While the puzzles are not challenging for most, and the combat is never as demanding as the mainline series, they are a refreshing redesign that brings its own puzzle elements into the combat for a genre that could easily have gone without any action to be successful.

Summing up Ravenbound was a challenge because, despite its flaws, the game isn’t bad and I did have a good time when it worked as intended. However, it’s just badly executed with the lack of missions, explorations, and many frustrating bugs that make Ravenbound hard to recommend. Systemic Reaction are aware of the issues and are actively talking to their community through patch notes to, hopefully, revive this game and make it the fun roguelite it’s asking to be.

There is something remarkably enjoyable about taking a wild war machine and going ham against a stupid amount of enemies – pushing that enemy count up to as much as your PC can handle in free battle mode and watching all hell break lose is something magical. If only the rest of the game was as brilliant as its impressive shipbuilding.

As stated before, not much has changed in Moss Book II, making it an iterative sequel that keeps all of its strengths along with a few more bells and whistles. About the only remaining weaknesses are the spare enemy variety and combat; though there are a few new bolstering additions for both, they still serve as hors d’oeuvres while the platforming and puzzles make up the main dish. Nevertheless, anyone who enjoyed the first game need not hesitate to continue the adventure, while newcomers may want to consider starting off with the first game as the sequel is more of a complimentary package rather than a replacement; in the olden days, we’d use to call this “Disc 2”. Regardless of order, anyone who opted early with Sony’s new VR headset needs to make sure their paths end up right at the newest entry in Quill’s adventures (and hopefully not the last).

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a charming remaster for the Nintendo Switch that puts a happy smile on anyone with its colourful visuals and cutesy presentation. Fans who enjoy Kirby might want to experience all the new additions in this re-release, but with the game being charged at full price, you might want to ask if all the new stuff is worth the asking price. For new Kirby fans that found the pink blob through other games on their Nintendo Switch, then this will be an embodiment of pure fun for you, bringing all the good and enjoyment Kirby can offer for a group of friends sitting around the TV. Be warned, the game is still overly easy on its standard mode, which makes the Extra Mode unlock a huge shame that it was not available from the start, but at least the level design makes up some for the lack of challenge. For people who just want to sit down after a hard day of work and relax with some entertaining platforming, then Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is suited for such circumstances with its sweet, colourful adventure that is ideal for family fun or stress-free gaming.

Besides the lack of any meaningful graphical or gameplay upgrades from the PSVR1 version (or worse yet, a cheaper upgrade alternative, as both this game and the sequel must be purchased separately without the ability to transfer progress), the only quibble is the simplistic combat, which is satisfying enough to control but suffers from a lack of moves and a bigger lack of enemies. The traversal and puzzle elements, however, are frequently kept fresh thanks to new power-ups obtained and new head-scratchers to solve as the journey continues…plus the storybook visuals combined with the unobtrusive VR effects combine into an experience that truly is a showcase game for the new PSVR2, one that guarantees most people of all ages can appreciate, rather than hurl.

Short and sweet as the experience may be, Rez Infinite is still a highly recommended VR game that begs repeat playthroughs, and will undoubtedly prove a dazzling experience for even the most skeptical VR critics (even the ones with potentially weak stomachs). More importantly, the PSVR2 version is undoubtedly the best, most definitive version of the cult classic game, making it one of the few unironic instances where a title truly was “ahead of its time”.

Mahokenshi is a visually eye-catching and mechanically solid entry into the big world of deckbuilder games and brings in a mixture of elements that will appeal to not just card/deckbuilder fans, but people who also enjoy board games.

In summary, Tetris Effect: Connected is the easiest game to recommend, with just a couple of exceptions; In its purest form, it is Tetris, first and foremost, and from an aesthetic standpoint, it is a beautiful showcase of what VR games can achieve, almost perfectly now thanks to the improved performance and power of the PSVR2. But for those who have already played the previous version ad nauseum and/or don’t own a PSVR2 (much less a PS5, as the console can still be tricky to find), it may not be worth the upgrade price, even if it is relatively cheap. Those two caveats aside, this is a must-have game that will impress even the most hesitant of folks over the unique experience of VR gaming.

An intentionally janky experience that will make you laugh in amusement at its balls-to-the-wall randomness and moan in frustration at its awkward gameplay features. A fair attempt at bringing back the fun, no-nonsense action games of the PS2/PS3 era, but one that does not quite hit the same heights as those B-tier titles. A specific crowd who enjoys these less fluid action games will find something to like here, but maybe wait for a sale before taking that ride to crazy town.

There are so many of these 90s-inspired shooters that anyone who is a fan is having a field day with all the options available. Dread Templar becomes another solid entry in this subgenre. It offers a nice mixture of retro gameplay along with some more modern ideas with its skill tree and weapon modification concept. Dread Templar is a fast, fun, twitchy shooter that enjoys promoting the old through great-level design, hectic gameplay, pixellated visuals, and its groovy metal soundtrack. Dread Templar is a competent first-person shooter offering made for a certain audience, and I think the developer is happy with delivering a good retro-feeling shooter for those people to add to their video game collection.

All of these details come together to form a fairly lifeless game – one with all the fixings and foundation of another epic showcase but without any of the polish or love that is so evident in the team’s previous undertaking. Now I know for a fact this game is going to be incredible. I have confidence in Fatshark; they’ve earned that by showing how much they care about their work and their player base. But, right now, in its current state, there’s simply no way I can call it a worthy successor. The gunplay is wonderful and I’ll no doubt continue to dip in here and there, but longer sessions quickly become dull and there’s no real hook, no grand finale, to motivate me to push on. I can’t wait to see what it’ll become but, in the meantime, I think I’ll take a look back and revel in the masterful predecessor, Vermintide 2, and all of the juicy extra content I never got to dive into. TL;DR Age of Sigmar > 40k.

Fire Emblem Engage is a great Fire Emblem title that focuses on its core roots, the tactical RPG elements; more so its combat. The story is fun, if straightforward, but by aiming for the battle mechanics of the game, Intelligent Systems has been able to make the series’ best combat to date. The addition of the Emblem Rings and what they bring to the characters and their customisation opens a better progression system for each hero while adding more elements to change how one should approach battle scenarios. Throw in some little quality-of-life improvements and new weapon behaviour and this is a Fire Emblem that enjoys celebrating its past heroes and games, but keeps the battles rejuvenated with these new mechanics to push it forward rather than leaving the gameplay stuck in the past where its heroes have come from.

Thy Creature is a game that wonderfully displays its horror with great artwork, and it shows that the developers had fun crafting their vision of the traditional Frankenstein story. While the puzzles are simple when outside of battle, moving them into the framework of a bullet-hell and having the player need to resolve these while avoiding waves of horrors is a fascinating blend that somehow works. It sure is a challenge, but one that always ends in a satisfying feeling. It might be easy to beat for veteran bullet-hell players, but for the average gamer, this game will offer an unsettling challenge that will test you over its 10-hour adventure. It will frustrate, it will amaze, but overall, it sits as a good game with a unique blend of two genres that it somehow makes work together.

Lunistice has been created to give fans of platformers who are on their way to middle age something to reminisce with. The developer has done a great job in replicating what made the platformers for the PlayStation and Saturn so enjoyable that I could not help but smile as I played. The game brings tight controls, silky smooth gameplay, and a wonderful visual style that upholds the charm of those consoles of old; there is something aesthetically pleasing about it. Lunistice might not be a long game, but what there is a blast to play. Not all games have to push the boundaries of the medium, some can just give us a jolly good time. Lunistice does that without needing hours of your time, yet engages the player with its platforming and level design. Lunistice is a good pick for anyone who wants to enjoy a platformer that feels stripped straight from the late 90s for an afternoon or two. Plus, at an incredible price of £4.99, checking out this blast to the past will not hurt anyone’s gaming budget.

Moving to an open-world concept is a brilliant step forward for the Pokémon series, but currently, this release lacks the Nintendo quality that we expect from their published titles. In terms of mechanics, vision and gameplay elements of Pokémon, this is a shift in the right direction, and it only makes me get excited to see what future games do on new Nintendo hardware, whenever that arrives. I still recommend Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to fans of these wonderful little critters or to people who grew tired of the original formula, as the shift to an open world makes for a more exciting experience. Just be prepared to suffer from something that is very un-Nintendo like with this game’s inconsistent frame rates and the occasional glitch, which will put a dent in what should have been a wonderful new direction for the extremely popular creature collecting series.

Moving to an open-world concept is a brilliant step forward for the Pokémon series, but currently, this release lacks the Nintendo quality that we expect from their published titles. In terms of mechanics, vision and gameplay elements of Pokémon, this is a shift in the right direction, and it only makes me get excited to see what future games do on new Nintendo hardware, whenever that arrives. I still recommend Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to fans of these wonderful little critters or to people who grew tired of the original formula, as the shift to an open world makes for a more exciting experience. Just be prepared to suffer from something that is very un-Nintendo like with this game’s inconsistent frame rates and the occasional glitch, which will put a dent in what should have been a wonderful new direction for the extremely popular creature collecting series.

Is Bayonetta 3 worth playing? If you’re already a fan, absolutely. Just don’t expect it to be the absurd larger-than-life addition than we all hoped it would be. If you’re on the fence about it – this isn’t going to be the one to change your opinion. The combat is still there, even if it is starting to rust up with age. There are still signs of that unhinged expressiveness the others are renowned for under the layers of bleak environments and flat out boring narrative. The whole thing can still often look colourful and eruptive, but is heavily anchored by the limits of the Switch – truly a cruel fate for what could be one of the craziest worlds to experience in a game if Platinum Games would be set free to do as they please. It really is a shame, especially after such a long wait. It’s not a bad experience by any means, and it did have fairly unreasonable expectations to live up to, but it ended up falling rather short in just about every way. For any other series that might be satisfactory, but not for Bayonetta. It deserves better than just ‘good’.

The series has grown and evolved over the years and WRC Generations is a pleasant look at the history and all the improvements the developers have made during its active career, leaving with us a rally game with some of the best stage designs ever conceived in the video game rally genre, but one which fans have mostly seen before.

If you and a friend or partner are into this cosy niche corner of gaming and are happy to spend an afternoon burning your brains together, The Past Within is a must play. Mostly because it’s good, but also sort of because there aren’t many other options that you likely haven’t already exhausted. If I could get my way, I’d be playing new games just like this weekly. But the sad truth is they’re a rarity, and we should cherish them when they’re here. So make sure to get comfortable, grab a relaxing drink, and hang out with your ally on a discord chat or over the phone. There’s no rush, no time limits or anything. Just enjoy what makes these types of teamwork-focused games so special by spending time with someone you care about and you’re sure to have a great time.

A great concept with rewarding moments of gameplay that is only slightly hampered by a handful of little things, as well as the omission of other things. A little more enemy variety, a little less level wandering and a tightening up of other aspects would have made this game a real rock concert for the ages. But it’s still an entertaining effort that was worth the trip to the back alley….or a friend’s garage, or wherever it is people go to listen to concerts these days.

You cannot mention A Plague Tale: Requiem without the graphics, especially some of the mind-blowing environments and vistas, no matter how beautiful or vile their settings are, plus the incredible rat rendering technology included, help make this some of the best visuals in a medium for 2022. Fans of the first game are in for such a treat, and newcomers, more so those who love games that focus on spectacle narrative with over-the-top action, are going to love the continuation of Amicia’s and Hugo’s gruesome journey, which showcases a strong bond between family that would impress even the likes of Dominic Toretto.

Yacht Club Games has once again hit paydirt, and Shovel Knight Dig is as deep a gameplay experience as fans could hope for, in addition to newcomers. Now stop reading all the digging puns in this review and get shoveling.

Even more colourful, engaging and eccentric than ever before, Splatoon 3 is bringing the same highly amusing casual and competitive fun of Splatoon’s unique paint-based versus gameplay and polishes it closer to perfection, like topping up some old decorations with a fresh coat of paint. It is disappointing that there is nothing ground-breaking, as new weapons, maps and a couple of modes are nothing to scream about, but the campaign is the best and most inventive it has been yet, bringing a good solid 7+ hours of fun. The game also throws in a card battler for some added distraction. The quality-of-life improvements to the multiplayer were so needed, bringing the game closer to the current modern age of online gameplay.

Cult of the Lamb is a good game. It’s a lot of fun. But I have this nagging sensation it could have been so, so much more interesting, and it leaves me wanting.

I think fans of the genre will really appreciate what Live A Live is trying to accomplish with its storytelling variety, even if the battles can become grindy towards the end of the game.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a slow burner, but once everything comes together, it provides some of the better Musou madness, but now with a better story and much-improved character development, which shows how short the Fire Emblem element was in the original Fire Emblem Warriors. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a recommended title for Musou and Fire Emblem: Three Houses fans, which will keep you entertained until the next entry hits.

The game does not push the genre forward, but what is here is an exceptionally fun fighting game that is slightly cheaper than full price. Its visuals are great, the combat is ridiculous, exciting and entertaining, the characters all feel bespoke and broken, and the mechanics, while not the deepest, have layers to them. This helps DNF Duel hold the interest of serious fighting game players, while not making the casual player suffer. Amazing online netcode is just the icing on the cake for this eccentric fighting game, a title that will most likely be remembered for the insanity that is ensured to happen in every match.