A visual novel adventure game emulating the style and serious constraints of a PC-98 title, Stories From Sol: The Gun Dog tells a compelling and suspenseful tale of ingenuity and resourcefulness in deep space. This is one for those who like their retro indies, but regardless of niche, it’s a brilliant game that deserves attention.

An accessible and innovative shoot-‘em-up, Habroxia 2 does more than enough to stand out in a crowded genre. While it hasn’t turned the genre on its head and lacks leader boards, the combination of auto scrolling shmup, twin-stick shooter controls and RPG-lite elements make for a refreshing and exciting game.

As much an educational piece of interactive fiction as it is a beautifully crafted visual world to explore, Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) fosters an introspective take on the 17th century colonial world. While playing this walking simulator can border on automatic, the setting, attention to detail and thought-provoking narrative make it an experience that's heartfelt and worthwhile.

Another remaster to Capcom's belt, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Remaster is what you'd come to expect from them. Spit and polish have given this twenty-plus year old classic a nice gleam, as well as some additions and quality of life improvements to make it accessible. It may not appeal to newcomers as much, but to the old school crowd, it's a welcome palate cleanser until Way of the Sword arrives next year.

>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 lovely time capsule of a game, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is exactly the kind of nostalgia we need. A fresh lick of paint brings Mickey's adventure up to today's standard, with a simple approach to gameplay to draw in the young and old alike.

Whilst not perfectly optimised for console, Shadows of Doubt is one of the most interesting detective games I've played. The procedurally generated premise completely nails how authentic it might feel to crack a case, and the many avenues of investigating keeps you on your toes for hours on end.

By building the experience around its main protagonist, Scars Above creates impressive symmetry between its story, combat and systems. This results in a standout sci-fi soulslike that’ll accommodate genre aficionados and newcomers alike. It has a few blemishes but they do little to sour the experience.

Chock full of cuteness and charm, Tin Hearts also unravels into a well thought out and crafted puzzler experience. There are means to make it easier, should you wish, but also the option of playing it without aid to challenge those that seek it.

Secretly an open-world stealth game, Star Wars Outlaws nails the worlds, tone, look and feel of this wonderful galaxy, while delivering constantly satisfying gameplay loops. Playing off criminal syndicates against each other and reaping the rewards of a double cross never got old. Outlaws is closer to an RPG of some fifteen years ago, but from a certain point of view, that might be exactly what you want.

Launching with seven new missions costing a measly £2.49, Valley of the Wolf follows in the footsteps of Swine’s Bay brilliantly. With new tactical challenges for veterans to master and brutal scenarios for newcomers to cut their teeth with, Firefly Studios’ final chapter in the Jewel campaign is excellent. Stronghold: Definitive Edition continues to live up to its title.

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.

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.

Not content with the miserly atmosphere in the usual Soulslikes, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia shows that we can have challenging, entertaining combat and a witty, amusing and fun tale alongside the endless deaths. Minor issues with exploration and gameplay aside, this is a fantastic and whimsical take on a genre that had been crying out for some levity. You died, but you’ll laugh about it this time.

Whilst it may be pleasing to the visual and audio senses, Lone Ruin balances out that pleasant feeling with fair challenge. A roguelike in the traditional sense, it offers that “one more run” gameplay for anyone that feels like they can do it better next time.

Peril on Gorgon plays it very safe, which may frustrate players who were looking for it to mix up the formula. For people like me though, who just wanted a reason to take control of the Unreliable once again and tear it across Halcion, this is exactly what you’re after.

Legacy of The Forge lets players live out their blacksmithing reveries with a content-rich add-on. Coupled with a heartfelt if basic main quest and a slew of repeatable side activities with their own associated stories, it's a great addition to an already mammoth package. The fires burn hottest in its best moments, but do simmer down owing to the repetition and lack of further depth in customisation, but setting up Henry's very own forge is a welcome return to Bohemian life.

Time Flies may be on the short side, but it's quirky and funny list of things to do and surprising amount of attention to immersion transforms a quick jaunt into an impactful life lesson. Life's too short to worry about the small stuff, be a fly for a couple of hours.

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.

Bezier: Second Edition may hit or miss with its strange narrative, but push that aside and there’s a dazzling arcade shooter in there. Twitchy reflexes and a keen eye are needed if you’re to reach those high scores.

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.

Staxel provides a fun, zen farming and life simulator that replicates the visuals of Minecraft, and the premise of Stardew Valley. There is much to uncover and it could be everyone’s new favourite farm to milk cows, grow crops and build abodes, whilst making friends along the way.

A fun premise, solid mechanics and excellent presentation mean that Bartlow’s Dread Machine might be my favourite twin-stick shooter since Geometry Wars. Hopefully, it doesn’t get lost in the madness that is the end-year shuffle, as it more than holds its own and deserves an audience.

Lords of the Fallen could have been another accessible cookie-cutter souls-like. But with the addition of Umbral, the world of the dead layered upon the living, it breathes new invention into exploration, increasing tension, and unique combat, managing to cement itself as essential in an increasingly crowded and quality genre.

Despite being made by only a single developer, Hexguardian proves to be a tower defence title worth its weight in gold. Depth of challenge and excellent randomiser mechanics make this a sturdy, yet deceptively engaging tower to bask in. There’s a slight touch of repetition and the odd interface or visual issue that sight some structural weakpoints, but Hexguardian’s tower is a booming beacon of wanton destruction.

Whilst occassionally suffering from the “being unfair doesn’t make it a challenge” issue, Gripper is nonetheless a fun ride. A gripping take on the boss rush style of game, pair this with a controller and headphones for a throttlin’ good time.

HORSES isn't a game for the faint of heart, nor those who struggle to be confronted with intensive imagery. It's a rudimentary video game that uses the medium as a vehicle for exploration of intensive themes, which creates an incredibly unsettling and disturbing atmosphere. There may be other horror games that you'd prefer to play, but very few will evoke the kind of disgust and repulsion that HORSES achieves, and evoking emotion is what art is all about.

Monster Jam Showdown brings the chaos of their live shows to your gaming systems in fine style. A huge celebration of the Monster Jam universe, Showdown absolutely nails the aesthetic and is crammed full of replayability. If you’re one of the many fans around the world, you’re going to flip for this.

A blistering challenge and a steep learning curve await but if you persevere through the difficulties there is a great feeling VR game and an impressive skating game too. Deficit Games have done an exceptional job to feel authentic whilst remaining arcadey and fun. Outside of the great gameplay and entertaining levels is a flawed sense of progression but it’s a great first attempt.

If it’s not the brilliant pixel art style or the paranoid protagonist that goes through one hell of a night, it’s the well-executed amalgamation of mechanics that feeds into a horror puzzler that’ll keep you enthralled for a night. Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness is a modest title that I just wish I had more of, as the qualities of a great game are all there but the brisk trip to insanity holds itself back.

The Colonists might not be the deepest of settlement games but it’s an engrossing one with a focus on productivity. It’s simplistic enough to act as an excellent introduction to the genre while having enough depth to please veterans looking for a challenge. What’s more, it hasn’t lost anything in the jump from PC to PS4.

Despite this version of Game Dev Story taking some time to get used too, the addictive “just one more game” loop remains unchanged. The hook of this game is as compelling as it was when the game first released. If you’re after a passive yet engaging game to play on your PS4, this game is certainly worth your time.

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.

Sorry We're Closed presents an unequal challenge in its gameplay as it flourishes in exploration and combat but slightly let down by its simplistic puzzle design. With that said, the game's story, themes, world building and style makes it one of the great nostalgic survival horrors of recent years.

Standing on the shoulders of the PowerWash giant, Spray Paint SImulator does just enough differently to elevate the experience of a spray simulator. There’s plenty to do and the additional mechanics certainly add to the immersion and offers a fun level of creativity that will appeal to all ages.

Despite not having the production values of some of its contemporaries, Robobeat would have Basshunter himself chasing this drop. Weighty, satisfying combat mix into a hyper-charged melody of excitement, head bops and intense rogue-like runs. A lack of real story and limited variety mean the mixtape slightly tails off, but the core of this setlist can keep you raving long into the night.

Dirt 5 feels like a game designed for the new generation of consoles, but there’s still plenty here for those not upgrading in the short-term. Whilst it has some technical issues and frustrating AI, the driving is as solid as ever, Playgrounds is a great new addition and there are some genuinely stunning moments to be experienced. It’s one of the best rally games in recent memory and I can’t wait to try it on a new platform.

If you’re an old codger like me with fond memories of old 8-bit computer games, picking up a title that evokes those memories so well is a no-brainer. If, as is more likely, you’re a young whippersnapper (I hate you), I still thoroughly recommend Kinetic Edge. It’s a terrific mix of genres that’s great in single player and even better in multiplayer. Get on it.

Looks like Warcraft, plays like Fable, Amalur brings nothing new to the table. An RPG-lite, if you will, there’s enough for casual players to have fun with, as well as hardcore players to sink time into.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is bigger in every facet with more locations to explore, more characters to meet, more story to read and more systems to manage. But with an increase in sheer scale, my journey has felt less significant as a result. I'm a mouth piece of a story being told rather than a Sleeper choosing my path. Whilst that leads to something more definitive, it loses the feeling of being mine. Citizen Sleeper 2 is a sci-fi world that's hard to compare and powerful in its writing, audio/visuals and gameplay making it a must-play dice driven RPG overall.

Old World: The Sacred & The Profane is an excellent addition to the base game, and I recommend it heartily. It won’t transform your games and it isn’t the biggest DLC out there, but it will improve them and make them more immersive and unique. It adds some extra variety to your run-throughs, and makes an already great game better. At the price point it is sold at, it’s a no brainer to pick up if you’re a fan of Old World.

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.

Star Hunter DX won’t win any awards for originality, Shoot ‘em ups are one of the oldest genres known to man. But where it might win some awards is in the strategy department, with lots of options to tailor the experience to your own personal style.

A must for any Doctor Who fan, The Lonely Assassins is a captivating and exciting found phone adventure that will delight the hardcore. Far and away the best Doctor Who game ever made.

Offering a trilogy of solid content offerings with campaign, multiplayer and zombies, Call of Duty: Vanguard is a valiant attempt from Sledgehammer which maybe plays it a little too safe in the end. Despite the messy, disjointed design choices for online, Vanguard still proves to be a satisfying experience. It may not lead the line of CoD entries as its name suggests, but it nestles nicely in the middle of the pack.

Plants Vs Zombies: Replanted is a remastered return to the garden, sharpening up the visuals and adding co-op and bonus modes, without losing any of the original charm. It’s faithful, nostalgic revival that balances fresh additions and original roots for the game that started it all.

Super Perils of Baking is a 16 bit, 2D side scrolling platformer and an ode to the retro game genre in terms of variety, difficulty and platformer peril. It’s jam packed with things to do and collect but you’ll need a sprinkling of rage induced dopamine to get you through the enemies, highs and lows. There’s hours of fun that’s certainly worth your time, especially for the price point.

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.

Pepper Grinder is a short but near-flawless 2D platformer that’s a thrill ride from start to finish. From the sparkling pixel art visuals to its ingenious drilling gameplay, the game is a must-play for any platforming fan.

A passion project led by a small group of dedicated developers, Copycat delivers an emotionally driven tale about the nature of home, belonging and change. In spite of the occasional thematic misstep and limited replayability value, Copycat is both an enjoyable and reflective piece of art that's worth your time. Whether bapping gnomes off walls or wrestling with deep feelings, you'll feel moved throughout this short-but-sweet feline adventure.

Death Ray Manta SE is laser targeted to a very specific group of players. If you long for the heydays of the Llamasoft games, this game gives you the feeling you had playing these games back in the day but with spruced up visuals, a plethora of fish puns and a more accommodating nature. There’s some required repetition and the visual presentation might immediately repel some, but for those it’s aimed at, Death Ray Manta SE is an excellent “just one more go” game. Only now, it’s “just one more go, on the go” with the Switch version.

While it certainly isn’t going to be for everyone, if you’re interested in unique gaming experiences there’s a lot to admire about The Longest Road On Earth. It feels more like an art house project than a traditional game at times, much to its benefit. The exquisite soundtrack alone would be enough for me to recommend this game. The meditative, leisurely paced narrative delivered alongside it are just a bonus.

A solid collection, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will appeal to fans of 2D fighters. A few new tweaks don't detract from the arcade charm, making this a worthy collection for those who have always wanted to settle a bet about whether Ryu can beat Cyclops in a brawl.

A few issues with the visuals take the shine off of WRC 10 which is otherwise yet another authentic, enjoyable rally game from KT Racing. Not a vast amount has changed since WRC 9 but what new content that has been added, including the Anniversary Mode which celebrates 30 years of the sport, does just enough to make this a worthwhile annual iteration for the series.

A slick, well designed game, Demon Turf is packed with personality, in part due to its 2D/3D hybrid visuals. Like a tour of the best the genre has to offer, this is a 3D platformer for those that grew up on them and fancy a hearty yet deeply rewarding challenge. It’s only let down by a handful of bugs which will hopefully get fixed via a patch.

Unashamedly developed for fans of the series, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a unique and deftly crafted take on a well-trodden character. Retaining its detail oriented, mystery solving core while moving to an open world design with a heavier inclusion of combat, this game retains the charm of its predecessors while pushing the series in an exciting new direction. It’s not perfect, but an excellent story and a plethora of ‘eureka’ moments make up for many of its flaws. If you loved Crimes & Punishments and The Devil’s Daughter, you’ll love this.

A few barely noteworthy technical hiccups and a multiplayer mode that could have been a little more than it is are the only marks on an otherwise absorbing and ingenious puzzle game. TENS! on Nintendo Switch is totally unlike the mobile version and it’s all the better for it.

White Shadows is a dark and oppressive experience, but don’t write it off. It’s reminiscent of Limbo and the like, but homages can be a good thing at times. It is criminally short, however, and would have really benefited from a bit more challenge and/or length in its puzzles. If you enjoy your misery in small bursts, this will be for you.

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.

Channeling a wonderful 80s pixel aesthetic and a frantic approach to run-and-gun gameplay, Mega City Police delights with its intense and challenging, though short-lived runs. A game that hits more than it misses, it’s a fantastic reminder of why the 80s action heroes were so revered, and probably feared, too.

Almost everything about Rain On Your Parade is geared towards giving the player a good time. A mischief simulator packed with wise cracks and pop culture references, it’s a lot of fun to play. Not all of the humour lands but enough of it does to make this an easy recommendation to anyone who liked Untitled Goose Game.

Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is an engaging and hugely enjoyable follow up to Röki. The characters you meet throughout allow you to discover the gods of Greek mythology in fun, unique ways, and there's plenty to discover as you explore this mysterious island. Mythwrecked comes highly recommended.

The Plucky Squire does a great job of hopscotching you across worlds and genres whilst keeping the gameplay simple and understandable at its core. It's a real life fairy tale full of wit, charm and a smidge of meta cynicism, that's only bolstered by its fantastic hand drawn art style - overall outshining my complaints of low stakes and technical issues.

Featuring a fantastic sense of place, unique style and a riveting narrative, The Thaumaturge is a challenging yet excellent RPG. Whilst the systems are lean, they all work great with each other and features a great detail in its writing, mixing history and dark fantasy into one neat package.

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.

Sable’s ability to make the player feel so involved in such a hands-off approach to its open world is one that should be celebrated. The gameplay is a little one-note and the framerate can buckle under pressure, but it’s a game full of intrigue and wonderment that captivates you immensely. Not to mention exceptional cel shaded visuals and a zen like soundtrack that makes Sable enrapturing to explore.

Mornia is a top-down 2D pixelart world that is a gruesome joy to explore and attempt to liberate. It’s difficulty will put some off, but Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is a competent and accessible souls-like experience, that gives everyone a level playing field with its minimalist systems and simple move sets.

If you’re a fan of AVICII, then this game is a no-brainer. For the rest of us, this AVICII Invector: Encore Edition is still worth strapping your Quest on for and losing yourself in the bass thumping neon.

A succinct, poignant and personal narrative puzzle game, The Forest Quartet is an excellent way to spend an evening. Its intimate story is brought to life through an art style packed with symbolism and gorgeous music. There are a few foibles with the game, but they account for just a fraction of the overall experience.

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.

Overall, Knights of Honor 2: Sovereign is a fun and well made addition to the grand strategy market. It was always going to be tough to stand up to the leaders in that genre, but the game makes a good case for itself, and I enjoyed my time playing it overall. With a few additional quality of life features over time, and hopefully more content moving forward, it can live up to its full potential and maybe even rise to the throne itself.

King Arthur: Legion IX uses a strong foundation of engaging turn-based combat and a fantastic Rome-inspired setting to craft a compelling journey. Crashes and rough edges mean this is a war-weary Centurion, but it comes through with the hearts of many a lion, likely the ones felled in glorious gladiatorial combat.

Whether you know the stories of Arthur & the fall of Camelot or not, this game allows you to build your own Arthurian legends step by step. Pendragon is a near-seamless blend of procedurally generated narrative and a strategy game that could have carried itself alone. Combined, they make one of the most unique games of 2020 and while it’s not without its flaws, it’s a game I highly recommend you try.

Railbound is a quaint, confident and colourful puzzle game that’ll charm your socks off if you let it. The presentation is welcoming, while the puzzles are challenging, all chocking up to a well-designed puzzler that’ll keep your brain boggling for hours.

Antab Studio’s ambition has to be applauded. Blending multiple game types with such a bold aesthetic style and an intriguing story premise – and getting so close to pulling it all off – is a remarkable achievement in its own right. As it is, it’s a qualified recommendation from me – the combat could be a little tighter and you should be prepared for some frustration with the instant-fail stealth sections. However, at the price point Foreclosed sits at, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck, and that’s a difficult value proposition to ignore.

A high-quality real-time tactics stealth title, Sumerian Six is full of intricate missions and wonderfully unique scientific abilities for you to unleash upon those pesky Nazis. Artificer have taken the torch from Mimimi Games and are running with it, and I’m so glad they are.

Thomas and Friends arrive in Train Sim World 5 in a delightful content package that will appeal to young fans and classic ones alike.

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.

Atomfall succeeds in creating a very British village worthy of exploration, so long as you have the patience. If you're willing to stick with its unique mechanics and its wholly original take on the apocalyptic survival genre, there's a fascinating game to be discovered.. You can even eat cornish pasties.

A solid sequel to compliment a wonderful franchise, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake offers a much more coherent adventure platformer than its predecessor. With each world feeling like it’s own TV episode, and a fun story throughout, there is a lot of fun to be had within this entry.

It is a little rough around the edges, which is to be expected from a small team and backed by an indie publisher. Stick with Thymesia however and you’ll make some good memories with it, hopefully with some care down the line to refine the experience.

Dividing its time beautifully between rouge-like dungeon crawler and cult management simulator, Cult of the lamb is everything you would want and need from the mix of genres. A fantastic soundtrack and incredibly moreish gameplay, this is a big recommendation for anyone who is in awe of the vibrantly cute aesthetic it presents. While it’s currently harrowed by some glitches preventing certain aspects of gameplay from shining, once these are ironed out this could easily be ‘Game of the Year’ material.

A glorious pulp style mixed with engaging stealth gameplay makes Serial Cleaners a compelling 90s narcotic to sink your time into. The trip may be a little bumpy on account of the bugs and inconsistent AI, but you’ll be left feeling fulfilled and ultimately satisfied, which is more than Scarface or Vincent from Pulp Fiction can attest.

Ravenswatch delivers a tantalising co-op rogue-like experience for those willing to partake in the action alongside others. Taking on the dark world of Reverie solo proves less enticing thanks to its imbalanced difficulty, but after a year and a half in Early Access, Passtech Games have delivered a well-crafted, visually appealing dark fantasy spin of familiar fables.

A pseudo-sequel that’s worth inserting a coin for, Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers takes the premise of the original and builds upon it in some imaginative ways. With a diverse and interesting cast, most of which you can romance should you choose, as well as some astute commentary on the state of modern day gaming culture, it’s a smart and engrossing title.

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.

We don’t get enough science fiction survival horror games, so when one comes along it’s a real treat. Cronos: The New Dawn merges effective brutal combat and excellent charging gunplay, with a design, atmosphere and aesthetic that is next level memorable. If you felt the void after Dead Space, this will fill it. And then Merge with it, and make something new and spiky and horrible.

OTXO comes alive when you hit the Zen-like moment of blowing apart enemies, dodging out of fire, booting in doors and stressfully defeating that encroaching foe with your last round of the magazine. It suffers from some repetitive procedural design and relies a little too much on its slo-mo mechanic to get by, but its as close to a Crank movie you’re ever likely to get, and what a time that is.

MotoGP 21 is undoubtedly the best looking game in the series. It also makes fantastic use of the DualSense controller on the PlayStation 5. For every step forward this game takes forward though, it feels like it takes a step back elsewhere. It’s still a very challenging but equally rewarding motorbike racing game and worthy of carrying the MotoGP name. The iterations without value adding innovations are starting to take their toll.

One of the best AA games to release in quite some time, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood combines brutal combat, smart stealth and a well-developed lore into a 20 hour long action adventure campaign. It can get a little repetitive before the midpoint but there’s some excellent moments waiting for those that can push through to the end.

A top-down adventure title that pays homage to the likes of Zelda and Illusion of Time, There Is No Light is an illuminating game that fits alongside them. A little rough around some edges, it nonetheless scratches that itch for retro enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

With a gorgeous art style, challenging but deeply rewarding combat, an interesting story and an approachable take on the soulslike formula, Clash: Artefacts of Chaos is a welcome new form for the Zeno Clash series. It has a few rough edges that will hopefully get fixed with a patch, but despite them, this is an easy recommendation for fans of Dark Souls or Zeno Clash alike.

A few small gripes aside, Eternal Threads is a smart, uniquely structured and thoroughly enjoyable narrative adventure. By taking a trope that has become associated with the genre and owning it, the game feels fresh among the other games that attempt this concept too. If you enjoyed the likes of Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture or Tacoma, you’ll enjoy this.

A decent offering from the weird mind of Goichi Suda, Romeo Is A Dead Man is a welcome return to the madness. Whilst fun to play, the inconsistent story beats, occasional jank and insanely bright and blinding fights can become too repetitive. Definitely one for the fans of Grasshopper, perhaps not so much for the unaware.

In fully committing to its themes of artistic inspiration, trauma and self-doubt, Project Songbird shows a willingness to be emotionally raw and vulnerable, creating a real space for reflection and empathy. The psychological horror elements have a depth that slowly expands over the game's runtime, outshining its relatively straightforward combat and occasional technical problems. A nightmare is always distressing, but maybe there's beauty nestled within the pain.

A genuine diamond in the rough kind of game. Sword and Fairy: Together Forever constantly had my attention with varied gameplay, diverse and gorgeous locations, fantastic pacing and some genuinely touching character moments. If not for a handful of technical issues and a wonky but still understandable translation: Sword and Fairy: Together Forever would’ve scored higher. I loved it, regardless.

It has both its calm and frustrating moments, but when it looks as stylish as it does, you can’t hold it against it. A mobile-runner without the trappings, it compliments the Switch perfectly. Kick back, keep your eyes peeled, and just #Drive.

Lake is a narrative-driven postal simulator quite unlike any other. With a rich story, wonderful characters a beautiful town to explore, if you’re looking for something to ease your mind, you can’t go wrong.