A dream-like point-and-click story of love and grief told through memory vignettes, When The Past Was Around is memorable but when you can finish it in a few hours, it feels oh so fleeting.

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.

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.

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.

It does however feature the most wonderfully realised sci-fi city I’ve ever had the pleasure to fly around, and goddamn, it’s the first flying car game I’ve ever played, and I can’t believe the stunning lack of flying car games in the gaming market. I hope this starts an incredible new genre. It’s got a fun cyber storyline, great lore, a few good lead characters that will keep you entertained, and a lush soundtrack to rival the best in the business.

Floodland rises above the surface when the depth of its mechanics are given the space to breathe. It strikes a brilliant balance between complex systems that are slick and accessible, while offering a satisfying level of micro-management gameplay. For all of its wonders however, this bristling settlement sim can run aground of stagnated progress and unwieldy inter-clan mechanics on occasion, but nothing should stop you rebuilding humanity in this beautifully desolate world.

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.

Solving puzzles while a disgruntled goblin is getting irate that you’re cheating because you’re taking off body parts, can be fun. Helheim Hassle certainly made me laugh quite a few times. But a repetitive gameplay loop, a tiresome numbers of puzzles, some frustrating controls, and a world that I felt no compulsion to explore or continue in, left me wanting a lot more than just a few lols.

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.

A precision platformer with a novel, magnetically charged traversal method, Super Magbot is a quality game. The storyline is a little lackluster but challenging yet satisfying game design makes for a very morish experience.

Arcade Paradise is a cracking laundry / arcade simulator that rewards you for your patience and dedication to the cause. Once the arcade opens up you’ll have an absolute blast finding your new favourite game in a huge selection of unique takes on old school classics. There’s a road to get there, but this one is all about the destination. A hugely rewarding, feel-good experience you have to play.

Compared to many other “games as toys”, The Block feels limited. It’s an interesting, tiny city builder that challenges you to make use of finite space, but it fails to capitalise on its unique hook in any meaningful way. That said, if you’re looking for something to play after a rough day to work, there’s a satisfying vibe to the game that’ll fill an hour.

Chessarama converts the tactical and strategic appeal of chess into a charming and brain-teasing puzzler successfully. It loses its Queen thanks to some minor technical hiccups and occasionally widely volatile difficulty curve, but there are more than enough pieces remaining to see it achieve a comfortable victory. Not quite a grandmaster, but an adept newcomer’s spin on the timeless game of chess.

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.

Throwing out the dour and the drab, Dead Island 2 is all about killing in style. From the beautifully rendered wastelands of HELL-A, to the equally visceral limb destruction system, there’s endless fun to be had here. With enough to do solo or with friends/strangers, not to mention the upcoming expansions, Dambuster Studios have rewritten how to enjoy oneself in the face of Armageddon.

Beyond the Dawn was never going to be an epic on the scale of a full Tales release, but it’s sad that this is the last taste of Arise’s world that I’ll remember. A poor story with little reason to be told and virtually no new features at all make this hard to recommend. It may look the same as the main game on the surface, but the soul just isn’t there.

The Valiant is a good squad-based RTS with a compelling campaign, superb graphics and a wealth of modes to enjoy. However, it would have benefitted from a deeper base-building mechanic and a smoother difficulty curve at times. It’s a valiant effort worthy of your time and attention, but it falls just short of justifying the Holiest of crusades.

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.

This Season Update experiment makes you wonder why this hasn’t been the norm for football games for years. If this is the future of the genre, sign me up. EA should be looking over their shoulder. PES has retaken the crown.

Classified: France ’44 sits comfortably within the XCOM genre, content to replicate a good, solid formula without much deviation. This resistance group suffers from all manner of technical flaws and they don’t present themselves as particularly interesting, but the missions you’ll send them on will keep you engaged right up until the Allied assault of D-Day begins, and you’ll have earned that victory lap.

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.

Sonic Superstars is a perfectly serviceable Sonic game with beautiful visuals and nailed-on movement of the main characters. The number of collectables and confusing level layouts holds it back from true greatness, but there’s just enough here to keep the fanboys at bay until Sonic and friends return once again.

It’s difficult to see how younger players will react to its visuals and punishing difficulty, but it serves as stark reminder that we’ve come a long way, baby.

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.

Smashing your way through hordes of vampires in a style reminiscent of Gears of War and Godhand, Evil West is a limb-tearing, frenetically great time. It’s a ridiculously over-the-top title with intentionally garish dialogue, balance issues and some questionable decision choices, but when you’re mashing a 10-punch combo into a bloodsucker’s deservingly battered face, you’ll forget all about logic in favour of a rip-roaring good time.

The small hitches and spotty audio don’t spoil what is an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable narrative. The diverse cast of characters, showing more inclusivity than any other romance visual novel on the PS4, is certainly welcome. Arcade Spirit is tightly written, with only a hand full of lulls, but plenty of heart and a tonne of quirk. While it’s not going to be challenging the greats in the visual novel genre, It’ll surely raise a smile or 10 on your face.

[I] Doesn’t Exist will challenge and question you in ways few video games do. Supported by wonderful writing, deep thematic topics and addictive replayability, it shines through the darkness of this poor avatar’s world. Most importantly, I came away with a genuine feeling of reflection and introspection, something that loftier, grander games have frequently failed to do. An existential gem of 2023.

SCHiM is the perfect example of pick-up-and-play puzzlers. A neat concept of shadow hopping, paired with the minimal style of Echochrome and Untitled Goose Game, SCHiM fits that genre for those after something cute and progressively challenging.