Clearly the aim here has been to make something broad, to bring this story and its amplification of southern culture to as many people as possible. But in the process the joy of more rewarding interactivity, or more uniquely defined identity beyond the familiar platforming and fighting patterns, has been lost. So, again, the overwhelming sense here really is one of disappointment. Not that South of Midnight is a disappointing game - far from it - but that it's such a shame for it to get so close to being something so genuinely special. This is a game of just remarkable craft - we've not even mentioned the stop-motion style of animation! It's lovely - and likewise remarkable attention, thought, and care. If only just a little more of that care had been afforded to the playing of it.

If you can get over a difficult start and fancy a lean take on the survival genre, Atomfall delivers an intriguing tale worth discovering.

InZoi, then, has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Its good bits – the slick presentation, the expansive customisation, and the simple pleasures of tootling around in such richly detailed worlds – are continually undermined by the void where a bit of virtual humanity should be. But even so, I can't deny there's something here; a solid systemic foundation that feels ready to be tuned and finessed into a far more interesting game – and that, of course, is precisely what early access is for. There are other questions still to be answered that could make the difference between a long-lasting legacy and a short shelf life – how Krafton plans to introduce monetisation after early access, for instance, or whether InZoi can generate enough enthusiasm to support the kind of dazzlingly rich modding scene that's helped sustain The Sims for so long. It's a start, though, and I'm curious to see where Krafton goes from here. [Early Access Impressions]

Majestic in scope, impressive in detail, Assassin's Creed Shadows honours the beauty of feudal Japan, even if its strongest moments are saved for the personal stories of two protagonists.

Not all its additions are for the better, but this excavation of Monolith Soft's alien opus remains as fascinating and enthralling as it was a decade ago.

Far from cribbing Overboard's homework, Expelled! is a tighter, more focused detective story that really makes the most of its replayable timeloop structure.

Warm-hearted, funny, and never less than sincere, Wanderstop is a pleasant place to while away the time, though less successful as a vehicle for mindfulness in itself.

Fantastic from start to finish, Split Fiction is one of the most inventive and joyful co-op games to date, and a testament to the power of human imagination.

Knights in Tight Spaces expands on every part of the Fights in Tight Spaces template, but an abundance of new ideas swamps the clarity the original game had.

Both While Waiting and The Swimmer seem deeply interested in life - what it's made of, how it unfolds, and how easy it is to miss important details. Both are larks, in a way, but difficult, complex, ponderous larks. You know, if such a thing is possible.

An entertaining one-stop-shop for competitive multiplayer action, but the recently released Black Hawk Down campaign is an unpleasant war simulation in all the wrong ways.

Alongside this stuff you get all the silliness and cute little extras you could hope for. This is a game for zooming in close. A museum curator will be scanning an alien pod with a PKE device. A ghost will be idly checking out the furnishings. A thief will be absconding with a fossil, while a kid then hangs from part of the frame it was once displayed on. In the aquariums, faces press up against the tanks. People clamber on the bigger exhibits and try to climb into them. What's that clown doing? Why are all those people suddenly running?

The most exhilarating and refined Monster Hunter yet, even if its attempts to balance the old and new don't always quite coalesce in its ongoing quest to please all audiences.

A fascinating new narrative adventure from the original Life is Strange team, this first slice boasts fresh twists that help move the formula forward, even if its story sometimes feels a remix of genre tropes.

A raucous, absurd spin-off that manages to still feel like a first-rate Yakuza game despite the leftfield setting and delightfully unhinged plot.

Aspyr's renovation project tackles the three lesser Crofts, with intriguing results.

What Avowed lacks in gloss it makes up for with charm, depth and a playful heart. It's one of this year's most pleasant surprises.

A stylish but slow-paced mystery anthology that's just a little too sluggish for its own good.

A soulful and gorgeous Metroidvania with exquisite hack and slash action.

It is a hard and maddening slog at times, but one that still has its moments where it surprises and quietly delights. Like the original, this isn't an RPG designed to make you feel good - you continue to be little more than a passenger in this historical tapestry, following along behind the horse tails of Henry's betters, and clearing up the mess they leave behind. Some will revel in that work, but I for one won't be chomping at the bit for another sequel any time soon.

A competent entry with some poorly executed ideas and a striking lack of personality.

With a new found sense of tension, and showpiece Contract missions, Citizen Sleeper is transformed. This follow-up has improved the RPG formula in every way.

For all the game's lighthearted sleuthing and slinking, it does not shy away from dreadful subject matter, concerning itself, to a large degree, with the Church's often monstrous real-world legacy. The most affecting story is that which occurs through the bodies and minds of its uniformly endearing characters. As they are beaten and maimed by fearsome monks and brutish henchmen, a slow accretion of hardship takes place. It is not the enjoyably flexible stealth action, nor the undercooked mystery, or even the lavish monastery that lingers in the mind, but their human suffering. Foregrounding this emotion is reason enough to tell such a story again.

An action RPG with magical powers that feel genuinely dangerous, married to level design that offers scale and prettiness.

Sniper Elite: Resistance may not innovate much on the series' standard blueprint, but it's still a challenging, rewarding, and deeply satisfying adventure.

A typically snappy entry in the best series that action tower defence has to offer, held back by a repeating roguelite structure that's only partially successful.

LCB's latest shows a powerful control of the things that make true pulps great.

A straightforward remaster that struggles to outshine the Switch port of Tropical Freeze, but Returns HD is still a challenging and satisfying platformer that stands the test of time.

NetEase's spin on the hero battler is complex and moreish, but rarely much actual fun. Its biggest impact is a renewed appreciation for the rivals that do it better.

The paid, offline version of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a lot more chill, but the legacy of its freemium systems still requires a little navigation.

A gentle cadence and quirky characters can't counter Mythwrecked's repetitiveness, making this more Greek tragedy than odyssey.

A horror game with a twist? We've not seen one of those before! But The Cabin Factory's big trick is just enough to set it apart.

Soulslike thrills combine with sky-high production values to make Path of Exile 2 a hugely impressive package, even in early access. [Early Access Review]

Fun and challenging swordplay can't make up for bland and repetitive action between behemoths, making this far from the epic adventure it wants to be.

Naiad offers real pleasures and real frustrations - but always with a purpose in mind.

Densely imagined and as complex as you fancy, this roguelike RPG is brilliant.

It might not have quite the same wow factor second time around, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 builds on its astonishing predecessor with intelligence and precision - making an already impressive achievement richer and more welcoming.

UsTwo's slightly airless prettiness benefits from a few new ideas.

Smart, fun and so very Indiana Jones, The Great Circle is a stealth action tour de force that marks a bold new era for MachineGames.

The cult classic mobile RPG finally gets its due, for lovers of mechanics over story who can rise to the demands of its extreme challenge.

A true step forward for open-world gacha games, Infinity Nikki finally brings some much needed competition to the miHoYo monopoly.

Short but powerfully unsettling, Threshold takes aim at the strange and horrifying helplessness of being a small cog in a giant corporate machine, and nails its execution brilliantly.

Instantly captivating and perpetually playful, this whimsical romp across a world of paper lanterns is utterly enchanting.

Two RTS classics that are still worth playing today, even if the greatest enemy of both Warcraft armies still ends up being the humble tree.

Two RTS classics that are still worth playing today, even if the greatest enemy of both Warcraft armies still ends up being the humble tree.

Beautifully animated, wonderfully voiced and witty to boot, Loco Motive ticks a lot of right boxes for point and click likers. If only its underlying mystery wasn't quite so sidelined and predictable.

Planet Coaster 2's flexible creation tools are as compulsive as ever, but the fun butts up against an exhausting UI, uninspired management gameplay, and conspicuous content gaps that feel like cynical spaces for DLC.

Full of anomalies in more ways than one, Stalker 2 is a mess of bugs and jank that nonetheless stays faithful to the open world survival shooter of yesteryear.

Bold, raw and effortlessly stylish, Sorry We're Closed uses the building blocks of survival horror to tell a compelling and hard-hitting love story to brilliant effect.

While the invisible hand of compulsion and in-game spending lingers, Pokémon TCG Pocket benefits from smartly interwoven systems and, crucially, just a darn good underlying card game.

Some excellent enhancements make this the ultimate version of Dragon Quest III, but it could still do more to make it wholly welcoming to newcomers.

Too simple and childish for adults, and too one-note to convert the kids, Lego Horizon Adventures does little to recommend it to either existing Horizon fans or series newcomers.

A compelling modern mystery thriller that's bigger, better and more ambitious than its already brilliant predecessor.

It's natural. It's eternal. It's unnaturally natural. It's the game that someone, something, will be playing somewhere when the sun explodes. It's Tetris.

Metro Awakening VR delivers some terrifying moments in its deep, thought-provoking story, but after a strong start, repetitive levels and pacing issues kill most of its momentum.

Fun, cheeky and irreverent, Death of the Reprobate prances through art history with a wicked twinkle in its eye, and is one of this year's most memorable adventure games.

Fear the Spotlight is the least scary horror game you'll likely ever play, but there's a tenderness to its storytelling that cannot be overstated here, even if some of it's a bit muddled.

For a series built on high-octane thrills and explosive gratification, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's withdrawal to the well-trodden formula echoes the wider industry's continued allergy to risk.

A relatively minor instalment, but in a series this magical, that's still good news.

Slitterhead can be a slow-burn to begin with, but once its combat clicks, this is an action horror game like few others.

A taut, time-hopping horror game that playfully subverts expectations at every step, and is all the more refreshing for it.

I'm slightly baffled by the drubbing No More Room in Hell 2 has received on Steam. Sure, there are rough edges, from amusing bugs such as zombie hair disappearing when you smack them with a pipe, to more serious issues including the occasional crash. But in structure and tone, it's comfortably the most engaging zombie game I've played since the original Dying Light. It takes the concept seriously, patiently builds its tension, and weaves some interesting social dynamics into the mix. I can understand why some people might glance at Torn Banner's work and write it off as another zombie game. But if anything, No More Room in Hell 2 is a prime example of why you should never take the undead for granted. [Early Access Review]

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead takes some very usable source material and fails to do much with it.

Like its own hero's dabbling with time travel, Life is Strange: Double Exposure highlights the troubles of trying to revisit old memories, while raising unanswered questions about the future.

A fantasy role-playing game of astonishing spectacle. This is the best Dragon Age, and perhaps BioWare, has ever been.

This return to Alan Wake's horror roots feels a little lacking compared to the main game, but its examination of AI and art's relationship with science arguably hides its most daring meta commentary yet.

This is a new FC, with some genuine differences on- and off-pitch. It's also the exact same FC it's always been.

Batman Arkham Shadow can feel rough around the edges at times, but it's still a more than worthy entry to the Arkham series, and an essential Quest 3 experience.

Wilmot's gentle and relaxing jigsaw puzzles won't tax you in the slightest, but this warm bubble bath of a game is very soothing, and it weaves a surprising tale of companionship and found friends around the edges.

Shadow's campaign provides some of the best 3D levels of the series, but it's coupled with a dated and unnecessary remaster. If only Sega went all-in on the future.

A polished, bewitching upgrade that sinks its claws into you - featuring perhaps the best character class in Diablo's history.

Nomada Studio follows up on the striking Gris with an effort that's poignant and precise, if maybe just a tad melodramatic.

It's the biggest Mario Party game yet, but fails to find the fun at almost every step.

Sparking! Zero is everything Dragon Ball fans will have wanted, but it's also just a blast for those unbothered by its extensive fan-service.

With spectacular landscapes and soothing music, Europa is a deeply zen experience - yet is also capable of delivering some hard-hitting messages.

Persona veteran Atlus flexes its expertise with a fresh take on high fantasy. What it lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in grandeur and heart.

A beautiful, elusive mood piece, Phoenix Springs' blend of taut dystopian detective noir and meandering surrealism is likely to frustrate as much as it intrigues.

Despite its initially promising duality concept, tactical shooter Spectre Divide is held back by a hesitance to take further creative risks. The results are underwhelming.

While Shattered Space is quite possibly one of Starfield's most enjoyable storylines to date, it once again struggles to offer any real consequences. And its new setting feels woefully underutilised.

Against the odds, Bloober Team has delivered a remake that both expands Silent Hill 2 in just the right places, and gives careful attention to what it preserves.

Ingenious, unstable, and uncompromising in pursuit of its goals, Shadows of Doubt truly is the ultimate hard-boiled detective sim.

Thanks to playful puzzles and an imaginative reinvention of Hyrule's historic iconography, Echoes of Wisdom emerges as a bold and creative new chapter in Zelda's legend.

A sequel that takes the thrilling cold-survival city-building heart of Frostpunk and evolves it in every way, while losing none of what made the series so special to begin with.

Dead Rising's over the top zombie shenanigans still hold up in 2024, but next to the remaster from 2016, this is definitely geared more toward first-time players than returning fans.

An ingenious puzzle-platformer that takes players from a children's book and out into the wider world around it.

This is what 50 games will get you, then. The surprise of it: a premise that seems to be all scrolling and endless variation and swiping for something new, is actually about the pleasures of ignoring everything except for this one glittering thing that's in front of you right now. UFO 50's an improbably rangy confection that's secretly absolutely all about focus.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown's technical issues, both online and in performance terms, do a disservice to a novel, detailed game world.

I Am Your Beast is a sensationally rapid-fire action game in every sense, but there's also a surprisingly well-realised thread of narrative running through.

Since I finished Caravan SandWitch a few days back, more than anything I've been eager to go back to it. This gently playful world may actually be at its best when you're doing not much of anything. Take the van for a coast over the dunes. Pick through a robot graveyard that always looked interesting. Open out the last areas of the map that you've already cleared by unjamming radar signals and already picked free of most in-game doodads. There's a sense of adventure here that runs so deep it must emerge from the land itself.

When it's all done I'm left with that strange feeling of being very well cared for. I've seen a bunch of wild sights. I've messed around with cool gadgets, used the controller in unusual ways, tilting it, yes, but also blowing into it, trying to read the buried hieroglyphs of its rumble, I've ticked boxes, collected things, unlocked things, nodded at references that make me feel old, or sharp-eyed, or generally in the know. But when I close my eyes I see the tumbling fruit, the hundreds and thousands, the gems stacked so high I can kick through them as if I'm wading through autumn leaves. I think, more than anything, of all the glorious bits and pieces.

Space Marine 2's campaign is a spectacular and mostly thrilling follow-up to the original, but the game's grisly combat shines best in its cooperative Operations mode.

One of Capcom's most handsome Ace Attorney remasters to date, the Investigations Collection brings welcome improvements to some longstanding series weaknesses, but divorcing it from its courtroom setting and structure is its biggest and most fatal flaw.

Supermassive Games' collaboration with Dead By Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive results in occasionally awkward fan service.

A compact and ingenious turn-based battler with an evocative world.

Concord's snappy combat and colourful character abilities make it a perfectly playable shooter. But muddled hero designs and unimaginative maps and modes leave it struggling to stand out.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a successful homage to the venerable series, which tells an enticing story despite its repetitive nature.

Massive bravely peels away the many layers of Ubisoft open world-isms in Star Wars Outlaws. It's a fatal error.

Suspicious Developments' latest builds a witty, wonderfully generous adventure around a smart, rewarding, and endlessly imaginative turn-based tactics core.