The controls are intriguing enough to hook a player in and it’s quite fun to embrace the elementary mastery of them once they’ve become second nature and platforming through formidable-looking obstacle courses is a breeze. Plus, relaxedly exploring the 15 stages for collectibles (20 wisps and 5 coins per level) is made more enjoyable by the charming, bright design and chilled out tunes that accompany it, which is all it really aims to be – a laid back game that shows off a new angle for a bit of fun. No real replayability after the few collectibles or big skill wall to overcome, or even any kind of lesson to learn, but instead to almost act as a kind of sandbox for a new type of control system and whilst it could have been built on, it does do what is set out to do, just a bit lazily.

Fibble: Flick 'n' Roll is a nice first attempt by Crytek at breaking into mobile games, but they don't really seem to have given it their all.

A bit more polish and refinement could have elevated this up from being a fun, violent game of American football to something a bit more exciting and special.

It sounds like I am being hard on Return to PopoloCrois, but that is because I am a little disappointed with Return to PopoloCrois and how it doesn’t blend the two things I enjoy (RPGs and Harvest Moon) in a way that sets a good example for both properties involved.

Sacred 3, as you can establish from this review, is a game that has moved away from its predecessor’s roots to become more of a brawler with light RPG elements.

I went into Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom with a lot of hope that it could successfully achieve all it was set out to do with this unique blend of arena based fighter injected into an action-RPG. The indie studio had a lot of ambition and heart for the project, but it disappointingly doesn’t manage to pull off all these cool ideas together into a coherent package. Shiness has the visuals right, but there are too many minor faults throughout the game across its combat, platforming and performance that it is hard to truly recommend what is actually a refreshing RPG at heart, especially with so many great games releasing lately. That said, there is fun here in small doses, so if you are looking for something a bit different after exhausting all the big guns, then it might scratch a certain itch that people are looking for, and with it not being the longest of RPGs, you might get through it without as much irritation with its faults as I did.

In truth, you’ll probably end up being more shocked by the gore and brutality you see on screen this time round instead of jumping from your seat at the shock of one of the game’s set pieces.

Overall, even though the controls sometimes made me swear in frustration and the hackneyed narration made me laugh out loud, I am still, on the whole, pleased to have played The Descendants. It is worth trying out in a sale, and if you can cope with the shortcomings in design, the story is an entertaining five-episode arc.

Overall, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is another solid fighter from the newly crowned king of fighters, but it is also a disappointingly smaller package than what fans expect from the publisher. By comparison, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear Xrd are longer-lasting alternatives, but for players have grown tired of both, this would be the next logical game to move to next.

As it is, Zero is far too hampered by Nintendo's handheld to be worth a hearty recommendation.

I had a good time playing NEOVERSE – especially Hunter Mode – because at the end of the day the aesthetic of a deck builder doesn’t matter as it’s all about the cards. Finding the card synergies was fun, even though there weren’t too many to find, however because of the lack of cards I can’t see myself playing this game on and off for the next few years like I have with other deck builders. Hopefully NEOVERSE gets some attention from deck building fans, especially now it’s on Xbox Game Pass (at the time of writing), and Tino Games Inc. will add more cards as either a free update or paid DLC instead of charging for schoolgirl uniforms.

The only real “achievement” of EndWar is its voice command system.

Simply looking at the game then, Wreckateer is a one-trick pony that plays it too safe to be anything other than a bit of fun on the side.

If you want something quick to play on, then you could do worse than what Ignite has to offer. It's racing at its simplest, there is multiplayer, and for the price it might just be worth you checking out to see if it is your cup of tea.

In the end, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation is as solid as its predecessors, despite being noticeably talkier.

Twinkleby is a decent and relaxing cosy game that delivers charm through its island‑building mechanics. The low‑poly dioramas style gives it a warm personality, and the freedom and ease of decorating islands and adjusting the islands make it inviting for casuals. However, the game is held back by slow unlock pacing in the early hour and frustratingly limited control over villagers, who sometimes wander on their own schedules and ignore the important items they desire, even when placed in front of them. Fans of cosy and casual games will find enjoyment in its gentle pace, making it great to play while listening to a podcast or watching some YouTube videos, but it doesn’t offer enough to be anything more than a cosy pastime, which feels very much like the experience it was created to offer.

As puzzlers go this is a pretty decent effort, good fun for a while, but it does start to feel a bit too much like hard work as you near its end. If you could have just opened up new worlds as you completed the last one then it would be better, instead of the helmet system. But it's still worth a go if you like your arcade-style puzzlers. Not to mention, it definitely won't break the bank at 800MS Points.

If you're new to Assassin's Creed or the genre, go buy the first game on Steam, don't waste your time with this if it's your first entry into the series.

For the most part NASCAR 09 seems like a solid racer, and I guess it does a good job of simulating the real life product. It is rather boring though, as even if you are a petrol head at heart you can only have so much fun going around, and around and around.

As unfortunate as all that sounds, Sayonara’s gameplay is still unchanged from its handheld release, and every bit as fun and polished.

With better MMORPGs already out there and seemingly more great ones coming, The Elder Scrolls Online is using the name to appeal to its large fan base, and I have no doubt some will enjoy, but for the rest, this game is an vacillating anomaly in a packed market.

Unless you are a hardcore fan, existing players will not find much to gain from picking this up. This is a release for newcomers, which to be honest, there will be millions who would have missed this due to the platform it was originally released on. For those people, you can expect a creepy game that oozes atmosphere, but is hampered by cumbersome controls and poor pacing. A trade-off I personally feel is worth taking to experience Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water‘s bespoke approach to horror.

Dokuro features some crafty and creative puzzle designs to stump your brain and a dark presentation that is different, making it stand out in a packed fill genre, and is a fun game to spend time with, but it might be better to play the Vita version instead of this barebones PC edition.

I honestly did not really mind that the game closed without fully explaining itself; the problem was that as the credits rolled my mind harked back to earlier points in the game, trying to give those supposedly standout moments a second thought, and realising none of them really stood out firmly in my mind.

Ultimately, Super Crush KO is a short burst of fun that is priced well for what you get, but its simple level design and lack of building on the combat system make this a title I grew out of after a few short hours of play.

Despite its flaws, The Conduit is undoubtedly the best Wii-exclusive First-Person Shooter, it’s just a shame that particular accolade doesn’t mean much. Graphical prowess is no substitute for great art design, great controls are no substitute for fantastic gameplay, and when it comes to First-Person Shooters, the Wii is just no match for other consoles.

The Mad Ones is, at times, a compelling first step on this journey. However, whilst the episode excels in offering customization it is also quite regressive. Any attempt at a compelling narrative was lost under the weight of the other systems at play. I do hope this balance is righted in future episodes. If so a special game may evolve from this rocky starting point.

What you have here is two thirds of a good show that has been axed by the television network, leaving the studio to sort itself out, bringing an end to the season early, except what was offered for a closure was a cop-out, robbing The Detail of a truly satisfying ending that it deserves.