SEASON: A letter to the future is a soothing and immersive world of exploration and atmosphere. It’s an easy recommendation for indie lovers with an appetite for adventure and discovery. The game revels in beautiful fidelity and a wonderful art style, containing a journey of memory, storytelling and community.

FIST is a by-the-numbers Metroidvania, elevated by its cast of anthro characters and its deep and interesting dieselpunk world. However, this doesn’t distract enough to forgive its unbalanced combat, very standard level design and a lot of back-tracking.

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.

Ys IX Monstrum Nox may come from an established franchise, but it treads the line of least resistance, trying to be as safe as possible. While its painfully slow narrative ends strongly, combat remains its strongest asset. It takes no risks, ending up as an almost cookie-cutter version of the previous title in a different setting.

A vibrant, fast paced FPS that riffs on Doom and Quake in humorous ways, Fashion Police Squad blends its retro inspirations with more modern day sensibilities for a fun if brief game. The Switch version of the game is an excellent port of the PC original, now including gyro controls and taking full benefit of the updates that have been released since launch.

Tetris, the granddaddy of all puzzlers, has hit the dance floor in his sequined disco outfit. It’s the best you’ve ever seen him, dazzling, blinding even. He’s dancing with your friend who’s half his age, but the moves he’s rocking are old-school dad-dancing and oh so dated.

Built on aged but sturdy foundations, Stronghold: Definitive Edition honours the roots of the franchise with wonderfully remastered visuals, challenging new content campaigns and a level of love many other, more money-hungry remasters fail to receive. A veritable banquet of siege warfare awaits, including actual multiplayer support and a smashing higher fidelity soundtrack. “To the walls!” as the archers would say.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black isn’t perfect, but its razor-sharp combat and relentless challenge ensure it still stands tall.

After a long, long hiatus, it’s amazing to see Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 come to life. A great campaign for new and returning fans, bolstered by adjacent multiplayer modes, there’s enough here to get stuck into. Paired with some gorgeous visuals and chunky action, this is as cathartic an action-shooter-brawler as one can hope to enjoy. For the Emperor!

Whilst it may seem like a no thrills arcade entry, SkyDrift Infinity carries itself well with its gameplay. A kart-game-with-aeroplanes, it hits that nostalgic, high speed level of fun that we haven’t had since the early 2000’s, before everything became all boring and serious.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a truly special JRPG. Its focus on characters and worldbuilding set up a smaller, far more personal story. Its highly customisable skill system meant that combat never felt stale. I haven’t felt this way about a JRPG in a long time, and I cannot wait to catch up with Crossbell and its cast of characters again when the sequel launches in 2023. It’s not just one of my favourite games of 2022; it’s among my favourite games of all time.

A beautiful take on the ancient Chinese story, Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have joined forces to create something magical. Wo Long is a tour de force, with its only issue being that it tries too many new things that will largely be ignored. At its core, it’s a solid Souls take and gorgeous game to add to an action fan’s library.

Diplomacy is Not an Option demonstrates the art of negotiation by being totally unflinching in both its vision and level of difficulty. Massive, bombastic battles are an absurd delight, provided you can muster the bravado to keep smashing your head against these rather thick, unmoving walls. Despite its flaws and missteps, Diplomacy is Not an Option is a sturdy castle that can withstand a good few of the ridiculously gigantic onslaughts it faces.

Few games can compare to the unsparing and ferocious intensity that permeates through every part of Ready or Not's gameplay or presentation. The more controversial themes and imagery will likely be as stomach churning for some as the often times inconsistent AI and multiplayer experiences. Yet I still found myself returning to duty to bring order to the chaos. Ready or Not is a tough and unforgiving game, but one that's simultaneously rewarding and stressfully evoking.

Boasting an incredibly unique, creative and gorgeous aesthetic with an exceptionally intriguing, well-told narrative, The Eternal Cylinder manages to still be rewarding even when its gameplay and mechanics become tedious and uninteresting. You’ll certainly be tired outrunning this circular vortex of death, but the tale is worth seeing through for the sights along the way.

Skate Story is a bold and convention breaking skating game that wears its love for the sport on its sleeve. With a satisfying control scheme to master, psychedelic environments to trick through and incredible music to bop your head to, Skate Story is an audio/visual sensation that's only mired by it's confusing gameplay turns near the end. It's a real one of a kind for a genre that's almost as old as the medium itself.

Avowed stands alone as a hugely enjoyable experience that scratches the RPG itch without tearing off your arm. If you haven't got a huge amount of time on your hands, that's worth its weight in Skeyt.

A title that succeeds in blending its story with the in-game narratives the player creates is a rarity and Last Train Home achieves it with aplomb. Some minor gameplay and visual stutters aside, this is a steamtrain built to withstand any hardship. Challenging combat missions, deep management gameplay and a phenomenal recreation of 1910s desolate Russia make this train worth boarding.

Moving Out 2 plays it safe with more of the same fun from the original. Whilst the game is more cohesive and streamlined with its levels, it loses some of the random craziness that you weren’t expecting from the first. New modes are decent and the addition to online co-op is great but don’t go into the game expecting it to reinvent the wheel.

A truly one-of-a-kind take on first person puzzle games, Superliminal may not be the longest game on the market. But what it lacks in length it makes up for in ingenuity.

A cohesive and complementary blend of point-and-click adventure and 2D platformer, Lair of the Clockwork God is a real rib tickler that’s capable of delivering real emotion when it aims to. This is Ben & Dan’s magnum opus and one of the most essential games of 2020.

A few niggles aside, Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a well structured and engrossing family friendly adventure. Revolving around the themes of diversity, inclusivity and, most importantly, empathy, it’s a wholesome game that carries a powerful message that it deftly delivers via almost every facet of its game play and narrative. If you like your games to be relatively threat free while including the best aspects of combative games, Rainbow Billy will likely be right up your alley.

A chilled and deeply satisfying golf game, A Little Golf Journey combines small scale courses with a pleasant soundtrack, a varied art style and a real sense of adventure in a really pleasing way. Even if you don’t like golf as a sport, the environmental puzzles and quirky narrative in this game make for a gratifying experience, even with an occasionally unwieldy camera.

A darkly funny, emotionally engaging and poignant interactive visual novel, Stilstand is a relatable story that’s worth experiencing. With the implementation of touch screen input, the Nintendo Switch version of the game is the definitive console version of a game which I feel most people will see at least a small part of themselves in.

Saturnalia should be on any horror fan’s radar this year. A twisted story combined with a superb art style, nerve-shredding gameplay and expertly crafted design will have you praising and cursing the creative genius to put roguelike mechanics into a horror game. This Italian town has a horrific history you’ll both love and hate to venture into, but you’ll be compelled to uncover it nonetheless.

If you’re a fan of FMV games and dating simulators, Ten Dates is yet another easy recommendation from Wales Interactive’s ever-growing portfolio of published interactive movies. The acting and script are excellent and aside from a few odd musical transitions and dated references, there’s a lot of accessible fun to be had here.

Green Hell Quest Edition is a game that fully utilises the unique options that VR offers. If you can stumble/fluke your way past your first night, this game will keep on giving.

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.

Birdigo captures that feeling we all felt when we played Balatro for the first time, but gives it a Wordle/Scrabble-esque remix with a narrative about migrating birds. On paper, it probably shouldn't work but John August and Corey Martin have created a game that is quite frankly unputdownable. A glorious puzzler with roguelike mechanics, Birdigo's talons will hook you in and not let go.

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.

If you’re a fan of Final Fight and its ilk, there’s enough here to entice you. Doubly so if you’re a Marvel fan, but as somewhat of an outlier, I still got most of it and it doesn’t belittle you for not knowing them all. Partner up, and tear up, heroes.

After two and a half decades, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a welcome return to SNK's ranks. Accessible enough for beginners, yet hard to master for fans, there's an even playing field for all. The narrative may be lost on some, but with enough characters to master it's a blast for the fighting game community.

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.

While its evocative graphics will attract players on this beautiful journey, the simple traversal puzzles and lack of emotional weight mean Planet of Lana is just not very memorable.

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.

With a fun addictive gameplay loop, Astro Aqua Kitty is often a purr-fect sequel. It features expanded level design and enhancements over the original. If you liked the first, you’ll like this, but seven out of ten cats would say it’s missing anything to truly make it memorable, rather than just a quirky shmup.

Station to Station is a beautiful voxel experience wrapped up in simple to pick up, difficult to master puzzler that’ll keep your engine chugging along until the end. It’s a short but special game that deserves an audience, the endearment of its central mechanic is well worth the ticket price.

Prepare to break free of Dharma Tower in a blaze of sword swings, exhilarating last-gasp dashes and the glory of hundreds of deaths. The new motorcycle mechanics are bombastic (if a little janky) and One More Level continues to amaze with stellar level design, visual spectacle and a booming soundtrack. Ghostrunner 2 is a worthy sequel, even if the story falls flat and you end up smashing three controllers on your way to mastering it.

An intense and fun experience, Granblue Fantasy Relink sits at the short but spectacular end of the JRPG spectrum. Running to some 20 hours all told, and maybe retaining a few too many of its mobile influences, you’ll wonder why it took seven years to release. But hey, with the wind in your hair, the ride is still a sweet one.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition launches a decades old crusade to reclaim the glory of 2002 and by all the knights and eunuchs does it succeed. An incredulous bounty of new content, alongside gloriously enhanced visuals and quality of life improvements make this an almost impenetrable castle. Storming the walls and setting kingdoms aflame has always been spectacular, but Firefly Studios have set a new gold standard for their own series, and for remasters everywhere.

A triumphant new IP from Bandai Namco, Scarlet Nexus is probably the best RPG of the year so far. Its compellingly dark story will keep you guessing through two necessary playthroughs, while its engaging psychokinetic combat is in a class of its own, albeit with exceptionally streamlined progression. Throwing your toys around has never been so much fun.

Running free as Chesley in Farewell North is a liberating and visually beautiful time. With a heartfelt, emotionally investing story about grief and loss, stunning visuals and a soaring score, Farewell North overcomes its more straightforward mechanics and helps us appreciate the little things. Like playing fetch with your canine best friend, you’ll be wanting to come back for more, no matter the weather or occasionally rough edges.

It may have a half-baked premise, but don’t let that put you off of Ghostrunner. The gameplay far outweighs it, and once you get your head in the game, it’s so utterly rewarding. Hard, yes, but oh so incredible when you grasp it. Lose yourself in the visuals and synthwave as you rise to the top.

Ys X Nordics focuses on narrative and the essence of being a fun adventure, without much of the fluff that can weigh down more accomplished titles. It’s an open world, but it rarely demanded I wasted time doing fetch quests, and its melee and nautical combat are weighty enough for this kind of mid-length campaign. Ys X Nordics takes the series back to its beginnings, and while I can lament the things we lost along the way, it was still a worthwhile adventure.

Overall, there is plenty of game here and enough to challenge even the most hardened shoot-’em-up fanatic, but also enough tricks up its sleeve to cater for newcomers. Natsuki Chronicles will be on my ‘pick up and play’ list for a while.

You’re going to want a pen and a pad nearby to keep track of your characters, the threads and the keywords you’ll want to search for, and some questionable design decisions hold the game back from being an all-out classic of the genre – with the shocks and twists of Her Story towering over Telling Lies’ endgame – but it’s still well worth exploring if you’re looking for an interactive mystery to untangle.

Among Ashes is an impressively original retro-horror that's main downfall is its worship to other franchises. There's a great narrative told between multiple worlds and some genuine scares that are worth experiencing. When you're not sure if the game's got a bug or a feature, you know you're in for the right kind of paranoia.

Wartales is a mix of great ideas tempered by some questionable design decisions. I really want to love this game, and there is plenty of fun to be had, but I can’t help but feel like there was a missed opportunity to make a good game a true great. For fans of the genre I do recommend picking it up and giving it a go, but I really hope that the game gets expanded upon in the future to let it live up to its full potential. [Early Access Provisional Score = 60]

A natural evolution of Absolute Drift, art of rally is a terrific passion project that serves as the perfect love letter to rally driving. Designed to be accessible to anyone, regardless of skill level, and with a huge amount of content, it’s a game that you could easily be playing a year from now and still finding new ways to approach it. As such, it’s an incredible value proposition and one of the best racing games in recent memory.

Hampered by control and interface issues, Planet Zoo is a neutered and dishevelled version of the graceful beast it is on PC. It has an abundance of content, a wonderfully educational attitude to conservation and the presentation value is top-notch. If it wasn’t for the crippling issues I faced running my zoos, this would be the definitive virtual safari management title.

Baring an incredible set of fangs, V Rising successfully coagulates the blood of multiple genres into a massively compelling, rich and satisfying vampire survival title. Morph into a wolf as you build your gothic fortress, venture out on challenging hunts and team up with or decimate your fellow vampires in a stellar time-sink of a game. Not many vampires can rival Dracula for his throne, but V Rising just might.

A unique FMV game that’s both poignant and entertaining, Five Dates is essential for fans of this genre regardless of a few flaws. Excellent acting, a smart replayable structure and culturally important subject matter make this an easy recommendation, even for those that don’t traditionally like games.

An Ys classic remade and now remastered, The Oath in Felghana is the Ys series at its most punishing and retro. Frustrating bosses, challenging combat from one end of the land to the other, retro design, and a dull forgettable story, make this one for the die-hard fans only.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins succeeds in both reinventing and rediscovering the bombastic thrill of a series that had drifted from its path. Veterans will likely feel disappointed with some of the personalisation changes and smaller character pool, but Origins delivers the incredible thrill of 1 vs 1000 clashes. With a deepened combat system and brilliant level of performance, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a welcoming spectacle for returning fans and newcomers alike.

Haiku, the Robot is an exceptional debut and a wonderful Metroidvania. The content updates and overall gameplay improvements over time have only bolstered the game’s overall package, making it the best time to play. General combat isn’t compelling and the introspective story can get lost, but the exploration and accessibility make the game special.

Created by just a single person, Dystopika distills the essence of the visual appeal of cyberpunk worlds into a small but creative package. What’s here is simple and accessible, even if it feels a bit light in terms of content to play around with. Despite this, it’s hard to deny the inherent appeal of erecting the perfect futuristic metropolis as you kick back and take in the sights and sounds.

Dordogne’s limited gameplay stints what is otherwise an exceptionally creative experience. The story is impactful and the handcrafted watercolour-painted world is beyond impressive, not to mention a soundtrack of the year contender. You won’t get lost in the brush strokes, but you will fall for its incredible charm.

Living up to its title, King of Fighters XV is a fantastic slice of 3D fighting action. Don’t worry if you’re not a long-time fan, there’s enough to get you started here. A massive cast of brawlers, plenty of styles to choose from, and a host of fighting modes make this worthy of fighting fan’s collection.

House Flipper 2 showed me the joy of cleaning, throwing out the trash and donning my paint roller. I thoroughly hate cleaning and interior decor discussions in real life, but there’s an innate satisfaction that comes with doing it virtually the real world just can’t replicate. It has some issues and it might be too chilled for its own good in places, but House Flipper 2 is a DIY project worth taking on.

The TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is exactly what it says it is. It’s thirteen classic Turtles adventures, with some modern quality of life improvements to tip the scales on occasion. For those expecting more in terms of remake, remaster or more content, it won’t be found here. Just pure nostalgia.

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.

Wearing every cliché on its sleeve, The Quarry is having a whale of a time with its setting. Sometimes it's satirising the slasher film, others it subverts them. With many endings and path-altering decisions to make, no two playthroughs are alike. Coupled with a heap of horror alumni, as well as up and comers, The Quarry is a veritable romp through jump scares, ghost stories and video nasties.

Understated, heartfelt and relaxing; Wanderstop may be a little simple for those looking for a "cosy sim". However, for those looking for thoughtful writing, a laser focus on being laid back and a demand to play it on your terms, it doesn't get much enveloping and cosy as this.

Justice Sucks: Tactical Vacuum Action rights all the previous wrongs that Roombo: First Blood set. The presentation, gameplay improvements and variety this game has to offer when you’re just a Roomba killing folks makes for an entertaining gameplay loop that finally sucks the landing.

Star Wars Squadrons is a terrific dogfighter, reminding you beyond anything else that Star Wars, when done properly, is supposed to be really, really fun.

Pumpkin Jack might not add anything ground-breaking to the genre, but it’s an adventure platformer that tastes like home. Reminiscent of old school games such as Medieval, Spyro the Dragon, and Bugs Bunny: Lost In Time, it’s a joyful experience with a wide variety of game play. Albeit a bit clunky with controls and combat, the humour, dialogue and character capturing that Halloween spirit exceeds those trivial irks.

Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip is a hilariously heartfelt sandbox adventure that simplifies the genre's scope to pack a mightier punch. Everything is purposeful in the search for its collectathon gameplay and the world is a joy to explore, making it a tiny but terry-fic trip.

Sprinkling tower defence strategising on top of an addicting roguelike bullet-hell proves a stroke of genius for Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road. Fantastic persistent and in-game upgrades that keep the gameplay fresh, a vibrant and playful art style and excellent bullet hell mechanics make this an absolute blast, especially on Steam Deck. While it does struggle with some repetition in environments and a grinding bottleneck, it'll be hard not to spot this entertaining monster coming over the hill.

Carrying on the success of previous titles, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a corker for current gen ramblers. More streamlined in terms of progression, Expeditions welcomes both careful drivers and veterans off-roaders with open arms. With a host of accessibility and in-game tweaks, there’s never been a better time to try climbing a truck uphill… or fall off it trying.

NBA 2K25 takes everything from its predecessors and takes a step into greatness. With astonishing visuals, incredible immersion and tons to be getting on with, NBA 2K25 feels like the most complete iteration of basketball thus far. The microtransactions continue to bring down the entire experience, and there's a sense that it feels more like a casino than ever before, but if you have the strength to avoid them, you'll have one hell of a time.

Another crazy entry to Devolver’s catalogue, Anger Foot fits right in like a well-worn shoe. It’s violent, it’s daft, it’s challenging and like most others in the stable, it’s so instantly one-more-go-again that it becomes addictive. Lace them up and go kick it. Hard.

A graphical facelift will be appreciated by fans, and make it easier for newcomers to experience a cult classic. However the game itself has not been improved and shows its age across its dull repetitive combat, stilted animations and decade old ideas. The Remaster doesn’t shed new light on a game that might have been better remembered remaining in nostalgic darkness.

Finding the quiet yet poignant moments among the personal human dramas unfolding aboard a flying hospital, Wayward Strand is a chilled out and beautiful game. The world itself progresses unabated even without your involvement which means each player will likely experience something different and unique to them. It has a few visual bugs but they do little to detract from this game’s strong narrative core.

>Observer_: System Redux represents a solid improvement over the 2017 original and, therefore, a worthwhile upgrade. It’s a little too long for my liking, but it looks gorgeous at points and tells a terrific story that’s worth experiencing. With a reasonably friendly price, it’s also a relatively cheap way to show off your new toy. Absolutely worth a look.

A massive and detailed tactical RPG, Wasteland 3 offers so much to do. A few technical and visual issues occur, but nothing that will ruin the experience.

Röki blends the mythic with painfully real, the supernatural with the human to tell a story of reconciliation that’s spellbinding for its entire 12 hour length. A few foibles with its point and click roots are the only blemishes on an otherwise exemplary and accessible adventure that’s one of the best you’ll play this year.

Flying into battle with a strong but satisfying difficulty curve, Capes sheds the fluff of more expansive titles to double down on the tactical acumen of an XCOM title. Missions are tough, thrilling and ultimately rewarding. Even if the story behind the carnage is lackluster and the spikes in difficulty can be positively mountainous, Capes proves you don’t need a popular licence to make a grand superhero worthy of acclaim.

A magical and charming adventure into a Moominvalley transformed by the elements, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth puts Moomin at the fore in a whimsical story that always respects its source material. Subtle realignment of gameplay to suit Moomin and a continuation of every good aspect of its predecessor makes this wholesome treat of a game a wonderful cure for winter melancholy.

Look up the word “charming” in the dictionary, and you might very well find the cover for this game looking back at you. A bright and breezy game with an important message at its core, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a terrific experience, imbued with personality at every turn, that can be polished off in a single session. Another winner in a rapidly burgeoning library from ustwo games.

Where The First Berserker: Khazan stumbles in its crashes, surface-level narrative and overabundance of loot management, it more than makes up for with sensationally satisfying combat, wonderfully moody atmosphere, exceptional dark fantasy visuals and a gauntlet of brutal yet empowering bosses to overcome. Khazan may not be the most powerful of all Souls-like protagonists, but through sheer perseverance and rage, he's not far off joining the highest echelons.

It may not look like much to begin with, but when Olija gets going it’s a captivating experience. Pixelated violence paired with the minimalism of its peers, it’s as worthy as any other game with Devolver’s blessing behind it.

To summarize, Let’s Build A Zoo is a very satisfying, darkly funny and moreish tycoon game. A few tiny glitches are the only issues with a game I imagine I’ll be revisiting many, many times over the next few months. There’s just so much to do and it does it all with a unique, macabre charm. It’s unlikely I’ll ever see all 300,000 animal hybrids you can Cronenberg together but I’ll sure have a good time making my (bacon factory) zoo along the way.

Antstream Arcade is not a perfect service and the games included are not all absolute bangers, but what's on offer is more than enough to justify its subscription price and more, with a treasure trove of delights from way back when and games that you may have always wanted to try but never quite found the time. Now is the time.

Taking everything that made the first one enjoyable but clanky, Tormented Souls 2 is a refinement in every sense. A more cohesive narrative (when it gets rolling), better combat and a much nicer presentation, it's a great continuation for the retro-inspired series. A bit obtuse in places, it nonetheless will scratch that itch for the older Resident Evil and Silent Hill fans.

It really is a beautiful game. As I’ve said, Arc System Works have only continued to hone their craft and have offered this stunning, smooth and fast-paced fighter as a testament to that. I don’t think it’ll have as big an audience as other genre mainstays, but if you’re a fan of Guilty Gear or Dragonball FighterZ, this is well worth checking out.

Building on the immense foundations of the original, Jurassic World Evolution 2 provides more of the same addictive management gameplay with the thrill of seeing the prehistoric reptiles in all their glory. The new additions are light and there’s still some minor issues, but it’s all forgotten as you behold a T-Rex emerging from the shadows for the first time.

Grow: Song of the Evertree is for anyone who loves a sandbox sim adventure game. There isn’t much from the genre that Grow doesn’t include. It’s visually pretty, technically sound, and engaging throughout. With many environments to manage, craft and build as well as places to explore and make your own. You will be happily lost within the many worlds grow invites you into.

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.

It may not be perfect, with a control scheme that’s functional but still a little too clunky, and it’s almost impossible to recommend to anyone who owns a capable PC. However, if you only own an Xbox, all of the main features are there, the match engine is better than ever and it’s a great title to dip in and out of for 30 minutes at a time.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a reminder that games don’t have to be realistic or serious to be an awesome joyride of violence or chaos. The visuals are wonderful, the combat is sensationally stylish and the gore delivers on this ginger-haired cat’s name with aplomb. Despite the odd issue with the camera and navigation frustration, Gori is a thrill ride from start to end, and I’m desperate to see more of him in future.

A terrifying and unnerving experience to play, Visage pays tribute to those that came before it spectacularly. A few minor issues won’t spoil the fun, but you won’t help but notice them as you uncover the truth. You have been warned.

NBA 2K23 has something for everyone to get stuck into – whether you want to get engrossed in the Jordan era or have your own come up in MyCareer, all provide a lot to work with. With some of the best visuals to hit consoles and deep gameplay that plays so solidly, NBA 2K23 is a great iteration of the franchise.

While its lack of any narrative and tangible reward is a shame, Curse of the Dead Gods is a strong and well-crafted roguelite experience with a meaty soulslike combat system, and a remarkable number of mechanics and systems all working seamlessly together.

Insurgency: Sandstorm offers a brutal, satisfying and bleak FPS experience for those willing to immerse themselves in its tactical, punishing offering. Despite some glitches and slightly repetitive design, it stands tall as an inspiring shooter that will improve not only your skills as a player, but will also have you thinking like a soldier. The desert may be a Hellish place to be, but damn is it a rewarding and satisfying experience too. If you enjoy multiplayer shooters, there are firefights here you need to engage in for yourself.

An absolute blast of a rhythm-based shooter, Metal: Hellsinger is a love letter to all those that throw their horns to the sky. Packed with challenge, chugging tunes and a cavalcade of the genre’s finest vocalists, there’s a lot to enjoy. Riff and tear.

Killer Frequency’s lacklustre gameplay is elevated with a good story and even better audio/visuals. The world Team17 have created is one I hope they revisit as it’s a well-scripted, well realised and for the most part decently acted. Anyone who likes 80s movies or slasher flicks, in general, will also love the B-movie charm that this goes for.

Little Kitty, Big City delivers on putting you in the paws of what it's like to be a cat. Full of mischievous activity, good cat-like physics and an undeniable cattitude, it's hard not to recommend this to not only cat lovers, but adventure game enthusiasts too.

A short and sweet experiential exploration game, Return To Grace embraces a 60s art style, interesting story and a relaxed approach to gameplay. Unfortunately, the lack of gameplay depth and predictable narrative beats prevent it ascending into the highest echelons of the genre’s grace. Regardless, embarking on Adie’s adventure is a calming and welcome experience in spite of its limitations.