Overall this is a God of War game that fails to reach the heady heights of normal franchise levels. And while it’s an okay game, this road has been well trodden in the genre and done with more surprise and addictiveness.

Octopath Traveler O will scratch that role-play itch for gamers seeking a new challenge in the genre this winter. It is a lovely looking title, packed full of hours of turn-based gameplay and a chunky world that you can turn into your own land, albeit with a fairly linear storyline.

There’s good depth to the role-play elements, weapons, combat and character development, including the introduction of character flaws as well as positive attributes. And the outer worlds look beautiful and lush on screen. A good game, with a wonderful style to it, but nothing you really haven’t played before.

It’s meditative and gently puzzling, trying to always be more about being in the moment than the usual gaming tropes of ‘do this’ and ‘do that’ right now. That won’t necessarily be enough for the hardened gamers used to adrenaline-style action play. But it will appeal to those looking for something different in the gaming space.

Players can enjoy a variety of modes, from fast-paced 3v3 Quick Matches and full NBA Seasons to custom tournaments for up to four local players. Play solo or in co-op, with easy controls and game modes like Training, Full Season and Party Mode this is an easy to get title without too many confusing menus and systems. But that in turn means not a huge amount under the hood. And at that price, it’s quite a lot for quite a little.

Probably one best for the diehard fans.

Overall, this is a good chance to revisit one of the defining early stealth action games that really led to many future titles’ signature gameplay, like the Hitman and even Assassin’s Creed series. If you’ve played it before there’s not enough here to warrant another pass. But for those seeking a nostalgia hit, or to try a classic they may have missed, it’s well worth a look.

Overall, a unique and fresh-feeling multiplayer shooter. One that’s neither graphically outstanding or anything other than well-trodden gameplay-wise. However its unique hide-in-the-dark style and fun chaos are well worth a look for such a good price.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is well made, and offers a strong challenge for gamers who like a slower pace to their gun games than the likes of Call of Duty. It offers nothing particularly new though and isn’t top tier when it comes to both gameplay and graphics.

There’s little new in this game, it treads previous ground from other titles, but it is neatly put together and will appeal to a limited audience.

The gameplay itself and choices made to affect the branching storyline are a little too subtle and rarely taxing. It’s really there to aid the storytelling and build out the lore, like an interactive movie. As such there can be long stretches where the story slows or gets bogged down and it feels a little chore-like to keep grinding on.

Those who loved the original will immensely enjoy stepping back into this dead town. But modern gamers who have no association with the history could likely find it a bit bland compared to today’s more speedy, interactive games.

Hopefully in time, more maps and modes will give Concord a discernable, standout place in the crowded FPS market. Right now it’s a decent more-of-the-same option and a missed opportunity for Sony.

The graphics and sounds are fairly basic but add a unique, somewhat cheeky feel to the game that’ll play into retro fans' nostalgia. Well worth a look if you’re into fast-paced footie fun.

It's old-school gaming, straight to the point, simple and fun.

The sound is decent and helps to build that classic Stranger Things atmosphere. But the story isn’t all that and, overall, this game is more of a missed opportunity than a breakthrough in the VR horror genre.

The story isn’t much to write home about and the boss fights are okay but not outstanding, like with Soulslike games. But it is good fun and offers almost too wild on-screen battles at its best, it can be quite overwhelming with so much going on. This doesn’t beat anything out there but it does offer a decent fighting game with a unique twist on a classic Nottingham legend.

Overall, a poor Call of Duty but there will still be enough in the multiplayer for fans to enjoy for months to come...Just ignore the campaign unless you have an afternoon to kill.

They’ve wisely kept to what made the original game so much fun and the pace is crazy fast as the difficulty ramps up...If you liked the first Ghostrunner it’s a no brainer, for those not into reflex-focused gaming, maybe wait until it drops in price.

There’s around 40 hours of gameplay in here, and loads more if you want to properly explore every part of this devastatingly dark land. It looks medieval, dark, like a bloody horror film and it plays tough.

It just needs more content - which is eventually coming down the track - and, for me, a greater fluidity and speed of movement. All in, for £35, well worth a try on PSVR2. But hardcore first-person shooter gamers won’t find the next big thing here just yet.

It’s faced-paced, well acted and packed full of thrilling fun. And while it’s certainly not the best FPS we’ve ever encountered, it will scratch that itch until the big boys come out to play in the run-up to Christmas. Gamers should enjoy its change of pace and it’s a shame there was no attempt at a multiplayer as I suspect that’d be this game’s shining mode.

While not quite on a par with the PS5’s best graphics, it does a wonderful job conveying the actors’ emotions. And the storyline is tightly written and compelling. You’ll want to get onto the next episode. The gameplay is basic and only time will tell how the choices you make play out over the next four episodes. So for now, episode one is a good start. Very much a Telltale interactive story. And if you’re down with that and not too much actual gaming you’ll be satisfied.

Gameplay-wise there’s not enough here to really grip and keep hold of you. This type of game has been done far better before.

Switchback VR is fun, and tries to make the most of the PSVR2 but its wildly bouncing storyline and one-trick-pony gameplay means you’ll tire of it fairly quickly. An okay if not amazing VR title for the Playstation.

The controls can be a little fiddly, which annoys during crucial boss fights, but it isn’t enough to ruin Scars Above and after a good old play through you’ll find yourself warming to the fight-die-repeat Soulslike dynamic. A decent but not amazing game with few surprises.

The story is cliched too and features far too many well-trodden gaming and movie tropes. So the freshness of what could have been in Forspoken isn’t realised. It’s a good game to play, just not a great game and that’s a shame.

Overall, a decent effort by the Sega team and they should be praised for their future vision for the series. Let’s hope the next title will really nail down that speed without visual compromise to give Sonic the next-generation game he truly deserves.

Divine Knockout is great fun and a fresh take on the Smash Bros style of brawler. It’s quite limited at the moment, there’s only six arenas and eight fighters at launch, but hopefully the makers at Red Beard Games will improve that over time with promised new content. And there’s definitely room for a single player platform story in future too. Well worth a go in the chilly winter months if you love a bit of button bashing action.

But when it comes to gameplay its fine but not anything to write home about. A nice game but not a great game.

Loading times are faster and the whole title feels a lot smoother, more polished thanks to its next-gen makeover. For those who didn’t like the title in the first place, I’d say avoid. But if you’re intrigued, and you have a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, it might be worth you trying out the two-hour full game trial on the service before purchase. For those with the original, it's a bit of a no-brainer to download and resample this version.

This is a must-buy for any Ninja Turtles fans looking for a retro gaming kick to add to their collection. Those less interested in a 90s cartoon classic may find the collection a little too samey.

We’ve all moved on a bit from these games generally and their appeal, while a flash of fun, lies in hours rather than days of gaming. Beat-em-up fans will not be disappointed. But more casual gamers will quickly get everything they can from Final Vendetta and move on. Fun but a limited joy.

While it looks cool, and the music is outstanding, there’s not enough here to keep players chugging along for too long.

The overall idea of In Nightmare is solid. The trapped-in-a-child’s-nightmare vibe and slow unveiling of his past traumas feel fresh.

Ghostwire Tokyo is a good game. It nails atmosphere and looks next-generation on the PS5.There’s clever use of the new controller options. But when it comes to video games, gameplay is ultimately everything and this title simply won’t blow you away.

There’s not much by the way of emotional connection to this game. It’s old-fashioned, cliched in its storytelling and I found myself constantly hitting the skip button to get to the actual fighting. But overall, Stranger of Paradise is a nice brawler on the Playstation and Xbox.

Not a great title for single-players but definitely easily pickupable gaming fun for one of those lighter evenings with friends.

While the overall offering here feels fresh, all of the various elements of The Gunk have been done before. From the puzzle solving of various Tomb Raider titles to the Uncharted vibe of the lush backdrops and the Luigi-style hoovering up, none of it individually has been done better than the many times before. But as a package, this is a nicely put-together game and a great little addition to the Game Pass’s ever-growing library.

Is it a fun classic side-scroller that’s worth £17 of your money? Yes, if you like or liked these games and want something both fresh and classic all in one joyous colour bundle.

Overall, a decent shooter that feels a little too overblown for its own good. It’s best elements lie in the past but there’s plenty here to get your teeth into and potentially dozens of hours of multiplayer fun for the winter months.

It’s a great shooter game, CoD always is, but it's not the best in the series and the overly used WW2 backdrop is wearing thin. The pandemic would have played a part in this and kudos to the developers for still delivering a big game despite the lockdowns.

The creativity is fantastic with dance games, relay races and bowling alley mini-games using Bob’s head as a series of pins, for example. But it all comes down to control and right now Surgeon Simulator 2 is too broken when it comes to gameplay to really do the great ideas behind the game justice.

There’s a lot going for WRC10. It’s slick, in-depth and full of authenticity. That’ll appeal to fans of the genre who want to go deep into the endless tweaks and changes available. But it isn’t the best driving game out there and ultimately, that’s what holds this back from being a classic racer.

If you’re in the mood for something weird, different looking and of the RPG variety, give it a go. For those wanting an easy, predictable game to settle into - ignore.

Labyrinth City is fun, puzzley at points and packed full of chuckle moments as you dissect the lovely world around you. But the game is a bit of a one-trick pony and it won’t be too long before you tire and move on to another Switch game.

While all its relevant parts are good, none of them really stand out among today’s very best. So if you’ve only given this a passing glance when scrolling game trailers on YouTube and it’s not particularly floating your boat, be prepared for a decent player here but not one that’s going to dazzle you for months ahead.

It’s not too taxing and the gameplay is easily conquerable, meaning older gamers should probably avoid. And while it does get very samey after a while, the storytelling is always funny and the extra element of putting yourself in the game adds to the lols.

Developer Big Ant Studios claim this is “the most comprehensive tennis experience” but sadly when it comes to gameplay it’s more Queens than Wimbledon.

It’s a decent effort, one that monster truck fans alone will get the best out of. But if you’re a gamer looking for a top-rated car and racing experience, there’s better out there.

The graphics aren’t amazing, certainly not in the next-gen category, the story writing lazy and predictable and the role-play poor. But there is a great combat hack-and-slash in this title dying to get out, almost like a werewolf itself. It’s a shame the developers didn’t ditch the average bits and focus on unleashing that beast. Perhaps a slimmed down sequel could do just that job.

Scott Pilgrim doesn’t have the same attention-grabbing appeal to the modern blockbusters and with many people still fresh to the winter’s big titles thanks to getting them as Christmas pressies I worry that the early January release may fall flat. However for those looking to revisit this game, people with fond memories of a cult classic, they’ll find it a joy still to play and well worth a look. It plays brilliantly, has a really tough challenge to the gameplay and still inhabits all that charm and uniqueness you remember.

I put my hands together for the few pairs of Arms fans out there, and I’m sorry for all the hate this series is getting but I extend an olive branch to put the “whoas” to rest in hopes the next DLC character is someone better.

Although this is one of the worst ports of a recently published game I’ve seen on the Switch, The Outer Worlds is still a fantastic game that is well worth your time. The issue with porting this game, in particular, is that it’s a bad solution to a problem that nobody had — the game is less than a year old and the Switch simply isn’t capable of doing the game justice.

There is an awful lot to like about Those Who Remain, but unfortunately, there is also a lot which will leave players deeply frustrated. Its most fundamental problem is that it tries to do too much. The atmosphere and storytelling, particularly at the start of the game is a great start, but the developers felt the need to add elements of survival horror, which ultimately exacerbate rather than scare.

If you know Mortal Kombat, you can smell the ‘twists’ and ‘turns’ a mile off, and though it’s great to see some underloved characters get their turn in the limelight, the whole experience underwhelms from start to finish.

Maneater is like a joke that had a great punchline, but is milked for all its worth afterwards.

Embr is a really fun game that will have you alternating between elation and frustration. The colourful and silly world makes for a surprisingly perfect setting for a game about the dangers of the gig economy. It’s best enjoyed with friends, so the lack of local co-op is a disappointment. The early access release is also short on content, but with the promise of a lot more to come and some replayability it’s definitely worth looking at. You’ll have a blast!

All in all, fans of the franchise and genre potentially have a real gem on their hands with The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners , but it requires a lot of work to get there. Right now, the game is still a diamond in the rough — with a bit of polish (or better yet, an Oculus and a powerful PC), there is a lot of fun to be found here. However, if you don’t like cripplingly difficult AI, buggy tracking and hours of picking up firewood, padlocks and shoes with holes in them, perhaps give this one a miss.

Moving out is a lovely little party game. Lots of fun, and gently humorous with some good accessibility options making it easy to play with younger or less skilled players for everyone's enjoyment.

With a refined matchmaking system (and rewards to go with it), as well as a balanced set of character classes and improved monster control, it could be a sleeper hit for many. For now, though, it feels like a missed opportunity. The fact it's bundled with a fantastic 5-star game in the form of Resident Evil 3 Remake, certainly helps. But as a standalone product, it's a fun but ultimately flawed experience; albeit one we hope improves in time.

My Hero One’s Justice 2 is a treat for fans of the series. For non-fans, it’s a capable over-the-shoulder arena fighter, with a host of fun and very different characters to avail from. The game does run into some performance issues on the Nintendo Switch, where frame rates can drop during bigger set-pieces, but it’s a fun and enjoyable play all the same.

The new gadgets, locations and boss fights are all thrilling, but the lack of coherent storytelling makes the emotional pay off for these adventures sorely lacking.

While there are more detailed JRPGs out there, Kakarot scratches the itch of both Dragon Ball and JRPG fans alike.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are not bad games. But fun character arcs and inventive, creative designs of new ‘mon are often offset by poor pacing and restrictive world design. The world of Galar is charming, and is a Pokémon interpretation of Britain I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, but between gating what Pokémon you can catch behind Gym Badges, some half-baked route/City designs and a modest amount of post-game content, Sword and Shield can only be called ‘good’ Pokémon games… not ‘great’ ones.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are not bad games. But fun character arcs and inventive, creative designs of new ‘mon are often offset by poor pacing and restrictive world design. The world of Galar is charming, and is a Pokémon interpretation of Britain I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, but between gating what Pokémon you can catch behind Gym Badges, some half-baked route/City designs and a modest amount of post-game content, Sword and Shield can only be called ‘good’ Pokémon games… not ‘great’ ones.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are not bad games. But fun character arcs and inventive, creative designs of new ‘mon are often offset by poor pacing and restrictive world design. The world of Galar is charming, and is a Pokémon interpretation of Britain I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, but between gating what Pokémon you can catch behind Gym Badges, some half-baked route/City designs and a modest amount of post-game content, Sword and Shield can only be called ‘good’ Pokémon games… not ‘great’ ones.

Mario & Sonic's latest Olympic outing is more of the same, without any real innovation. The new additions of retro and dream events don't fundamentally change up the formula enough to feel like truly meaningful additions, though online multiplayer does add much needed longevity.

Behind all of its faults, even its painfully jingoistic overtones and its overtly militaristic design hides its true entertainment value.

Surge 2 improves upon the predecessors ‘Dark Souls but sci-fi’ vibe with a much more interesting world and social commentary. But the series still feels a little rough around the edges when it comes to communicating with the player. Menus are awkward to navigate, and upgrades and systems can be a little hard to comprehend. Despite this, the combat is still great fun, and exploring Jericho City is an intoxicating blend of excitement and trepidation.

Where this game perhaps falters most is where most horror games do – the filler gameplay in between being spooked, which at the end of the day, might boil down to an individual's personal patience and tastes.

Ultimately Borderlands 3 is a mixed bag. It’s like going to visit my family at Christmas; you jump in the car, visiting those same people that you love dearly and enjoy seeing but it’s still the same long journey and your Dad is telling the same old jokes that make your skin crawl.

FIFA has never been better, at least on the pitch. Volta is fun in small doses, but those looking to play something other than Ultimate Team will be inevitably disappointed in the lack of variation in offline modes. Those who are in it for the thrill of opening a pack and getting a star player, or who simply love collecting cards and playing football matches with their new additions will find a lot to love, at least until next season when it all begins again.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is not a bad game - it starts off strong and for some reason systematically unpicks everything by the time you’re 30 hours in. The battle system is fairly impressive but still carries some of the flaws the series has had for the past decade, and the writing of the central cast feels like a step back compared to the 3DS series’ entries.

Well worth a look, but not in my gaming top tier.

It's a game that's constantly reminding you that it is a game released in 2009, with its dated single-player mode and boring missions. The upgraded particle effects help the game show the destruction on the Switch very well here, but 'Wrecking Crew' is where the game shines, and proves it is very much worth your purchase here. Incredibly fun, great for party-passing, and being able to play this mode on the go only makes me recommend 'Red Faction Guerrilla' even more.

Observation is a game that has a deeply captivating story with a lot of heart, which makes it worth playing for those who love the mysteries of space and artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, some aspects, such as SAM’s janky controls and unenjoyable space sequences made an otherwise enjoyable game, feel weighed down by space debris.

Team Sonic Racing brings an interesting dynamic to the kart racing genre. While its team-based gameplay offers a new dimension of tactics to players, it lacks refinement and ultimately doesn’t do enough to escape the shadows cast by other prolific kart racers.

On one hand, it’s one of the prettiest, most realistic titles the Switch has, and the slow-motion shots have a surprisingly rewarding tactile feel. Despite these high points, the rest of the game is extremely average, packed with throwaway collectibles and filler game modes that can’t hide the cumbersome cover shooter that lurks beneath. In the end, the gloom outweighs the glitter and though Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is a nice title to see on the Switch, it's certainly not an essential one.

The quality of life improvements made can’t cover up the fact that this is a lazy port of a game that deserves better.

This remaster doesn’t bring much in terms of new content, and visual changes that are headlined aren’t done as well as they should be. In that regard, it still holds up as a great Assassin’s Creed game that is worthy of any fan’s money.