Even with all that said, though, Pepper Grinder’s core gameplay is still ridiculous fun, and raising the flag at the end of each platforming level still feels triumphant, if only for short-term pleasure. Pepper Grinder is a short game, only four to six hours, so the lack of other compelling aspects feels disappointingly underwhelming. Still, the thrill of the precision-heavy chase is an oh-so-tempting one, even if you won’t remember the chase very well afterward.

In trying to subvert expectations, The Last of Us Part II discards the best aspects of its predecessor to provide a rote revenge tale that is ill-considered, ending on a note that makes everything — all the violence, all the loss, all the struggle — feel utterly, hopelessly pointless.

Monster Harvest is a simple but engaging farming sim with an interesting twist that makes a good first impression, but ultimately suffers from bugs and the weight of its own ambition.

Monster Truck Championship offers decent and enjoyable gameplay, but some overarching flaws muddy the overall experience.

While the game has interesting concepts and ideas, some odd design choices and an atrocious tutorial hamper Old World’s ambition.

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

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’.

Fans of the series might get a kick out of it, but there’s not enough decent meat on the game’s bones to warrant any long-term attention.

Taxi Chaos is a pretty faithful and enjoyable recreation of a fondly remembered gaming franchise, but its new ideas introduce lots of new problems.

Super Crush KO’s issues are prevalent enough to dampen the overall package.

The Stillness of the Wind is not the easiest game to recommend, really being more of a curiosity piece than anything else, but if you are prepared to look beyond its limitations, there is a melancholic story here to be discovered.

Radio Commander is brought down heavily by an identity crisis in its core game design and inherent tedium and repetition.

If you enjoyed the first two games, there is some fun to be had in House of Ashes, but glitches, a predictable story structure and some boring jump scares holds it back from being a truly worthy sequel.

The endless runner genre has seen a lot of potential contenders try and be the best, and while Tanuki Sunset isn’t quite the best of the best, it’s enjoyable enough to leave a positive impression.

While Lumote’s puzzles can be head-scratchingly good, the two-tone color palette, repeated environments, and, at times, frustrating user interface hampers any satisfaction.

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

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

The Textorcist offers a unique twist on bullet hell gameplay that’s bogged down by annoying design and bad dialogue. Impressive but disappointingly few boss fights provide some hours of entertainment, but the game has little else to offer.

Hyperbrawl Tournament’s core gameplay is a lot of fun, even if the bots are a bit annoying. It’s just a shame there’s not enough people playing.

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.

After three years of development, Hiveswap: Act 2 is just fine. Hopefully the next instalment is stronger and will come earlier than 2023, but we’ll have to wait and see.

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

For what it is, Dead or Alive 6 offers an enjoyable experience for new players and veterans alike, but the full package currently fails to deliver in a lot of key areas.

Though the foundation is laid for a great game with excellent presentation, style, and robust gameplay systems, the horrid user interface and vast number of bugs and glitches keep Empire of Sin from being a great game.

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.

While the sound design is gripping, the platforming is solid, and the puzzle solving is unique, Unto The End unfortunately suffers from a bloated combat system and harsh checkpoints.

Table Manners is designed to give you indigestion with its OTT gameplay bound to provide a few frustrated laughs, though its lack of polish and longevity mean it's a bit of an empty snack.

While the voice acting, storytelling and platforming in Skully is top class, the visual issues might cause you to lose your head.