on console.

While its third act strays too far from what initially made it great, Fall of Porcupine boasts likable characters, welcoming visuals, and plenty of fuzzy moments in its narrative.

While charming in its use of gothic horror themes and tropes, Rogue Lords barely does enough to stand out from previous turn-based dungeon crawlers.

Steelrising is a unique soulslike with its own identity and aesthetic, powered by strong characters and great art direction. It doesn't push the envelope on any other aspect of the genre it finds itself in, however, which may alienate those familiar with the gameplay of the soulslike formula.

With unsurprisingly shady surprise mechanics and little to no significant movement on the pitch, FIFA 20 is a stopgap entry that only has Volta to boast about.

What Oninaki promises is a thoughtful, expertly-crafted and gorgeously-animated story that will have you seeing it through to the end and into the Beyond.

Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed brings the original title into the modern age, and while the gameplay is massively improved, some bad ideas, dated jokes, and an abundance of glitches mar the overall experience.

GreedFall has some of the most compelling characters and storylines so far this year. Unfortunately, they're buried by dated technology and a serious lack of polish.

Soulstice is a game with some great aesthetic choices, but is completely marred by poor gameplay design that takes control away from the player during the times they'll need it the most.

Daemon X Machina tends to merely check the boxes for what is required of a mech combat game.

Though it has some problems with pacing and minor bugs, Little Hope is a brilliant Halloween pick thanks to its over the top narrative and gruesome deaths, making it hard to say no to another visit.

While Maneater could be regarded as something of a one-trick pony, it’s still a very good trick that you’ll enjoy while it lasts.

Far Cry New Dawn is an interesting experiment for the franchise. While it borrows some mechanics from the Ubisoft family that feel out of place and suffers from frustrating padding, the core Far Cry experience might be enough to tide you over once it finally gets going.

Sure, it's clunky at points, has enough rough edges to cut someone, and is perhaps too slow in getting to the good stuff, but give Days Gone and Deacon a chance and they will win you over.

My Time At Portia is a great alternative to those farm and living games that are everywhere at the moment, but is just let down by bland presentation.

Though it has its faults, if you like sex jokes and puzzles tied into a decent point-and-click dating adventure, Larry Laffer’s latest outing is the game for you.

Although Beyond Blue might not stand out from a gameplay perspective, it hits all the right spots as a remarkable educational tool about the planet’s underwater world.

Rad could and should become one of 2019's greatest sleeper hits.

The Cosmic Shake can be a fun collectathon with some charming moments, but the lack of original ideas and finesse make it feel more like an expansion than a brand new game.

The greatest enemy in God Eater 3 may not be the Aragami, but a stagnated system and potential fatigue instead.

Silt is a fascinating puzzle game with a beautiful art style and poetic delivery, but the short length and unrealized potential leave Silt still needing to find itself.

Undeniably entertaining and often thrilling, The Hong Kong Massacre's chances of matching its inspirations are seriously undermined by a lack of care, variety, and an utterly lifeless story.

While not perfect, Breathedge is a fun spin on the survival formula that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The Medium is Bloober Team’s most ambitious game to date, and while certain aspects work better than others, the result is a decent horror romp that even the most horror-averse can enjoy.

The new polish looks nice, but there isn’t much to keep any newcomers coming around.

Night School Studio can toast to creating a funny and endearing tale.

Even if it may take you quicker than an afternoon nap to dust off, Darq is an experience that horror fans won't want to miss.

The jank and glitches present in RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business make it hard to give it a higher score, but this is about as fun as uncomplicated FPS games get. Buy it, blast through it over a weekend, smile the entire time.

While Layers of Fear 2 might make a misstep in how it concludes, almost everything preceding is a horror joy and a significant improvement on its predecessor, it aptly adding more layers to the experience.

It may not have the same teeth or originality as the satirical film it’s based on, but Starship Troopers: Terran Command is still a whole lot of exciting bug-squashing fun.

Fight Crab is an impressively silly game with plenty of fun to offer that plays like a throwback to the Wild West days of the PlayStation 2.

Flawed, but not a failure, Code Vein offers the same hardcore Soulslike action with less of a barrier of entry, making for a decent gateway into a growing genre.

I could see this being a solid primer for anyone wanting to get into the World of Darkness to prepare for Bloodlines 2, or those who need another excellent adventure to hold them over and sate the hunger.

Despite a stunning art style and puzzles as gratifying as they are numerous, a disappointing lack of features prevent Degrees of Separation from outshining others in its genre. When you're willing to overlook the repetition in favour of its intriguing central mechanic, however, this charming title will prove itself worthy of your time.

A little Cris Tales before bed will make you feel like a kid again—a kind of time travel that most games only dream of.

It's not revolutionary by any means, but World War Z is a fun zombie shooter that actually surpasses the movie on which it is based.

Beyond a Steel Sky isn’t a perfect game, but it’s made with a lot of love and attention from the developer.

King of Seas looks great and has some fun ship-to-ship combat but is let down by its underwhelming exploration and basic story.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is less of a wholesale remaster and more of a reminder of the original's quality outside the hype bubble and separated from its controversies. With this second chance, Amalur stands on its own as a weird and often wonderful action RPG.

Blue Fire is a fantastic mix of 3D platforming, intense combat, and addictive free-form exploration. A somber story perked up by colorful characters makes this an experience you can’t miss.

Darkestville Caste is a valiant attempt at creating a spiritual successor to one of the most beloved point and click games ever made, and, on some levels, it succeeds.

Despite a few issues throughout and bland playable characters, the recruitment system and campaign manage to offer just enough for Watch Dogs: Legion to be worth hacking into.

Nuts had the potential to be something really special, but can’t quite see the forest for the trees.

Republic Commando’s brilliant gameplay and compelling story more than make up for the dated visuals, although the Switch version might not be the definitive experience.

If you can forgive some of its cheesy narrative moments and glitches, Man of Medan shows promise for a future franchise. You just have to play with a friend to fully appreciate it.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is one of Frogwares’ best games to date.

Thanks to some clever subversion of a troubling dive into the psyche, The Shattering could go down as a new favourite in the narrative thriller genre.

Kingdom of the Dead is a fast-paced horror FPS with a brilliant aesthetic and soundtrack. Though it lacks polish, this love letter to old school horror games proves to be a fun experience with some fun moments of hopeless terror.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions isn’t a perfect rendition of the beautiful game, but it is a welcome return to an era of football games that don’t take themselves too seriously.

Once The Invisible Hand has you, it will take you to the moon. While there are a few nitpicks in the controls and the visuals can be a bit dull, this game is perfect for those looking for an out-of-the-box experience with a hardcore twist.

With some post-launch love to improve some of the more lacking areas, AO Tennis 2 could be a real winner. For now, though, it is likely a game that only dedicated tennis fans will truly enjoy.

While Lone Ruin is currently sparse on content, there’s some solid gameplay foundations here that could be built upon in the future.

Kao the Kangaroo breathes new life into the franchise with charming new characters and inviting visual designs, although the gameplay may remain too easy for some.

While certainly rough around the edges, Raji: An Ancient Epic is an earnest swing that shows a ton of heart and some great ideas.

Thymesia sports fast 3D action combat that's engaging and unique to the subgenre, where flashy combos with multiple weapons lead to meaningful progression for skilled players. Unfortunately, the game does little else to separate itself from the soulslike pack.

Not helped by technical glitches and cumbersome controls, Q.U.B.E. 2 boxes itself in with tedious gameplay and a sluggish pace.

There’s charm and appeal to be found in WrestleQuest, but this old school RPG doesn’t have enough to stay in the main event.

Awkwardly straddling the line between unnerving war drama and vapid teen adventure, Long Gone Days is embroiled in an uncomfortable identity crisis.

Even if the puzzle density and technical issues may drive you to madness, this cosmic horror still has something unique to offer.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain shakes up the series at its core, and still manages to be a decidedly great EDF game. Character creation and the PA-Gear fit right in and offer a newfound sense of personalization and freedom, while the grim presentation and heightened difficulty will keep you engaged throughout. It’s a real gem.

When it works, Friday the 13th is a truly exciting bout of cat-and-mouse gameplay that offers plenty of thrills and tense moments, but technical issues, clunkiness and a laborious levelling grind can add up to frustration.

Maid of Sker proves there's more to Wales Interactive than many might realise. Their tense horror shines a new light on Welsh folklore while also delivering fantastic audio design and a few effective scares, though it's not without a lobby full of flaws.

Though it maintains some serious design flaws carried over from its predecessors, Galactic Civilizations 4 is an epic grand strategy game on a truly galactic scale.

Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated isn’t the most complex or challenging platformer in existence but offers enough variety to still be as F.U.N as it was in 2003.

Though far from perfect, Rune Factory 5 offers a ton of fun and varied gameplay options supported by a cast of colorful characters and satisfying progression that’s deceptively easy to get lost in.

Technical and pacing issues aside, the writing of Night Call is what makes it such a fascinating and, at times, enthralling game. Sit back with a cup of coffee and become an unofficial therapist for a few hours with this dark descent into Paris.

Destroy All Humans is a fantastic remake of a cult hit from two generations prior. Fans of the original game will be happy to see everything they love is both intact and improved, while players who never got on board with the Furon Empire’s decimation of the human race can consider this the perfect opportunity to kneel before their new, less-than-benevolent overlords.

Reigns: Three Kingdoms adds plenty of new ideas and frustrations, but anyone looking for a bit of regicide on their Steam Deck could do far worse.

I can’t help but wish Byking and Bandai Namco added something more, something fresh to really help One’s Justice 2 stand out and truly be ‘Plus Ultra’.

Doraemon Story of Seasons is a competent farming sim with an enticing look that’s unfortunately hampered by snail-paced narrative elements and the wrong kind of tedium overwhelming its gameplay.