Kena: Bridge of Spirits lands on Switch 2 in good condition, but the feeling can't be shaken that it could be much better. Whilst the heart, story and the fantastical wonder remains, technically we've seen far better on the hybrid system, and this port does a disservice to a game that should be treated with more care.

Dosa Divas isn't without some ingredients missing to create a robust RPG, but it's a well-seasoned narrative adventure that's exciting your senses. The story and characters are heartfelt and impressively written, the combat system although not expansive is fun to engage with; and the cooking minigames, whilst not perfect, are an excellent detour to round out the gameplay loop.

Rich gothic atmosphere and solid roguelike, inventory management puzzling give Fortune Seller a promising sales pitch. The ever-increasing payments and frustratingly imbalanced economy demands, however, mean its a hard sell thanks to overzealous haggling. Once this promising antique is better tuned and polished, it'll be ready for more bartering.

Easy Delivery Co. is a laid back low poly vibes based game, until it isn't. The core gameplay loop of delivering packages, whilst thinking about your resources, is a fun couple of hours. However, the gameplay becomes stagnant as no real progression is felt until you've almost beaten it. There's an iceberg to delve into post-game, probably found on message boards, but none of it is earned in-game.

A poor attempt at a Vanillaware style game, Ariana and the Elder Codex is not the dark academia tale I wanted. Instead its a sad and shallow mix of frustrating combat, dull narrative vignettes, and tiresome level design, that left me wishing I had borrowed it from the library and could take it back. Do not judge this book by its cover.

Bearing the legacy of Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando lands with an almighty bang when it comes to gunplay and spectacle defence sequences against armies of undead numbering in the thousands. It's unfortunately saddled with lame writing and meagre fresh ideas, which can thankfully be ignored as you unleash armageddon with bullets and explosions with your friends.

A compelling and atmospheric story of twin girls exploring a haunted village is marred by its gameplay. Had Fatal Frame II Crimson Butterfly Remake been a more straight forward third person combat adventure I may have enjoyed it more, but I found the first person camera-based combat disorienting, cumbersome, frustrating and repetitive.

Reanimal is a whole beast of its own from Tarsier Studios, but only vaguely beyond the surface. It's a dark yet tasteful turn into more mature horror, with a striking art style, and a tremendous level of world building. However, its gameplay doesn't quite feel like the improved pivot every other aspect Reanimal has, as it's what we've come to expect from the studio. It's still an unnerving spectacle to trudge through, but it just feels a little too familiar to be impactful.

Nioh 3 expands the series from tight bitesized focus to expansive open world design over multiple time periods. And while the third samurai soulslike still plays incredibly, its structurally compromised by recycled enemies, easy difficulty, too much loot and a nonsense plot. Bigger is not always better.

Overall, Visions of Four Heroes is a good quality expansion to Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but may feel too pricey for the lack of fresh material. The two new weapons and early prototype for strategy battles are interesting, while the core gameplay remains excellent. However, the storytelling continues to tread water and the expansion doesn't take much of a risk with its ideas, which may leave some feeling short-changed by its asking price.

Desolate but beautiful metroidvania MIO: Memories In Orbit nails the fundamentals of a lot of inspiration. Whether its precision platforming, finding shortcuts, soulslike bosses or wonderful evocative soundscapes, this one is well worth your time if you are a fan of the genre.

Amidst the sea of rogues and Survivors, Devil Jam rocks up with its effort. With solid gameplay, colourful visuals and a neat beat mechanic, it can be fun. But it doesn't offer much in terms of substance, and is subsequently more for the hardcore genre fans only.

Two Point Museum's Switch 2 port retains the games gloriously entertaining mechanics, hilarious dialogue and addictive gameplay loop. It stutters in the visuals when the crowds pile up though, and the lack of mouse controls is a strange thing to miss for such a big port. As such, there are far better places to experience this terrific game.

An atmospheric detective mystery, The Last Case of John Morley is a compact tale with surprisingly high production values for a game of this size. Unfortunately, it undermines itself by telegraphing its twisting narrative and lacks those 'eureka' moments you'd find in other, similar titles. Still, if you're in the mood for a one-and-done 'whodunnit' that you can start and finish in a single sitting, this is still worth your attention.

A.I.L.A is a game of two halves. The first promises an intriguing and mind-bending narrative with gameplay experiences pulling from various inspirations for an exciting, evolving horror experience. The second unfortunately drops much of what makes the game feel unique and special, with a dampened finale and some overly drawn out, familiar experiences. Despite this, it still shines with the glow of an enigmatic A.I machine ready to take the world by storm, even with some technical hiccups.

R-Type Delta HD Boosted offers tight gameplay and nostalgic strategy, but muddy visuals and collision bugs hold it back from greatness.

It fails to deliver a compelling group of characters or a plot with any interesting hook, and doesn’t live up to the games that it’s clearly inspired by. It is a lot like The World Ends with You, which I also felt failed to give its characters any real depth, but it is not Persona 3, for example, that delves deep into its characters and their motivations to the point you feel you know them. All I knew, even after many hours with Demonschool’s cast, was that they were snarky and annoying, and they couldn’t accept plainly obvious things for hours on end.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is a fun, familiar dip back into the world of Bikini Bottom packed with charm, ghostly goings on but a fair bit of repetition. It’s comfort food for the nostalgic, but if you’re looking for something fresh beneath the waves, you might not find much treasure here.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl ventures into the uncharted territory of the PS5 in a much better technical state, though the odd bug is still common. Boasting a huge apocalyptic landscape to explore, impressively long main story and some great gunplay, its destructive charm is easily noticeable. Sadly, it feels caught between two parallel genres and is unable to commit to either, suffering from tedious survival mechanics and superfluous decision making. The mysteries of the Zone pale in comparison to the mystery of what could have been if it had had a unified vision.

Winter Burrow is a charming, storybook survival adventure that swaps stress for serenity, wrapping its cozy world in warmth and heart. It’s a delight to explore, but without a map or fast travel, that long trudge home can start to feel frostier than it should.

Tattoo Tycoon is a tycoon game where you can run a tattoo shop and it's fine. Amongst what's currently being released there's every chance it will get a little lost in the shuffle and unfortunately, it's not doing an awful lot to make itself stand out from the crowd. Try it on PC where it's meant to be played.

Boasting an impressive commitment to a versatile sandbox of hack-and-slash and retro FPS action, Rebel Engine has the fundamentals for a fast-paced and exhilarating time with vibrant visuals. It breaks at the seams thanks to cumbersome controls, a flat story and lack of punch in feedback to the action, but stylish hunting thrill seekers should find something worth blasting through.

Ion Fury: Aftershock holds nothing back with its intention. It's as old school an expansion pack as you can get, with more of the same and a smattering of new features to justify the price tag. It won't appeal to anyone who hasn't played the first Ion Fury, but it's a solid continuation for those that have.

While it's impossible to recommend Extremely Powerful Capybaras over any of the giants in the genre, it could act as a competent "my first auto-roguelike-bullet heaven" game. It's light on content and the repetitive nature may grate on some, but the colourful art style and inclusion of co-op are a saving grace, and I could see if added to the rotation for family game night.

Anomaly hunting in the style of Cabin In The Woods sounds like a great premise on paper, but The Cabin Factory falls foul of malfunction thanks to overly repetitive and bland gameplay, with too small an environment to maintain any form of tension. It does attempt some semblance of a story and it may do well as a quick experience for streamers, but there's little else beyond that to recommend it above established cult classics like Exit 8.

A sweet cosy automation game, Little Rocket Lab brings life back to a small little town with style. It may not be for everyone, but those that get a kick out of this kind of peaceful, stress-free experience will find plenty to enjoy.

Little Nightmares III still looks incredible, but clunky controls, an awkward camera, and a watered-down sense of dread stop it from fully reaching its potential. Co-op brings a fun new twist to this entry, but some of the fear and magic that made the series special seems to have slipped through the cracks.

Twinkleby is a charming, whimsical take on the decorating sim, offering creativity without consequence. It’s light on challenge and sometimes drifts into slow territory, but for those who find joy in arranging, customising, and soaking in cosy vibes, it’s a floating-island daydream.

In reaching for the heights of the Silent Hill's of the world, EMOTIONLESS: The Last Ticket impresses with its atmosphere and engrossingly unnerving sense of place. Sadly, that all disintegrates away with a plot that's poorly voiced and lacking in substance, while the walking simulator gameplay will have you trying to overcome boredom more than terror.

Exploring the intrinsic link between creation and destruction, Dreams of Another hints at hidden depth, but fails to deliver it in a clear and understandable way. Repetition and disjointed storytelling undermines the narrative which is otherwise propped up by interesting art direction and a top quality soundtrack.

A fun 'all ages welcome' pick up and play NBA title, that does away with the excess and offers a light-hearted, enjoyable enough take on basketball. It's asking price leaves a lot to be desired, mind.

Leagues ahead of last years iteration, FC 26 puts the power in the hands on the players and says 'just go have fun with it'. The difference is startling, and it's credit to EA Sports that they took as much as they did back to the drawing board to deliver an experience worthy of the Champions League. The additional monetisation is not welcome, though. And we can only hope that what's been added in that regard is rejected by the audience and removed for next year.

Though troubled and caught up in transition from expansion to a fully fledged game, Dying Light: The Beast still excels in the core fundamentals of combat and parkour. The story is forgettable, while the lack of night-time scenarios feels disappointing, but The Beast will give Dying Light fans more of what they most desire: decimating infected crowds and dashing across skylines with reckless abandon.

A brief, pacey and regularly unsettling pastiche of Steamboat Willie, Bad Cheese will unfortunately stop short of sending a shiver down your spine. For fans of teen-horror, it’s still worth a few hours of your time, but its rigid structure and lack of real depth will prevent it from joining the horror classics.

Flashy, inspired but flawed, Hotel Barcelona is a blood-drenched, frenetic but clunky action roguelite. Leaning towards style rather than substance, its creative story, breadth of replaybility and brilliant horror-inspired art direction make this one for the cultists.

The seemingly strong foundations of Arctic Awakening's opening give way like an icy lake with one too many cracks. Where the narrative struggles with inconsistent performances and an underwhelming concluding chapter, the music and visuals elevate and lift the experience far beyond its basic walking simulator beats. Even if you may take a freezing bath or two along the way, I'd still recommend daring the trip across the Arctic for the sights and sounds alone.

Charming, spooky and just the right amount of cosy for the autumn period, Gloomy Eyes is a fun self-coop puzzler with an even better sense of style. It isn't without its flaws, like its gameplay being a little buggy and puzzles staying the same throughout, but the worldbuilding, visuals and tone are so inviting that you can't help but get lost in the gloom.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: The Order of Giants delivers more of what the base game so excelled at, albeit in a trimmed down fashion. The puzzles and tombs in this DLC deliver some of the best you'll find, but the new location being so sewer-orientated is a let down. Pulled up by the scruff of the neck by some fun storytelling and more excellent gameplay, this expansion does just enough to make you want to don the famous explorer's hat once more.

A real blast from the past, Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening is as classic an anime as it gets. Whilst it seems like a niche game for the fans, it's an accessible action platformer for old and newcomers a like. Interspersed with original animations and corny dialogue, it's a fun little romp through the golden era of anime and space adventuring.

Daemon X Machina Titanic Scion suffers from too many systems and not enough depth. Sure, there’s a lot to do and a lot of mech customisation, but it’s all set in an underwhelming and cliched story and a barren open world devoid of compelling content.

Metal Eden’s hyperkinetic and challenging gameplay that tested age-old strategies was appreciated, even if it’s science fiction city and story was too safe and generic to be memorable. It is not Metroid however much it might want to look like it on the shiny spherical surface.

Hirogami has a bright world to explore and some interesting gameplay ideas to fold over. However, the art of it all is a little lost when the developers' over ambition doesn't come to fruition in the game. It plays old, feels like it too, and despite being a throwback to the PS2 era, it doesn't have the tact and precision to pull off this nostalgia trip.

Vlad Circus: The Curse of Asmodeus is the follow-up I wasn't expecting, and one I wish could have been better. The gameplay is lighter, the story less rich and the tone even more bleak than Descend Into Madness. If this wasn't attached to a good prequel, this would be overlooked.

There's not a huge amount to get excited about with Sporting Goods Shop, but what it does it does well enough to justify its existence. If you're new to the genre, you could do a lot worse. A veteran simulator player? Move along, you've seen it all before.

A pleasantly competent cosy sim, Discounty combines light drama with supermarket running gameplay to make something very relaxing. However, it may be a little too relaxed as there's no progression tied to gameplay and no real room to excel at being a shopkeeper, giving you nothing to work towards with agency. Cosy sim fans will have a good time but not a great one.

Mafia: The Old Country strips back much of what weighed Hanger 13's previous entry down. While the story and gameplay rely solely on solid and well-trodden tropes in a much more linear design, the intense focus on great characters and a gorgeous Sicilian setting make this a leaner experience that's worth the lower price of admission. This Mafioso family has a long way to go to re-establish its place at the head of the table, but the beginnings of its criminal enterprise are promising.

A bitesize RPG with some incredibly gorgeous pixel art, Artis Impact has a quirkiness and charm that will either win you over, or frustrate you beyond belief, but it’s odd systems and largely unrealised combat system will exasperate regardless.

Bringing a conquest mode to Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance adds to the already excellent gritty and realistic tactical battles from the vanilla release. Unfortunately, the mode is also lacking in substance, with no diplomacy and attack vs defence variables to consider, which leaves Uprising feeling like a great concept that's a sad case of missed potential.

Endzone 2 emerges from the fallout shelter with a new direction. The shift to a more modular, zone-based world map, as well as more directly involved expeditions both pays off and causes drawbacks in equal measure. However, the core of this colony sim continues to be entertaining and well structured, even if it is as slowly paced as the rate of radiation decontamination.

Eriksholm the place is a beautiful creation, full of detail and complexity. It’s a shame that Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream lacks the same kind of complexity. With only a handful of stealth tools or route options, it feels like a guided tour of the city rather than a stealth adventure where anything could happen.

In attempting to modernise and streamline the formula, Killing Floor 3 delivers a decent but disappointing follow-up to a niche classic. The changes to Perks, weapon variety and introduction of the social hub do little to uplift the core mechanics, and even hinder the best of what Killing Floor 2 delivered. The music and MEAT system deliver the thrills alongside solid gunplay and wave-based survival, but this sequel struggles to build a menacing legacy that can stand alongside the previous iteration.

Another drop in the Soulslike well, WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is if anything a spirited and colourful take on precedings. But lush visuals and a smattering of some tweaked mechanics don't really do much to differentiate from practically any other offering in the difficult action-adventure genre. One for the devout, perhaps, but nothing new to those that are getting Souls fatigue.

Maestro passes the baton to you to be a conductor with outstanding results. The core gameplay is fine-tuned and authentic, with a soundtrack that's one for the ages - and not because it's a lot of old songs. However, with a lack of incentive to outperform yourself or peers, and no good way to play the game outside of going between songs for 2 hours, Maestro is slightly lacking in being an essential VR game.

From a solo player's perspective, Phantom Squad is a frustrating and unbalanced trial of patience that doesn't pay off enough to make it worth it. Rope in a couple of friends to squad up though, and the game completely transforms into an intense, intricately designed and frantic sandbox to have a blast in. Just make sure you don't go it alone, this unit was meant for a team, not an individual.

Your Personal Chill Apartment works best as a tool in your daily life, rather than a game in the traditional sense. Reward yourself with new products for your apartment as you go through your daily life and create the quiet hub of your dreams. With lovely visuals and ambient music it's a relaxing, enjoyable experience, but the lack of depth or replayability will mean this is a one or two hour effort that offers little outside its core mechanic.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skate 3 + 4 uses the same gameplay formula as its predecessor, making it almost as fun. 4's redesign feels intuitive, the soundtrack befits the new coat of paint and the core gameplay is heaps of fun. With that said, character creation and career progression is hollow and unfulfilling, with nothing "new" to get stuck into outside of its 19 levels.

At its heart, Front Mission 3 Remake is a mostly-faithful adaptation of the 2000's original. It retains the same tactical mech action, with some smoother transitions and polished graphics. But with the looming accusation of AI asset usage, and not much else being done to draw in newcomers, it may be a slightly harder sell than expected.

Like any creative 4-chord song, Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson makes good on the promise of a turn-based RPG that melds a great tune with a stylish bassline. Also much like a 4-chord song, it quickly becomes easy to predict and master, lacking that extra depth to elevate it beyond its accessible design. Even so, it's hard not to play it without a smile on your face and an appreciation for its colourful visuals.

TRON: Catalyst presents a myriad of ideas within its gameplay, but never utilises each facet astoundingly, leaving the game to feel lacking. Whilst nothing is bad about Catalyst, there isn't a moment that felt inspired and exceeded the bar of quality I set myself after the opening hours. If you're a Tron fan or new to the genres Catalyst apes, there maybe something for you here, but the code runs thin on this one.

Star Overdrive shines when you’re on the board, delivering fast, fluid thrills. But clunky on-foot sections and weak combat drag it down, leaving a game that’s half brilliant, half forgettable.

Charming pixel art, level design and world make Outrider Mako an eye-opening prospect, but once you enter this Yokai realm and start making deliveries, it’s repetitive structure and chaotic combat underwhelm.

Architect Life is a well made and intensely detailed look at the world of house design, and those brought up on The Sims will feel that creativity pouring through the screen. Just be prepared to pay extra if you feel like you're missing a cinema.

Locomoto is a perfectly pleasant cozy experience that will scratch that itch if you're looking for something a little different to do than start a farm. Full of whimsy and fun characters, you've definitely had a worse train experience than this one.

Rooftops & Alleys has a great foundation of parkour gameplay. But with a handful of levels and no great variety of missions that'll have you tripping over your feet, this won't keep players around for long; unless they're hardcore into parkour.

Heartfelt, charming and very on-brand for Keita Takahashi, to a T is a fun episodic journey of a teenager stuck in the T-pose. However, with an emphasis on narrative and cut scenes, the gameplay takes a backseat, making those fleeting moments of T-posing minigame shenaginans feel less impactful as a result.

FromSoftware have tried their hand at an entirely different style of game in Elden Ring Nightreign. The stripped-down, condensed and multiplayer-orientated focus leave a title that has many thrilling moments, but feels devoid of the life and soul that made the original Elden Ring such a special experience. Entering this fog alone is folly, but with a couple of like-minded Souls vets, there's plenty of great moments to be had amongst the repetition.

A fun, unique little Zelda-like with all the quirk and style of a 90s heyday Game Boy game, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is going to scratch that itch if you like 'em retro. However, tricky controls and high difficulty are going to see many leave it languishing on the shelf after a few hours, alongside their old Yoyo.

A old-skool minded metroidvania, unhampered by combat, The Siege and the Sandfox excels in its stealthy confines, creating a dark and masterful labyrinth to explore to your heart's content, but often because you are frustratingly lost.

Labyrinth of the Demon King is a nostalgic and pummelling entry into the survival horror/dungeon crawling genre. The Feudal Japan setting and atmospheric level design sets itself apart from its contemporaries but doesn't quite sustain its thrills in story or puzzles. Whilst the combat is rigid and slightly unfair, it's a core element to it's differing approach of retro style PS1 horror.

Walking your patrol as a rookie in The Precinct will fill you with wide-eyed hope thanks to some great arcadey Police gameplay, packed with chases and satisfying arrest work. Much like a disillusioned veteran, however, over-exposure to the same shallow mechanics, predictable story and lack of consequences will have you eying up retirement sooner than you may have envisioned.

Anoxia Station struggles to maintain the tense base-building and resource management gameplay it initially compels with. Even so, the looming sense of dread is ever-present thanks to its maddening atmosphere and exceptional use of audio. How far you're willing to dig will depend on your sanity, but there are enough diamonds in the rough to make it worth trudging through the alien sludge.

A haunted deck that's as likely to throw you a royal flush as it is sell you down the river, Deck of Haunts satisfies in its creative cards, wickedly evil fantasy power trip and a delightfully vile concept. Its best demonic forces are kept at bay thanks to a lack of real campaign or structure and some underdeveloped room expansion. Even so, if this were a haunted house at Universal Studios, you'd be disappointed to miss it, even if it's not the main attraction.

A simple enough racer, #DRIVE Rally is the next evolution from Pixel Perfect Dude's last #DRIVE title. Whilst the racing is fun and competent, the lack of anything else to do might be a little off-putting. But for those that want cute arcade racing, this will get your engines revving.

Lushfoil Photography Sim didn't quite end up being the photography escape I was hoping for. With a few bugs, a side step from photography to pick up collectables and a full photo album halting my progression, I couldn't help but lose my zen whilst trying to get lost in the game's stunning locations. The photography mechanics are perfect, with some particular attention to how holding a camera feels with the DualSense, as well as the levels being gorgeous themselves. However, I couldn't really get over the hurdles that took away from the photography experience.

A competent action adventure with a focus on stealth and platforming, Steel Seed is a fun enough romp through futuristic giga-architecture. It’s unintended glitches and unresponsive combat bring it down, and the overall package isn’t all that compelling when better examples exist elsewhere.

Lack of challenge and concessions in gameplay depth hold Augmented Empire back from being as appealing to strategy genre veterans and those who like their games to put their skills to the test. Thankfully, the interesting approach to decision-making and the world of New Savannah make up for these deficiencies, making this indie title a solid augment to invest your time in.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos 2025 is a genuinely good remaster of a video game that's nowhere near as good as you remember it being. Still, the nostalgia hits are all there in the right places and if you need a break from the real world, you could do much worse.

Grit and Valor - 1949 makes a strong first impression thanks to its setting and the thrill of acquiring the high ground to massacre mechs. Past the initial adrenaline hit however, it fails to sustain a meaningful level of excitement due to a misfiring reliance on meta-progression and underwhelming strategy depth.

Beautiful hand-crafted visuals, serene soundtrack and an abundance of nice moments to spend with your adorable companion make Koira a lovely way to spend an afternoon. While not up to the high bar set by Journey or its other contemporaries, Studio Tolima have created an emotionally investing adventure that excels when you slow down and take the opportunity for another game of hide-and-seek.

Centum is thought provoking, unflinching and maybe a little verbose. It's a minimal point-and-click where the messaging is the importance, with the gameplay taking a slight backseat to deliver the story. A rare gem for the medium that I couldn't recommend to everyone either.

KARMA: The Dark World presents a wonderfully horrifying alternate history world to become enveloped in, thanks to its superb visuals, excellent soundtrack and engrossing themes. Its story is perhaps overly ambitious with plenty of confusion and its light gameplay elements may have some lamenting what could have been, leaving a mostly positive but somewhat diminished sense of karmic balance.

Wednesdays is an earnest attempt to move the medium forward when it comes to exploring sensitive and taboo life experiences. Where it reflects on some of the lesser spoken about aspects of abuse, it succeeds. While it has a positive and optimistic view of healing from said abuse, it can occasionally veer into overly hopeful, which may be uncomfortable for some. Unafraid to tackle difficult subject matter, Wednesdays demonstrates how video games can be a vessel for important messages.

Outside of the new, most sought after destination of Feudal Japan, Assassin's Creed Shadows never really escapes its own shadow of boilerplate gameplay systems and its tried and true open world formula the series is known for. Whilst the game is at the same high standard as every other entry, it doesn't truly excel at anything more specific.

WWE 2K25 ensures the series remains the ultimate way to enjoy the most electrifying of sports entertainment, but the microtransaction fleecing is becoming harder to swallow, with an entire game mode built around it that is impossible to enjoy. It's a shame because otherwise, there's so much to do and its gameplay remains top notch. Just don't go to The Island. Yikes.

Managing to encompass the feeling of a leisurely stroll through an idyllic, relaxing location, Spilled! has both a great message regarding the environment, while also being a relaxing experience in and of itself. The short runtime might leave you wanting a bit more, and the boat can occasionally feel a tad cumbersome, but Spilled! remains a visually lovely and atmospherically pleasant jaunt through waters ready for your clean up operation.

Sporting dystopian atmosphere in an interesting Cyberpunk world, Memory Lost occasionally finds its violent groove with fast-paced action and engaging combat. However, the lack of quality storytelling and frustrations in the consistency of its mechanics means it'll malfunction like a badly inserted augment. Memory Lost won't be remembered fondly by everyone, but there'll be a view who'll find peaceful remembrance in its chaotic brand of violence.

Care Bears: To the Rescue! successfully delivers a short and sweet, charming and accessible platforming adventure suitable for all ages. Its gameplay, cooperative features, and faithful representation of the beloved franchise make it a worthwhile addition to any gaming library, but may be too easy for seasoned players familiar with platformers.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii exemplifies the pure thrill of being a hugely entertaining pirate themed adventure. What it loses in gameplay water depth and broadside storytelling, it makes up for with a streamlined approach to the Yakuza formula, an often times hilarious tone and a willingness to let the player go utterly wild. Goro may not achieve Blackbeard infamy in his pirate antics, but the blast from his cannons causes enough of a splash to make Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii worth a trip to Honolulu.

Trolls vs Vikings: Reborn delivers dozens of levels and spruced up visuals that offer plenty to fans of the tower defence strategy genre. Unfortunately, the hangover of its mobile design leads to lengthy grinding for upgrades and a lack of depth in its gameplay variety, which taken together shudder its momentum. A decent tower defence that's been nicely packaged together, it's neither the best nor the worst in the genre.

Fans of the original Beyond Blue will get something from After The Storm - so long as they go into it with the right expectations. This isn't Beyond Blue 2. This isn't an improvement on the original game. It's set in the same world, with the same characters, with a similar focus on preserving the oceans. But this is a very different game viewed from a new perspective and while it falls short of meeting the quality of the original, the game still has enough saving graces to save it from the depths entirely.

Whilst there isn't much gameplay to get stuck into, Urban Myth Dissolution Center has an engrossing mystery worth experiencing. Hypnotic visuals and decent writing may not make the game feel any less slower but it's perfect for those wanting a macabre visual novel to get lost in.

Bold changes in direction and mechanics culminate in a mixed result for Sid Meier's Civilization VII. The thrill of outwitting your opponents and seeing your chosen society thrive is alive and kicking, but the fragmented nature of the ages mechanic and issues with non-military paths to success undermine the foundation of this societal evolution.

Dive into Warriors: Abyss and you'll be met with a huge playable roster, frenetic action and a wealth of replayability value. The sights may not be as pleasant and the story is non-existent, but shifting the Warriors franchises into a rogue-like works surprisingly well.

Afterlove EP is a poignant and heartfelt visual novel that explores some intense stuff about grief, wrapped up in the conceit of still talking to those who have passed on. However the lack of control, choice and gameplay options left me wanting to process my grief elsewhere.

Whilst initially having the potential for epic battles, Big Helmet Heroes swings for greatness with its fun concept and co-operative gameplay, but bugs and frustrations turns victory hits into misses.

It may not hit the heights of other giants in the business simulation genre, but Blood Bar Tycoon has plenty of personality and good management gameplay to keep it afloat. Who knew serving vampires and chewing on lowly humans could be this joyful and light-heartedly fun?

While Waiting turns life's mundane moments into a game, sometimes a wait is exactly that, just a wait. While it offers some interesting reflections on patience and funny moments, it can leave you feeling as if there is no real progression or final pay off. If you're after something meditative, you'll enjoy the charming visual art and minimalist features with some casual puzzle fun.

DeathOmen is small in scale but dense in horror tension. The half a dozen jump scare moments are immaculately curated, while the atmosphere is fantastically unnerving. It's over too soon and the walking and clicking aren't particularly investing, but DeathOmen is an (un)welcome sign of some terrifying scares to come. I'll be looking forward to leaping out of my skin again.